Mormon Bloggers

Welcome to the Neighborhood News  http://photobucket.com/  http://www.thinkstockphotos.com/   I believe we all think scripture study is something we have to do at some point of the day. But how important is it, really? And do we do it together as a family, or individually? Our contributor Jennifer Ricks, from ‘Cleaving Together,’ comments on this subject in her article “Scripture Study in the Car.” She tells us: “When my husband and I were first married, we knew that taking time for scripture study early in the day was important for our family, but we struggled to find time for it.” Her account is a good read, and makes you think about the sacrifices we want to make to get something great: personal and shared spirituality. http://photobucket.com/ The ‘Executive Homemaker,’ blogger Julie Paquette has this cute craft in her website: “The Prayer Box Recipe.” To teach children how to pray, she put together this activity. You follow... Read the rest of this entry »

On this Pioneer day, I decided to answer all the personal questions that you are asked when you fill out the profile on Mormon.org.  There are a whole lot more under the FAQ section (about 80) but that will have to wait for another day when I have more time.  I thoroughly enjoyed the process of answering these questions and felt like I was being interviewed, thus the title of this blog post. 01. Please explain the part prayer plays in your life? Having grown up with daily prayer, I can’t imagine a day go by in which I don’t communicate with my Heavenly Father in prayer.  We start the day in prayer as a family asking for the Lord’s blessing upon us as we work.  We end the day in prayer the same way, usually kneeling by the bed, reporting our activities to God and thanking him for his help.  We give thanks for the food we eat at mealtimes and participate in public prayers in our weekly worship service.  It is through prayer and reading scriptures that I feel close to God and directed... Read the rest of this entry »

~by Erin As the secretary in the Primary {ages 3-11}, I attend Primary every Sunday. One Sunday the woman giving the lesson talked about how she started setting aside Sunday evenings to give a “thankful only” prayer. She said she watches for things throughout the day and makes a mental note of things to pray and give thanks for that night. She said it has really helped her be more thankful. I love this idea, and I decided to do it! I like the idea of not always asking for things from Heavenly Father, but to show him that we are thankful and don’t always expect something in return. - – – – – – - The most meaningful and spiritual prayers I have experienced contained many expressions of thanks and few, if any, requests. As I am blessed now to pray with apostles and prophets, I find among these modern-day leaders of the Savior’s Church the same characteristic that describes Captain Moroni in the Book of Mormon: these are men whose hearts... Read the rest of this entry »

Not long ago I emailed my father with a question having to do with a project I was attempting at my house.  The next morning he was at my door to help get it fixed in spite of the two hour drive to and from. It was a strong reminder to me that my father loves me and is waiting for me to ask for what I need so he can be of service to me. It was also a powerful metaphor for the Father in Heaven we all share; He who wants nothing more than to bless us with His love, His guidance, His forgiveness and all the tender mercies He has in store for us–if we but ask.  There have been many times in my life when my Heavenly Father has blessed me with what I needed and often times, what I have wanted.  These events are particularly close to my heart because they were blessings that showed me how much my Heavenly Father is aware of me as His daughter, of my particular joys and sorrows, and how much He loves me, as He does each one of us. One example in particular stands out more than the rest. ... Read the rest of this entry »

Welcome to the Neighborhood News Dear friends, I’m excited to write about today’s newsletter. It’s such a treat! First off, we have the Personal Touch interview with Rebecca Cressman. She got in touch with Keith Hamilton & Tamu Smith who are in the cast of I Am Jane, a production that is remembering the life of black Mormon pioneer Jane Manning James. The Mormon Pioneer trek across America became a turning point in U.S. history, but not all of that history has been remembered nor celebrated. Keith Hamilton and Tamu Smith want to change that so that the inspiring lives of early black LDS pioneers are not forgotten. To bring these stories to life, Keith Hamilton and Tamu Smith have taken to the stage as actors in I Am Jane, the award-winning stage play written by Margaret Blair Young. I Am Jane celebrates the true story of Jane Manning James, a black LDS pioneer woman who survived the mobs at Nauvoo, the westward migration to the Salt Lake Valley and the societal prejudices of... Read the rest of this entry »

