That statement draws a lot of attention. Some parents are afraid of their teenagers, while others enjoy the time their children are in their teens. It takes courageous parents to guide their teenage children through the pitfalls and bumps in their early life. Teenagers are hanging on the eve of adulthood and it’s their last-ditch effort to fulfill what they consider being “themselves.” Many have passions about what they do and it shows in their actions. Others pass through quietly and contribute thoughtfully. One thing is for sure: there is a lot more activity with a house full of teenage children than with a house full of two-year-olds. Reflection and words of wisdom can help parents understand their teenage children so life runs smoother and safer, especially those families with Christian ethics. Here are a few ideas!

Parents Can Lay the Foundation

Children between the ages of 13 and 19 keep homes very invigorated (and keep their parents young!) since during adolescence, great changes take place in body and mind. Parents should pay particular attention to what their teens do instead of turning a deaf ear to their activity. Granted, a two-year old will try to please his parents, and for the most part, they go along with clothing choices, foods to eat, and bedtime rules. But a teen causes parents to think through religious beliefs, moral judgments, and why we should eat nutritious food for lunch instead of potato chips and soda pop.

Teens who are grounded in righteous endeavors typically will be more successful in this difficult world. Words of wisdom could never be truer from the late Elder David B. Haight, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve, in a talk he gave in 1979. He said:

“Though the world is becoming more wicked, the youth of Christ’s church can become more righteous if they understand who they are, understand the blessings available, and understand the promises God has made to those who are righteous, who believe, who endure. All of our youth are entitled to and need this knowledge to combat the forces of deception that would lead them captive into darkness.”

Teens might think their parents are too strict with high morals, but adolescent children know where they stand and that their parents care enough to enforce sensible values.

Teens Need Attention, Too

Some might consider teenagers very immature, but there is a fine line between immaturity and just being fun. A common characteristic of teenagers is the fact that many times, the whole world revolves around them and any negative situations they experience will go down in the history books as the worst occurrence of their lives (even if they were the cause of it). Yes, they are the “drama queens and kings” of life, but their perspective is an interesting one. Granted, some of our teens have had to endure some pretty awful experiences that did go down in the history books as the worst ever — for example, the Columbine High School shootings — but for the most part, teens overreact in their quest for adulthood.

Parents need compassion and fairness in dealing with the lives of their teens as well as attention to the details of their lives. They are not done with parenting a child after 13. This is where the courage to be a good parent comes in handy, as we are entrusted to train our children to put their best foot forward. From another Latter-day Saint Church leader, President David O. McKay, “What must the Lord think, then, of parents who, through their own negligence or willful desire to indulge their selfishness, fail properly to rear their children, and thereby prove untrue to the greatest trust that has been given to human beings?” The teenage years can be some of the most difficult for a child and parents can be a great source of strength during those demanding times.

Don’t Let Age Fool You

To read more of Valerie’s articles, click here.

Even though adolescents are old enough to take care of their physical needs, they are not always old enough to take care of their emotional needs. Ideally, parents should be home when their teens are home. Be there before school and after if possible. (Many parents, of course, need to work to provide for their children; if it is not possible to be home with them as often as you’d like, make sure to carve out special time to be with each child individually.) That gray area of life between childhood and adulthood takes a good listening ear and the foresight of a prophet.

Recent studies have shown that depression and suicidality is increasing in adolescents. During the teenage years, there are such feelings of inadequacy and awkwardness that sometimes it’s hard to know how to handle life. Additionally, there are often many external difficulties like parents divorcing, separation of family, or a death of a loved one. It’s no wonder teens have a hard time coping! From another Church leader, President Ezra Taft Benson, we learn, “The family is the most effective place to instill lasting values in its members. Where family life is strong and based on principles and practices of the gospel of Jesus Christ, these problems do not as readily appear.”

Teens in their own right could be a great influence for doing good or a bad influence for getting into a lot of trouble. With the help of parents, Church leaders, teachers, and friends, the life of a teen can be a positive experience for everyone involved. As everyone should know, teenagers are fun.

This article was originally posted on MormonFamily.net in 2011. Changes have been made for consistency and clarity. 

