Knowledge #2

In your journal list talents you have and others you would like to develop. Read Matthew 25:14–30. Learn a new skill or talent that will help you care for your own future family or home (for example, playing the piano, singing, budgeting, time management, cooking, sewing, or child care). Share with your family, class, or Young Women leader what you have learned.

My talents...

• teaching
• organization
• gentle heart
• easy acceptance of gospel truths
• music & singing
• working with children
• easily obey commandments
• teaching step aerobics
• leadership
• literature
• paper crafts
• decorating

Talents I'd like to develop...

• playing the piano
• sewing
• budgeting money
• being a good listener
• strengthening friendships
• being a peacemaker
• teaching Zumba

I am going to have Ryan teach me how to use Microsoft Money and understand how are bills are paid on line and how we budget our finances.
Thoughts on Matthew 25:14-30



Heavenly Father has given us all talents. When we use them, develop them, or increases them we are blessed. When we hide them, don't practice, or fail to acknowledge them we lose them. This causes us to deny ourselves some of Heavenly Father's blessings.
I need to read my patriarchal blessing and make sure I am using and developing all of my talents. I can also find others to pursue and practice to make myself a better servant to the Lord.

Knowledge #1

Learn about the importance of gaining knowledge by reading Proverbs 1:5; 4:7; 2 Nephi 28:30; and Doctrine and Covenants 88:78–80, 118; 90:15; 130:18–19; 131:6. Think about why you need to gain knowledge and understanding about how to apply gospel principles to your present and future home and family life. Write in your journal what you have learned about knowledge, and discuss it with a family member or Young Women leader.

Proverbs 1:5
If I listen I will become wise, and if I try to attain wise council I will begin to understand.

Proverbs 4:7
Seek for wisdom and understanding.

2 Nephi 28:30

• He will teach us line up line and precept upon precept.
• We will be blessed if we follow the things that we have learned.
• The more we receive and follow, the more we will be given.

D&C 88:78-90, 118

• If we teach others the things we know we will be more instructed in principle, doctrine, and the law of the gospel.
• If we seek for knowledge we will be given the ability to understand all things about the earth, heavens, nations, and our own homes.
• Our knowledge will help up be prepared to serve and magnify our callings.
• Use the scriptures and other church materials to teach each other and study.

D&C 90:15
Be familiar with the scriptures by studying them.

D&C 130:18
The things that we learn in this life will carry with us after we die.  We will have advantages in the next life if we know more.

D&C 131:6
We can not claim "ignorance."

Choice and Accountability #3

Agency, or the ability to choose, is one of God’s greatest gifts to His children. Read about agency in Joshua 24:15; 2 Nephi 2; and Doctrine and Covenants 82:2–10. With a parent or leader, discuss the blessings and responsibilities of agency. Record in your journal your understanding of agency and the consequences of choices and actions.

Joshua 24:15- "Choose you this day whom you will serve... but for me and my house we will serve the Lord."

2 Nephi 2-

• Men are instructed that they know good from evil.
• Redemption comenth in and through the Holy Messiah.
• All men will be judged according to their knowledge.
• Their must be opposition in all things in order for us to experience pain and joy.
• We are enticed by one things or another to give us the opportunity to choose.
• Because Satain is miserable, he wants us to be miserable.
• We are free to choose liberty and eternal life or captivity and death.

Doctrine and Covenants 82:2-10-

• Refrain from sin lest sore judgements fall upon your heads.
• Unto whom much is given, much is required.
• When we do what he says, he is bound. When we do not what he says we have no promise.

Agency is the power to choose what we do with the choices that are placed before us.  I know that we are all given agency in this life.  It is through the choices that we make, based on our own understandings, that will determine the way we are judged when we stand before God.  I know that when I do the things that he Lord has asked of me he is bound to give me the blessings he has promised.  I also know that righteous choices bring us peace of mind and happiness of heart.  When we choose incorrectly we are punished in two ways.  One is through natural consequences and the other is by the loss of the spirit.  I also know that Satan desires for us all to feel the way he does.  He makes things that are wrong seem fun and enticing, but I know that they only bring momentary pleasure.  By falling into these traps we feel burden by our sins. I think has an adult sometimes are choices are smaller, but just as important.  We must make sure we read our scriptures, take time to pray, and serve others.  These are daily choices that make a big difference in our ability to choose when other situations are presented to us.

Individual Worth #5

Participate in a dance, speech, or drama performance at school, in your community, or at church.  How did your participation in this activity strengthen your feelings of individual worth and self-confidence? Record your thoughts in your journal.

I sang "I Need Thee Every Hour" at church on June 13, 2010 in Sacrament Meeting.  Melinda Fisher (sister in-law) helped me prepare and accompanied me on the piano.

