Relief Society Lesson – The Power of Scripture

The Power of Scripture

Elder Richard G. Scott

October 2011 General Conference

Our Father in Heaven … provided tools to help us be successful in our mortal probation. One tool is the scriptures. Because scriptures are …from …the Holy Ghost, they are pure truth.

We need not be concerned about the validity of concepts …in the standard works.

Scriptures are like packets of light that illuminate our minds and give place to guidance and inspiration from on high.

Learning, pondering, searching, and memorizing scriptures is like filling a filing cabinet with friends, values, and truths that can be called upon anytime, anywhere in the world.

Great power can come from memorizing scriptures.

Pondering a passage of scripture can be a key to unlock revelation and the guidance and inspiration of the Holy Ghost.

Scriptures can calm an agitated soul, giving peace, hope, and a restoration of confidence in one’s ability to overcome the challenges of life. They have potent power to heal emotional challenges when there is faith in the Savior. They can accelerate physical healing.

Scriptures can communicate different meanings at different times in our life, according to our needs. A scripture that we may have read many times can take on nuances of meaning that are refreshing and insightful when we face a new challenge in life.

Quote from Juliet

This morning while Juliet was putting my Blair polyester pants on me she said, "We should all be wearing Blair pants. The world would be a better place."

I thought that was a pretty profound statement. I would have to agree with her.

That's my two cents.

I Wouldn't Trade Places...

Yesterday I was watching a DVR. I think it was 20/20. I. thought it was a murder mystery or I probably wouldn’t have started watching it. Anyway, it was about the Sunset strip. I was telling mom about it yesterday along with some of my thoughts and she told me I should blog about it.

So, here you go. If you don’t like it, you can blame Mom. J

I really only saw the first 30 to 40 minutes of the show. But that was enough. It started out

showing the Sunset strip through the decades. Starting in the 50s. When they showed the 70s I thought to myself that that's when I started my earthly sojourn. I made a mental note of how wicked, corrupt, horrible the world had become when I was born. Obviously it's much worse now.

they followed several different stories. one was about a young man who came to Los Angeles from the Midwest. he became a writer for a magazine. he told of going to parties six days a week and rubbing shoulders with celebrities. I use the term party loosely because my definition is different . Hollywood's definition of party involves alcohol, drugs and all kinds of debauchery .

the writer told of being the middle man between drug dealers and celebrities. and he also indulged in drugs and alcohol himself to fit in. he said he was talking to Michael Jackson and Elizabeth Taylor one time and he couldn't believe how great his life was. he also mentioned "partying" with Lindsay Lohan, Britney Spears, Paris Hilton, etc..

I thought to myself, "I would not want to trade places with any of those people.” even with my broken, scarred, imperfect body. I would much rather be me than them. they don't know true happiness. true happiness is only found in living the Gospel of Jesus Christ. the Hollywood writer couldn't have been more wrong. not only was his life not great , it was horrible. but I guess he never realized that.


Doctrine and Covenants 29:39 And it must needs be that the devil should tempt the children of men, or they could not be agents unto themselves; for if they never should have bitter they could not know the sweet—

I suppose the opposite is true also. That if they never tasted the sweet they wouldn’t know that what they had was bitter.

Another story was about an up-and-coming band in Los Angeles that played the Roxy. It reminded me of when I lived in Los Angeles and watched Michael play the Roxy with Trash Wednesday. Anyway to make a long story short (Dragon is not cooperating-- this is taking me all day) I’ve been at the Roxy. It’s like being in H. Yet, the band that was featured acted like it was the greatest moment of their entire lives. And said they could never be happier than at that moment. They looked haggard, worn and older than their years.

was that really the happiest they could ever be? Of course not. why did they think they were happy? because they felt loved, important, and admired. the Problem is that it was by plastic people who didn't really care about them. Hollywood and the Sunset strip epitomizes the great and spacious building. that's exactly what I thought when I started watching this.

sure, there's fame, wealth, and beauty but those things do not bring happiness. so I will continue to wear my Blair polyester pants and clearance shirts and be happy to be me in my broken , scarred, not even close to perfect body. and they can keep their fame, expensive designer clothing , and plastic surgery perfect bodies . and I will live a much happier contented life than they will.

no, I wouldn't trade places with any of them for anything.

that's my two cents.