Valerie Steimle

Valerie Steimle has been writing as a family advocate for over 25 years. As a convert to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, she promotes Christian living in her writings and is the mother of nine children and grandmother to twelve. Mrs. Steimle authored six books and is a contributing writer to several online websites. To her, time is the most precious commodity we have and knows we should spend it wisely.
To read more of Valerie’s work, visit her at her website, The Blessings of Family Life.

I wasn’t sure what to think but sat and watched. It was unbelievably sad. The suffering that this incident caused the Russian people was so incredibly heartbreaking. This nuclear plant was used as a source of electricity to the area but after the explosion, thousands of people died (not fully reported in the news) from the radiation poisoning. What was even worse for me was knowing that my father’s side of the family still lived close by in Belorus and were infected as well. You can read about it here, but I would not recommend watching the mini-series, as it was too graphic.

One silver lining that came out of this disaster was an interesting insight by Mikhail Gorbachev (Soviet Union’s last General Secretary): “Chernobyl’s explosion was a turning point that opened the possibility of much greater freedom of expression to the point that the system as we knew it could no longer continue.” This was the beginning of the downfall of Communism and the Berlin Wall. It took such a terrible disaster to wake up this regime of government (it was eventually disbanded three years later in 1989), but what a price to pay for this awakening.

Our present situation has acted in many ways as the same kind of explosion. We all have been thrown into such a crisis, and the silver lining has been incredibly eye-opening in many areas of our life.

We might ask ourselves these questions: Are we spiritually ready for difficult times? Are we as prepared as possible in our physical health for a crisis? Are we emotionally and mentally ready for catastrophe? I love what Elder M. Russell Ballard has said on this topic:

“We should not need a hurricane or other crisis to remind us of what matters most. The gospel and the Lord’s plan of happiness and salvation should remind us. What matters most is what lasts longest, and our families are for eternity” (Russell M. Ballard, “What Matters Most is What Lasts the Longest,” October 2005).

To read more of Valerie’s articles, click here.

What price are we paying to learn some hard lessons? Personally, the time we have spent at home on our own has been a time of reflection. We are studying our scriptures to really learn the lessons. We appreciate the Sacrament on Sunday and the strong spirit in our home. Projects that we put away to do another day actually got done. We talk more as we put puzzle after puzzle together. We work on family history (and have done so much that we have enough to do for a year, attending every month when the temple opens). We appreciate peace and our health. We learn to share what we have (like toilet paper) when others are in need. So many lessons learned during this difficult time of illness and now civil unrest.

We pray for many things to go back to the way they were before, but are concerned that the world will never return to that. Any family gathering, celebration, or group activity may never be the same, but we can have faith in God. We have a living prophet who encourages us to keep positive. We focus on what we can do instead of what we can’t do, and try to help others do the same. We savor our time with our family and friends. We learn of the good in others. There are many silver linings in a crisis. We just have to open our eyes and ears and listen to what God tells us in our hearts.

Valerie Steimle

Valerie Steimle has been writing as a family advocate for over 25 years. As a convert to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, she promotes Christian living in her writings and is the mother of nine children and grandmother to twelve. Mrs. Steimle authored six books and is a contributing writer to several online websites. To her, time is the most precious commodity we have and knows we should spend it wisely.
To read more of Valerie’s work, visit her at her website, The Blessings of Family Life.

Our at-home sacrament preparations

It has been quite an adjustment for those who are accustomed to attending meetings every Sunday. One of those adjustments has been taking the sacrament at home.

Our normal schedule for sacrament meeting is an hour long and starts off with a welcome by a church leader at the pulpit, followed by an opening hymn, opening prayer, then a sacrament hymn and the blessing of the sacrament. This consists of a blessing for the broken bread that the youth boys 16 and older do while we are singing the sacrament hymn. This bread then gets passed around on trays by youth boys 12 to 18 for everyone to take a piece. If there are no youth, the men do it. Then there is the blessing of the water in little cups on trays. These also get passed around by the youth boys.

We then have two or three prepared sermons (we call them “talks”) by volunteers from the congregation, a closing song and closing prayer, and then we are done. It’s always uplifting and refills my spirit. Usually once a month, we have a choir number in between the talks; other Sundays we have what is called a “rest hymn” or “intermediate hymn,” which allows us to rest our thoughts while we sing a hymn.

