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“ECHOING AND PROCLAIMING HIS WORDS” -WHAT DOES IT HAVE TO DO WITH CHRISTMAS!
Years ago when we decided to clean up the way we worshipped and celebrated holidays we first began by throwing out Christmas. Yep, we threw it out the door, literally. Why did we do this? In trying to figure things out, our family had turned outwards to listen to other voices. YouTube after YouTube videos of others telling us that “to celebrate Christmas was wrong.” We were disgusted with what we watched and learned, and due to our lack of knowledge of how Satan ‘can not create, but only copy;’ we dumped everything to do with the 25th—the tree, gift-giving, decorations, and so forth thinking it all was polluted. However,…
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CHASING DEAD END CAUSES
Many of us will do anything to protect our children from ungodly influences. Some of us will give up everything to safeguard our families physically and spiritually in hopes to infuse them with godly virtues. We give up our lives for their momentary happiness all the while thinking that we are saving our children eternally. However noble this may be, many times we are just—chasing ‘dead-end causes’ that breed only selfishness in the name of “love of learning” or a “mission-driven life” as “mentors,” “statesmen,” and “restorers.” Sooner than later we are left to wonder why our families fell apart, why everyone went their “own ways,” and why our home…
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ARE YOU WILLING TO LAY DOWN YOUR LIFE FOR THE PROPHET JOSEPH SMITH: CONSPIRACY OF NAUVOO IN 1844
Stories of those who stood up for truth have always intrigued me. The faithful acts of those that come before us are not always passed down from generation to generation. This is a story of my 4th great-grandfather who was willing to lay down his life for the Prophet Joseph Smith as a young boy and the sacrifices he made in helping to build the Kingdom of God! DENNISON LOTT HARRIS Compiled from many different family records Those who have read the life of Joseph Smith the Prophet must be familiar with the fact that from his earliest boyhood he was ever the object of bitter persecution. Notwithstanding the numerous…
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REMEMBERING THE MARTYRDOM
Order the table cloths— check Find centerpieces for the tables—check Weed the yard— check Locate easels for paintings—check This last week was the anniversary of the Martyrdom of Joseph and Hyrum, and we were making plans to have a beautiful backyard garden feast in honor of these two prophets. Many prophets have encouraged the Saints to always remember this day. Joseph F. Smith taught: “The martyrdom has always been an inspiration to the people of the Lord … and must ever be held in sacred memory by the Latter-day Saints who have learned the great truths that God revealed through his servant, Joseph Smith.” EARLIER YEARS We started celebrating this…
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WHY THE MIDDLE CANDLE FOR OUR HANUKKIAH IS NOW PURPLE
This week we took time to remember the Feast of the Tabernacle. In continuing with my frequent posts on the joy of teaching my grandchildren what I am learning, I couldn’t resist sharing this precious moment. A few days earlier in the week, I told Alivia all about the middle candle and how it represents the servant, Joseph Smith. The middle candle is known throughout the generations in the Jewish culture as the “servant candle”. Her daddy suggested putting a purple candle in its place as it’s the color of royalty. Yesterday, as we were setting things up for our family feast and I asked Alivia to set the candles…
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HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JOSEPH
The story goes that Joseph Smith and his family ran a small shop in their community. In this shop, they sold foods such as cakes, hardboiled eggs, molasses cookies, pies, and rootbeer. Today is Joseph Smith’s Birthday and we decided to acknowledge it. To celebrate his life we decided to make and share pies, our testimony, and love to others of this prophet. This has become not only a yearly tradition for us but has also reached my grandchildren’s home as a new tradition for them too. Joseph F. Smith encouraged the saints to remember the prophet’s birthday. “I should like to see introduced among the Latter-day Saints…the practice of celebrating or…