[ sorry about all the grammatical errors .you get the rough draft. Dragon is not cooperating today . it would take me much too long to try to fix everything. I don’t have the energy to edit it L ]

Random updates

First --we tried some of my homemade cheddar cheese on our sandwiches today. It was pretty good. It's gratifying to know that we made it. I love to learn how to do new things. I guess I can check cheesemaking of my list. The cream cheese we made turned out really well also. We made some smoke/onion/bacon flavored cheese ball. It was delicious. Sadly, it's all gone.


Second -- birthday season is coming up. We have seven birthdays coming up in the next month. It's always fun to get together as family. We usually have a birthday party here so everyone can attend. Hopefully we will be able to put my new soft serve machine to good use! I am sure excited to try it. (We can't try it until we get the sanitizer) :-(

Third -- Michael has agreed to do another concert in the near future. I thoroughly enjoyed the last one and am excited for the next one. I even gave him a list a mile long of requests. Hopefully he will be able to do a couple of them. I've already got a tentative schedule planned.

It goes something like this: 1:30-3:00 PM -- First Set. Break. 3:30 PM-5:00 PM -- Second Set. For snacks we will have popcorn and soft serve ice cream! Sounds fun to me. We just need to figure out when to do it. Hopefully this summer sometime. Dad is planning on setting up his trailer like a stage. It will be awesome.

Michael’s Country Concert

Yesterday was a good day. We had all been looking forward to hearing my brother, Michael, play his country concert ever since he announced it several months ago. Life kept getting in the way, and he finally decided he better just do it, even if he wasn’t totally ready.

He played for about two hours, but it seemed like two minutes. It was the best concert I have ever been to. And I have been to a lot. He played all good songs mostly from the 80s. Reminded me of being back at 852.J

Michael is an incredible vocalist and guitarist. Some of the songs, I thought, sounded better than the original artist. A few tears were shed, and many laughs were shared. It was fun!

Michael learned the gambler on guitar so Rex could sing it. That was fun. The highlight was probably, Meet Me in Montana. Lisa, Chanelle, and Derrinda sang Marie Osmond’s part. They practiced really hard to try to get the harmonies right. Marie Osmond hard to come by. Anyway it was fun. Michael even worked up my favorite Mark Chesnutt song, which was awesome. Even though it didn’t have the greatest message L .

Afterwards, the kids had fun singing a few songs. It’s amazing how Michael can follow along on guitar to songs he never even learned before or practiced. Lisa started busting out singing In the Ghetto, and Michael followed right along and didn’t miss a beat. It was astounding.

Thanks for sharing your talents with us, Michael. You are amazing. It was awesome!

*Update: I worked hard trying to upload the video version of Meet Me in Montana to no avail. I produced it three times in three different versions. It won't load to blogger.

Say Cheese

Monday Juliet came over and we had a fun time making cheese. The last time we attempted it, it didn't turn out very well. Come to find out, the rennet we had purchased was out of date, and therefore ineffective. So, we bought a fresh box, and made sure to check the lot number this time. It worked!

We made Neufchâtel, mozzarella, and cheddar. The cheddar is the one I'm most proud of because it is the most difficult.


Here are the pictures along with the recipes if you would like to attempt cheese making yourself. We doubled the rennet in all recipes to be safe.
You will notice the cheddar cheese is white. We did not add annatto which gives it the orange color.

