Sunday Points of Conference

Well, another great spiritual feeding. I love how everything relates to my life, it's like they are talking to just me. But as always I receive messages that really hit home. Here are a few;

Elder Dallin H. Oaks spoke about our life goals being in alignment with God plan of happiness for us. If we don't have that we may end up serving other God's. It's so easy justify our choices in life when they are in correlation with the world but when we need to make those changes to be in alignment with God's we find it a hard thing to do. I like how he said we need to have courage to stand for truth and that we should not be moral cowards.

Elder Richard G. Scott talked about recognizing the Atonement of Jesus Christ in our lives. He used the example of the stripling warriors. I loved the way he told their story. It touched my heart and made me want to work harder to be sure my children could be more like them.

I think there were 3 times I heard the usage of "voice of warning" which one was from the talk by Quentin L. Cook. He spoke a lot about the bondage's we may be a part of today, things that take away our moral agency like addictions, excessive social media, political beliefs, etc.

Elder Neil L. Andersen really hit home, since I am a single mom. I am grateful to know that I know my place and the power I have as a mother in the home. And by living my covenants I will have the priesthood power to do what I need to within my home for my family. I am grateful for wonderful home teachers and leadership in my ward who help to give my family the priesthood that we need. And I am grateful for 2 sons and a son-in-law who hold both the Aaronic and Melchizedek Priesthoods by honoring it and blessing our lives with it.

There are so many more good ones that reached my heart like Elder Russell M. Nelsons talk about our the miracle of our bodies and how we will have to answer for how we use them. He spoke about self mastery which just happens to be something that I have been praying for lately. How do they know?!

I also love the inspiring words of our Prophet Thomas S. Monson, what a wonderful example he is to all of us. How can anyone not love this man? My youngest son made a comment about how he needs to become more like him. He said he wanted to be able to look back at his life periodically and know that he is doing a lot of good.

I'm sad its over but I have a lot to ponder and perfect in my life. These are things that I believe will make me a more righteous daughter of God. I hope you were able to find things to help your spiritual growth. If you think you might have missed something don't forget that the Ensign will be out next month, that will be a good time to review and start making those changes in your life for good.

Man, I can't until next Spring. :)

Spirit of Contention

3 Nephi 11:29 - "For verily, verily I say unto you, he that hath the spirit of contention is not of me, but is of the devil, who is the father of contention, and he stirreth up the hearts of men to contend with anger, one with another."

I can be pretty stubborn when I want to be but that is the key, I have to want to be, or...I find that when I dwell on an issue for a while I can get a little upset real easy. But I have been working on that weakness for a little while now, however, I think I still need to work on this.

Recently, we got a new Bishop, who I like a lot. He is a very good man and comes from an awesome family. But recently I found we had a difference of opinion in something concerning my son. Over the past two years I have been a volunteer at the Family History Library on the same nights my son has his youth meeting. Our routine has been that he would wait for me to pick him up when I was done but our new Bishop didn't like that he would be staying alone at the church so he took him home that night.

At first it bothered me then I let it fester until I was angry. I allowed myself to get caught up in the spirit of contention. It began to bother me so much that I couldn't sleep well that night. I had to pray for help to shake the feelings of anger. I didn't like the way I felt, nevertheless I wanted to be right about this.

The next morning I had calmed down and could see the error of my ways. I realized that he knew I was a single mom trying to serve the Lord through family history so he was probably doing something nice for me by taking my son home. I appreciate his kindness and had to ask for forgiveness for my thoughts and actions.

We can ruin relationships with people when  we allow things to fester inside of us. When we feel anger towards another person we are allowing Satan to influence our emotions even more. Righteous women have to work hard to avoid anger because we cannot be an example of our Savior Jesus Christ if we cause others to feel anger towards us. Self control of our angers and frustrations is a good tool to avoid Satan's promptings.

I have prayed for self control for certain things in my life, this certainly needs to be one of those things. The spirit of contention has ruined many people's lives. But we have a good example in Jesus Christ and we, as righteous women, should all be striving to follow in His footsteps. We can't love our brother if we feel the spirit of contention in our lives.

