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Emily Jensen updates “Today in the Bloggernacle” every weekday, containing the best of what we've seen from the world of LDS-oriented blog sites.
The extended “Bloggernacle Back Bench” is published Tuesdays.
Tuesday, October 27
Researcher's beginnings: "Wow! You can't make up stuff this good. No one would believe it." This fitting comment illustrates Ardis E. Parshall's fascinating background story of "How I Got Hooked" into family history and history research.
Youth conference: Enjoy a lovely slides how from the Mormon New Era Message YouTube channel highlighting "LDS Youth at General Conference, Oct. 2009" set to a stirring rendition of "Choose the Right" by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.
Mormon celebrity: Meeting President Monson in the LTM. Watching Donny Osmond buy budget cereal. Running into Thurl Bailey. Or having a famous quarterback in your bishopric. Have you had any "Brushes with Mormon Celebrity"?
Happy Birthday: "The Juvenile Instructor Turns 2" and to celebrate this milestone, they reintroduce themselves and look back at some of their favorite posts. What a nice present for us! Happy Birthday JI and I hope for many more to come!
Monday, October 26
Lebanon dedicated: On Thursday, "Lebanon Dedicated for the Preaching of the Gospel" by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland. And with this amazing announcement "Lebanon becomes the first country in the Middle East to be dedicated for missionary work in recent years."
School of the Prophets?: Saturday "President Monson was honored as the distinguished University of Utah fan of the game" and a few months ago, this blogger joked that with the signing of Joseph Smith to the Utah football team, that the University of Utah was the "School of the Prophets." In reality, he may be right! Click to read the quote from a prophet that this blogger found that corroborates this claim.
Nursery etiquette: "You wouldn't crash the nine-year-olds' class or the priests' quorum with a random person who doesn't fit the age requirements... Nursery is not day care. Please don't drop off your precocious sixteen-month-old because you're “very understandably -- tired of chasing her around the halls." So explains this nursery worker, who outlines "Nursery Etiquette, or, What I Wish Others Knew About My Calling." And I love the added comments such as "As elders quorum president, I wished people didn't think I was the CEO of a moving company, expecting me to organize their move because they didn't think to do it themselves."
Halloween visiting: It's the end of October, which means two things: Halloween and hurrying-to-get-visiting--teaching done. So let's combine these with this lovely "Halloween Poem to share with your sisters." Grab a treat and make a date for a visit!
Friday, October 23
Balancing life: "The first step to rectify the situation is to recognize it. Make a conscious commitment to prioritizing relationships and family more, along with faith and spiritual growth." So advises Richard Eyre, who, in a guest post at By Common Consent, discusses how to achieve "Four-Dimensional Success." Find out the four dimensions that lead to happiness and how to balance them better in your life!
Big heart: I've been following the progress of Our Sweet "Heart" and am happy to report that "He's here." I add my hearty congratulations and wish for luck in all future surgeries. And I loved the testimony of his parents: "We are so grateful for this sweet boy and for the true miracle that his is. We are so grateful to our Heavenly Father for the blessing of getting to be (his) parents."
Christmas spirit: Even with Halloween just around the corner, I've seen store Christmas displays and Christmas television commercials. So I'll give in to the Christmas cheer today, especially in highlighting this wonderful story of one missionary sister who experienced "A Bulgarian Christmas." She remembers "The Christmas I spent as a missionary was not what I'd thought or wanted it to be, but it did teach me many things. We were blessed with safety, and given the chance to serve members of the Church in Sofia." Click to read the whole account!
Leaves project: If you have an abundance of leaves littering your lawn, then this easy and beautiful "Fall Leaves Project" may be just the thing to add to your holiday decorating. And bonus, it'd be fun to do with kids, who could pick out the leaves and decide where to put your finished creations!
Faith site: Check out the new Faith in Jesus Christ site recently launched at LDS.org. Earlier I noticed a few tweets about it and clicked in to find some beautiful videos discussing what it means to have faith in Jesus Christ and some downloadable pictures of the Savior.