How to Make Cheddar Cheese

Instructions: Things You'll Need
Thermometer
Cheese press
Cheesecloth (flour sack towel)
2 gallons of whole milk (if using store bought pasteurized milk, add ½ teaspoon calcium chloride dissolved in ½ cup water) the calcium chloride aids rennet coagulation in pasteurized milk.
1/2 cup of cultured buttermilk
1 tsp. liquid rennet or ½ tablet of rennet dissolved in ½ cup chilled water.
4 tsp. non-iodized salt
1
Heat the milk to 88 degrees in a large pot. Stir in the buttermilk. Let it sit for one hour while maintaining the 88-degree temperature. This can be accomplished by letting the pot sit in a sink partially filled with warm water.
2
Add rennet, which contains a proteolytic enzyme, which coagulates milk and divides it into curds (solids) and whey (liquid) into the cool water. Stir the water-rennet mixture into the milk for 30 seconds. While maintaining the 88-degree temperature, let the mixture sit for 45 minutes. During this time, the milk will separate into liquids and solids.[may take up to three hours]
3
Cut the curds into small cubes and let them sit for 20 to 25 minutes. Slowly stir them for 30 to 45 minutes while gradually increasing the temperature to 98 degrees.
4
Strain: Once the curds have settled to the bottom, pour out the excess liquid. Strain the curds in a colander for about 10 minutes. Pour the curds back into the pot, add the non-iodized salt and mix well. Let the pot of curds sit in warm water for one hour. Stir frequently.
5
Line the press with cheesecloth. If you do not have a press, you can make one by cutting both ends off of a large number 10 can. Cheesecloth can be improvised from a clean pillowcase. Pour the curds into the cheesecloth. Place a wood follower on top of the cheese and apply 15 lbs. of pressure for about 20 minutes. To apply pressure, consider wrapping bricks in aluminum foil.
6
Redress the curds in new cheesecloth. Cover with the wood follower and apply 30 lbs. of pressure for two hours.
7
Redress the curds in new cheesecloth, cover with the wood follower and apply 30 to 40 lbs. of pressure overnight or for at least eight hours.
8
Remove the curds from the cheesecloth and allow them to air dry for three to five days. Turn the curds frequently to allow all sides to dry evenly.
9
Coat the curds in cheese wax. Age for two to six months at 55 degrees. The longer the cheese ages, the sharper the taste will be. For very sharp taste, age for approximately one year. Basements, cellars and non-working refrigerators are ideal environments for aging cheese.

Neufchâtel Cheese

Ingredients:

2 gallons whole milk

½ cup cultured buttermilk
½ tablet Rennet dissolved in ¼ cup cold water

½ teaspoon calcium chloride dissolved in ¼ cup cold water [if using store-bought milk]

Directions:

1. Sterilize a large stainless steel pot with lid by boiling a small amount of water for five minutes.

2 . Add 2 gallons of whole milk

3. Add dissolved ½ teaspoon calcium chloride-- stir well

4. Add ½ cup cultured buttermilk-- stir well

5. Warm while stirring to 65°F

6. Add dissolved ½ tablet Rennet -- stir well using top to bottom motion.

7. Cover and let sit undisturbed overnight at room temperature (65-70°F)

8. The next morning a soft curd should have formed. If not, let sit for another 12 hours. You should get a clean break. Slice into ½ inch cubes.

9. Line a colander with a flour sack towel. Pour the curds and whey into lined colander.

10. Gather the four corners of the cloth, wrapped with a heavy rubber band. Tie the corners together on a wooden spoon. Place the wooden spoon between #10 cans to suspend curds and allow whey to drip into a bowl. Let hang overnight.

11. Sprinkle approximately 1 Tablespoon of salt, according to taste, on cheese. mix the salt in thoroughly. Store covered in refrigerator until use.

12. Cheese can be molded before refrigerating. Or, seasonings can be added to make cheese balls.

Mozzarella Cheese
Add 1/4 teaspoon calcium chloride diluted in 1/4 cup cold water to 1 gallon of whole milk. Stir thoroughly and let sit 15 minutes.
Add 1 1/2 tsp. Citric Acid diluted in 1 cup cool water to milk.
Heat slowly to 90°F.



Remove pot from burner. slowly stir 1/4 tab or ¼ tsp of rennet diluted in ¼ cup. cool water for 30 sec. Cover and leave for 5 minutes.

Check the curd, it will look like custard and the whey will be clear. If too soft let set a few more minutes.(may take up to two hours)

Now cut the curd into 1 inch squares with a knife that reaches the bottom of the pot. Place pot back on stove and heat to 105° F while stirring slowly. (If you will be stretching in water heat to 110°F)

Take off the burner and continue stirring slowly for 2-5 minutes.

Transfer the curd to a colander or bowl using a slotted spoon.

Notice how the curd is beginning to get firmer as the whey drains.


Continue separating the curd and notice the color of the whey. Drain the whey from the curd while gently pressing to aid whey runoff.

Using a heat proof bowl microwave on High for 45 seconds -1 min. pour off the whey.

Knead and reheat for 30 sec, repeat if needed until the curd is 135°F, almost too hot to handle. add 2 teaspoons non-iodized salt

Now the fun begins, knead the curd as you would bread dough. Remove curd from bowl and continue kneading, return it to the microwave if needed.

At this point, if hot enough, it will begin to stretch, and stretch, and stretch some more this is what makes it Mozzarella.

Now knead it back into a big ball until it is smooth and shiny.

