Some people who are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints share some of their thoughts in response to this question.

This video from Latter-day Saints in Canada includes several people’s thoughts, including youth and children.

What brings you peace? Missionaries in Australia share some of their thoughts and invite people to do the same.

“Before I decided to serve a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, I had faith, but it wasn’t very strong. My life was not as happy. I had happy moments, but didn’t have that lasting peace that faith in Jesus Christ brings. I remember the day that I decided I was going to start growing that faith.I was going through a rough time in my life, and wanted a change. I started by praying every day. It was difficult at first, remembering to pray in the morning, but I found that as I continued to pray my faith in my Savior, Jesus Christ, was strengthened. I then wanted more so I started reading the scriptures, both the Bible and the Book of Mormon….I am [a] different person than I was five years ago, and I would never go back to who I was. I know that it’s all because of my faith in Jesus Christ.” Sister C

Krista shares how a reminder about trusting in God when struggling when family members have made hurtful decisions has allowed her to show more love to her family, and brings her peace regardless of the choices others make. “Putting trust in God, that’s having faith….I’m so thankful to know about Jesus Christ, about God. I’m so thankful for my faith, because that’s what makes life beautiful.” [Krista’s thoughts start at about 2:30 in the video]

A family from Canada shares this: “The gospel [of Jesus Christ] has brought direction and guidance to our family during these difficult times. The song, “there is peace in Christ” is one that our children really enjoy singing. The gospel and our Savior have brought peace to our family. In our everyday, we often face little challenges and family prayer has helped us spiritually and brought peace into our home. We are especially grateful for the plan of salvation which allows all families to be together forever.”

Other young missionaries share experiences that have strengthened their faith here.

A family from Australia shares this: “When the world is full of discontent and strife. I am grateful for my little family, and our home where the cares of the world disappear and we can enjoy our times together. We find peace reading from the holy scriptures each day and and discussing our eternal natures. We especially love watching the Tv series, The Chosen together. The life of Jesus is brought to life with his teachings and miracles put into real life scenarios. One of the greatest teachings that gives us peace and hope for the future is knowing that we can live together eternally. The Son of God conquered death and offers eternal life to his true disciples. If I can teach my children anything I hope they can learn that they have a Father in heaven who they can rely on. And that by following the Lord Jesus Christ and his teachings they can find true joy in living this life and eternal life in the world to come.”

The post How has faith in Jesus Christ helped you? appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

We recently had some activity on a former post about what to do when a family member decides they don’t believe anymore (or feels like they never really did).

This interview, hosted by Hilary Weeks on her Live All In Live channel, includes reflections from a woman named Wendi who has been walking that path for going on a decade. She has some heartfelt insights for others who may be experiencing this in their lives.

Bonus: Hilary sings her song “His Promises.” We’ve also included the music video for that song below.

[We get nothing for sharing this. We’re just sharing it because we hope it could be helpful for some of our readers.]

The post When family members no longer share your faith appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

[This was accidentally left unpublished! Was scheduled for the 16th.]

Today, I’m sharing some of the songs that were shared in a virtual extended family Christmas “Songs and Stories” gathering on Sunday. My cousin had the idea and made it happen, and it was lovely. The songs and stories varied, including a favorite children’s book that a cousin and her husband both grew up with (Santa Mouse), another cousin singing “Silver Bells” to the ukelele, a family drum performance using glow drumsticks and utility buckets as the drums (that cousin is a music teacher), and so much more.

Because it was a private gathering, I can’t share the actual Zoom recording, but there are some videos out there of some of the songs that were shared, so here are a few of them.

This is an original mashup of three traditional Christmas songs, arranged by Stephanie Boyd: “Hark, the Herald Angels Sing,” “The First Noel,” and “Angels we have Heard on High.”

Stephanie has provided free sheet music for this arrangement, which is what my cousin and her family used. (My cousin’s daughter added violin to their version.)

“Where Shepherds Lately Knelt” is a favorite choral song I sang years ago with my ward (congregation) choir. I love how the flute complements the gentle message of the song.

“Gift of Love” is a favorite of my dad’s. I love the a’capella harmonies. My sisters and I sang this for my parents before they left the country for a three-year mission for our church, so it also holds a special place in my heart associated with that memory.

The post 12 Days of Christmas Music, Day 3: Songs from an extended family Zoom gathering appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

I’m sitting here after watching “Meet the Mormons” for the second time (was able to see a preview screening and then went with two of my children tonight — the show came out a day early where I live). I’ve got many thoughts swirling around in my head. What can I share about the experience I’ve had with this film?