Human life: Rosalynde Welch takes on the difficult and complicated topic of the morality of artificial reproductive therapies in “Human life, religious voices and the public square.” She specifically focuses on the Stansels, a Mormon couple in the news recently who refused selective reduction and had six babies prematurely, only two of which are alive. What do you think?
Free books: What’s better than books? Free books! And Deseret Book is offering a collection of pdf books, all for free! Authors include Elder Richard G. Scott, John Bytheway, Richard Holzapfel, Jack Weyand and more.
Wednesday, October 21
Conference highlights: I eagerly awaited it, and now LDS Media talk reports that "A video with highlights from the October 2009 LDS General Conference was just posted." Hooray! Watch all your favorite "General Conference highlights" by downloading the 16:16 minute video. Prepare to be spiritually touched again by the beautiful words and insightful counsel of our leaders.
Apostles testify: "Oh sweet the joy this sentence gives, I know that my Redeemer Lives" -- President Thomas S. Monson. So concludes this beautiful and inspiring video "Lifting Burdens: The Atonement of Jesus Christ" wherein the apostles each testify of the Atonement in their own powerful ways. Please watch.
Tuesday, October 20
Conference statistics: How many people viewed or listened to general conference online? "There were 587,870 unique live video streams across KBYU.tv, KSL.com, and the two video options on LDS.org during the 4 general conference sessions." Wow! And according to this blog post, the "Live Access to LDS General Conference" is growing, at least video-wise, up 16% from last April.
Honor chillings: It took me a moment to get what Jeff Lindsay was referring to in his title "A Barbaric Practice: Honor Chillings" but he explained quickly "occasionally we hear about the horrors of honor killings, but a much more widespread barbaric practice among many faiths is honor chillings--cold treatment due to religious difference." Using the scriptures as a guide, he further explains that while it sometimes may be necessary to excommunicate people, "the purpose is not to justify chilling... May we all avoid the cruelness of honor chillings, and follow the example of the Savior in loving and ministering to all around him."
California earthquake: What would it be like if a large earthquake hit near your home? Twenty years ago, this blogger and his family went through one. And in "Remembering the Loma Prieta Earthquake (1989)" they discuss what happened and provide good advice on being prepared. But it was very scary: "There are moments, even 20 years later that I cringe or my heart skips a beat when I feel the floor shake from someone walking across or sitting on an overpass when a large truck passes."
Monday, October 19
One temple: Which “Countries With The Most Members (Have) Only One Temple”? I’ll give you a clue, all of them are in Central or South America. But this blogger surmises that “Unless the Church initiates a more aggressive temple building program similar to the late 1990s, these nations will likely not receive a second temple until membership increases dramatically in number and activity.”
Being Mormon: “Can I tell you how refreshing it is to read such a positive post on Mormons from someone who is NOT? Thank you for this!” Throughout the comments you’ll find similar sentiments as well as joyous explanations for being Mormon, all sparked by this delightful post from a non-Mormon who exclaims “I love Mormons!” Why? She describes that she loves the practice of having large families, the sense of community and the wonderful family traditions.
Oquirrh Mountain: Enjoy a beautiful video depicting the “The Oquirrh Mountain Utah Temple (HD)” to begin your Monday. And accompanying the beautiful scenery and images is both stirring music and a nice summary of the newly constructed and dedicated temple.
Building collapse: “Suddenly A Creaking Noise Was Heard, Followed By A Sound Like A Crash Of Thunder.” Wow! And read what happened next at a gathering of Saints in England in 1852: “ and immediately the lofty ceiling of exactly one-half the hall, divided in the centre of a large beam, fell almost flat upon the multitude below.” The story continues just as exciting, so click in to read the miraculous results!
Friday, Oct. 16
Understanding evangelicals: "Anti-Mormonism is not a key focus of evangelicals" and "in general, evangelicals don't know much about Mormonism, and what they do 'know' is likely wrong or incomplete." So explains Eric, an LDS member who was raised evangelical. In "What Mormons Should Know About Evangelicals," he tries to dispel some of the misunderstandings he's seen both online and in real life. He does not wish to downplay the differences, but wants people to find common ground since "we have much we can learn from each other, but we can do that only if we make efforts to understand each other." Fascinating!
