Google Reader

Have any of you tried "Reader" from your Gmail account?  I was just wondering what it was so I was checking it out.  You can get feeds for all sorts of things.  I just typed LDS into the search and browse box and came up with some really great talks.  I subscribed to 'LDS Voices' and 'BYU Recent Talks' and Gospel Teaching and Learning Series.'   You can down load the talks or listen to them as feeds.  There are some neat talks there.  For some reason the BYU feed sounds like chipmunks.  You can understand it, it just doesn't sound like real voices.  Maybe I just need to unsubscribe and then subscribe for it again.

If you have not checked it out yet I would suggest you do.  I found a neat talk by Elder M. Russell Ballard called "Beware of False Prophets."  It has some things in it that I can use in my next Relief Society lesson.

Royal Army

Like Helaman’s young warriors, we are part of a great army.
President Ezra Taft Benson directed the following statement to Aaronic Priesthood holders, however, it applies to all members of the Church.

“You have been born at this time for a sacred and glorious purpose. It is not by chance that you have been reserved to come to earth in this last dispensation of the fulness of times. Your birth at this particular time was foreordained in the eternities.

“You are to be the royal army of the Lord in the last days. …

“In the spiritual battles you are waging, I see you as today’s sons of Helaman. Remember well the Book of Mormon account of Helaman’s two thousand stripling warriors” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1986, 55; or Ensign, May 1986, 43; note that stripling means young man).

I have always liked the story of the 2000 young men that had the courage to fight for their country. They were valient and willing to help in troubled times. I know we live in troubed times now. Good is being called bad. Bad is being called good. Where do we stand? How do we become like the Mothers of those 2000 young men that taught them right from wrong?

President Spencer W. Kimball made the following statement about the influence that mothers can have on their children.

“To be a righteous woman during the winding-up scenes on this earth, before the Second Coming of our Savior, is an especially noble calling. The righteous woman’s strength and influence today can be tenfold what it might be in more tranquil times. She has been placed here to help to enrich, to protect, and to guard the home—which is society’s basic and most noble institution. Other institutions in society may falter and even fail, but the righteous woman can help to save the home, which may be the last and only sanctuary some mortals know in the midst of storm and strife” (The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, ed. Edward L. Kimball [1982], 326–27).

As mothers where can we learn how to enrich, protect, and guard the home? I know the answer. Family Home Evening, scripture study, family and personal prayer.

Mormon Myths and Reality

Heirs of God

I wish I were a fast thinker. But I am not. Some time ago (6+ years) I was exercising with a lady. We would walk and talk about religion. She would ask questions about my religion and I would ask questions about her religion. I remember telling her that we believed that we could at some point after death become gods and goddesses like God our Father and Jesus Christ. "Oh no!" she said, "I could never believe that. The humanizes God and I could never put Him on the same level as us."

"So we will never become gods?"

"No, we could never become gods."

Well all these years later and now I have an answer.

Romans 8:16-17

"The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together."

Does it not make sense that in this life we have little children and raise them up to become productive adults like we are? Don't we want the best for our children? Wouldn't we want them to become even better than we are? Doesn't it stand to reason that God would want us to be as productive as He is? He is perfect and I am not sure you could become better than perfect but it stands to reason that he would want us to become perfect like he is. He says we are His children and then heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ. What are we heirs of? Would we not be heirs of perfection and Godhood?
Matthew 5:48
"Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect."
Why would Jesus tell us to be perfect if it is impossible to be perfect? Joint-heirs with Christ means on the same level.

Let me know your thoughts on the subject.

Relief Society Lesson

My next Relief Society lesson is a tough one. I always try to "live" my lesson. For example when I taught the one about The Book of Mormon being a keystone of our religion I tried extra hard to be reading the Book of Mormon. Or when I taught the lesson about Prayer and Personal Revelation I took extra care in making my prayers meaningful. I watched for moments of revelation. When I taught the lesson about proclaiming glad tidings to all the world, I tried extra hard to be a member missionary. I am even still working on that one.

However, this month I have a lesson that I absolutely do NOT want to try out. I know it is inevitable, I will have to live with this lesson someday. I just don't want it to be now. I know, I know. Don't counsel the Lord. It is entitled "Word of Hope and Consolation at the Time of Death." I am truly grateful for the teachings of our church about death. There is a hope for a better future. The one thing that Joseph Smith said about the death of a young child verses an older person is that one gets to enjoy being with our Heavenly Father longer.

Family

Grandma & Grandpa Richens

At the Richens' Homestead

I have been thinking a lot about my family the past few days. The older I get the more important family becomes to me. I so enjoy getting on the internet and reading the blogs different family members have written. We may have miles between us but we are close in heart. I thank you for that!

Grandma & Grandpa Cope

I met a lady the other day that is married to my cousin. I have never met this cousin. His father sort of chose to stay away from his family. My cousin has now passed away. His wife and two of her sons came to meet Grandma Richens. I went up to meet them. As we visited we thought of how sad it was that all of these years have gone by and we have not even known each other. My Mom took them to see where Grandma and Grandpa Cope are buried in Roosevelt. Then she took them up Ioka Lane to point out places that they had lived when Grandpa Cope taught school. They also went down into Arcadia to see where the old Cope homestead had once stood. There is nothing left of the old homestead. Grandpa Cope sold it back to the Ute Tribe sometime after he left the Uintah Basin. I went to the old homestead years ago and the only thing left was a row of trees. That is even gone now after a fire along the Lake Fork River burnt everything down.

Grandma Cope on the Cope Homestead

I love to listen to Mom talk about the past. I know when she is gone I will think of a million things I wish I had asked her.

"The Cousins"

A Prayer Answered

I went to the temple with Mom yesterday. It was a great day. The sisters in our Relief Society get together once a month and go to the temple. I usually can not go because I am working. Well, I decided to go yesterday. I had talked to my sister-in-law, Barbara the day before about going and she wanted to go too. Mom and Barbara were each going to drive down to my house and meet me at 8:00AM. At about 8 I walked outside and there was Barbara but no Mom. I thought that was strange because Mom is always prompt. Barbara said she was surprised that Mom was not there. We decided to go look for her. When we got to the head of Mom's lane, there was her truck right in the middle of the road but no Mom. I looked up the lane and there was Mom just a hiking back to her house. (Right here you need to know that my Mom is 92 years young.) When we pulled up beside her she looked pretty upset. She says her truck had just stopped and would not start, she prayed that I would come. I told her it is a good thing that she is always prompt or I might not have come looking for her yet. Barbara said, " Yea, if you had been Ken we would have just left you." We were going to move her truck off the road. I got in and just tried to start it. The truck started right up. I moved it off the road. We got back in my car and headed for the temple.

Now I have some thoughts that keep going through my head.
1. Was there a reason Mom's truck stopped? Did the Lord not want her on the highway at that time? We will never know.
2. How much does the Lord love a little 92 year old farm woman in a little know place like Myton, Utah that he would answer her prayer that fast? That one I know. The Lord does hear and answer prayers! He know who my Mom is and he has time to answer her prayers. How lucky am I that he could use me to answer her prayers.
3. Often in the temple we hear prayers that our homes and our families will be blessed while we are in the temple. We were headed for the House of the Lord. He was ready to protect us before we ever left our homes He protected my Mother!

Isn't this just the most beautiful day ever?