Because, you know, I’m Mormon (a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints). So what else would I say on a Mormon website except that I liked the film?

Let me say this. Honestly, I went in a little skeptical, maybe even nervous. I wasn’t sure what to expect. A movie about Mormons on the big screen? Would I like it? What if I didn’t? (That’d be awkward, being a Mormon blogger and all.)

I loved it. (And I loved it even more the second time around.)

I am a fan of documentaries, so that may have something to do with it. The cinematography is breathtaking, especially in the scenes of Costa Rica and Nepal. The stories are real and diverse. They capture the fact that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is an international faith.

As I’ve read reviews, I have seen people echo what I have felt — that “I think the [stories and the] challenges were diverse enough that somebody could identify with just about any one of them.” (There are some other gems from that article from “famous Mormons” that resonated with me as well.)

But the main reason I loved the film is because of how it made me feel. My son said something similar: “Mom, I didn’t have any major spiritual experiences with the movie, but I just felt good through the whole thing. That was evidence enough to me that truth was being shared.”

What kind of truth? Even if you take out the “Mormon” element (which is more understated than I expected it to be), the film explores the importance of family and the joy in and need for service to others. It encourages not giving up in hard times, and living life wholeheartedly. For Mormons, these principles connect to our faith in Jesus Christ, but these are true principles that can inspire regardless of religious belief, or even if you don’t identify yourself as a person of faith. They connect to so much of what it means to be human.

I left this film the way I feel when I engage with inspiring narratives. I left wanting to be a better person. I left wanting to face my own challenges with more hope. I left wanting to hear more stories!

And yes, I left feeling more surely the reality that God knows and loves all of His children. Tonight, as I watched the film, I felt that in a personal way — that He knows me. I was reminded, again, that He really is intimately involved in our lives — even when we don’t know it, see it, or even believe it. The last story about Dawn, in particular, really hit that truth home to me.

There is a very real message that we all matter to God, and that we each have something to offer this world. The song at the end of the documentary (“Glorious,” sung by David Archuleta) also reiterates this reality. The song in context of the film was one of the things my daughter loved most. She’s usually one who shares a lot with me, but Mary-like, both times we watched the film, I could see that she just wanted to ponder what was left in her heart after experiencing it all. (In fact, the first time she asked me kindly but directly to stop asking her what she thought!)

I hope you will take the opportunity to experience the film if it is in an area near you. (If it isn’t, you can request it here.) In my opinion, the film is not pushy or preachy. It’s informative without being impersonal. I do think that most people will find something that resonates, in the stories and/or in the simple yet powerful principles that are reflected in the narratives.

Note: All proceeds of the film will be donated to the Red Cross.

The post Thoughts about the Meet the Mormons documentary appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

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Mormon LDS Apostle Dallin H. Oaks #ElderOaks

Last night, my husband’s family gathered in the evening so the men and young men in the family could attend priesthood session of General Conference together. The women (and young boys) of the family enjoyed our tradition of a dinner cooked by Favorite Aunt Chris. We often will do a movie, but this time Chris had provided an activity for us all. It’s an awesome tradition that we all love.

When “the boys” got home from priesthood session, they ate and we all enjoyed some dessert and then many of us gathered around the television to watch the excitement of the Final Four game between Kentucky and Wisconsin. It was fun to be able to enjoy both spiritual stuff and some fun stuff together.

Now as I’m decompressing from the awesomeness that is General Conference and family traditions around Conference, I took a look at the trends on Twitter. A few minutes ago, six of the top ten Twitter trends (one of which is a promoted hashtag) had something to do with General Conference. #FinalFour was up there, too.

#ldsconf
#ElderOaks
#priesthoodsession
#PresMonson
#FinalFour
President Monson
Priesthood

And now, #ElderOaks and #priesthoodsession are bookending #finalfour.

Twitter reflects the two things that made up our day memorable!

Kinda fun.

The post #ldsconf trending right up there with #finalfour appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

Yes, Pikus-Pace is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. (Read her Mormon.org profile here — obviously written before Sochi.) If you look at photos of her wearing her silver medal, you might also see her wearing the Young Women torch necklace (see our Facebook page) or the Young Women medallion. The torch is a reminder to stand and shine Christ’s light to others, and the medallion is a symbol of years of work of goal-setting and faith-building efforts through the Personal Progress program.

You’ve probably already heard her Skeleton story — from being at the top of the charts in the sport a decade ago (and, looking back, realizing that her sport came before family), to missing the Turin Olympics due to a freak (and serious) leg injury (a bobsled ran into her), to barely missing a podium spot in Vancouver, to retirement after Vancouver, to re-entering her sport after a devastating miscarriage (at 18 weeks) and prayerful, partnership-focused consideration.