Conference phrases: Warm fuzzies. Sunshine moments. Boys of the Lord. Will any of these "Conference Terms" become standard in Mormon speak? So wonders this blogger who rightly observed that "warm fuzzies" is already getting a lot of blog attention. Check out his full list, which includes definitions and references to the talk sourced.
Bitton papers: "Researchers, start your laptops," declares Ardis E. Parshall in announcing that the "Davis Bitton Papers (are) Now Available at BYU." Bitton was the assistant church historian under Leonard J. Arrington as well as a history professor, and his collection spans 40 boxes. What a treasure trove!
Thursday, Oct. 15
Great news: "'Really? Are you serious? Really?' Then I couldn't speak. I started sobbing like a baby. Right in the middle of the Hobby Lobby parking lot." Find out why this blogger is so emotional (excitedly so) in "Signed, Sealed and Delivered."
Basic workout: Been meaning to strengthen your body and/or exercise more? Then you need to check out Trainer Momma, a fun and informative blog dedicated to passing on this blogger's personal training expertise to all who will click in. Check out her newest post detailing a basic leg workout. How nice to include pictures along with the instructions!
Random talents: "Honestly, most of the time when stuff is required of me I feel like I'm scrambling through my purse-o-talents and coming up empty. Service is so hit and miss. But every once in a while I have the right tools for the challenge and it feels so satisfying." I loved this message in "Let's Make a Deal" and how one woman's talents wonderfully align to thoroughly brighten a young girl's cast and day.
Favorite links: So within my favorite link list I'm highlighting the "FHE blog favorite links" of the week. So you get a 2-fer! Check out the links to a confidence printable, some October visiting teaching kits, an activity days lesson on manners & a tea party, and a Halloween date night idea.
Wednesday, Oct. 14
Austrian cemetery: Follow Peter LLC on a virtual photo essay tour of the newly dedicated Mormon section of Vienna's massive Central Cemetery, complete with gorgeous architecture and an incredibly symbolic bronze sculpture. What a significant event for the Austrian Saints!
Stirring video: Seth Adam Smith has taken Elder Holland's recent conference address and interwoven it with music and pictures to make a stirring video testimony montage of "Joseph Smith & The Book of Mormon -- An Apostle's Testimony." Wow!
Spice season: I dare you to get through "Spice is the reason for the season" without almost smelling the glorious spices associated with fall. Photos of donuts brushed with cinnamon, crisp pumpkin patches, colored leaves and a steaming mug of herbal tea all combine for a delightful homage to autumn.
Facebook quizzes: I admit it, I quite dislike all those Facebook quizzes clogging my Facebook inbox because I like to see what people are doing and saying, not what celebrity they are most like. Well if you're like me, you'll hope that the rumor that we may soon be able to "Kill Those Quiz Apps With Facebook's New Create Applications API" becomes the reality sooner rather than later. Hopefully!
Tuesday, Oct. 13
No touching: Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord Blog reports that with the advent of the flu season there is a "No Touching Rule in Affect in MTC." This means no handshakes, no hugs and no high-fives. One missionary reports: "Instead we do air handshakes where you put your hand a couple inches away from the other person's hand and you shake your hand up and down in the air. I think it is actually pretty amusing." Hmm, I wonder if they can play sports.
Tender mercy: "I find that the Lord answers little prayers like this a lot in my life, so that when the big painful stuff comes -- the stuff that seems like it just won't end -- I know he's listening." I loved this sentiment from a commenter on the lovely post "Tender Mercies: Birthday Party Edition." A little girl loses an invitation, a mother tries various ways to find out where it is and a tender mercy occurs in a dollar store. Click to read the sweet story. Hat-tip to Times and Seasons.
On humanity: "It is easy, as a historian, to get caught up in your efforts to prove a point." So begins a nice reminder "On the Humanity of Historical Subjects," which is sparked by a small personal note, written by a 19th-century Methodist minister, lamenting the death of a nephew. From it, this blogger learns "Mormon converts, missionaries and members from yesteryear are no different from Methodist itinerants in this regard. People not only lived, worked, succeeded and failed. They also felt ... it should remind us of the humanity of all those we study."