GSWC

I just noticed that the Graham Stake Women's Conference website is updated with the schedule. So you can plan which classes you would like to attend and when. There are descriptions of the different classes being offered, along with bios of the instructors on the website.

I've put a link to the website on my sidebar. GSWC is the title. I think at least half the people who read my blog are in the Graham Stake so I thought I would pass the information along.

It looks like they've put a lot of work into organizing the conference. So, hopefully it will be informative and uplifting.

[Sorry for copying your blog, Kelli. I just wanted to make sure everybody knew about the updated schedule.]

Relief Society Lesson -- The Divine Gift of Repentance

I tried to keep my overheads to a minimum this time. So here they are. Along with a story I used in my lesson.

The Divine Gift of Repentance
Elder D. Todd Christofferson
October 2011 General Conference

Without repentance, there is no real progress or improvement in life.

Repentance exists as an option only because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. [Read story here]

1. The invitation to repent is an expression of love.

2. Repentance means striving to change.

3. Repentance means not only abandoning sin but also committing to obedience.

4. Repentance requires a seriousness of purpose and a willingness to persevere, even through pain.

5. Whatever the cost of repentance, it is swallowed up in the joy of forgiveness.

Story I used in my lesson: Elder Jay E. Jensen, November 1999 ENSIGN, Do You Know How to Repent?

“A little over a year ago, I had the privilege of interviewing a young man to go on a mission. Because he had committed a major transgression, it was necessary for him under then-existing policy to be interviewed by a General Authority. When the young man came in, I said, ‘Apparently there’s been a major transgression in your life, and that has necessitated this interview. Would you mind telling me what the problem was? What did you do?’ “He laughed and said, ‘Well, there isn’t anything I haven’t done.’ I said, ‘Well, let’s be more specific then. Have you … ?’ And then this General Authority began to probe with some very specific questions. The young man laughed again and said, ‘I told you, I’ve done everything.’ “I said, ‘How many times have you …’ He said very sarcastically, ‘Do you think I numbered them?’ I said, ‘I would to God you could if you can’t.’ He said, again quite sarcastically, ‘Well, I can’t.’ “I said, ‘How about …’ And then the General Authority probed in another direction. He said, ‘I told you. I’ve done everything.’ I said, ‘Drugs?’ He said, ‘Yes,’ in a very haughty attitude. I said, ‘What makes you think you’re going on a mission then?’ He said, ‘I know I’m going. My patriarchal blessing says I’ll go on a mission, and I’ve repented. I haven’t done any of those things for this past year. I have repented, and I know I’m going on a mission.’ “I said, ‘My dear friend, I’m sorry but you are not going on a mission. Do you think we could send you out with those clean, wholesome young men who have never violated the code? Do you think we could have you go out and boast and brag about your past? You haven’t repented; you have just stopped doing something. “‘Sometime in your life you need to visit Gethsemane; and when you have been there, you’ll understand what repentance is. Only after you have suffered in some small degree as the Savior suffered in Gethsemane will you know what repentance is. The Savior has suffered in a way none of us understands for every transgression committed. How dare you laugh and jest and have a haughty attitude about your repentance? I’m sorry, you are not going on a mission.’ “He started to cry, and he cried for several minutes. I didn’t say a word. Finally, he said, ‘I guess that’s the first time I have cried since I was five years old.’ I said, ‘If you had cried like that the first time you were tempted to violate the moral code, you possibly would be going on a mission.’ “He left the office, and I think he felt I was really cruel. I explained to the bishop and the stake president that the boy could not go on a mission.” About six months later the same General Authority returned to that city to speak in a lecture series held in the evening. When he finished, many young adults lined up to shake hands with him. As he shook hands, one by one, he looked up and saw the young man that he had previously interviewed standing in the line about four back. The General Authority relates the following: “My mind quickly flashed back to our interview. I recalled his laughing and haughty attitude. I remembered how sarcastic he was. Pretty soon he was right in front of me. I was on the stand bending over, and as I reached down to shake his hand, I noticed a great change had taken place. He had tears in his eyes. He had almost a holy glow about his countenance. He took my hand in his and said, ‘I’ve been there; I’ve been to Gethsemane and back.’ I said, ‘I know. It shows in your face.’ We can be forgiven for our transgressions, but we must understand that just to stop doing something is not repentance. If it had not been for the Savior and the miracle of forgiveness, this young man would have carried his transgressions throughout all eternity. We ought to love the Savior and serve Him for this reason and this reason alone” (Elder Vaughn J. Featherstone, Sweden Area Conference, Youth Session, Aug. 1974).