Barilla Pasta Company Stand

I just heard that the President of the Barilla Pasta company has made a stand for traditional family values by choosing not to feature gay couples in his commercials. There are many who are upset and calling for a boycott of the Barilla products. Why?

He has a right to his opinion. if he chooses not to do this it doesn't mean he hates gay people. It just means he has his beliefs and wants to stand strong in what he believes. There is nothing wrong with that. Why is it that you are good in the eyes of people when you stand up for things that don't match the teaching of the Bible but you are bad when you stand up for the good things in the Bible, like a man and woman only marriage? Looks like the scriptures are right, the day will come when bad things look good and good things look bad (Isaiah 5:20).

I am on his side. I don't approve of gay marriage and I will stand up for what I believe in but it doesn't mean I hate those who choose a different life style. I have a beautiful niece, who I absolutely love with all my heart, but she has chosen the gay lifestyle. Do I hate her or love her any less than the rest of my family, NO!!! I love her. My best friend in high school is gay but I don't hate her either. She is such a good person and a good example to me.

I actually think lesbians are strong women who know a lot about themselves. I have learned a lot from them about womanhood. But I don't think their choices are consistent with God's so I will stand for God at all times and all places.

The President of the Barilla Pasta company has the right to say what he wants and if there are those who want to boycott his products then I say to those who stand with Mr. Barilla we need to focus and buy his product to show support. Those who stand with him can also show support by blogging or commenting on facebook and twitter, or any other social media, that they stand behind him. He needs to know that we are on his side and support what he wants to do within his company.

Good luck, Mr Barilla, you have my support and I will let everyone know it!!! I will also let everyone know that I love my sweet niece, Alysha and my good friend, Barbara.  

California wants what?!!!

So...Friday I was listening to the radio and heard only a small portion of something that almost made me go ballistic...I had to ask myself, if what I heard was true. So I started researching on the Internet. I still can't believe it but it seems California thinks that their children need to be able to use whatever bathroom they like or play sports on whatever team they like.

Ok, let me say this again, California is trying to pass a bill that allows children K-12 to use which ever bathroom they want according to what ever gender they feel they are. And if they want to play on a school sports team as a gender opposite of what their body parts tell them they are they will be allowed to play on the team of their choice.

Gender law

What is wrong with this picture; what problems do you see happening if this is passed; whats wrong with these people?!!! Has this world gone crazy? Do you think this won't happen anywhere else? Because it will or things will get even more wilder than that. How do we stand up against things like that? It's just wrong.

This is a very good time to stand up for truth and righteousness. It's time to stand up for God's plan and not man's. I have a good friend, since childhood, who is gay and she thinks things like this are extreme. She knows who she is and lives her life the way she wants but is bothered by others who take things to extremes like this.

I heard once that California sets a trend for the rest of the country so we have to watch what they do or get away with, so that we can avoid things like this from happening in our states. This is just plain wrong. I do not want to worry about our children having to deal with the selfishness of people who want to prove points. This is not a win for gays, its a win for selfish.

There are better battles to fight for than to put children in uncomfortable situations, perhaps even dangerous. I don't hate people who are gay. I am learning to love all people for who they are but I don't have to love what they do. I feel the same way about people who make choices to live together out of wedlock as I do for those who are gay. And, for sure, I am not perfect, I have situations in my life that others may not like. We all see life differently. But we have to pick our battles and this issue is one I can't ever agree with.

I don't know what I can do about this but I'm not stopping here. I feel like this is one where we have to protect the children. One small step at a time and we will see this becoming something even bigger and out of our control. I would love to hear some suggestions about how we can help protect the children or just stand up for what we know is not God's ways. I would love to help fight against this one. It's time to choose God's ways or Satan's way. I choose God's!

Happy Easter, Standing for Him

This weekend I saw a sign for an Easter Extravaganza which was to take place on Easter Sunday, put on by a local church. First of all, it amazed me that a church would have a celebration of Easter as the "world" see's it on the Sabbath Day, on Easter Sunday, no less. Second, it amazed me that a church would promote a "worldly" tradition for Easter.

