I have a very dear friend named Deanne Walker that I admire so much. She is a woman full of faith and perseverance. Her husband Doug is her equal in all things. They are parents of 18 children. They have nine biological children and nine that they have adopted. The adopted children are from different countries: the US, India and China. Eight of their adopted children have special needs such as a learning disability, a drug baby, a Down syndrome, one with mild Cerebral Palsy, one with moderate  Cerebral Palsy, Amniotic Bandind, a severe heart defect, and emotional and sexual abuse. They just lost their little three year old boy, Gideon following open heart surgery for the severe heart defect. He passed away on February 13^th, 2014.

All of these children have been sealed to them in the temple for time and all Eternity. They are an eternal family.

At this time they have three married children with 3 grandchildren, one of which was born on February 19^th. One son is home from his mission and going to school at BYU. Their biological children are mixed in between their adopted children. You will find that the older children are always helping the younger children. I love to watch them during our church’s Sacrament meeting. They take up an entire long pew about 3 – 4 rows back from the front.  You hardly ever see them take a child out. They are a very reverent family. Their children are polite, kind to others, very loyal and loving with each other.

Recently, while the parents were with their little son at the hospital, I had the opportunity to care for 7 of their children. A few of them I know well. It was an amazing morning. They were completely organized and had scheduled times for their morning activities. When relating this to my friend, she herself was surprised that they had organized their day so well. They all had chores and the home was in perfect order.  The oldest ones in charge were just incredible. Two of the older children made lunch and cleaned up afterwards. What a joy it was to serve them and especially to watch them serve one another.

One might ask why anyone would want to adopt that many children and especially children with special needs. I think as you read their family blog you will see how passionately they are about caring for and adopting children. You will feel their desire to raise a large posterity unto the Lord. You will walk the path with them as they go through the adoption process in China. You will learn of their challenges when picking their children up on China. You will read of their loving care for their special needs children.

You will read about each of their precious children and the love they have for each and every one. Their faith and testimony in the Lord Jesus Christ and the Plan of Salvation is firm and steadfast.

You will read the emotional account of the last day with their sweet little son Gideon that passed away in Primary Children’s hospital after open heart surgery on February 13^th. You will read of their testimony of life after death and of this son’s purpose in passing on.  They bear a strong testimony of Eternal Families. You will be greatly blessed as you read and follow their remarkable journey in raising a family such as this.

Here is their blog profile information:

We have been married for 27 great years. We have 18 children with 9 adopted and 9 biological. We have children from the US, India and China. We have been greatly blessed to be trusted to raise our Father’s children. Each one is unique and has their own strengths. We love to be together as a family and support one another. I wouldn’t trade what we have for anything in this world. It truly is “A Wonderful Life”.

Here is:  “It’s A Wonderful Life”.

Deanne wanted me to also share the following links. She States these links are mainly China centered but they address things in adoption in general, like what special needs there are and adoption stories. Three of their boys came through a program named, Love Without Boundaries. They aren’t an agency but a nonprofit organization that supports the orphans of China.

http://www.lovewithoutboundaries.com/
http://www.lwbcommunity.org/why-international-adoption-still-matters-2

www.nohandsbutours.com

http://www.rainbowkids.com/

– – –

LeAnn is a wife, mother to 6 children, 30 grandchildren and 1 great grandchild.  She is a lifelong member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She loved the occupation of nursing but most of all being a mother and grandmother.  She presently serves in the Jordan River Temple one day a week. She enjoys writing histories and pursuing her ancestors through genealogy research. She loves to enjoy the moments of her life. She blogs at Living Waters

The post It’s a Wonderful Life — a Mormon family and adoption blog appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

~by LeAnn

Editor’s note: You can read the entire post at LeAnn’s blog, including a series of poignant personal experiences she and her husband had years ago.

In the Book of Mormon; Alma 7:11-12 this comforting thought is given:
11. And He (Christ) shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will ‘take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.
12. And He will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.
Again, in 2 Nephi 9:21 we find the following:
21. And He (Christ) cometh into the world that he may save all men if they will hearken unto his voice; for behold, he suffereth the pains of all men, yea, the pains of every living creature, both men, women, and children, who belong to the family of Adam.
Christ.
These scriptures tell us that as he walked the roads of life, he felt the pains and sicknesses of all mankind. Then He went forth and completed his work with the infinite Atonement.
In the book; “The Infinite Atonement by Tad R. Callister, he stated:
No mortal can cry out, “he does not understand my plight, for my trials are unique.” There is nothing outside the scope of the Savior’s experience. As Elder Maxwell observed, “None of us can tell Christ anything about depression.”As a result of his mortal experience, culminating in the Atonement, the Savior knows, understands, and feels every human condition, every human woe, and every human loss. He can comfort as no other. He can lift burdens as no other. He can listen as no other. There is no hurt he cannot soothe, rejection he cannot assuage, loneliness he cannot console. Whatever affliction the world casts at us, he has a remedy of superior healing powers.”

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By LeAnn @ Living Waters

There is a song entitled: “I Have A Testimony” by Bettie L. Jones and Muriel C. Ashton.

Here is just the first verse:

I have a testimony sacred and dear to me.

Something that lies within my soul, one that I can-not see.