Sorry about the run-on story. Apparently the new format of blogger does not put spaces between paragraphs. Even if they are already there when I copy and paste from Microsoft Works word processor. I already fixed the overheads/outline and I don’t feel like fixing the story. I’m just too lazy. The old blogger was much better. At least for me composing posts.

Success or Failure?

I watched a heartwarming show last night on BYU TV. It was an episode of Inspiring Lives about McKay Christensen. I actually had never heard of McKay Christensen. So in case you haven’t either, let me tell you a little bit about him.

He was a star high school football/baseball player in Clovis California, near Fresno. In fact, he was so good that all 28 major-league baseball teams recruited him right out of high school.

The story goes that he was going to be one of the first players picked in the draft. But there was one minor problem, he hadn’t served his mission yet. Now, let me back up a little bit. McKay suffered a knee injury, ACL tear, in high school and had to miss his junior year of football. And maybe baseball too I don’t remember.

One night, he knelt in prayer and made a covenant with Heavenly Father that if he would heal him to 100% that he would serve a mission.

Well, his knee did eventually heal and he had an outstanding senior year. Major league baseball people recruited him heavily. He told them he wanted to serve a mission before starting his baseball career. They were quite baffled by this. He was told that he was one of the top recruits to be drafted that year. They offered him a $1 million signing bonus if he would skip his mission. They told him two years was a long time to put his career on hold and he would never have this opportunity again.

As strong as McKay was, he began doubting his covenant. He began to rationalize that he could do missionary work by being a good example as a major-league baseball player. It seems like a lot of talented athletes have the same modus operandi. I won’t mention any names but I’m sure you can think of a few. But I don’t know anywhere in the commandment that every young man should serve a mission that it says except if you are a star/talented athlete then you are exempt.

No, every worthy young man is commanded to serve a mission. In fact, it’s a privilege to serve. And not everyone is worthy or able to serve a mission. There was a quote in the show from Pres. Hinckley. I was going to paraphrase it but I looked it up. This is the longer version.

“Think of all the great and marvelous things you have—your very life, your health, your parents, your home, the girl you love. Are they not all gifts from a generous Heavenly Father? Did you really earn them alone, independent of His blessing? No, the lives of all of us are in His hands. All of the precious things that are ours come from Him who is the giver of every good gift.
I am not suggesting that He will withdraw His blessings and leave you bereft if you do not go on a mission. But I am saying that out of a spirit of appreciation and gratitude, and a sense of duty, you ought to make whatever adjustment is necessary to give a little of your time consecrating your strength, your means, your talents to the work of sharing with others the gospel, which is the source of so much of the good that you have.

I promise that if you will do so, you will come to know that what appears today to be a sacrifice will prove instead to be the greatest investment that you will ever make. …Of course your time is precious, and you may feel you cannot afford two years. But I promise you that the time you spend in the mission field, if those years are spent in dedicated service, will yield a greater return on investment than any other two years of your lives.

…What a tremendous foundation all of this will become for you in your later educational efforts and your life’s work. Two years will not be time lost. It will be skills gained.”

--October 2002 Ensign, Pres. Gordon B. Hinckley, Words of the Prophet: Forget Yourself and Go

McKay, and countless others, may have felt that his serving a mission was a huge sacrifice, and I’m sure most people thought it was a big mistake. Who in their right mind would throw away a major league baseball career, and millions of dollars, to serve a two-year mission for their church?

One ball club even tried to persuade him to go to Australia where he wouldn’t be under media scrutiny as much, and they would allow him to preach to the players in the dugout, as his mission. They even asked his father to talk to church headquarters about that. His father laughed at them and told them that would not fly.

Well, McKay decided to honor his covenant, and keep the commandment given to all young men, to serve a mission. He told the Major League baseball people that he would be serving a two-year mission and his mind was made up. He sent a letter to all 28 teams.

Even after that, he got a call from a team asking him if he would reconsider for a $1 million signing bonus. He told them that his mission was not for sale. He told them they could draft him but he wouldn’t be able to play for them until after his mission.

If my memory serves me correctly he was drafted number six by the California Angels. Which was unprecedented. As part of his agreement he had to sign a certain number of baseball cards every week during his mission. Which, he served in Tokyo Japan.