Having a sacrament meeting at home is quite different. Only members of the priesthood can bless the sacrament, so if there are widows, single sisters, or others who do not have a member of the priesthood in their home, some men from the congregation will visit their home to administer the sacrament to them.

My husband can bless the bread and water in our home, so we have been doing so each Sunday. To prepare for this, I brought out one of my good china plates from my grandmother to hold the bread and I use two of my punch bowl cups for the water. I found a white cloth napkin to cover them both and I typed the sacrament prayers on a card so it was easier to read. Whoever blesses the sacrament is required to read the prayer because there is too much of a chance of not getting the words correct if memorized. These prayers are two of the four written prayers we have, and it must be done exactly. (The others are the baptism by immersion and sealings in the temple.)

What I have found surprising as I’ve taken the sacrament from home is that I really missed the time we normally would have to ponder while the bread and water are passed. In our ward (congregation), there is at least a 7- to 10-minute quiet time after each blessing while the sacrament is passed (other than a few babies making noise). I had used that time to think about how I can improve my life, how grateful I am for the Atonement of Jesus Christ, or just regular meditation on spiritual things. But we didn’t have that at home. The bread was broken, blessed, and we ate. The water was blessed and we drank. So I asked my husband if we could have time to ponder in between the blessing of the bread and water.

We did this last Sunday and it worked. That spiritual lift was there. That feeling of renewal and heavenly comfort was felt. It was exactly what I needed. Taking the sacrament is very important for us as members. It’s the real reason we go to church at all. The talks are inspiring and Sunday School is helpful in learning scripture and scriptural principles, but the real reason over millions of members go for that first hour of church is to renew our covenants with the Lord and pray for forgiveness of our sins. 

To read more of Valerie’s articles, click here.

We take the Sacrament to renew the covenants we made at baptism. We take the sacrament that we “….may eat in remembrance of the body of thy Son and witness unto thee, O God the Eternal Father, that they are willing to take upon them the name of thy Son and always remember Him and keep his commandments which He has given them…” Then the water prayer says “…that they may do it in remembrance of the blood of thy son…”

After a spiritual discussion between my husband and me, followed by a closing prayer, the plate and card with the prayers are left on our coffee table in the living room throughout the week. Every time I pass through, this small item reminds me of my covenants and what I must do to remember Him. Be a little kinder, help someone in need, remember the good in others — there are many ways.

We won’t be home for church forever, but this small yet important act of taking the sacrament, renewing our covenants, and pondering for a quiet moment helps the rest of the week go well. If it doesn’t go well, it gives me the strength to go on. And that makes all the difference.

Valerie Steimle

Valerie Steimle has been writing as a family advocate for over 25 years. As a convert to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, she promotes Christian living in her writings and is the mother of nine children and grandmother to twelve. Mrs. Steimle authored six books and is a contributing writer to several online websites. To her, time is the most precious commodity we have and knows we should spend it wisely.
To read more of Valerie’s work, visit her at her website, The Blessings of Family Life.

Critics comment on how reading a book about sinful exploits really doesn’t have any great effect on adults if they know the difference between right and wrong, but that is not true. The written word has such an effect on all of us — much more than we realize. So much of an effect that Edward Bulwer-Lytton, who wrote those words, knew how men and women can change minds. There are great examples of evil from things like communism as found in The Communist Manifesto to examples of goodness like the Constitution of the United States.

As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, our words of good come from our four scripture books, plus numerous inspiring words from our Church magazines as well as our prophets and apostles.

All of this was going through my mind when the calamity of the coronavirus appeared to be heating up this week. All church meetings canceled until further notice, live ordinances only at the temple, NCAA canceled March Madness, MLB and NHL postpone their seasons, Broadway goes dark and Disneyland and Disney World are closing. It sounds like the end of the world, but it’s not. We can have the faith to press forward through whatever happens around the world. It takes even the tiniest bit of faith, and we can find great comfort in reading the words from two different passages. From the Book of Mormon we read Ether 12 and from the New Testament we read Hebrews 11. When reading these passages, it’s like listening to the bearing of a great testimony during our monthly testimony meeting.

From Ether 12:3-15:

3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.

 

4 By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.

 

5 By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.

 

6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

 

7 By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.

 

8 By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.

 

9 By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise:

 

10 For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

 

11 Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised.

 

12 Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable.