Monday, Oct. 12
Child's death: "And then we had to go home. The house was just as we had left it, only Taleah wasn't there. Her equipment was there, her clothes were there, her toys were there, but she was gone. It was this point that our life was forever divided into before and after." In this amazingly touching post, this mother describes her beautiful daughter, and how she died. "On Surviving the Death of a Child" is heartbreaking and hopeful, all rolled into one. Please read. Thanks Mormon Matters, for the link.
Band family: "We are family." So states this blogger, who is mourning with the rest of the American Fork High School band and alumni over the death Saturday of Heather Christensen, the woodwind instructor who was killed while trying to keep a bus from crashing. This blogger relates some of her memories of being in the band and looks forward to Tuesday's "annual BYU invitational, (where the) band will be marching in memory of Heather Christensen. I can't wait to be in the stands -- and in some small way, share the moment with them." Beautiful sentiments.
Creative missionaries: One small gesture, that of the missionaries putting a greeting and their contact numbers into every hymnal in the chapel, sparked this blogger to ask how others find "Creativity in Missionary Work." Did you perhaps sing on the doorstep to bring the spirit, as one commenter remembers? Or how about using a simple game of Frisbee to start a conversation? Check out more creative missionary ideas, or add your own!
Mormon newspapers: The Evening and the Morning Star, Messenger and Advocate, Elders' Journal, Times and Seasons, Wasp, Nauvoo Neighbor, Frontier Guardian, Oracle at Crescent City, Iowa; and the Deseret News are just a few "Mormon Newspapers of the 19th Century." There was a worldwide Mormon press effort, including "the Etoile du Deseret at Paris, the Skandinaviens Stjerne and Nordstjernan at Copenhagen, Zion's Panier and the later Der Stern at Hamburg, Le Reflecteur in Geneva, Die Reform and Der Darsteller der Heiligen der Letzten Tage elsewhere in Switzerland, Prophwyd y Juvili and Udgorn Seion in Wales, Zion's Watchman in Sydney, Australia." Click to read more about many Mormon periodicals, as well as a personal account by George Q. Cannon on becoming an editor of one.
Friday, Oct. 9
Old Testament: Get ready for next year's Sunday School Course of study with these new "Old Testament Visual Resource DVDs" for use in family or class settings -- or even as a supplement to personal study. This three-DVD set includes new movies (a few of which I've previewed and loved), more than 300 visual resources to aid your study (many of these are interactive) and even a copy of the Old Testament Stories for Children. I think this would make a lovely family Christmas gift.
Conference texts: "LDS General Conference talk transcripts are now available," tweeted Bryce Haymond yesterday. You can now read your favorite general conference talk (in English) by clicking on "179th Semiannual General Conference, October 2009." Nice!
Conference FHE: With a delightful four-page printable, the Mormon Cartoonist declares that "Family Home Evening is on Me This Week." Just look at the fun puzzles and colorable graphics! What a charming way to help reinforce the lessons taught at last weekend's general conference.
Thursday, Oct. 8
A pioneer: Mormon children often get to dress up as pioneers, but few get to actually be one. Read the inspiring generational story of a special needs daughter in "Not Every Kids Gets to be a Pioneer." The climax of the post just blew me away.
Sister Dunn: "Jeanne Cheverton Dunn was not the typical spouse of a general authority, and therein was much of the reason that her husband was not the typical general authority." A few weeks ago, the widow of Paul H. Dunn passed away. And you can get a glimpse of the fascinating life of "Jeanne Cheverton Dunn" by the author working on Paul H. Dunn's biography -- Gregory A. Prince.
Kindly neighbors: "During the next few days, a parade of well-meaning Mormons will bring casseroles to their born again Christian brother -- all arranged by the Christ-like neighbors we don't always see at church." This pretty much summarizes this vignette of a post that can redefine the definition of what it means to be "Christian Neighbors."