Before his mission was over he was traded to the Chicago White Sox. I think he ended up playing a few years with several different teams before deciding that baseball wasn’t the lifestyle he wanted. Now he works as a real estate developer.

To many, McKay Christensen is a failure. He “threw away” a career in Major League baseball, millions of dollars, and fame.

But, in reality, McKay Christensen is very successful. He kept his covenant with the Lord. He served an honorable two-year mission. He married and has three children. He made the choice to raise a righteous family and obey the Commandments. As Pres. Hinckley said, serving mission is not a sacrifice because you gain much more out of it than you are giving up. In the eternal perspective of things, McKay Christensen is successful.

It doesn’t really matter what you do for a living. As long as you make an honest living and support your family. Granted, McKay is not making the millions of dollars he would have made in baseball. Nor does he have the fame of being a major-league baseball star. But money and fame are not what makes you successful. Contrary to what the world teaches.

True success is measured by how you live your life. By how well you follow the commandments and live the teachings of Jesus Christ. That is true success.

That’s my two cents.

Chewy Granola Bars

We had some leftover raisin filling that we made for raisin filled cookies. I wanted to use it for something else so I decided to put it in granola bars. So, I found this recipe online. You can use whatever dried fruits or nuts you like. All we had on hand was dried papaya, chocolate chips, and almonds. If we didn’t use the raisin filling I would have just put raisins in it also.

Anyway, I think it turned out excellent. So I wanted to share the recipe with everybody. I think they taste better than cookies. Very moist and chewy and sweet. I think if all you had was chocolate chips and raisins it would still taste just as good. I wanted to put some coconut in it also but we didn’t find in our pantry.

We didn’t want to bother with grinding the oats in the food processor to use as oat flour so we just used Scottish oats instead. It seems to have worked out well.

It’s fairly easy to make, so give it try.

Chewy Granola Bars

3 1/3 cups quick rolled oats
1 1/2 cups sugar
2/3 cup oat flour (grind oats in food processor to make oat flour)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 to 6 cups dried fruits and nuts* [we used 2 cups dried papaya, 2 cups chocolate chips, 1 cup whole almonds]
2/3 cup peanut butter or almond butter (optional)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 sticks (¾ cup) melted butter
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup light corn syrup
2 Tablespoons water

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a large 10 x 14 glass pan with parchment paper.

Stir together all the dry ingredients, including the fruit and nuts. In a separate bowl, melt butter with peanut butter in microwave remove from microwave and add honey, corn syrup, water, and vanilla. Stir together well.
Toss the wet ingredients with the dry until the mixture is evenly crumbly. Spread in the prepared pan, pressing them in firmly to ensure they are molded to the shape of the pan. (A piece of plastic wrap can help with this, as you press down on the back of it.) [we spread half of the mixture in pan and pressed down then topped with raisin filling mixture which we had left over from making raisin filled cookies, then topped with the rest of the mixture and pressed down.]

Bake the bars for 30 to 40 minutes, until they’re brown around the edges — don’t be afraid to get a little color on the tops too. They’ll still seem soft and almost underbaked when you press into the center of the pan but do not worry, they’ll set completely once completely cool.

Cool the bars in their pan completely on a cooling rack. (Alternately, after about 20 minutes you can use your parchment “sling” to lift and remove the bars, and place them in their paper on the rack to cool the rest of the way. This can speed the process up.)

Once cool, use a serrated knife to cut the bars into squares. If bars seem crumbly, chill them in the pan in the fridge for 30 minutes which will fully set the “glue”, then cut them cold. To store, wrap the bars individually in plastic or stack them in an airtight container. In humid weather, it’s best to store bars in the refrigerator. They also freeze well.

*Suggestions: Dried cherries, blueberries, papaya, cranberries, apricots, pecans, peanuts, coconut, almonds, raisins, dried apples or even chocolate chips.

If anyone is interested in recipe for raisin filling, I will post it. But I think adding raisins would be easier and taste just as good.

Raisin Filling
4 ½ cups (1 ½ lbs) raisins
2 cups sugar
½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups water
½ cup flour

Directions
Raisin Mixture:
1. Soak raisins in hot water.
2. When plump and soft, drain water and grind.
3. Put in saucepan and add sugar, salt, and water.
4. Mix the flour with just enough water to make smooth paste, then add to raisin mixture.
5. Let come to boil, then set off to cool.