 

13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

 

14 Behold, it was the faith of Nephi and Lehi that wrought the change upon the Lamanites, that they were baptized with fire and with the Holy Ghost.

 

15 Behold, it was the faith of Ammon and his brethren which wrought so great a miracle among the Lamanites.

From Hebrews 11:16-22:

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16 Yea, and even all they who wrought miracles wrought them by faith, even those who were before Christ and also those who were after.

 

17 And it was by faith that the three disciples obtained a promise that they should not taste of death; and they obtained not the promise until after their faith.

 

18 And neither at any time hath any wrought miracles until after their faith; wherefore they first believed in the Son of God.

 

19 And there were many whose faith was so exceedingly strong, even before Christ came, who could not be kept from within the veil, but truly saw with their eyes the things which they had beheld with an eye of faith, and they were glad.

 

20 And behold, we have seen in this record that one of these was the brother of Jared; for so great was his faith in God, that when God put forth his finger he could not hide it from the sight of the brother of Jared, because of his word which he had spoken unto him, which word he had obtained by faith.

 

21 And after the brother of Jared had beheld the finger of the Lord, because of the promise which the brother of Jared had obtained by faith, the Lord could not withhold anything from his sight; wherefore he showed him all things, for he could no longer be kept without the veil.

 

22 And it is by faith that my fathers have obtained the promise that these things should come unto their brethren through the Gentiles; therefore the Lord hath commanded me, yea, even Jesus Christ.

These words can give us great comfort and hope through whatever is happening right in front of our faces. Our church leaders love us and want the best for us throughout this difficult time. Just keep reading those words, which keep us going and help us to endure to the end. They are much more powerful than the sword.

Valerie Steimle

Valerie Steimle has been writing as a family advocate for over 25 years. As a convert to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, she promotes Christian living in her writings and is the mother of nine children and grandmother to twelve. Mrs. Steimle authored six books and is a contributing writer to several online websites. To her, time is the most precious commodity we have and knows we should spend it wisely.
To read more of Valerie’s work, visit her at her website, The Blessings of Family Life.

I tried to concentrate on the speakers, but the dog was just too distracting, so I watched how this sister held the dog in her lap and held on to the leash very tightly. At least the dog didn’t bark. That would have been interesting. “Amen”—bark. 

Anyway, this dog was actually a really sweet dog and reminded me of the saying “a wolf in sheep’s clothing”—only he was a sheep in wolf’s clothing. He was totally harmless.

There is a lesson in this: I started to think about how we all prejudge others. Prejudice for most of us probably isn’t a dog in church, but maybe someone’s comments in Sunday School or someone’s screaming child at the grocery store.

We shouldn’t be “judging a book by its cover,” as all people are loved by our Father in Heaven. 

It’s all in our perspective. That reminds me of the story President Thomas S. Monson told in the general women’s session of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints back in October of 2010. His talk was  called “Charity Never Faileth” about a woman and her perspective.

“A young couple, Lisa and John, moved into a new neighborhood. One morning while they were eating breakfast, Lisa looked out the window and watched her next-door neighbor hanging out her wash.

 

“That laundry’s not clean!” Lisa exclaimed. “Our neighbor doesn’t know how to get clothes clean!”

 

John looked on but remained silent.

 

Every time her neighbor would hang her wash to dry, Lisa would make the same comments.

 

A few weeks later Lisa was surprised to glance out her window and see a nice, clean wash hanging in her neighbor’s yard. She said to her husband, “Look, John—she’s finally learned how to wash correctly! I wonder how she did it.”

 

John replied, “Well, dear, I have the answer for you. You’ll be interested to know that I got up early this morning and washed our windows!”

We see through the eyes of our own perspective until there is a shift (as there was in Lisa’s understanding). We can be very self-centered sometimes in our own little world until we change our perspective with gratitude and recognize that the whole world doesn’t revolve around ourselves. It is humbling when we get outside our comfort zone and see how the rest of the world lives. 

To read more of Valerie’s articles, click here.

Just like the young men and women who leave their homes to serve church missions are humbled when they see how the people of the area they serve live in such poverty and are happy where they are. 