Several things happened as a result of this experience.  I've been struggling lately with my ability to sing.  I feel like I can't sing the way I used to now that I don't sing very often.  I have a hard time breathing and I don't have the range that I used too.  I also feel like I haven't had an opportunity to share my talents lately and I know that if we don't use a talent we can lose it.  I was very nervous and excited when Sister Zisette asked me to sing.

One thing I learned is that Lord's help can really make a performance better.  I sent several prayers to Heavenly Father asking for several things.  I wanted my voice to be clear and beautiful.  I wanted others to feel the spirit without crying myself.  I wanted to remember the words so that I could look at others.  Heavenly Father answered my prayers and blessed me with the ability to do all these things.

Another thing I learned is that with practice all things can be better.  I feel that my performance was powerful and sounded melodious.  I got many compliments afterward that helped me feel better and increased my confidence.  I just need to take more time to sing and share my talents with others.

Finally, I was reminded of one of my talents that is given to my in my patriarchal blessing- music.  I need to be willing to share this gift with others to help strengthen their testimony and mine.

Individual Worth #7

Heavenly Father has given you special gifts. Read the following scriptures:

• 1 Corinthians 12:4-12
• 1 Corinthians 13
• Moroni 7:12-13
• Moroni 10:8-18
• Doctrine and Covenants 46:11-26

 Ask a family member, a young women leader, and a friend to write down positive qualities the Lord has given you.

Positive Qualities from a Family Member...
When I think of you and your positive attributes one of the first things that comes to my mind is that you are a caring person. You really care about others and want what is best for them. You are a hard worker and give 100% to any job or task. You are organized and keep a neat and clean house. You have a great sense of humor and are fun to be around. You are able to be a leader or a follower, which cannot be said about everyone. You don't have to be in charge, but can be when called upon to do so. You have a testimony of the gospel and are willing to share it with others. You are intelligent and did well in school. You set goals and work towards accomplishing them. You are a good wife. You have a way with children; they seem to flock to you. You have many gifts and talents. I love you very much!! (Mom)

Positive Qualities from a Young Women Leader...

You have never "lost it" with all of the stress of planning for camp, that is an amazing quality.  You ar very close to the spirit and it shows through when talking about anything.  Your love for the girls and sincere concern for them is very apperant.  And, you're fun!  You can bring the spirit in a t approriate times, but you can also let your hair down and have a good time too.  It's been fun working with you! (Jill Hellstrom)

Positive Qualities from a Friend...

 I'm glad you asked me to do this after camp because I feel like I know you so much better now. These are what I see as some of your positive qualities: your willingness to serve, your organization skills, your ability to feel the Spirit and share that with others, you are always willing to listen to other's opinions or problems, your leadership skills, you are a good friend, you love your husband, you try to see the best in others, your sense of humor, you are a good sister/daughter/aunt, you influence those around you for good, your great sense of style, you have good insight into why things happen the way they do, you are a good teacher. You obviously have many more positive qualities, but this is a pretty good list, so I'll stop there. I really enjoyed getting to know you better at camp. (Jen Mattson)

Journal- How can I continue to develop these gifts and use them to serve my family and others?
     There are many things I can do to continue to develop my gifts and use them to help others.  First of all, I can read my patriarchal blessing often to help gain insight into the gifts I have and ways to develop them.  Second, I can make sure that I take time to develop my talents. I can try new things and use the skills I already have to progress in new areas.  I can also be more willing to serve others and give more of my time to help others. 
     Another thing is to overcome my fear of using my talents.  I need to step out of my comfort zone. The Lord said: “With some I am not well pleased, for … they hide the talent which I have given unto them, because of the fear of man. … And it shall come to pass, if they are not more faithful unto me, it shall be taken away, even that which they have” (D&C 60:2–3). Overcoming our fear is never easy to do, but the Lord has given us some counsel that can help: “If ye are prepared ye shall not fear” (D&C 38:30). If we are prepared, we usually feel confident that we can do what we have prepared ourselves to do. Such confidence overcomes fear.
     Finally, I think I need to seek the Lord's help through prayer.  As I pray for knowledge about my talents, I can also ask Heavenly Father for opportunities to develop my talents.  He can also give me the strength to use my talents and work to develop them.

Individual Worth #4

You are preparing now to fulfill a unique mission on the earth. Read Doctrine and Covenants 88:119. In your journal make a list of your hopes and dreams for your future home, family, education and some important things you would like to accomplish in your life, including becoming a wife and mother.

Doctrine and Covenants 88:119 "Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing; and establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God."

