Neil L. Andersen - Children

One day at the grocery store Shirlyn was in the checkout line with five of our little children when the lady in front of her looked at her and asked with haughty distain; “Haven’t you heard of Planned Parenthood?” Shirlyn paused and then responded; “Yes, and we are halfway through our plan.” 

There has not been a time since becoming parents that we have regretted our “plan.” We have know in special ways that each one is precious and has been allowed to be here as part of our family. One day after our fifth child was born, I had one of the dreams that is vivid and remembered. There was a small girl on a swing who told me her name was Patricia. Here she is. A few years later while she was still a small child and riding with us in the Suburban and sitting in the second row she said matter-of-factly; “I have a brother and his name is Timothy.” On her fourth birthday Timothy was born. After that, I’m sure Shirlyn would concur with Elder Andersen’s story, “. . . it’s no picnic!”

I am thankful that our decision to follow the commandment was made together with the prayers that brought concurrence from the heavens. I love Shirlyn for her willingness to be a mother and bear these spirits with their earthly bodies, even knowing the pain and sacrifice that would be required.

Now we are honored to have many grandchildren and this blessing continues. They are much easier to raise and the circle of love is more than just an expression. 

We relate to the story of the Masons who decided to trust faith and have their children in the face of the economic challenge of finishing Medical School. Ours is a different story but no less challenging and full of sacrifice.

We will be careful in our observations of couples who have different situations or challenges regarding children. 

Thank You Elder Andersen for doing such a service with your talk and helping our generations to understand their place with regard to bearing and raising children. 

David A. Bednar - The Hearts of the Children Shall Turn

This talk is different in many respects from others that I have summarized in the past. For example, the references for this talk are not at the bottom of the page, they are embedded in the text. That is important here as I’m sure if he were teaching this as a class of a smaller group and with more time, we would have read each reference as we listened. As a teacher, I would approach this talk to any family or group this way:

• I would ask that each member of the group have access to at least the first five generations of their family on a pedigree chart.
• Then, with that in hand with a parent or class leader, read this talk carefully and glean the actions you each should take, listing them on paper or a board for reference.
• Afterward, over the next years, make available time for reports on progress for you and your family to feel the Spirit of Elijah.

The words in the paragraph before his heading, The Spirit and Work of Elijah, can be documented by what has happened in the world. Almost 50 years ago, Elder Stewart and I were led by the Spirit to encounter the President of the Genealogical Society of Brasil, Salvador de Moya at his home. He was not a member of the Church but had been guided in his interest in gathering and making available records of Brasil. That is a longer story that I would be happy to share at some other time. 

Elder Bednar addressed the youth, young women, young men and children and asked them to get involved. Then he told you how to get involved; “The Lord has made available in our day remarkable resources that enable you to learn about and love this work that is sparked by the Spirit of Elijah. For example, FamilySearch is a collection of records, resources, and services easily accessible with personal computers and a variety of handheld devices, designed to help people discover and document their family history.” We all joke that when we have a problem with a computer or device to “go ask your son or daughter” for help.

These blessings are important to ponder and discuss:

• Your hearts shall turn to the fathers.
• The promises made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob will be implanted in your hearts.
• Your patriarchal blessing, with its declaration of lineage, will link you to these fathers and be more meaningful to you.
• Your love and gratitude for your ancestors will increase.
• Your testimony of and conversion to the Savior will become deep and abiding.
• And I promise you will be protected against the intensifying influence of the adversary.
• You will be safeguarded in your youth and throughout your lives.

What a wonderful program this talk sets out for our families. When Shirlyn and I return to the US we want to use some of our time in this great work. We have many names already but there are challenges on many lines and with all these new great tools we will be more effective.

1. How did your family respond to this talk?
2. Did a member of your family begin to feel the Spirit of Elijah mentioned here? 
3. Which one?

Dieter F. Uchtdorf - You Matter to Him

We all love Elder Uchtdorf even though we can’t seem to spell his name. As expected, there is a story related to pilots and airplanes. His objective in this presentation is to encourage us in whatever stage we are in our life to realize that while compared to the universe around us and our obvious nothingness, we are known and loved by the God who created us. What a blessing it is to hear that “The Lord uses a scale very different from the world’s to weigh the worth of a soul.” I suppose that each of us has periods of self-doubt and lack of confidence in our value and so we face this great “paradox.”

“This is a paradox of man: compared to God, man is nothing; yet we are everything to God. While against the backdrop of infinite creation we may appear to be nothing, we have a spark of eternal fire burning within our breast. We have the incomprehensible promise of exaltation—worlds without end—within our grasp. And it is God’s great desire to help us reach it.”

His story in the setting of pilot training and competition with applicants that spoke english better than he did show that when we stay the course and fulfill church assignments well as a priority, “Everything will be alright,” to quote my Grandfather Price. I agree that is the case. In the darkest hours of our lives, it always seemed that as we continued to do our best, things changed to show His care for our real intents.

Here are the four divine principles to consider as we ponder our life:

• First, God loves the humble and meek, for they are “greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
• Second, the Lord entrusts “the fulness of [His] gospel [to] be proclaimed by the weak and the simple unto the ends of the world.”
• Third, no matter where you live, no matter how humble your circumstances, how meager your employment, how limited your abilities, how ordinary your appearance, or how little your calling in the Church may appear to you, you are not invisible to your Heavenly Father.
• Fourth and finally, please understand that what you see and experience now is not what forever will be.

I love the promises. They are there in the Scriptures and in the spiritual revelations and understandings that come from prayer and an open heart. “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.” 

Some questions for our pondering:

• When you pray with real intent, do you wait for the confirming feeling of His love for you?
• When you don’t understand why a particular trial is in you path, can you patiently wait for the answer to become evident?
• Pride creeps in when we find success, but how should you deal with that feeling according to Elder Uchtdorf?