When life gets dark and its shadows hide all the brightness of day,

I feel God’s arms around me, leading me on each day.

This is truly how I feel. My own testimony is precious to me. As I read many posts from my Christian friends and others; I recognize their own strong testimonies of Christ. I respect their beliefs in our Father in Heaven and in our Savior Jesus Christ. In our church on the 1st Sunday of the month; we have a sacrament meeting where we come fasting. Our fast includes fasting of 2 meals, generally a 24 hour fast. This fast is dedicated to those who are poor and needy and for various other personal reasons. When combined with private prayer; we ask for blessings for those in need and for our own struggles. On that day we contribute fast offerings ; the reccommended amount is the cost of the two meals.  We give as much as we are able too. There is no set amount.

This Sacrament meeting is called a fast and testimony meeting. On this day those who feel the spirit or a desire to bear their testimonies go to the pulpit and share their thoughts about of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.These testimonies should reflect some of our thoughts or feelings about our faith. Here are a few of those beliefs.

Your belief In Jesus Christ and our Heavenly Father ~

Your belief in the Holy Ghost and how He influences your life~

Your belief in the divine calling of the Prophet Joseph Smith and or feelings about the First Vision ~

Your belief in the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ ~

Your belief in the Prophets of old through the ages from Adam to the present day prophet.

Your belief in Prophets and Apostles of today~

Your belief in our  present day Prophet, President Thomas S. Monson

Your belief in the Scriptures ~

Your belief in the purpose of the Holy Priesthood~

You belief in Temples ~

Your belief in Eternal Marriage ~

Your belief in Forever Families ~

This is not an all inclusive list. Of course, those who bear their testimonies do not reflect on every one of the elements of a testimony. Individuals bear their testimony of a few of their beliefs and any experiences that has helped increase their testimonies. Testimonies should be brief; allowing others time to share their thoughts.

During the Sacrament I was thinking of some of the sweet experiences that I had recently that has strengthened my testimony. I felt a desire to share my feelings. I didn’t go up in time to give my testimony during our Sacrament meeting. In our Relief Society meeting they sometimes have a few testimonies at the close of the meeting. This week they didn’t.  On our way home from church I was telling my husband that I felt sad that I didn’t get an opportunity to share the thoughts and feelings of my heart. Later I thought to myself; I can share these thoughts on my blog. Here are a few of my ponderings.

I know beyond doubt that I have a Heavenly Father who loves me, knows my name and listens to my prayers. We recently had our own family reunion and I was so worried about how it would turn out. There were some family conflicts with some of the grandchildren and children. I wanted our family to be free from any contention. I prayed earnestly that guardian angels would surround my family and that Satan would be bound. On the first day of the reunion as the families started to collect at the park; I could feel some contention starting. I quickly went to the car and while crying I earnestly prayed to my Heavenly Father for help. As I left the car I felt somewhat better. Within just a little while my oldest daughter and her husband started some games for everyone to play. We were all put on different teams and as we played these games the contentious feelings went away and stayed away throughout the reunion. I knew that my prayer had been answered. I had a strong feeling that perhaps even our parents from the other side of the veil were near by and that Satan was indeed bound. I knew I had been blessed by fasting, praying, attending the temple and putting all of our names on the temple prayer roll. My dear husband had joined me in all of this preparation. I believe in Eternal families and know that I have been deeply blessed by a wonderful posterity of 48 children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.

I know that I have a Savior Jesus Christ who is my Elder Brother and Savior.

I know that He alone was the only one that could save me from my sins through his Atonement. I know that He bled and died for me and for all of the human race. His atonement was infinite and complete. I know that if I try my very best to repent of my sins and obey our Heavenly Father’s commandments that Christ’s Atonement will be effective in my life and I can someday return to Him and to my Heavenly Father.

I am so grateful for my Eternal Companion who holds the Priesthood and exercises it on my behalf and on my children’s. He honors his priesthood by serving faithfully and preforming good works in his callings. He has used this priesthood to bless our family when they are in need. We have had countless miracles through the years and prayers answered through these blessings.  My husband received a blessing from our home teachers when he had a heart attack. Through that year he had more than one blessing. There were miracles that occurred and health was restored.

I know that the Prophet Joseph Smith saw the Father and the Son in the Sacred Grove. Through this experience and other’s he restored the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

I know that we have a modern day prophet who is President Thomas S. Monson. I know he is a Prophet of God. I know that we have 12 living apostles who travel the world over and spread gospel truths.

I love the temple and am so grateful that I was married and sealed to my husband for time and all eternity and that our six children are sealed to us and we are a forever family. I feel blessed that all of my children where married and sealed in the temple.

I love the scriptures and have been reading the Book of Mormon. I have read the Book of Mormon many times, I have taught the Book of Mormon in  Sunday School class and twice I taught it in Seminary. I am presently reading and studying it with the LDS Institute manual. Each time I read this book of scripture; I gain new insight. I can testify that the Book of Mormon is true. I have felt the power of this marvelous book and have had many prayers answered through the scriptures. I love reading the Doctrine and Covenants, Pearl of Great Price, The Holy Bible and The New Testament. I have taught these scriptures also in various gospel learning classes. I have a great love for the scriptures.