My hopes and dreams for my future…

Home

I hope to one day be able to work with Ryan and design, build, and decorate the house of my dreams.  It will have lots of space for family to gather, a large spacious kitchen to prepare meals, and giant walk-in closet to fill with clothes.  I want to have land to raise a cow, a few chickens, and a garden to help be more self-reliant.  More importantly, I want to have a home that continually has the Spirit of the Lord in it.  I want the things from D&C 88:119.

Family

More than anything, I want to have children in my home.  I don't know if this will be through adoption or other means, but I need to start doing more things to have this happen sooner.  I will have a family fast that Ryan and I will be able to adopt. Then I will find things that I can do to help make the process quicker and find someone who is willing to place their child with us.  I will return to the fertility doctor to pursue other avenues.

Education

I want to continue to take graduate courses to obtain my Masters Degree.  This will allow me to only have to attend workshops and do other things to get my 180 points I need every five years to renew my teaching license.  It will also increase my pay and marketablitiy.  I also want to get my lifeguard certification  for camp.  This will allow me to use the pool more.  I may do this to complete my 10 hour project for Knowledge.

Becoming a mother & wife

I want to do all I can to be the best wife and bring the spirit into my home.  Many of the things that fit into this category I mentioned above in my thoughts about family.

Write a plan that will help you achieve your goals.

I feel that by following the things from D&C 88:119 I will have the Lord's Spirit to help me achieve my goals and be closer to Heavenly Father.  I have broken down the scripture into its parts to come up with goals to work on to help me achieve my dreams.

House of Prayer

• Have personal prayers in the morning and before bed
• Have couples prayer in the morning and before bed
• Take time during the day to have silence to ponder

House of Fasting

• On the first sunday of each month have 24 hour fast with prayers for a specific purpose
• Hold a family fast for adoptipon

House of Faith

• Shre testimony whenever possible, especially to Ryan
• Rely on the Lord more when making decisions

House of Learning

• Have FHE regularly
• Increase "lesson" time during scripture reading

House of Glory

• Make my home like a temple
• Hang up scriptures
• Display more pictures of temple & Christ

House of Order

• Conduct a family planning meeting Sunday evenings

House of God

• Take time to see the Lord's hands in all things
• Invite the Spirit into my home
• Seek to be a peacemaker

Individual Worth #3

Read Doctrine and Covenants 18:10 and 121:45. Do all you can to build others and make them feel of worth. Every day for two weeks notice the worthwile qualities and attributes of others. Acknowledge them verbally or in writing. In your journal write what you have learned about the worth of individuals and how your own confidence grows when you build others.

"Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God." -D&C 18:10
"Let thy bowels also be full of charity towards all men, and to the household of faith, and let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of the Lord; and the doctrine of the priesthood shal distill upon thy soul as the dews from heaven." -D&C 121:45


Day One- I made a Valentine card for my Grandma Fisher. I made sure to include reasons why I love her.

Day Two- I made a Valentine card to give to my Grandma VanSice. It is so fun to have her live close. Her Christlike attributes include charity, courage, valour, and humbleness.


Day Three- I made a card for my dad and listed reasons why I love him and tied in some of his Christ-like attributes in it. I mentioned qualities like diligence, loyalty, and obedience.


Day Four- I make a list for my mom of the Christ-like attributes I see in her. I included her ability to make people feel peace and love. I also expressed her humility and desire to do what is right.


Day Five- I just realized the day is almost gone and I haven't written anything down for anyone. But then I remembered some things that I said today that made me realize I am seeing Christ-like attributes in others. I was a a birthday party and redirected several negative comments that changed the way the person was speaking feel about someone else. I have also found that just praying to see the Christ-like attributes can help. Today my focus is going to be on my Valentine- Ryan. I have made a card for him, but now I am going to fill it with reasons that I love him that are related to Christ-like attributes.


Day Six- Today wasn't the best as far as seeing the Christ-like attributes in others. We were awoken at 4:30 am and given the news that Tracy was in labor. We got up early, drove to UVA Medical Center, and spent the day in the hospital. I did stop to ponder how beautiful the babies are and what a blessing they are from our Father in Heaven. One of the babies was born with Mermaid Syndrome, which means major physical abnormalities. Yet, I realized she must have been a very valiant spirit in heaven to come down in this state.


Day Seven- I worked really hard to see the Christ-like attributes in my students today and make a point of tell them the things that I see. I told Faith that she was beautiful inside and out, because she always treated people with respect. I just worked hard to be positive and treat my students the way Christ would treat them.


Day Eight- There has actually been a couple day hiatis between the last post, but I think the passing of my niece makes an acceptable excuse. Especially since I learned something very powerful from her passing... There are some spirits who are so much like Christ that they only have to come to the Earth for a short time, just to get a body. I know this is true of baby Evelyn. During her name and blessing I could feel how much her Heavenly Father loved her and needed her to come back. I hope that this life lesson helps me see the Christ-like attributes in others.