The catch to her coming back to compete? Her family would travel together to everything.

How was this possible? Friends and family helped, and eventually she got a sponsorship, but the story that brought me to tears this week was about a couple who had a chance meeting with Noelle and decided to quietly hand her a card with a $30,000 check in it a week before they were set to start traveling.

Mormons talk about how important marriage and family are. It’s wonderful to see such a powerful, primetime-sports example of a family who lives that reality. Did you watch the video showing how she jumped into the stands to get to her family? And how she said, “Remember who you are and what you stand for!”? I love to see how Noelle and her husband works together (he even designed and built her sled: e.g., “For Pikus-Pace, the custom sled is a reminder of the couple’s enduring partnership. ‘It’s never been only me crossing finish line,’ she said. ‘It’s always been us.'”) I love seeing their determination to make this dream work, and only make it work if the family could do it together. Although their situation is definitely unusual, and the miracles that made this possible were significant, the principles of putting family (and faith) first are applicable to us all. (See this simple photo of Pikus-Pace attending LDS Sunday church meetings in Sochi.)

I’m reminded of a quote we read yesterday in Relief Society:

“Do you spend as much time making your family and home successful as you do in pursuing social and professional success? Are you devoting your best creative energy to the most important unit in society–the family?” (Joseph Fielding Smith)

p.s. Besides the smile and tears I experienced as I watched the last run online, hearing the commentator talk about how she started her run with eyes closed (the commentator assumes in prayer), and how it was her family that was everything as she did that last run, I cracked up to hear that she has 2 kilos of chocolate taped into her sled.

** Image from Noelle Pikus-Page Facebook fan page.

The post Noelle Pikus-Pace — Miracles, Medals, Marriage, and Motherhood (and chocolate!) appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

Begin a discussion about cell phones by:

• Asking your [children] what they already know about cell phone safety. Get a baseline for what they have knowledge of, what they hear about or see at school.
• [In age-appropriate ways], ask them what their feelings and opinions are about cyber-bullying, harassment to send provocative photos  [sexting is more common than we might want to think; be sure to be educated about the facts (including the fact that it can put your child in legal jeopardy to participate in sexting) and get educated about apps like Snapchat, especially if you have a teenager], and being contacted by people they don’t know. Let your child tell you what they do when they perceive something is dangerous or bad. Once you have a feel for where they stand, remind them how much you care about them and want to make sure that they are safe from any potential problems.
• Explain how you feel about cell phones and what your family wants to use them for (staying connected as a family, for use in emergencies, family support, and using technology to encourage dialogue, not replace it).
• Negotiate with your children what is an acceptable amount of time and money spent on mobile phones. Let your child know you will be monitoring your cell phone bill for acceptable use. The goal is to establish healthy media habits.
• Time spent on mobile phones, while useful and fun, is time not spent focusing on other important activities, such as studying, working, and improving mental and physical health.
• Discuss with them about the apps kids choose to download in order to help them learn to choose wisely. The apps should not violate your family’s personal media standards. Tell them you will be checking ratings for music, games, or app purchases.
• Let them know that you have investigated several programs that keep dangerous people from contacting teens on the phone, indecent websites from being accessed, and help filter any harmful material or websites. [And have conversations about how any information shared through technology needs to be assumed to not be private.] [Help your child understand that] there are people, even friends, who could try to do damage to their reputations [or who may inadvertently cause harm by sharing information when they shouldn’t]. Let them know that the reason you have decided to install different safety controls on their phone, or monitor periodically their cell phone usage is to continue fulfilling your obligation as their parent to keep them safe.

If you are an LDS parent, I would also add that one way to discourage unhealthy use of technology is to remind your children of why God has given us technology in the first place. All the other content in this post is more secular/non-denominational in nature but I firmly believe that when children are raised to consecrate some of their tech time to truly worthy causes, it can help keep the purpose of technology in perspective. See, for example, Elder Bednar’s warnings (video and full talk) and also his invitation to youth.

Here are a few videos that explore how to talk about cell phone use with children; how to draw boundaries about cell phone use; and parental controls that are available on the iPhone. There is also a video that can help parents know some tips for talking about hard things (like finding pornography on a cell phone or computer).

(Jeff Ford’s Five Cs are also very helpful…also found on the same YouTube channel or on our Pinterest page.)