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I recieved the following message from a reader the other day: Dear Friend, I liked reading your letter on God and receiving his message through understanding of God´s manner of speaking. I have been reading very much and watching Daystar programs considerably. All of these things are interesting but the more I read the Bible and meditate, pray, and listen for that voice of God— the farther and farther from understanding anything it seems. If I continue to understand less and less as there is so much contradiction, the natural process would be to become an athiest. Something I am not hoping for. But my simple and nieve question is– If God can do anything, why can´t he communicate with us? After all that silly business of speaking in tongues is accepted as real and I think is nonsense. Is that God speaking to us? I wish I could find some message that felt like it really represented our relation to God, if there is indeed a relation. I have written about this in previous articles throughout... Read the rest of this entry »

I recieved the following message from a reader the other day: Dear Friend, I liked reading your letter on God and receiving his message through understanding of God´s manner of speaking. I have been reading very much and watching Daystar programs considerably. All of these things are interesting but the more I read the Bible and meditate, pray, and listen for that voice of God— the farther and farther from understanding anything it seems. If I continue to understand less and less as there is so much contradiction, the natural process would be to become an athiest. Something I am not hoping for. But my simple and nieve question is– If God can do anything, why can´t he communicate with us? After all that silly business of speaking in tongues is accepted as real and I think is nonsense. Is that God speaking to us? I wish I could find some message that felt like it really represented our relation to God, if there is indeed a relation. I have written about this in previous articles throughout... Read the rest of this entry »

When you pray for an opportunity, remember to also pray for courage. After writing for my own projects—my fiction manuscript, my autobiography and my blog—I needed to reach for some new possibilities beyond myself to share my talents in a way that benefits my local community. I took my desire to the Lord and discovered a truth [...] All Content Copyright (C) 2007-2009 TJ Hirst. No content may be reproduced without the copyright owner’s express written consent.Pray, Ask, Listen, Follow AKPC_IDS += "204431,";Popularity: unranked [?] Read More →

~by Candace I know this is the true Church of our Savior Jesus Christ and that we are led by a living prophet, Thomas S. Monson. My story: My life challenges started at a very early age. I was eight years old when I was first molested. He was a friend of the family and I had a child’s love for him. He broke my heart and severely injured my spirit. Unable to tell my parents, my trust of people around me was shaken. I became very insecure and frightened of life. When I reached my teens, my insecurities and lack of participation in school activities became evident and a concerned counselor started drawing me out and I felt comforted by his concern. But, once again my life was jolted when he betrayed my trust. One day he offered me a ride home. I accepted his kind gesture. I soon realized he had other intentions. We took a ride into the hills near our town and the unspeakable happened. Once again I was shaken to the core and afraid to go to my parents. I had no idea how to deal with any... Read the rest of this entry »

Recently I had a very nice gentleman stop by and leave the following comment on my blog: You are a rare person to see common ground between the LDS and non-LDS Christians. I’ve been looking for someone like you for a long time. I’d like to know more about what you believe and how our heavenly Father brought you to your current level of revelation. This message is in response to his inquiry on knowing more about what I believe and how Heavenly Father brought me to my current level of revelation. I have not always believed in the LDS religion.  In fact, for a time, I was very bitter towards it and filled with hate for Mormons.  I was young when my parents were divorced, but as a result I put blame on my father for splitting up our family.  My father was LDS and my mother was baptized LDS but left the LDS church and became an Evangelical Christian.  After my parents divorced I lived with my mother and sisters.  We went to the LDS church for a few months after the divorce, but soon... Read the rest of this entry »

~by Jen H. As a mother of five, involved with many many things, I am challenged to find privacy anywhere. Just the other day after a long and exhausting day, I laid in bed and pondered how impossible it was that throughout my day I had not had a single moment where I was not being touched, rubbed, tugged at, sung to, talked to, hollered at, cried at, complained to, questioned, argued with, negotiated with, laughed at (or with) and on and on. I realized how hungry I was for a little simplicity and quiet. I love (love love) being a mother, I love my children intensely and never wish my life was anything different than it is… However, as I have grown in to motherhood I have realized a weakness of mine that I wish to change.  I am by nature a very focused person. If I over-schedule and over-commit, the most important things in life unintentionally become subordinate to the less important things.  When I discipline myself and take the time to listen,  ponder and pray to my Heavenly... Read the rest of this entry »