In closing my thoughts here are three of my favorite scriptures:

Proverbs 3: 5-6

2 Nephi 31: 20-21

Doctrine and Covenants 93:1

I believe these scriptures to be true!

I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is true; this is my testimony.

The post My Testimony Is My Greatest Treasure ~ appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

I remember as a youth attending early morning seminary during my 9th grade year. We would walk to our LDS Stake Center in Rose Park and meet in one of the class rooms. At first I was more interested in the boys in the class than listening to the teacher’s message. I also remember falling asleep a few times because it was so early.  I do remember at that time we were studying The Book of Mormon. I would often feel the warm sweet feelings of the Spirit testify of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. We  had an excellent teacher who was engaging.  Later on while attending West High School in Salt Lake City; we had released-time seminary. This meant that we could walked over to a seminary building during the class hour that we scheduled for seminary. I have many fond memories of my classes. I am sure I was more alert since the classes weren’t in the early morning hours.

I do have fond memories of carpooling with other parents to take our children to  early-morning seminary while living in Washington. I always thought how much fun it would be to be a seminary teacher. In my grown up years I loved teaching the youth so in the back of my mind I thought this would be a great opportunity.

In October of of 1994, I received a call asking if I would be interested in teaching an early-morning seminary class for students who were going to our local  high school. At that time my one daughter was a senior at the school and I thought it would be fun to have her in the class. As I contemplated doing this; I went over the pros and cons. Of course there were many pros but the con was getting up early in the morning. I knew this would be a challenge for me. It would be required me getting up around 5 am and then being in the class room around 6 am to prepare for the students arriving at 6:30. The next obstacle was that I would be starting in the middle of the year and would be teaching at the home of the sister who had started teaching that year. She had to quit to go back to work full-time [early-morning seminary teaching is a volunteer assignment] and didn’t feel she could continue with the class. I drove 12 miles to their home in Valley Forge and found that I would be teaching in a small room that was built in their garage. The room had a pot bellied stove and two small heaters.

There were 12 student desks in the room; this was the number of students that I would be teaching.  The room was warm, cozy and inviting. After fasting and prayer; I received my answer and knew  I was to accept this position.  This year the students were studying The Book of Mormon.

I found out quickly that I needed to be well prepared for each class. This meant preparing the lesson would require studying for 3-4 hours a day. I had always loved studying the scriptures and now I was able to really delve into them. Before starting to teach I made a home visit to each of the class members. It gave me the opportunity to get to know them before facing them in the class. There were only a couple of them that had difficulty attending every morning. I challenged them to come and feel the Spirit and learn from the Book of Mormon.

After Seminary I went home to prepare my lesson for the next day. I then ran some errands. When I came home I found my daughter in tears as she explained that there was a truck accident on the way home from school and she was told that David had been killed in this accident. The high school was a very small school and everyone knew each other well. I knew this was going to be tough on this little seminary class and I prayed so hard to know how to handle the situation. I cried  and felt so sad about losing this sweet dedicated young man. I canceled the class for the next day. I soon received a call that David’s father and mother wanted our little seminary class to sing the hymn,”I Need Thee Every Hour” at the funeral. I met with the students and they all said they would sing this hymn for David. We had a couple of quick practises and we prayed hard to have the spirit help us get through this assignment.  There was one young man that didn’t come very often and I was surprised when he came up and sang with the group. David’s funeral was attended by over 500 people. All the students from the high school came. The spirit of this occasion was very sad but sweet. My little group of seminary students sang the hymn and they sounded like angels. At the closing of the funeral all of the students at the High School went by David’s casket and laid a rose upon it in tribute to him.

After the funeral it was decided that we would hold classes in our stake center. The first morning back was really hard for us all. The room just didn’t seem the same. I can say that this one incident, although hard to go through brought  us all close as a group and filled our hearts with the comfort of the Holy Ghost. Out of this little group of young men and woman came a great force for good. The majority of the boys served LDS Missions, a few of the girls including my daughter served missions and almost all of them were married in the LDS Temple. I will always hold close to my heart a feeling of deep love for each of these young men and women.

A short time later I visited with David’s mother and she told me how much David loved our little class. We both knew that David had been called on mission to the Spirit World. I will always remember him fondly as he put his ball cap under his arm and started our seminary class each morning at 6:30 am.

LeAnn continued to teach early morning seminary for the next four years and had many varied and wonderful experiences with the young women and young men she was privileged to teach.

By LeAnn @ Living Waters

The post A Fond Memory – Teaching LDS Seminary appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

Eliza has a rare  disease named Metachromatic Leukodystrophy or MLD. It’s progressive and terminal. At the age of 18 months she was an adorable little girl doing normal things for her age. Her physical state began to deteriorate; she walked less and crawled more. Within a short while she could no longer run or jump. Her condition continued to deteriorate; it took some time before she was finally diagnoised with this condition. In 2007 about a month after being diagnoised with MLD, Eliza lost her ability to crawl, sit up, talk and eat independently. She now has a feeding tube. She can no longer see but she does respond to music and sounds. She loves to have books read to her. For the past two years her mother has been taking her to school with the belief that Eliza can hear and learn. It has been an incrediable experience for so many to meet Eliza,  especially the  children from her class as they learned to love and care for Eliza.