A missionary serving in my old ward in Alabama years ago spoke in church one day and told the story of how he lived in Tonga as a child and youth, and was so happy. He ran around barefoot and was never in want of anything. Then his family moved to Los Angeles when he was a teenager and he became very unhappy. He saw the possessions the others had and wanted them. The whole congregation was touched by his message. It’s all in our perspective.

I for one need a gentle reminder to be a little more kind to the mother in the grocery store with the screaming child, or the guy making an unusual remark in Sunday School. Everyone has a different perspective. The best perspective is the one from above.

Valerie Steimle

Valerie Steimle has been writing as a family advocate for over 25 years. As a convert to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, she promotes Christian living in her writings and is the mother of nine children and grandmother to twelve. Mrs. Steimle authored six books and is a contributing writer to several online websites. To her, time is the most precious commodity we have and knows we should spend it wisely.
To read more of Valerie’s work, visit her at her website, The Blessings of Family Life.

The time of General Conference has arrived! You can find on BYU-TV, some local channels, and on ChurchofJesusChrist.org. It is always held the first weekend in April and the first weekend in October, and we are treated with four two-hour sessions over two days; additionally, in April, their is a fifth meeting specifically for the men of the Church, and in October, a fifth meeting for the women. Speakers prepare their inspiring words weeks in advance, as there are no specific topics assigned.

How many times have I sat and listened to the words of these inspired men and women with a troubled heart in the hope of finding some peace when these messages of love spoke to my soul and gave me the motivation to be faithful? How many times have I heard compassion and tenderness in examples of Christlike love for others—even if those others do not return the same affection? There are many messages of easing our burdens and keeping sacred covenants.

Messages of kind and loving encouragement gave me the peace I needed as a parent to teach my children correct principals, always attend church meetings, and continue reading my scriptures. This renewed strength keeps me going until the next general conference comes around. It is spiritual nourishment at its best, and the quiet whisperings of the Spirit of the Lord come through loud and clear as we listen to each session.

It was at General Conference where President Gordon B. Hinckley announced the building of smaller temples all over the world, which resulted in a total of 144 temples in operation today. It was during General Conference that “The Family: A Proclamation to the World” was read as well as the Relief Society Declaration, The Living Christ: The Testimony of the Apostles. It was where, more recently, the change of age for the youth to serve missions was announced.

In times past, there have been votes for added sacred words as scripture to our Doctrine and Covenants. We are updated on membership numbers, the count of congregations, and what temples are to be constructed.

Modern revelation through our church leaders is a great blessing, as we can use these resources to keep our faith strong. As Joseph Fielding Smith said in the General Conference of April 1972:

“All of our Church conferences are occasions to teach one another the doctrines of the gospel; to testify of the truth and divinity of those things which have come to us by the opening of the heavens; and to counsel together, and with the Lord, as to the things we should all do to fill the full measure of our creation.”

So this weekend, you shall find me planted in front of the TV, watching and listening for those inspiring words which give me peace — a peace in these troubling times which is soothing to my soul.

This article was originally published in 2015. Minor changes have been made.

Valerie Steimle

Valerie Steimle has been writing as a family advocate for over 25 years. As a convert to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, she promotes Christian living in her writings and is the mother of nine children and grandmother to twelve. Mrs. Steimle authored six books and is a contributing writer to several online websites. To her, time is the most precious commodity we have and knows we should spend it wisely.
To read more of Valerie’s work, visit her at her website, The Blessings of Family Life.

We see great examples of how we can keep our liberty from slipping away from those I call “liberty keepers” in the Book of Mormon.

Example One: Captain Moroni

Captain Moroni hoisting the title of liberty

Captain Moroni rallied his fellow true believers in Christ to defend themselves against Amalickiah, who wanted to be king instead of keeping the judgeship. Captain Moroni wrote the title of liberty to help them remember. Unbeknownst to those Christians, Amalickiah was a cunning speaker and was leading them away from liberty to their demise. I love this:

“And now it came to pass that when Moroni, who was the chief commander of the armies of the Nephites, had heard of these dissensions, he was angry with Amalickiah.

 

And it came to pass that he rent his coat; and he took a piece thereof and wrote upon it—In memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children—and he fastened it upon the end of a pole.