Free arrangement: Chas Hathaway has kindly provided his new beautiful "Come Thou Fount: Original Piano Arrangement" for our listening pleasure. Or, you can even download this new version of "Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing" for free.
Tuesday, October 27
Researcher's beginnings: "Wow! You can't make up stuff this good. No one would believe it." This fitting comment illustrates Ardis E. Parshall's fascinating background story of "How I Got Hooked" into family history and history research.
Youth conference: Enjoy a lovely slides how from the Mormon New Era Message YouTube channel highlighting "LDS Youth at General Conference, Oct. 2009" set to a stirring rendition of "Choose the Right" by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.
Mormon celebrity: Meeting President Monson in the LTM. Watching Donny Osmond buy budget cereal. Running into Thurl Bailey. Or having a famous quarterback in your bishopric. Have you had any "Brushes with Mormon Celebrity"?
Happy Birthday: "The Juvenile Instructor Turns 2" and to celebrate this milestone, they reintroduce themselves and look back at some of their favorite posts. What a nice present for us! Happy Birthday JI and I hope for many more to come!
Monday, October 26
Lebanon dedicated: On Thursday, "Lebanon Dedicated for the Preaching of the Gospel" by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland. And with this amazing announcement "Lebanon becomes the first country in the Middle East to be dedicated for missionary work in recent years."
School of the Prophets?: Saturday "President Monson was honored as the distinguished University of Utah fan of the game" and a few months ago, this blogger joked that with the signing of Joseph Smith to the Utah football team, that the University of Utah was the "School of the Prophets." In reality, he may be right! Click to read the quote from a prophet that this blogger found that corroborates this claim.
Nursery etiquette: "You wouldn't crash the nine-year-olds' class or the priests' quorum with a random person who doesn't fit the age requirements... Nursery is not day care. Please don't drop off your precocious sixteen-month-old because you're “very understandably -- tired of chasing her around the halls." So explains this nursery worker, who outlines "Nursery Etiquette, or, What I Wish Others Knew About My Calling." And I love the added comments such as "As elders quorum president, I wished people didn't think I was the CEO of a moving company, expecting me to organize their move because they didn't think to do it themselves."
Halloween visiting: It's the end of October, which means two things: Halloween and hurrying-to-get-visiting--teaching done. So let's combine these with this lovely "Halloween Poem to share with your sisters." Grab a treat and make a date for a visit!
Friday, October 23
Balancing life: "The first step to rectify the situation is to recognize it. Make a conscious commitment to prioritizing relationships and family more, along with faith and spiritual growth." So advises Richard Eyre, who, in a guest post at By Common Consent, discusses how to achieve "Four-Dimensional Success." Find out the four dimensions that lead to happiness and how to balance them better in your life!
Big heart: I've been following the progress of Our Sweet "Heart" and am happy to report that "He's here." I add my hearty congratulations and wish for luck in all future surgeries. And I loved the testimony of his parents: "We are so grateful for this sweet boy and for the true miracle that his is. We are so grateful to our Heavenly Father for the blessing of getting to be (his) parents."
Christmas spirit: Even with Halloween just around the corner, I've seen store Christmas displays and Christmas television commercials. So I'll give in to the Christmas cheer today, especially in highlighting this wonderful story of one missionary sister who experienced "A Bulgarian Christmas." She remembers "The Christmas I spent as a missionary was not what I'd thought or wanted it to be, but it did teach me many things. We were blessed with safety, and given the chance to serve members of the Church in Sofia." Click to read the whole account!
Leaves project: If you have an abundance of leaves littering your lawn, then this easy and beautiful "Fall Leaves Project" may be just the thing to add to your holiday decorating. And bonus, it'd be fun to do with kids, who could pick out the leaves and decide where to put your finished creations!
Faith site: Check out the new Faith in Jesus Christ site recently launched at LDS.org. Earlier I noticed a few tweets about it and clicked in to find some beautiful videos discussing what it means to have faith in Jesus Christ and some downloadable pictures of the Savior.
Human life: Rosalynde Welch takes on the difficult and complicated topic of the morality of artificial reproductive therapies in “Human life, religious voices and the public square.” She specifically focuses on the Stansels, a Mormon couple in the news recently who refused selective reduction and had six babies prematurely, only two of which are alive. What do you think?