I don't mean to be judgmental but I have to wonder where their loyalty lies, man or God. I guess I can understand that sometimes getting the attention of people is to create an activity that attracts them, like an Easter egg hunt, and the Easter Bunny; then, hope that they will return to your church when they finally do decide to search for God in their lives. It's sad to think that this is the only way that people will go to church activities.

How do we show people why we truly go to church, and that its not a bad thing? I remember when I was young(er) that people came to church on Christmas and Easter no matter what they believed. It was just something they did, go to church as a family on special occasions. But today, its more like we stay home with family no matter what we believe on special occasions. When did that change?

I think it changed when people went to sleep and stopped standing up for what is right and true. I think it was easier for people to just give in to those who spoke loudest than to fight for what was right. You could believe what you want as long as you kept it to yourself but they could say whatever they wanted; we see a lot of that in the political world today. It probably started with religion.

My dear Sisters, and any brothers reading this, we have to speak up for our Savior. He came here for a purpose and we cannot fail Him in our responsibilities to that purpose. We have to stand up as righteous women and speak for the truth and light that we so need in today's world. We cannot straddle the fence any longer, we have to stand up and fight for the things that take us away from our Savior. It falls on our shoulder to lead in this area.

But first we have to make those changes in our own lives. We have to know what is truth and light in our own lives in order to be the example and speak for it. Studying, not just reading, the scriptures is a good place to learn. Attending our church meetings, and listening to the words of our prophets will also help us. We have that opportunity next weekend by watching General Conference. I so look forward to being spiritually fed then. And attending the temple is a great place to learn about that Light.

Sisters, the time of the second coming is so near, we have to make that stand today and share what we know with others the best we can. We have to be prepared ourselves and be willing to help as many others along that same path. It is our responsibility to do this and what better day to make that commitment than on Easter Sunday, the day we remember what our Savior Jesus Christ has done for us. Let us all make that stand for truth and righteousness from this day forth and do His will along that path. May God bless you as you make this stand as righteous women.

Family Day

My how our young grow fast. I use to tell my youngest, who is now 17 years old, that he was growing too fast. I told him that the others took longer to get to his age than he is. He just smiled and gave me a hug. I always told him to come sit on my lap before he gets too big, He always did and remembers that as he sits next to me now and gives me a hug. I try to encourage him to come sit on my lap now but all I get is the hug with a smile. They grow up too fast.

There are so many things we need to teach them before they grow up but the funny thing is the more I learn the more I have to teach them, its like I can never keep up. But I do know its a continuous process. The only thing is, they don't listen as well when they get older so you have to give them as much time now to teach them what they need to know about life and choices.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints encourages it members to have a night called Family Home Evening. This usually happens on a Monday night, once a week, and consists of a lesson, game or movie, and a treat. It can be a night out together maybe doing a service or taking a walk, or just a night of making good memories together.

I think about how fast they grow and how little time we have to teach them so it is important that we take advantage of teaching them important principles in life, having a family night can help in this matter. You don't have to be LDS to do this. And it doesn't have to be on Monday nights but it should be a weekly activity or as often as you can. There are several helps online for lesson plans and ideas for family night.

I was not a member of this church when I was real young but I remember my mom having nights that we would take turns listening to each others music and teaching each other to dance to it. It was lots of fun and good memories of sharing time together. She created a family night without even knowing about Family Home Evening.

Families are eternal and having good times together is important to our eternal relationship. I wasn't always good at having family night regularly but when I did I could see a change in the family relationships in our home. There was less arguing and more laughter which made me smile. I knew that in our house we will always have that eternal happiness now and later. Life is not always perfect but little things like family night and family prayer can make a big difference.

Hateful Feelings after the Election

Hello,

Well, half of us are disappointed in the outcome of the elections and the other half is walking on the clouds, or with their heads in them. But the election is over and we have to move on and prepare for what is coming next. I see so many negative comments even after the election is over, even more so on the side that won, why is that?

The problem, as I see it, is that we are so bombarded with tons of negative ads against all the politicians that it makes it hard to get behind the ones we did not vote for, that won. How do we support the President of the United States when we have been taught this past year to hate what he does and stands for? How do we return to being a strong nation again?