 

And he fastened on his head-plate, and his breastplate, and his shields, and girded on his armor about his loins; and he took the pole, which had on the end thereof his rent coat, (and he called it the title of liberty) and he bowed himself to the earth, and he prayed mightily unto his God for the blessings of liberty to rest upon his brethren, so long as there should a band of Christians remain to possess the land—

 

. . . And it came to pass also, that he caused the title of liberty to be hoisted upon every tower which was in all the land, which was possessed by the Nephites; and thus Moroni planted the standard of liberty among the Nephites.

 

 And they began to have peace again in the land; and thus they did maintain peace in the land until nearly the end of the nineteenth year of the reign of the judges.”

(Alma 46: 11-13, 36-37, emphasis added)

What a great example for the people living in those times. We each need to be a Captain Moroni: keepers of liberty rallying our fellow Christians to the cause of freedom.

Mormon, abridging the scriptural plates left in his possession, so admired Captain Moroni that he named his own son after him. He wrote this:

“Yea, verily, verily I say unto you, if all men had been and were and ever would be like unto Moroni, behold, the very powers of hell would have been shaken forever; yea, the devil would never have power over the hearts of the children of men.” (Alma 48:17)

That is just amazing.

Example Two: Helaman and the Two Thousand Stripling Warriors

Helaman, who was the leader of two thousand young men in the army of the Nephites, told Moroni in a letter how these “sons,” as he affectionally called them, fought with miraculous power against the Lamanites who were trying to take away their liberty. None of them was killed.

“Now they never had fought, yet they did not fear death; and they did think more upon the liberty of their fathers than they did upon their lives; yea, they had been taught by their mothers, that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them.

 

And they rehearsed unto me the words of their mothers, saying: We do not doubt our mothers knew it.” (Alma 56:47-48)

Every mother wants to hear those words! “I did not doubt; my mother knew it.”  A great example of Liberty Keepers.

There are modern Liberty Keepers who have given us great words of encouragement to help us remember our purpose as citizens of the United States. From Joseph Smith to Gordon B. Hinckley, their words ring true to all of us.

To read more of Valerie’s articles, click here.

There is much work for us to do. It may feel overwhelming at times, but we can do it. We were born at this time to help with the gathering of Israel. We were born with the responsibility to keep a watch on what our government is doing. We need to make sure we keep our liberty, so Israel can be gathered. Self-government without scrutiny fails us!

We are so blessed to live in a free land. We need to be watchful and support the cause of liberty like Captain Moroni and those two thousand stripling warriors did back in their time.

Our future depends on it.

Valerie Steimle

Valerie Steimle has been writing as a family advocate for over 25 years. As a convert to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, she promotes Christian living in her writings and is the mother of nine children and grandmother to twelve. Mrs. Steimle authored six books and is a contributing writer to several online websites. To her, time is the most precious commodity we have and knows we should spend it wisely.
To read more of Valerie’s work, visit her at her website, The Blessings of Family Life.

American Flag

Let’s face it: we are complacent. We are complacent about our freedoms and our liberty. Andrew Biggs, a Church member and member of the Arizona Fifth District House of Representatives, said:

“We live in a time when our own fellows would vote us into bondage.”

Our freedoms are under attack: freedom of religion, freedom of association, freedom of speech, and many others. Most importantly, we must realize that our freedom is required for the development, continuation, and success of the gospel of Jesus Christ as we know it.

But I get it. As baby boomers, we have lived with freedom for so many years that we don’t know what it’s like any other way. Most of us living in the United States have never experienced a dictatorship or any other form of government. But it’s like the “frog in the boiling pot of water” idea. Frogs don’t pay attention when they are put into a pot of cold water and the heat is turned up slowly, but they do pay attention when they are thrown into a pot of boiling water—and that’s where our freedoms are going if we don’t pay attention.

Someone once said these words:

“The Constitution is not a document for the government to restrain the people: it is an instrument for the people to restrain the government.”

After all if you think about it, the war in heaven was about having our freedoms (agency) versus a dictatorship (Lucifer’s plan).

So, this is how it goes: we get our rights from God. It says so in the Declaration of Independence (with added emphasis):

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.”

To read more of Valerie’s articles, click here.

In order for us to keep those rights as written, we need to keep a watchful eye on what our government is doing for us and then speak up to support our rights. Many members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have difficulty following through in our support for liberty. Maybe it’s the fact that it takes years to really understand our purpose in all of this, or maybe it’s our fear of being mocked that keeps us quiet. Whatever the reason, we cannot wait too long to speak up, otherwise it will be too late. We must be watchful in government.