Callahan and Nikki are remarkable parents. They have been blessed with another sweet daughter named Caroline; she was born on her mother’s birthday. She’s  a special gift to this amazing family.

Through these difficult years, Eliza’s parents have  been successful in raising donations and increasing awarness of MLD. They have hopes the medical world will find a cure for diseases like this. They have been involved in TeamGive, an organization that helps to raise money and awareness of rare neurological diseases. As quoted from that web site: “Every day a child in the United States is diagnosed with a debilitating and life-threatening neurological disease. Teamgive’s mission is to fund the research that will provide cures and treatments for neurological diseases afflicting children. With your help teamgive will find cures for the neurological diseases afflicting children like Eliza”.

Eliza’s parents also started “Eliza’s Library.” They collect children’s book to be distrubuted to various hospitals, physician offices and other medical facilities. These books are being placed all over the world.  To date they have collected and placed more than 22, 000 books. Many have been gathered as service projects and Eagle projects. Anyone  interested in this type of activity for church or community, can learn more about it at Eliza’s Library .

In June of this year Eliza’s father, Callahan was participating in the Rockwell Relay Race for Teamgive. This annual race is 300 miles on bike from Moab to St. George, Utah. Callahan was on the last part of the race. He had reached the summit of Boulder Mountain when he hit a cattle guard,  his tire stopped instantly he was propelled over his handlebars. He remained consicious and remembered flipping and then falling onto his back and right side striking the back of his head. He couldn’t move and was having a hard time breathing.  Another cyclist was right behind him and witnessed the accident. He stopped, and the rest of the relay team were just a few minutes behind in the support car. He was given a Priesthood blessing from his teammates, within minutes a sports medicine physician arrived and helped to stablilize his neck in a brace.  One support member had been given a satelite phone earlier without explanation. That phone made it possible to call for Life Flight which transported him to Utah Valley Regional Medical Center in Provo. At first Nikki was told that he had a partial spinal cord injury. She found him in tremendous pain and his legs were cramping. He couldn’t move his body. He was taken to the Neuro Shock ICU. The MRI and scans comfirmed that he had a crushed C4 Vertebrae which had pushed it 4.5 mm into his spinal column causing bruising and swelling. It would require surgery. The swelling needed  to go down before they could attempt surgery. He could only slightly bend his right leg and with considerable effort, move his arms up and down. He could not move his hands, fingers, toes or his left leg but there was hope that after the swelling decreased movement would improve.

After surgery  came weeks of rehabilitation. He worked hard to learn to walk and climb stairs again. He is doing well except for some of the fine motor skills in his fingers. He is expected to fully recover. The complete story of Callahan can be found on “Eliza’s Wish” under; “How Is She Doing”. Here are some photo’s of Callahan and his sweet family before and after his recovery.

As a family we know that Eliza and Callahan have been greatly blessed by the prayers of many throughout the world. There have been so many tender mercies from the Lord. There have been times of fasting, praying and Priesthood blessings where small  miracles have occured. Eliza has touched the hearts of thousands. Here are some closing thoughts from Eliza’s mother Nikki: “It is amazing how much MLD has changed our lives; we hope it has changed us for the better. Eliza has taught us how to live life to the fullest and not take anything for granted. We get excited about the smallest things; smiles, sneezes, and her little stretches as she yawns. She has touched countless lives, without being able to say a word. She is truly a silent example to all who come in contact with her. We feel fortunate to be her parents and to learn from her. She has taught us far more than we will ever teach her.” Take a few moments to read about Eliza and her family. You will be happy that you looked into Eliza’s world.

It is such a sweet experience to witness this wonderful family in action. They have handled  this adversity with a great deal of faith.  The next day after Callahan’s accident we drove to the hospital to see how he was doing. Being a nurse I was expecting to see him under sedation and unable to communicate. We were so amazed that we found him lying there in his bed with his neck brace on and greeted us with a big smile. As he smiled;  I relaxed knowing that Callahan would be OK. I felt the comfort of the Spirit testify to me that all would be well. My husband’s brother reviewed with us all that had happened the night before and there was no doubt in our minds that he was watched over by a loving Heavenly Father and that miracles had occured that night. Because of these miracles we knew that Callahan would prevail; he would recover. We  know that Callahan and Nikki have great faith in the power of prayer and priesthood blessings. They are a living testimony of their belief. In all of the adversity that they have had with their daughter Eliza and now with Callahan they have been wonderful examples of pure faith. They have strengthened our own testimonies and those of countless others.

Each Christmas they have a tradition where all who would like to send  cards or letters to Eliza telling her about the service that has been given during the Christmas Season may do so @ Eliza’s Library – 90W. 500S. # 118 Bountiful, Utah 84010. The  letters are place under her Christmas tree.  On Christmas morning her parents read each of these sweet letters to Eliza.  Here is the link to the newspaper article telling about this event. http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705354077/True-Christmas-spirit-grows-on-Elizas-tree.html?pg=1

By LeAnn At Living Waters

The post Eliza’s Wish (a post about family, faith, trials, miracles, and service) appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

By LeAnn

Our granddaughter Averi was diagnosed with Infantile Osteopetrosis at the age of 15 weeks. This is Averi’s miraculous story and our journey with her.