The post Talking to kids about smart cell phone and technology use appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

~Michelle

There is a stack of dishes in the sink that I’m really tempted to do. The last few days, I’ve also been ready to grab the weed whacker and tackle the weeds in my front yard. I don’t like going to bed with dishes in my sink, and, well, when weeds start creeping close to my height, it’s hard not to want to whack them. (And it’s not like I don’t have a million other things that need to be done in my home, too.)

With apologies to my neighbors for the weeds, and recognition that my family may be bowl-less tomorrow for the morning rush, I’m practicing a little motto I’ve heard before.

“Give them dignity to fail.”

We recently started a new job rotation, and I admit the timing wasn’t great. Except maybe it was. The beginning of school (which it is where I live) can be a great time to start anew with an attempt at some rhythm. We had a particularly lazy, late-night summer (and we LOVED it), but it’s time to be back in the saddle. (Or so it appears. Truth be told, I wasn’t quite ready for school to start.)

I felt like it was time to fold more responsibility into our schedule for the kiddos. (With my chronic health struggles, I’ve not been so good at either my part of this or of managing their part. But I’m trying to step it up a little on both ends. We’ll see how it goes.) During the summer, the kids each had some daily stuff they had to do, and they kept track of their progress. But it was fairly easy given the lazy, long days.

We changed things up and added some daily chores for the school year. Now rather than different chores every couple of days, they were given the charge to come up with some sort of arrangement that required at least a week on their respective assignments, so that they would have opportunity to follow through.

Part of this attempt, though, means I’ve got to let go of the desire to control how things go. While I am still giving them little reminders to help as they get into the cadence of their decided-upon routines, there are jobs that are not getting done each day. That means a full garbage can and full sink sometimes when I go to bed.

But I figure there is some value in them learning that mom won’t always be around to do what needs to be done, and there is value in ME not hovering over them too much. And there is obviously value in the idea of family work.

I try to do this with homework and laundry, too. I’m there to help, but I make it a point not to run around like a crazy woman to facilitate last-minute stuff they have procrastinated. As much as possible, I try to let them pick up the slack (do their own laundry if they have a last-minute or pressing need that they haven’t communicated) so they can learn to take some responsibility.

I’m far from a perfect mom (!!), but in terms of the motto, at least, I’m feeling pretty good about the dirty dishes and the weeds tonight.

As a youth adviser, I am thinking about how we might allow youth to follow through and learn by experience a little more at church, too. I think of a leader who urged us to let the young people try and fail in our classes and groups — so they can have safe places to learn these kinds of lessons. That has stuck with me.

I think the following questions could be good to ask ourselves:

– When I give a lesson, am I trying to make it a good lesson, to make it about me and what I did to make it good, or am I giving them opportunities to invite, share, act, follow through, report, and make mistakes? ( e.g., Do I allow silence in the class or am I anxious to fill it?)
– When we plan activities, are we doing all the planning and the execution, or are we letting the youth leaders help and take some roles in the process? When things don’t work out, do we criticize and shame, or do we encourage and say, “That’s ok. We are here to learn by experience?”
– On the flip side, do we miss opportunities to mentor and work alongside our children and the youth in our stewardship? (I know I have sometimes failed with this, looking at chores as relief for me, rather than taking Sister Beck’s words to heart: “Working beside children in homemaking tasks creates opportunities to teach and model qualities children should emulate” (from “Mothers Who Know” with emphasis added. I also am far from having a house of order that she describes, so please don’t get the wrong idea. I’m such a work in progress. Still, I like to discuss principles that I think can be powerful for us as moms and leaders in the church.)

I think this model of working beside youth can work in the Church as well. We don’t just throw responsibilities over the wall; we work by and mentor and guide and counsel with the youth in our groups).

I’d be interested in others’ thoughts on this. How can we balance the nurturing roles we have while also letting our children and those in our stewardships learn by experience how to prioritize and balance their responsibilities? What has worked for you at home or at church to mentor our future leaders? How have you failed along the way and what have those experiences taught you?

The post Giving youth the dignity to follow through (and to fail) appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

There have been some great posts on motherhood published in the past few days, including a couple of unofficial transcripts from talks on motherhood given at the most recent BYU Women’s Conference. (It’s fun when Women’s Conference speakers are also bloggers and are willing and able to share their talks!)

We weren’t able to get all of the great Mother’s Day talks gathered and posted before Mother’s Day, so you get to enjoy more posts about motherhood over the next few days.

Here are the two #byuwc talks, the first by Cheryl Savage and the second by Catherine Arveseth.

In Which I Spoke to Women about Womanhood and Motherhood

Come Sighing and Singing – BYU Women’s Conference

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