Free books: What’s better than books? Free books! And Deseret Book is offering a collection of pdf books, all for free! Authors include Elder Richard G. Scott, John Bytheway, Richard Holzapfel, Jack Weyand and more.
Wednesday, October 21
Conference highlights: I eagerly awaited it, and now LDS Media talk reports that "A video with highlights from the October 2009 LDS General Conference was just posted." Hooray! Watch all your favorite "General Conference highlights" by downloading the 16:16 minute video. Prepare to be spiritually touched again by the beautiful words and insightful counsel of our leaders.
Apostles testify: "Oh sweet the joy this sentence gives, I know that my Redeemer Lives" -- President Thomas S. Monson. So concludes this beautiful and inspiring video "Lifting Burdens: The Atonement of Jesus Christ" wherein the apostles each testify of the Atonement in their own powerful ways. Please watch.
Tuesday, October 20
Conference statistics: How many people viewed or listened to general conference online? "There were 587,870 unique live video streams across KBYU.tv, KSL.com, and the two video options on LDS.org during the 4 general conference sessions." Wow! And according to this blog post, the "Live Access to LDS General Conference" is growing, at least video-wise, up 16% from last April.
Honor chillings: It took me a moment to get what Jeff Lindsay was referring to in his title "A Barbaric Practice: Honor Chillings" but he explained quickly "occasionally we hear about the horrors of honor killings, but a much more widespread barbaric practice among many faiths is honor chillings--cold treatment due to religious difference." Using the scriptures as a guide, he further explains that while it sometimes may be necessary to excommunicate people, "the purpose is not to justify chilling... May we all avoid the cruelness of honor chillings, and follow the example of the Savior in loving and ministering to all around him."
California earthquake: What would it be like if a large earthquake hit near your home? Twenty years ago, this blogger and his family went through one. And in "Remembering the Loma Prieta Earthquake (1989)" they discuss what happened and provide good advice on being prepared. But it was very scary: "There are moments, even 20 years later that I cringe or my heart skips a beat when I feel the floor shake from someone walking across or sitting on an overpass when a large truck passes."
Monday, October 19
One temple: Which “Countries With The Most Members (Have) Only One Temple”? I’ll give you a clue, all of them are in Central or South America. But this blogger surmises that “Unless the Church initiates a more aggressive temple building program similar to the late 1990s, these nations will likely not receive a second temple until membership increases dramatically in number and activity.”
Being Mormon: “Can I tell you how refreshing it is to read such a positive post on Mormons from someone who is NOT? Thank you for this!” Throughout the comments you’ll find similar sentiments as well as joyous explanations for being Mormon, all sparked by this delightful post from a non-Mormon who exclaims “I love Mormons!” Why? She describes that she loves the practice of having large families, the sense of community and the wonderful family traditions.
Oquirrh Mountain: Enjoy a beautiful video depicting the “The Oquirrh Mountain Utah Temple (HD)” to begin your Monday. And accompanying the beautiful scenery and images is both stirring music and a nice summary of the newly constructed and dedicated temple.
Building collapse: “Suddenly A Creaking Noise Was Heard, Followed By A Sound Like A Crash Of Thunder.” Wow! And read what happened next at a gathering of Saints in England in 1852: “ and immediately the lofty ceiling of exactly one-half the hall, divided in the centre of a large beam, fell almost flat upon the multitude below.” The story continues just as exciting, so click in to read the miraculous results!
Friday, Oct. 16
Understanding evangelicals: "Anti-Mormonism is not a key focus of evangelicals" and "in general, evangelicals don't know much about Mormonism, and what they do 'know' is likely wrong or incomplete." So explains Eric, an LDS member who was raised evangelical. In "What Mormons Should Know About Evangelicals," he tries to dispel some of the misunderstandings he's seen both online and in real life. He does not wish to downplay the differences, but wants people to find common ground since "we have much we can learn from each other, but we can do that only if we make efforts to understand each other." Fascinating!