The story for us began as I was enjoying a Relief Society Christmas party in my home. I received a call from my son telling us that Averi their 15 week old baby  had been admitted to the hospital.  The next day we were told that Averi had  either leukemia or a rare disease called Osteopetrosis; neither option was good. We were all  devastated. Over the next few days, Averi was tested and the final diagnosis was Infantile Osteopetrosis.  Osteopetrosis is  a congenital disorder in which bones are overly dense.  It is caused by a recessive gene from both parents. We now knew that she had been in severe pain since birth. She had cried a lot; but it was thought that she just had severe colic. Some complications from this disease are fractures, frequent infections, blindness and deafness. This disease can be severe, often resulting in death during the first decade of life.

My son, James and our daughter-in-law, Amber, were told to take her to Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake City for further testing. She was admitted into Primary on Christmas Day.  My husband and I drove from our home in Washington to Utah to be with our family.  James and Amber told us later that they cried all night the first night there; they realized that they might lose their precious little one. It hurt them both to think that she had been in severe pain since birth.

The only possible cure for this disease was a bone marrow transplant. We immediately called all of our children and extended families and asked if they would fast and pray with us. Both James and our ward congregations fasted with us.  Averi was given a priesthood blessing by her father and two grandfathers. My son petitioned the Lord to heal her if that was His will, that the physicians would be inspired to know how to care for her and that a bone marrow match would be found quickly.  Only 30 % of patients who need a bone marrow transplant have a matching donor in their families. The remaining 70 % must hope that a compatible stranger can be found using the national registry. Only 25 % of siblings will be a match.

The first miracle was that her 3 1/2 year old brother Christian was a 100% bone marrow match. In fact he had a very rich stem cell count which was a miracle and answer to our prayers and priesthood blessing. To us this was a profound blessing and Christian was diffidently part of Heavenly Father’s plan for Averi. This one miracle helped us be optimistic about her future.

Before the bone marrow transplant could be done; Averi had to go through high doses of chemotherapy. During the chemotherapy she had complications and was transferred into the Primary Intensive Care Unit where she was intubated and placed on a respirator. After the chemotherapy she received the bone marrow transplant. The first one failed and it was repeated again. All of this was a process over  many weeks. Over the next 5 1/2 months her condition in the PICU was critical. She was one of the sickest long term  babies that the PICU had ever had.  It was a long roller coaster ride for us all. One day she would be really bad and then the next day a little better. James at the time was attending his last year of pharmacy school and he needed to finish.  Amber’s mother Barbara and I traded places every two weeks. I would stay with Amber in the Ronald McDonald house for two weeks and then trade with her and go to Idaho to care for their other two children, Christian and Taylor Jo.  Four times during those months, we called James to come because her condition had worsened.  Averi continued to have complications such as congestive heart failure, kidney shutdown, which required kidney dialysis; lung problems which required a tracheotomy and placement on the oscillator, a high level respirator. She had at one time 17 different medications going through her IV’s. She eventually had an abdominal  feeding tube inserted. Prayer, fasting and priesthood blessings were given during the crisis moments and she would make slight improvements that would provide hope. We know that thousands of people prayed for her. Many were not of our faith; her name was added to their prayers and prayer circles.  Averi’s name was on countless prayer rolls in our temples.

After about two months in the PICU; we were told that Averi was blind. This was a complication that we knew could happen. Considering all she had gone through this seemed minor at the time. Then one day one of her physicians came and gave her a physical exam and determined that Averi had brain stem damage. She felt that we should stop the respirator and just let her go. I remember kneeling on a bathroom floor in prayer and crying out in agony. Averi had suffered so much was this His will? We all cried until we couldn’t cry anymore.  What was Heavenly Father’s will for her? We held another family fast and prayed fervently. James gave her a beautiful blessing and told Heavenly Father that if she were to die they were prepared to accept his will. This was such a poignant moment.  A short time later, James felt inspired to encourage the medical team to wean her off some of her medications. She had been heavily sedated while on the oscillator. As they did this she started to move all over and it was obvious that she did not have brain stem damage. She started to improve in every area and within a few weeks she was taken off the kidney dialysis and respirator.  Averi finally came home in June.

We found over the next several weeks that Averi could see light and the shadow of objects. At age 3 1/2 she started to play the piano by ear which has brought great joy to us all.  She is learning braille and how to live in a blind world. She is a very happy child and is learning so many things. She is amazing to us all. We are so blessed to have her doing so well.

Averi was so excited to be Baptized and Confirmed into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints this year.

In 2008, Averi’s story was a Mystery Diagnosis episode entitled, “The Baby That Wouldn’t Stop Crying”.

Through this ordeal we learned the following lessons:  We know that Heavenly Father hears and answers prayers and that priesthood blessings can heal. We know that guardian angels were by Averi’s side during this ordeal. The spirit brought comfort and peace to our souls during each crisis. We know that the Savior walked with us during this trial. We are so grateful for the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the knowledge that He can heal us. I can picture in my mind the day that Averi will walk forth into the arms of our Savior, Jesus Christ and He will heal her.  Averi will see.