If you use this recipe for raisin filling you would probably want to half it or quarter it.

Kudos Kirk Cameron

I read something refreshing the other day. A famous actor in Hollywood actually has morals, and defends them. Kirk Cameron, of "Growing Pains" fame was being interviewed by Piers Morgan and said the following:

Kirk Cameron on Gay Marriage

Kirk's original quote:

"I think that it's ... unnatural. I think that it's detrimental, and ultimately destructive to so many of the foundations of civilization."

Apparently there was a backlash to his remarks from a bunch of Hollywood people, who are blinded by the craftiness of men, including his old cast mates from growing pains, Alan Thicke and Tracey Gold. Who spoke out against Kirk.

Kirk's response after the firestorm:
"During the CNN interview, I was asked to express my views about homosexuality, gay marriage, and abortion. While that was not the agreed-upon purpose of the interview, I was pleased to answer Piers' questions as honestly as I could.
"To some, my responses were not sufficiently 'loving' toward the gay community. I can only say that it is my life's mission to love all people, and I expressed the same views clearly and emphatically expressed throughout Judeo-Christian scriptures."
"As a Bible believing Christian, I could not have answered any other way."
"I've been encouraged by the support of many friends (including gay friends, incidentally) in the wake of condemnation by some political advocacy groups."
"In the case of one of my gay friends, we regularly talk and have healthy and respectful debate. We learn from each other, and serve others alongside one another."
"I thank God for all of my friends... even when they hold very different views on issues of faith and morality. I do not, however, believe that the right way to advance our views is to resort to name-calling and personal attacks, as some have done to me."
"I also believe that freedom of speech and freedom of religion go hand-in-hand in America. I should be able to express moral views on social issues - especially those that have been the underpinning of Western civilization for 2,000 years - without being slandered, accused of hate speech, and told from those who preach 'tolerance' that I need to either bend my beliefs to their moral standards or be silent when I'm in the public square."
"I hope more than a few people could see the large volume of secularist morality being imposed on me. In any society that is governed by the rule of law, some form of morality is always imposed. It's inescapable."
"But it is also a complicated subject, and that is why I believe we need to learn how to debate these things with greater love and respect."

Well said Kirk! I was happy to read that there are still people who are willing to stand up for what they believe in, regardless of the consequences. Even though we don't belong to the same religion, I'm happy to call Kirk Cameron a brother in Christianity.

Along the same lines but on the opposite end of the spectrum, here's what I read in the Deseret news today.

From the Deseret News:
Hollywood elite target Prop. 8 with new gay-friendly play
By Jamshid Ghazi Askar, Deseret News
Published: Monday, March 5, 2012

If any doubt remained about just how fully Hollywood's elite supports same-sex marriage, all uncertainty about the issue evaporated Saturday at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre in Los Angeles.

Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Martin Sheen, Jamie Lee Curtis and Kevin Bacon were among the Hollywood A-listers who participated Saturday in a one-night-only reading of "8," the new play by Oscar-winning screenwriter Dustin Lance Black ("Milk") that glorifies the ongoing legal fight to invalidate the Proposition 8 voter initiative that California voters passed in 2008.

"With George Clooney and Brad Pitt leading the charge, the gay-marriage play '8' had its L.A. debut Saturday in a splashy event that was part activist theater, part Hollywood in-party," the Los Angeles Times' Culture Monster blog reported. "The sky-high celebrity factor no doubt … made '8' feel something like 'Ocean's Eight.'"

I personally don't know why people idolize Hollywood actors. To me, they are just a bunch of lost souls who are blinded by the craftiness of men. I would even go so far as to say that many of them are Satan's helpers.

This play, "8", is just another example of Satan's influence on people through the media. Most movies, television shows, even news media including newspapers, push Satan's agenda. It's no wonder people are so blinded to the truth.

All I can say is, I'm so thankful that I have the Gospel of Jesus Christ to guide me in my life.

It's nice to hear, once in a while, stories about people like Kirk Cameron, who have morals and defend what is right. Kudos to you Kirk Cameron!

That's my two cents.

CES Fireside Today

Today at 5:00 PM Pacific Standard Time BYU TV will broadcast a CES fireside. Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the 12 Apostles will be the speaker. Set your DVRs!

Frustrating!