Conference phrases: Warm fuzzies. Sunshine moments. Boys of the Lord. Will any of these "Conference Terms" become standard in Mormon speak? So wonders this blogger who rightly observed that "warm fuzzies" is already getting a lot of blog attention. Check out his full list, which includes definitions and references to the talk sourced.
Bitton papers: "Researchers, start your laptops," declares Ardis E. Parshall in announcing that the "Davis Bitton Papers (are) Now Available at BYU." Bitton was the assistant church historian under Leonard J. Arrington as well as a history professor, and his collection spans 40 boxes. What a treasure trove!
Thursday, Oct. 15
Great news: "'Really? Are you serious? Really?' Then I couldn't speak. I started sobbing like a baby. Right in the middle of the Hobby Lobby parking lot." Find out why this blogger is so emotional (excitedly so) in "Signed, Sealed and Delivered."
Basic workout: Been meaning to strengthen your body and/or exercise more? Then you need to check out Trainer Momma, a fun and informative blog dedicated to passing on this blogger's personal training expertise to all who will click in. Check out her newest post detailing a basic leg workout. How nice to include pictures along with the instructions!
Random talents: "Honestly, most of the time when stuff is required of me I feel like I'm scrambling through my purse-o-talents and coming up empty. Service is so hit and miss. But every once in a while I have the right tools for the challenge and it feels so satisfying." I loved this message in "Let's Make a Deal" and how one woman's talents wonderfully align to thoroughly brighten a young girl's cast and day.
Favorite links: So within my favorite link list I'm highlighting the "FHE blog favorite links" of the week. So you get a 2-fer! Check out the links to a confidence printable, some October visiting teaching kits, an activity days lesson on manners & a tea party, and a Halloween date night idea.
Wednesday, Oct. 14
Austrian cemetery: Follow Peter LLC on a virtual photo essay tour of the newly dedicated Mormon section of Vienna's massive Central Cemetery, complete with gorgeous architecture and an incredibly symbolic bronze sculpture. What a significant event for the Austrian Saints!
Stirring video: Seth Adam Smith has taken Elder Holland's recent conference address and interwoven it with music and pictures to make a stirring video testimony montage of "Joseph Smith & The Book of Mormon -- An Apostle's Testimony." Wow!
Spice season: I dare you to get through "Spice is the reason for the season" without almost smelling the glorious spices associated with fall. Photos of donuts brushed with cinnamon, crisp pumpkin patches, colored leaves and a steaming mug of herbal tea all combine for a delightful homage to autumn.
Facebook quizzes: I admit it, I quite dislike all those Facebook quizzes clogging my Facebook inbox because I like to see what people are doing and saying, not what celebrity they are most like. Well if you're like me, you'll hope that the rumor that we may soon be able to "Kill Those Quiz Apps With Facebook's New Create Applications API" becomes the reality sooner rather than later. Hopefully!
Tuesday, Oct. 13
No touching: Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord Blog reports that with the advent of the flu season there is a "No Touching Rule in Affect in MTC." This means no handshakes, no hugs and no high-fives. One missionary reports: "Instead we do air handshakes where you put your hand a couple inches away from the other person's hand and you shake your hand up and down in the air. I think it is actually pretty amusing." Hmm, I wonder if they can play sports.
Tender mercy: "I find that the Lord answers little prayers like this a lot in my life, so that when the big painful stuff comes -- the stuff that seems like it just won't end -- I know he's listening." I loved this sentiment from a commenter on the lovely post "Tender Mercies: Birthday Party Edition." A little girl loses an invitation, a mother tries various ways to find out where it is and a tender mercy occurs in a dollar store. Click to read the sweet story. Hat-tip to Times and Seasons.
On humanity: "It is easy, as a historian, to get caught up in your efforts to prove a point." So begins a nice reminder "On the Humanity of Historical Subjects," which is sparked by a small personal note, written by a 19th-century Methodist minister, lamenting the death of a nephew. From it, this blogger learns "Mormon converts, missionaries and members from yesteryear are no different from Methodist itinerants in this regard. People not only lived, worked, succeeded and failed. They also felt ... it should remind us of the humanity of all those we study."