The post Averi’s story ~ appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

I belong to the Relief Society organization of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. All women of the church become members of this organization when they turn 18 years of age. I have been part of this organization since 1963. Through the years I have learned how to be a better women, employee, manager, friend, wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, and especially daughter of God. I have grown in my testimony of my faith. The Relief Society is the largest women’s organization in the world and has evolved over the years  to meet  the needs of women throughout the church.  The focus of the Relief Society is to provide opportunities for service, to teach us, and to inspire us as sisters in the gospel to prepare for the blessings of Eternal Life. The Relief Society motto is “Charity Never Faileth”.  In 2008 “The Relief Society Declaration,” The Family: A Proclamation to the World was initiated. The  Relief Society Declaration is a powerful message to us all. Here is that declaration.

“We are beloved daughters of God, and our lives have meaning purpose, and direction. As a worldwide sisterhood, we are united in our devotion to Jesus Christ, our Savior and Exemplar. We are women of faith, virtue, vision, and clarity who:

Increase our testimonies of Jesus Christ through prayer and scripture study.

Seek spiritual strength by following the promptings of the Holy Ghost.

Dedicate ourselves to strengthening Marriages, families, and homes

Find nobility in motherhood and joy in womanhood.

Delight in service and good works.

Love life and learning.

Stand for truth and righteousness.

Sustain the priesthood as the authority of God on earth.

Rejoice in the blessings of the temple, understand our divine destiny, and strive for exaltation.

Just think about how wonderful it is to know that we are beloved spirit daughters of God.  Knowing that we once lived together as children of our Heavenly Father; this answers that age old question of “where did we come from”. In the Relief Society organization we are all sisters in the gospel. Part of our assignment in this great organization is to watch over one another as we go through our individual life experiences. I have been a Visiting Teacher for over 45 years. My mother was a Visiting Teacher in the Relief Society throughout her adult years. She provided for me a wonderful example of faithfulness in watching over the sisters she was assigned to visit. It is wonderful to have the support of our fellow sisters  in our efforts to live the Gospel of Jesus Christ and as we strive at all times to be women of faith.

In our Relief Society meetings each Sabbath day we learn from each other more about the Gospel of Jesus Christ as we listen to lessons and share our thoughts on the topics given.  In these meetings we study the scriptures and teachings of our prophets through the ages and also other timely subjects for our era. We are encouraged in our efforts to increase our testimonies of Jesus Christ through daily prayer and scripture study. I have found that when I have my prayers and scripture study each day that I have grown in my love for my Savior Jesus Christ. I have increased love for the scriptures and I have realized that the Scriptures are our  greatest manual for raising our families and finding answers to our daily questions.

I have had many experiences with the promptings of the Holy Ghost. I find that when I am obedient to the commandments and am striving to live a Christ like life; that I recognize the still small voice in my everyday life. I love this quote by President Boyd K. Packer in his conference report in the Ensign, Nov. 1994: “The Holy Ghost speaks with a voice that you feel more, than you hear….While we speak of ‘listening’to the whisperings of the Spirit, most often one describes a spiritual prompting by saying, ‘I had a feeling…'” “The voice of the spirit speaks gently, prompting you what to do or what to say, or it may caution or warn you.” I am so grateful for the Spirit of The Holy ghost.

A few of the goals of the Relief Society is to strengthen marriages, families, and homes. I have learned so much on how to be a better wife, mother and now grandmother. The following are two thoughts from the lessons “The Family Can Be Eternal;” and

” Family Responsibilities”.  President Harold B. Lee taught, “The most important of the Lord’s work you will ever do will be within the walls of your own homes. (Teachings of Presidents of the Church; Harold B. Lee 2000, 134). In the next lesson, President David O. McKay stated that motherhood is the noblest calling. (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: David O. McKay) Just pause for a moment and think about how wonderful it is to hold a new born baby, fresh from Heaven. Motherhood is a scared calling, a partnership with God. We have the calarion call to nurture our children. It is a noble cause. We are all mothers regardless of our status; this is a call for all women.

In the Relief Society we have countless opportunities to provide service to our ward sisters, community and  humanitarian causes. I have felt the sweet spirit of service in my life both as a giver and receiver. Charity Never Faileth is our motto and goal in all that we learn and do. Serving is part of our everyday life experiences. I have found great joy in serving.

We are to stand for truth and righteousness by being examples of our faith in all that we do. We are committed to follow the Savior and do as He would have as do.

We are to sustain the priesthood, counsel with our husband as equal partners and follow our Prophet.

I have the great privilege of working as an ordinance worker in the Jordan River Temple. I love serving in the temple and am so grateful to be able to do this work. There are so many rich blessings that come from temple attendance and work. The temple is a peaceful haven from the world and I have found that within those walls I have found answers to prayers and have been guided in all facets of my life. We all should strive to increase our temple service and strive for exaltation.

I am so grateful to be part of this great  organization and I stand by the Relief Society Declaration.