We are blessed to live in this country where we can find our own employment, worship our own God, and raise our own families however we choose. The fight is continuing, and it will be a long time before it’s over.

Just remember what James Madison wrote in the Federalist Papers:

“The accumulation of all powers, legislative, executive, and judiciary, in the same hands, whether of one, a few, or many, and whether hereditary, self-appointed, or elective, may justly be pronounced the very definition of tyranny.”

The blessings of liberty are precious and worth saving. Stay tuned for what is to come in the future.

Valerie Steimle

Valerie Steimle has been writing as a family advocate for over 25 years. As a convert to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, she promotes Christian living in her writings and is the mother of nine children and grandmother to twelve. Mrs. Steimle authored six books and is a contributing writer to several online websites. To her, time is the most precious commodity we have and knows we should spend it wisely.
To read more of Valerie’s work, visit her at her website, The Blessings of Family Life.

ASU Library via ASULibraries twitter

My husband came up with the idea of visiting the library on a nearby university campus (ASU) so off we went to find it. Long story short, we made our way to the history section of the library and I was dumbfounded by how many books there were on the Holocaust, World War II, and Eastern European Jews, where both sets of my grandparents came from in the early 1900s.

We stayed and read for over two and a half hours and I found the historical backgrounds for two different small towns that I had known of where my grandparents lived. It was incredible. When I first found out that we mistakenly drove to the festival on the wrong weekend, I was mad at myself for not checking the dates better, but after our time in the library, I realized that the Lord had led us there.

We would have never thought to go to that library to find family history information, but because we had paid for all-day parking and wanted to stay, we were led to the library and found a goldmine of information about where my family lived in Europe. Researching my family line has always been very difficult since I’m a second generation American of Jewish descent and most records are in a different language, if there are any at all. From what I am told, many records of the Jews were destroyed, which leaves me hanging.

I had been praying for the last few months to find more of my family records and this was a great start. Blessings come to us at the most unexpected times.

Think of all those times when you thought you messed up and it turned out to be a blessing, or a time when you went the wrong way but ended up somewhere unexpected where you were better off. Maybe this was being held up by traffic or stopping to help a friend. There are unexpected blessings that come at the most random times.

How have we seen Heavenly Father’s blessings come in unexpected ways? We see blessings not only for ourselves but for others.

President Thomas S. Monson spoke of this in the October 2012 General Conference when he said, “The opportunity to be a blessing in the life of another often comes unexpectedly.” Here is his story, which is such a great example of unexpected blessings:

“On one extremely cold Saturday night during the winter of 1983–84, Sister Monson and I drove several miles to the mountain valley of Midway, Utah, where we have a home. The temperature that night was minus 24 degrees Fahrenheit (–31°C), and we wanted to make certain all was well at our home there. We checked and found that it was fine, so we left to return to Salt Lake City. We barely made it the few miles to the highway before our car stopped working. We were completely stranded. I have seldom, if ever, been as cold as we were that night.

 

Reluctantly we began walking toward the nearest town, the cars whizzing past us. Finally, one car stopped, and a young man offered to help. We eventually found that the diesel fuel in our gas tank had thickened because of the cold, making it impossible for us to drive the car. This kind young man drove us back to our Midway home. I attempted to reimburse him for his services, but he graciously declined. He indicated that he was a Boy Scout and wanted to do a good turn. I identified myself to him, and he expressed his appreciation for the privilege to be of help. Assuming that he was about missionary age, I asked him if he had plans to serve a mission. He indicated he was not certain just what he wanted to do.

 

To read more of Valerie’s articles, click here.

On the following Monday morning, I wrote a letter to this young man and thanked him for his kindness. In the letter I encouraged him to serve a full-time mission. I enclosed a copy of one of my books and underscored the chapters on missionary service.

 

About a week later the young man’s mother telephoned and advised that her son was an outstanding young man but that because of certain influences in his life, his long-held desire to serve a mission had diminished. She indicated she and his father had fasted and prayed that his heart would be changed. They had placed his name on the prayer roll of the Provo Utah Temple. They hoped that somehow, in some way, his heart would be touched for good and he would return to his desire to fill a mission and to serve the Lord faithfully. The mother wanted me to know that she looked upon the events of that cold evening as an answer to their prayers in his behalf. I said, “I agree with you.”