I will say that I did not vote for President Obama, because I don't like his policies. I truly believe he is leading us down the wrong path.  He might think he has good intentions but he's doing it wrong. Now, I have the problem of trying to stand united with my nation because all the negative ads has told me that he is doing it wrong. It is so easy to get caught up in these races and negative feelings.

I had to find a way to get through these negative feelings, and the fears that I feel about this administration, but not let my guard down, and get on with my life, if I can. I am probably not the only person who feels this way. How can we do this?

I think we have to turn our hearts to God and not worry so much. We have to turn our thoughts to the scriptures and have faith that God has everything under control. The good wins in the end, we are promised that; we just have to endure to the end. But we need to stand strong and united as a nation. We can see the evidence in the comments above; United We Stand, Divided We Fall. I think after the elections we are falling.

It doesn't mean that bad things won't happen but it does mean we have to continue to stand up for the right things. When Jesus comes again and his government is established we will see the truth. He is coming and we just have to continue to stand up for his Kingdom and get as many people prepared for it as possible.

If we read the life of Jesus Christ in the New Testament we will see our hearts soften and hopefully our eyes will be open to the things surrounding us. We have to make those who are elected accountable for their actions. Our President and others promised certain things in order to win votes well then lets hold them to it. I believe that is the one thing we can do at this time.

We should be electing people with good moral values who know God and his ways. Our Founding Fathers were not perfect men but they did have moral values and made good decisions because of that. We still need those kind of people in our government today. It shouldn't be about political parties but should be about good moral standing and righteous judgements. It's hard to see the good people when there are so many negative ads blocking our views.  Prayer is helpful in unblocking the view.

Its time to move on now and not continue these silly games of who's side won, as far as I can see, it was a tie because both had half the nation behind them. Lets think about our Savior and put our efforts behind him and doing good in this wonderful nation we live in. God gave it to us so lets work together to stand strong against the evils that want to destroy the good that we have been blessed with. I pray for our Saviors speedy return so we can live together in peace His way.

Lack of Responsibility Today

Hello,

I don't know about you but I have noticed a lot of disrespect and lack of responsibility in many people today. Let me give you a for instance of something that happened to me this past week.

I was on my way home from work and was sitting at a light where there was about 3-4 cars in front of me. A car behind me wanted to get in the turn lane because there was only one car waiting to turn left at the time. I was sitting at the spot where the turn lane formed so this car went around me but he was a little too close and his side mirror hit my side mirror knocking it backwards, thank goodness someone was smart enough to create a flexible mirror or he would have broken it. But the point is he didn't stop to see if he did any damage to my car, he just kept going in the turn lane. I found myself fuming a little because he wasn't getting out to see if everything was ok, or anything. Where was the responsibility in this? Was this considered hit and run?

So when the light changed his lane didn't move which gave me an opportunity to say something. So I rolled down my window and he did the same, he had a huge smile on his face. I told him, "I just want to let you know that my mirror is fine, but it would have been nice if you had stopped to say I'm so sorry, is everything ok?" Of course he had an excuse for everything and I had several cars behind me honking their horn (rude), but I felt better letting him know how I felt about his lack of responsibility.

There was no excuse for him not stopping and making sure all was well. But it made me think about how people seem to be more and more irresponsible today with the day to day events; when did this change? I remember as a kid being taught responsibility when  I did damage to any one's belongings. My parents were very strict with teaching us manners and responsibility of ones self. I knew as I became a parent that it was something I would teach my children.

Just a few years ago my youngest son and his friend was playing with a paint ball gun in his friends back yard, which was next door to our house. It went off by accident and hit the metal shed in the yard next to his house. They went running, and my son came home. After a few minutes of hiding he came to me and told me what had happened. So we discussed it and went to the old mans house and told him what had happened. We asked how my son could fix the damage but the old man was kind enough to let it pass, however, he did reprimand my son but also praised him for being honest.

I went to the father of my sons friend and explained what we did thinking he might do the same since it was actually his neighbor, but no, he did nothing about it; I was amazed. How does he teach his children to become responsible? I guess he doesn't.