By LeAnn

The post Thoughts on “The Relief Society Declaration” ~ appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

One  heartfelt article was from a guest post, titled   “Adaptation and The Family Proclamation” by Jen Fuller as found on “We Talk of Christ, We Rejoice In Christ. Jen was in a car accident that left her with physical limitations and emotional distress. Here are a few of her thoughts on what she learned from her experience that relates to the following part of the Family Proclamation; “By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness….Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their cildren”. “It became clear during the early months of this recovery time, that I would have a lot of limitations now with my  physical activity- otherwise known as my life. When I now thought about who I was, I had no identifiers that I recognized. I not only had to figure out how I was going to get through life being a mom and wife, but I had to figure out who I was as a person…. I had to dig deep and see what there was left inside of me that was worth, something. She was concerned for her husband and thought; “This was not what he signed up for.This was not what I signed him up for.” Take a moment and read her inspiring post.

Next was a wonderful post titled “Deep Impact”  by J Roberts as found on her blog; “Welcome To Madness”. Here is a quote from this post: ” I had a wonderful set of parents that are a great example to me. I have a pretty extensive family, and married into another pretty decent size family. We all get along pretty well… What more could I learn? Since  I thought I should maybe know a bit more about the topic of The Family: A Proclamation To The World, I started to study it. Oh boy! Turns out that although I had read it a few times, and knew it was inspired doctrine, I didn’t really have a testimony of the truthfulness that it contains. I now know”.  Does that tell us all that perhaps we should study this enlightening proclamation?

I loved this guest post by Alex Boye’ titled “Good Music In The Home and The Proclamation In Our Hearts” which is found on the blog, “Redheaded Hostess”. This is a must read on the music of the world and the music of the spirit. Here is one thought by Alex: “A friend recently made a comment that has stuck with me. He said: “In my opinion, families will never be together forever if we try to think the way that the world thinks, and try to live the way the world lives”.  We do need to know what our children are listening to and watching.  I have a testimony of the fact that good music can bring the spirit into our homes and into our hearts.

A great read is “Warning Labels” by Darla on “Chocolate On My Cranium”. She states: “I’m finding there are warning labels on virtually everything”! Stop by this post and read her thoughts on prophetic warnings and how the proclamation can help us avoid these warnings.

It has been a wonderful two weeks of outstanding posts on “The Family: A Proclamation To The World”.  Stop by and read the wrap up messages by these four ladies: Jocelyn at “We Talk of Christ, We Rejoice in Christ”; Shannan at “Redheaded Hostess”;  Cocoa at “Chocolate On My Cranium”; and J. Roberts at “Welcome To Madness”.

By Le Ann

The post A Wrap Up Review of “Celebrate Family 2011” ~ appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

I have enjoyed reading several posts written by Mormon women bloggers on Celebrate Family 2011. I have been amazed at the diversity of ideas and thoughts on The Family: A Proclamation To The World.

There were some excellent posts on the subject of creating a family mission statement.

From: “One Family And One Mission” by Jo

 This family created a mission statement and then made a family plaque using the acronym of “Family:”

F aithfully trusting Heavenly Father’s Plan and staying true;

A ttitude of love, gratitude, respect and learning;

M aking a team effort, pitching in, and cooperating;

I nvolvement with each other, having fun, and celebrating;

L  iving a healthy lifestyle, maintaining order and cleanliness;

Y esterday…today…our family is forever.

From: “Our Family Mission Statement” ” on Savor The Moment by Annie

Here is a small portion from this post.

“We will live to be worthy to go to the temple and to serve missions.

We eat healthy things to keep our bodies strong.

We Choose The Right! (CTR)

The following are posts on some other timely subjects on Celebrating The Family

 From Jamie;  “Children Are A Blessing”

Jamie home schools her children and her post discussed the importance of teaching her children about the law of chastity. She stated the followin; “We really love the fact that our children can come to us, we can teach them and we don’t have to re-teach things that have been “learned ” in a setting that is less than holy…..Something that is this sacred is something I want to teach my children.The church has put out a guideline that we are following to teach children about the sacred holiness of their bodies as well (“Parents Guide” as found here ). I have loved reading the inspired words as I teach my children some of the truths.

On another important subject entitled:   “Morally Clean Before Marriage: Happiness after,”  by Josh Snyder.

This was an excellent post on being morally clean before marriage and never sharing physical intimacies with someone outside of marriage. He offered the following challenge; “Whether you are reading these posts with mild curiosity, or with a critical eye, or as a sincere seeker of knowledge for enhancing your own circumstances; I invite you to support and encourage happiness in family life by promoting virtue and moral cleanliness within the bounds of marriage. Let the effort start within your own heart and mind and then encourage it in the lives of those around you.”

You can find other guest posts and more links ups about the family celebration on the following blog sites:

We Talk Of Christ; We Rejoice In Christ

Chocolate On My Cranium

Welcome To The Madness

The Red Headed Hostess

The post Thoughts on Celebrate The Family 2011 appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

~by LeAnn

I received a testimony of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints when I was very young. My parents had been less active in the church for a number of years. My dear father was miraculously healed through a priesthood blessing. During this blessing he was shown a vision of his life and how he was living it. After this he changed his life and both my parents became active in the Church. When I was 7 years old my two brothers and  were sealed to my parents in the Manti Temple.  Later my father was called as a Stake Missionary. He would practice teaching the missionary lessons to my mother and me. This was the time that I gained a beginning testimony and love of the gospel.

I met my husband in high school and later he served a Mormon mission in Northern California and I attended Brigham Young University in their nursing program. My testimony of the gospel continued to grow, and my love for missionary work was increased by reading his experiences during our two years apart.