 

After several months and more communication with this young man, Sister Monson and I were overjoyed to attend his missionary farewell prior to his departure for the Canada Vancouver Mission” (Thomas S. Monson, “Consider the Blessings,” October 2012).

What great blessings await us unexpectedly when we live covenant lives which bless us as well as others. Heavenly Father loves us. He wants us to be happy. Why wouldn’t He bless us for trying to live a good life and help others? These blessings are gifts that often come at the most unexpected times.

Valerie Steimle

Valerie Steimle has been writing as a family advocate for over 25 years. As a convert to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, she promotes Christian living in her writings and is the mother of nine children and grandmother to twelve. Mrs. Steimle authored six books and is a contributing writer to several online websites. To her, time is the most precious commodity we have and knows we should spend it wisely.
To read more of Valerie’s work, visit her at her website, The Blessings of Family Life.

A photo of the author, Valerie, sitting in the first row between her husband and a fellow ward member.

On February 10th, 2019, the 94-year-old president and prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, President Russell M. Nelson, stood and spoke to a near-full State Farm Insurance football stadium in Glendale, Arizona. This stadium held 68,000 people (with 9,000 chairs set up on the stadium’s floor reserved for all the youth). It was the largest gathering of LDS members in Phoenix history.

What a great Sunday. Our stake held a stake conference session that morning and then we all went home to prepare for our Sunday night devotional. We needed to be in our seats by 5:30 p.m. since the devotional started at 6:00 p.m.

There was such an excitement over the whole city. Thousands of cars made their way to the very large parking lot early for the gate opening at 4 p.m. All members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who wanted to attend were given a ticket that assigned them to a certain section from their own local church leaders. Those who couldn’t go to the stadium for whatever reason were able to go to their local chapel to listen from a satellite broadcast, so basically there were over 400,000 members watching and listening.

The day before, as part of his visit to Phoenix, President Nelson wrote an opinion piece for the Arizona Republic Phoenix newspaper which told of his travels to Paradise, California right after the death of his beloved daughter. President Nelson set a great example for us as he was able to comfort the people of Paradise where the terrible fire affected the lives of many of its residents.

My husband and I found our seats and waited for the devotional to start. President Dallin Oaks with his wife, Kristen, and President Russell Nelson with his wife, Wendy, were seated and ready to go. The choir sang, the congregation sang, and we then heard great, inspiring messages.

President Nelson taught us about the promises made to Abraham from God which we as the decedents of Abraham will be blessed with. In fact, all the nations of the earth will be blessed through Abraham’s seed. These divine promises are open to all of us.

We were admonished to help gather Israel from both sides of the veil. In other words, we help those on Earth to understand the gospel of Jesus Christ and we also find our ancestors who passed on and add them to our family tree. We then take their names to the temple.

We should pray every day about what we can do to gather Israel to prepare the world for the Second Coming of the Savior.

To read more of Valerie’s articles, click here.

One phrase that kept catching my attention was, “Keep on the covenant path.”  We open ourselves up to losing our way if we don’t stay on the covenant path. So what is the covenant path? Those who are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints participate in ordinances where we covenant or promise to follow the Savior in our life. Ordinances such as baptism remind us to do what Jesus would do. Just like at baptism, we can remember to take upon us the name of Jesus Christ each week when we take the sacrament.

What did I learn from President Nelson that day?

1. With great faith in our Savior, we can feel His comforting arms around us enough to comfort others in their difficulties.

2. We are all blessed through the seed of Abraham.

3. We need to pray every day so we can know how to help gather Israel to prepare for the Savior’s Second Coming, and then follow through on the impressions we receive.

What a great Spirit we felt when we saw and heard the prophet of the Lord. I can’t wait until our next general conference in April to hear more!

Valerie Steimle

Valerie Steimle has been writing as a family advocate for over 25 years. As a convert to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, she promotes Christian living in her writings and is the mother of nine children and grandmother to twelve. Mrs. Steimle authored six books and is a contributing writer to several online websites. To her, time is the most precious commodity we have and knows we should spend it wisely.
To read more of Valerie’s work, visit her at her website, The Blessings of Family Life.