A few days ago I tried to enter some genealogy information into ancestry.com and apparently it wasn't Dragon friendly. It would work but I have to enter everything manually by telling Dragon to press each letter individually. For example by saying press nine press T etc. So I gave up on that idea.

Then today I was on new family search.org where I've actually done quite a bit of data entry and browsing using Dragon. It was working fine then. But today, the computer kept freezing every time I tried to enter information. Funny how it's working just fine now that I'm not on family search. It was very frustrating. So, I gave up once again. Seems like somebody is trying to thwart my efforts. Cursed Luci!

I just had to vent. Okay I feel better now.

Mister Miyagi's Farewell Show

One of the bands that my brother is in, Mister Miyagi, is disbanding. Michael is the lead singer/lead guitarist. He puts on an awesome show. So, if you like 80s music, you should go check out Mister Miyagi's farewell show at The Crocodile in Seattle. This Friday, March 2 at 8:00 PM. Here is a link with more information.
http://thecrocodile.com/index.html?page=calendar&event=12240471

Relief Society Lesson -- The Privilege of Prayer

Here are the overheads and quotes from my Relief Society lesson today.
The Privilege of Prayer
J. Devn Cornish
Of the Seventy
October 2011 Gen. Conference

Prayer is one of the most precious gifts of God to man.

God our Father … is a holy person who … has a face and hands and a glorious immortal body. He is real, He knows each of us individually, and He loves us, every one. He wants to bless us.

Matthew 7:9-11

Heavenly Father loves us so much that the things that are important to us become important to Him, just because He loves us.

Please believe how very much your loving Heavenly Father wants to bless you. But because He will not infringe upon our agency, we must ask for His help. This is generally done through prayer.

1. It is our privilege to approach our Father directly. We do not pray to any other being.

2. Reverencing God and giving heartfelt and specific thanks is one of the keys to effective prayer.

3. We freely acknowledge our dependence on the Lord and express our desire to do His will, even if it is not the same as our will.

4. We ask for those things we want from the Lord. Honesty is essential in requesting things from God.

5. An essential and sometimes forgotten part of personal prayer is repentance.

6. The Savior made a clear connection between being forgiven of our sins and forgiving others who have wronged us.

7. Do not forget to ask the Lord to protect and be with you.

8. Jesus concluded this prayer by praising God again and expressing His reverence for and submission to the Father.

We must not only say our prayers; we must also live them.

Sometimes we seem to get no answer to our sincere and striving prayers. It takes faith to remember that the Lord answers in His time and in His way so as to best bless us.

Please do not be discouraged if this does not work for you all at once. Like learning a foreign language, it takes practice and effort.

The following are a few excerpts from a general conference talk given by Elder Dallin H. Oaks:

The Special Language of Prayer
-Elder Dallin H. Oaks April 1993 Gen. conference

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints teaches its members to use special language in addressing prayers to our Father in Heaven.

When we go to worship in a temple or a church, we put aside our working clothes and dress ourselves in something better. This change of clothing is a mark of respect. Similarly, when we address our Heavenly Father, we should put aside our working words and clothe our prayers in special language of reverence and respect. In offering prayers, members of our Church do not address our Heavenly Father with the same words we use in speaking to a fellow worker, to an employer, or to a merchant in the marketplace. We use special words that have been sanctified by use in inspired communications, words that have been recommended to us and modeled for us by those we sustain as prophets and inspired teachers.
President Spencer W. Kimball (1895–1985) said, “In all our prayers, it is well to use the pronouns thee, thou, thy, and thine instead of you, your, and yours inasmuch as they have come to indicate respect.”1 Numerous other Church leaders have given the same counsel.2

In our day the words thee, thou, thy, and thine are suitable for the language of prayer, not because of how they were used anciently, but because they are currently obsolete in common English discourse. Being unused in everyday communications, they are now available as a distinctive form of address in English, appropriate to symbolize respect, closeness, and reverence for the one being addressed.

I am sure that our Heavenly Father, who loves all of His children, hears and answers all prayers, however phrased. If He is offended in connection with prayers, it is likely to be by their absence, not their wording.

When one of our daughters was about three years old, she did something that always delighted her parents. When we called her name, she would usually answer by saying, “Here me is.” This childish reply was among the sweetest things her parents heard. But when she was grown, we expected her to use appropriate language when she spoke, and of course she did. As the Apostle Paul said, “When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things” (1 Cor. 13:11).

Those who wish to show respect will take the time to learn the special language of prayer.