I just can't stand it when people do this. We, as righteous women need to teach our young to be responsible for their actions. This helps to mold them into good citizens and kind people. It helps them to be ready to answer to the Lord for all they have done in this life.

 Can you imagine the excuses on Judgement Day? I might like to be around to hear some of those, how do you hide the truth from God? You don't, you take responsibility and make it right, "...as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."

Parenting God's Way

Good Day!!!

In the past two weeks on the Sabbath Day I have felt so wonderful. I was spiritually fed those days and found much joy in doing the work of the Lord. I am so glad the Sabbath Day was made for mankind to focus on what's important, and that is...our spiritual growth. I do love the Sabbath Day. I just wanted to share that with you.

I have a slight problem when it comes to parenting... I like things done my way. You know that we as parents can see things our kids can't because we have experienced more in life. We know things, and how the world works. But how did we get there? We got there through trial and error. We gained experience by trying it ourselves then learning from the experience. SO, why can't I seem to let go by letting my children experience life and make mistakes?

I have a child who I believe is making unwise decisions at this time and I am struggling to let them make their own mistakes. The decisions they are making are not life or death decisions but, they are about being happy or miserable for the rest of their lives. So...as a righteous woman I went to God for the answers.

The scriptures showed me how our Heavenly Father parents us. He tells us that we can make our own decisions but there are consequences for any decision we make. He makes it clear what those consequences are. So he leaves it up to us to decide the direction we will go. But, the real cool thing is if we make the wrong choice, we are still not alone in the consequences. He is there for us and he will help us get up on our feet again. He will still love us not matter what we do. He wants to help us get back on the road to success and happiness. I am so grateful for that knowledge.

So, I took His advice and told my child that they should be allowed to make their own decisions. But I made it very clear what the consequences would be if they made the wrong choice in this issue, never-the-less, I would be there to help them and would still love them. I felt at peace with that conversation. But, I also made it clear that I was Mom and I probably would still check up on them!!! (I'm a slow learner).

I love my children, as I know our Heavenly Father loves us. I am so glad He created families so we can better understand the relationship we should have with Him. I pray for wisdom all the time because I want to be like Him. I want what's best for my family and I want them to know that I want them to feel true happiness.

Well, I want to close my blog today with a thought I sent to my child recently in a text (because my child was out of town for a couple of weeks). I saw them being idle with their time and I wanted to make it clear that they can do whatever they wanted with their time but here was the consequences.

"Look at your day, what can you say you have accomplished, sometimes there are small accomplishments and sometimes there are big ones, but can you say that you have had a successful day? If you can't then you have wasted your day, and can never get it back, so live today as if there were no more days to live, find happiness in your day...I love you."

I did not get a negative response back but I got a "thank you, Mom". I felt good because they knew I loved them and would still always be there to lead them on a good path.

I read a statement recently by a man named George Albert Smith who said,

“I would not seek to force people to live up to my ideals but rather love them into doing the thing that is right." I felt like this was the way our Father in Heaven would have us do it.

I will love my children into making the best decisions for their lives, and accept their decisions are part of them growing into the person they were meant to become. I will trust in God, as long as I do it His way I know it will all be for good.

Guest Post: Rantin' & Ravin'

Hi!

My name is is Tammy and I write on Rantin' & Ravin'.

I was so excited to hear from J-lyn here on To Stand As Righteous Women. When she asked if I would do a guest post, I jumped on the chance.

She basically gave me a free reign as long as it was inspiring for her readers and encouraged you all in righteousness. So, I gave it a little thought and took it to prayer. Isn't that what we should do in all things?

I read over her previous posts here and here and decided to write about the constitution.

The United States Constitution is an inspired document. This document serves as a model for other nations and is currently the oldest Constitution still used today.

I know that the Lord inspired people such as Columbus, the Pilgrims and the puritans to search for a place where they could have religious freedom. I know that the Founding Fathers were led by the Father to write the words of the Constitution. The Constitution was laid out to allow for the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

I am a history major and I have had many professors teach me that the Founding Fathers were not Christians.

How can this be?

The Declaration of Independence affirmed the Founding Fathers’ belief and trust in God in these words: “We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.”