Day Nine- Today at school we were writing essays where the topic was "Who is your best friend? Tell why they are your best friend." I wanted to create an essay as an example for the students to use as we were completign this together.  This allowed me some time to really think about some of Ryan's really good qualities.  I talked about his sense of humor and how he always knows how to make me laugh.  I mentioned that he is trustworthy.  I know that when Ryan says he is going to do something or that something is the way he says it is, he is telling the truth.  I know that he always has my best interests in mind.  Ryan truly is my best friend.

Individual Worth #2

Learn about the importance of patriarchal blessings by studying about them in True to the Faith and recent conference talks. Find out why they are given and who can give them. Discuss with a parent or Church leader how to prepare to receive a patriarchal blessing and how it can teach you of your worth adn identify and be a guide throughout your life. If you have not received your blessing, prepare to do so.

Conference Talks I Read:

1. You Have a Noble Birthright by Julie B. Beck
2. A Revelation for You by Elder Richard D. Allred
3. Your Patriarchal Blessing: A Liahona of Light by President Thomas S. Monson

Questions to Answer-

Why are patriarchal blessings given?

• They declare our lineage.
• Patriarchal blessings give us counsel and guidance from the Lord, provide protection, and can give us comfort.
• They give us promises, admonitions, and warnings.

Who can give them?

• They are given by an ordained patriarch who holds the Melchizedek Priesthood.

How do you prepare to receive a patriarchal blessing?

• Must be a worthy member of the church.
• Should have a desire to know and live God's will.
• Do everything you can to draw closer to the Lord- prayer, fasting, scripture reading, and mediation.
• Repent of sins.

How can it teach me of my worth , identity, and be a guide?

• Patriarchal blessings can warn us of dangers we may encounter in our life.
• They tell of talents that we have been given.
• They helps us understand the way we should live our lives.
• Can help us make decisions about paths we should take.

I have already received my patriarch blessing. I used this time to reread it and look for things I could do to reach my full potential. Here are some things I need to remember:

• I have been spared to come to earth at this time to accomplish many things.
• I bless you that you will continue to develop your testimony by having regular prayers.
• Take good care of my temple by eating proper food, and getting appropriate rest and relaxation.
• Set goals and word daily to accomplish them.
• A place in the Celestial Kingdom is reserved for me if I remain faithful.

Individual Worth #1

You are a daughter of Heavenly Father, who knows you and loves you. Read the following scriptures:

• Psalm 8:4-6
• Jeremiah 1:5
• John 13:34
• D&C 18:10
• Abraham 3:22-23
• Joseph Smith History 1:1-20

Write in your journal how these scriptures teach you that Heavenly Father knows you, loves you, and is mindful ofyou.

Here are some key points that stuck out to me while I was reading the scriptures listed above:

1. I am crowned with glory and honor
2. He knew me before I was formed in the belly
3. I was sanctified and ordained
4. I am commanded to love others has he loves me
5. The worth of souls is great
6. The intelligences before the earth were noble, great, and good
7. I am a beloved daughter of God

Heavenly Father KNOWS me...

I often wonder how one person can know everyone who has lived, lives now, or will ever live here on the Earth. Yet, it is witnessed to me so often that he does know me. When Joseph Smith knelt to pray, Heavenly Father knew the desires of his heart and answered his prayer. I know that Heavenly Father knows me because he has given me the family, experiences, and trials in my life that have taught me the lessons that I need to learn.

Heavenly Father LOVES me...

I have often struggled in my life to remember that I am loved. I think that we live in a world where Satan wants us to feel not good enough, not pretty enough, or not smart enough. This often causes us to sin, and then feel the sorrow for that sin. That sorrow then causes us to feel unloved, one of Satan's best tools. When I take the time to read and listen to spirit I can feel and see evidence of his love around me. The scriptures tell us that "the worth of souls is great in the sight of God." This means that my soul is important to him. He wants me to be happy. He wants me to return to live with him. I also see that when I take the time to love others, I am better able to feel of his love for me.

I have recently felt how much Heavenly Father loves the sisters I visit teach each month. I feel how much he loves the Young Women in our stake has he is helping me to plan Girls Camp. I know how much he loves the children I teach at school. If he loves these people, then he also loves me.

Heavenly Father is MINDFUL of you...

Sometimes has a mortal being, it is hard to remember that we have a father in heaven who is watching out for us. But when we humble ourselves, and look around it is easy to see. Just last week I was driving home from work and came around a curve. In the road were a herd of deer. Has I slowed down the car; the deer moved to create a path right inbetween them. I know Heavely Father was watching out for me. I also know that he gives us things in the proper time and order, because he knows what is best for us.