My husband was raised in a strong missionary-oriented family. His father worked under President Gordon B. Hinckley for 30 years in the Church’s missionary department. During that time he was called as a Stake Mission President and had some wonderful experiences. In the late 50’s he was called and set apart as the Presiding Elder of Nigeria by President David O. McKay. Due to visa problems he was unable to stay in the country; but while there he taught and baptized many Nigerians. He continued to correspond with the Nigerian people for several years. He was so thrilled when the Official Declaration on September 30, 1978 was received that all worthy men that were members of the Church could receive the priesthood.

Later he was called to be the President of the Baton Rouge Louisiana Mission for 3 years and then he and his wife served an 18-month mission in Nigeria and Ghana in the late 1980’s. They also served as Inner City Service Missionaries to the Vietnamese branch in their area when they came home from their Nigerian mission. We loved to have our children sit at the knees of his parents as they shared many inspiring missionary stories.

We often had missionaries over for dinner through the years and encouraged our children to serve missions. Four of our six children served 18 months to 2-year missions in the following areas Iowa, Washington DC, Costa Rica and Venezuela. This experience will be one of the greatest highlights of their lives.

During the years that our children served as missionaries, my husband served four Stake Missions in Las Vegas and Spokane Washington and was also a Stake Mission President in Spokane. I served two Stake Missions; one in Las Vegas, Nevada and one In Spokane, Washington.

At this time instead of Stake Missionaries they are now called to serve in LDS wards as ward missionaries.

While serving the mission in Las Vegas, Nevada we met and helped teach and fellowshipped a sister who was baptized into the church. Later on her daughter was one of my Laurels when I served as the ward Young Woman’s President. It was so wonderful to see how the gospel changed their lives.

Another sweet moment was when we had a Book of Mormon drive. We had our ward members obtain a Book of Mormon and put a picture of their selves and write their testimonies in the Book of Mormon. We sent a number of Book of Mormons into mission field areas. As a family we participated in this drive and it was such a great experience for our children to write their testimonies in a Book of Mormon.

While serving a Stake Mission in Spokane Washington, I was a partner with another sister in our ward. We would meet the missionaries at an investigator’s home and help with the lessons. We were instructed to bear our testimony of different aspects of the gospel. We also were able to do the new member lessons after their baptism. We were blessed to be able to teach all of the missionary lessons to a woman who didn’t want young men to teach her. She was baptized and this was such a special moment in both of our lives.

Later I served a Church Service Mission as the nurse for the Spokane Washington Mission. This was one of the best experiences of my life. I could write a book of my time with these young missionaries. At first I was so scared because I hadn’t practiced nursing for a number of years. I studied common illness and injuries. I can testify that more than once when I was on a call with a missionary who had a problem that I wasn’t sure what to say, the answer would come to me. I know beyond doubt that the Lord watches over his missionaries. At every zone conference we would sing the following hymn “Called To Serve,” I can’t sing that hymn without shedding tears. These young men and women dedicate their lives to the call of the Savior for 18 months to two years. To watch them mature in their testimonies and see the results of their hard work is an incredible experience.

My husband and I have recently been called as Inner City Project Missionaries. There are so many members and non members in the Salt Lake Valley who have great needs; there is so much poverty. The mission has so many resources that can assist these families. We have such a love for these humble brothers and sisters who are struggling to pay their rent, put food on their table and clothes on their backs. In the economic conditions of this time jobs are hard to find; but the Church helps so much in finding work for individuals in need. In the ward we are assigned there is one other service missionary couple. We are each assigned 3-6 families to work with and assist to become more self- reliant. We need more missionaries just in our ward. At this time there are 99 wards in the Salt Lake Valley with part-time senior missionary couples assigned. There is so much to be done and many more couples needed.

After this service we are hoping to serve at least two full time missions. To those members of the Church who are interested in serving missions, there are so many opportunities to serve. You can find answers to questions on serving a Mormon mission here. There are also uplifting messages on missionary service foundon the site.

The church will now help those who desire to serve as full time Senior Missionaries with financial assistance while they serve. Learn about full-time Senior Missionary service here and throughout the world. There are many opportunities to serve part-time as Senior Church Service Missionaries. There is a great work to be done.; and we need to all remember the words to the hymn“Put Your Shoulder To The Wheel” and accomplish as much as we can to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ across the world. In our desire to be a Zion Society with no poor among us, we need to search out our brothers and sisters who are poor and needy and help them to become more self-reliant. If you are a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I hope you will plan to serve a mission; there is a great deal of work to do to help those in need and to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ. There are also many Volunteer and Contribute opportunities right now in the community and from you own home. What Can we do? – Serve in Your Community – Donate Money – Welfare Mission with Humanitarian Assignments – Short Term Specialists

Watch videos about Mormon service mission opportunities.

LeAnn is a wife, mother to 6 children, 30 grandchildren and 1 great grandchild.  She is a lifelong member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She loved the occupation of nursing but most of all being a mother and grandmother.  She presently serves in the Jordan River Temple one day a week. She enjoys writing histories and pursuing her ancestors through genealogy research. She loves to enjoy the moments of her life. She blogs at Http://lgwilliams.blogspot.com/

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