Monday, Oct. 12
Child's death: "And then we had to go home. The house was just as we had left it, only Taleah wasn't there. Her equipment was there, her clothes were there, her toys were there, but she was gone. It was this point that our life was forever divided into before and after." In this amazingly touching post, this mother describes her beautiful daughter, and how she died. "On Surviving the Death of a Child" is heartbreaking and hopeful, all rolled into one. Please read. Thanks Mormon Matters, for the link.
Band family: "We are family." So states this blogger, who is mourning with the rest of the American Fork High School band and alumni over the death Saturday of Heather Christensen, the woodwind instructor who was killed while trying to keep a bus from crashing. This blogger relates some of her memories of being in the band and looks forward to Tuesday's "annual BYU invitational, (where the) band will be marching in memory of Heather Christensen. I can't wait to be in the stands -- and in some small way, share the moment with them." Beautiful sentiments.
Creative missionaries: One small gesture, that of the missionaries putting a greeting and their contact numbers into every hymnal in the chapel, sparked this blogger to ask how others find "Creativity in Missionary Work." Did you perhaps sing on the doorstep to bring the spirit, as one commenter remembers? Or how about using a simple game of Frisbee to start a conversation? Check out more creative missionary ideas, or add your own!
Mormon newspapers: The Evening and the Morning Star, Messenger and Advocate, Elders' Journal, Times and Seasons, Wasp, Nauvoo Neighbor, Frontier Guardian, Oracle at Crescent City, Iowa; and the Deseret News are just a few "Mormon Newspapers of the 19th Century." There was a worldwide Mormon press effort, including "the Etoile du Deseret at Paris, the Skandinaviens Stjerne and Nordstjernan at Copenhagen, Zion's Panier and the later Der Stern at Hamburg, Le Reflecteur in Geneva, Die Reform and Der Darsteller der Heiligen der Letzten Tage elsewhere in Switzerland, Prophwyd y Juvili and Udgorn Seion in Wales, Zion's Watchman in Sydney, Australia." Click to read more about many Mormon periodicals, as well as a personal account by George Q. Cannon on becoming an editor of one.
Friday, Oct. 9
Old Testament: Get ready for next year's Sunday School Course of study with these new "Old Testament Visual Resource DVDs" for use in family or class settings -- or even as a supplement to personal study. This three-DVD set includes new movies (a few of which I've previewed and loved), more than 300 visual resources to aid your study (many of these are interactive) and even a copy of the Old Testament Stories for Children. I think this would make a lovely family Christmas gift.
Conference texts: "LDS General Conference talk transcripts are now available," tweeted Bryce Haymond yesterday. You can now read your favorite general conference talk (in English) by clicking on "179th Semiannual General Conference, October 2009." Nice!
Conference FHE: With a delightful four-page printable, the Mormon Cartoonist declares that "Family Home Evening is on Me This Week." Just look at the fun puzzles and colorable graphics! What a charming way to help reinforce the lessons taught at last weekend's general conference.
Thursday, Oct. 8
A pioneer: Mormon children often get to dress up as pioneers, but few get to actually be one. Read the inspiring generational story of a special needs daughter in "Not Every Kids Gets to be a Pioneer." The climax of the post just blew me away.
Sister Dunn: "Jeanne Cheverton Dunn was not the typical spouse of a general authority, and therein was much of the reason that her husband was not the typical general authority." A few weeks ago, the widow of Paul H. Dunn passed away. And you can get a glimpse of the fascinating life of "Jeanne Cheverton Dunn" by the author working on Paul H. Dunn's biography -- Gregory A. Prince.
Kindly neighbors: "During the next few days, a parade of well-meaning Mormons will bring casseroles to their born again Christian brother -- all arranged by the Christ-like neighbors we don't always see at church." This pretty much summarizes this vignette of a post that can redefine the definition of what it means to be "Christian Neighbors."
Free arrangement: Chas Hathaway has kindly provided his new beautiful "Come Thou Fount: Original Piano Arrangement" for our listening pleasure. Or, you can even download this new version of "Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing" for free.
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