At the conclusion of the Declaration of Independence, they wrote, “And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.” This Declaration was a promise that would demand terrible sacrifice on the part of its signers. Five of the signers were captured as traitors and tortured before they died. Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned. Two lost their sons in the Revolutionary War; another had two sons captured. Nine died from wounds or from the hardships of the war.

Would you be willing to die for something that you truly didn't believe in, for Someone you truly didn't believe in?

The delegates at the Constitutional Convention were the recipients of heavenly inspiration. James Madison (my favorite!!), often referred to as the father of the Constitution, wrote: “It is impossible for the man of pious reflection not to perceive in it a finger of that Almighty hand which has been so frequently and signally extended to our relief in the critical stages of the revolution” (The Federalist, no. 37, ed. Henry Cabot Lodge, New York: G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1983, p. 222).

Alexander Hamilton, famous as the originator of The Federalist papers and author of fifty-one of the essays, said: “For my own part, I sincerely esteem it a system, which without the finger of God, never could have been suggested and agreed upon by such a diversity of interest” (Essays on the Constitution of the United States, ed. Paul L. Ford, 1892, pp. 251–52).

Charles Pinckney, a very active participant and author of the Pinckney Plan during the Convention, said: “When the great work was done and published, I was struck with amazement. Nothing less than the superintending Hand of Providence, that so miraculously carried us through the war … could have brought it about so complete, upon the whole” (Essays on the Constitution, p. 412).

Don't let anyone ever tell you that they were not Christians!

In a talk given by Ezra Taft Benson titled, Our Divine Constitution, he says, 

"How then can we best befriend the Constitution in this critical hour and secure the blessings of liberty and ensure the protection and guidance of our Father in Heaven?

First and foremost, we must be righteous.

 

John Adams said, “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” (The Works of John Adams, ed. C. F. Adams, Boston: Little, Brown Co., 1851, 4:31). If the Constitution is to have continuance, this American nation, and especially the Latter-day Saints, must be virtuous.

Second, we must learn the principles of the Constitution in the tradition of the Founding Fathers.

 

Have we read The Federalist papers? Are we reading the Constitution and pondering it? Are we aware of its principles? Are we abiding by these principles and teaching them to others? Could we defend the Constitution? Can we recognize when a law is constitutionally unsound? Do we know what the prophets have said about the Constitution and the threats to it?

As Jefferson said, “If a nation expects to be ignorant and free … it expects what never was and never will be” (Letter to Colonel Charles Yancey, 6 Jan. 1816).

Third, we must become involved in civic affairs to see that we are properly represented.

Note the qualities that the Lord demands of those who are to represent us. They must be good, wise, and honest.

Fourth, we must make our influence felt by our vote, our letters, our teaching, and our advice.

  

We must become accurately informed and then let others know how we feel."

Have you ever head the expression, "The Constitution is hanging on by a thread"? 

That thread is your vote. 

It's important we make our voices heard.

Mark your calendars, November 6th!

Duty to Country

I am not really a political person. I know about politics and I am up on current events but I  really get frustrated with politicians and politics. Who can we trust? I think most politicians are untrustworthy. I sometimes wish that there were laws against career politicians, you know, like the President of the United States position. He can only serve twice but those in Congress can be there as long as we keep voting them in, and some have been there way too long.

But the reason I am blogging about politics today is due to the upcoming elections. Righteous women have the responsibility to vote for those we believe will serve the people for good. My blog today is about registering to vote so that we can make sure we put people in office who understand that they are serving the people and not themselves. We need to put people in that are God fearing people. I am not registered with any party because I don't believe in parties. I believe we should be voting for who has the people and this country in their best interest.

I'm not saying who you should vote for, that's a personal choice according to your beliefs. But I am saying that you should be voting. Many women in the 1800 and early 1900's worked hard for that right so we should not throw that away. It is a blessing to be able to vote for the leaders and lawmakers of our country. We need to review the past records and what these people stand for. And, we need to include in this process a lot of prayer. If we ask for guidance from our Heavenly Father who is best qualified to fulfill His plan, at this time, then we can know we have made the best choices available.

God's plan will always be for the good of His children. We need not fear this world because He is in control of it's direction. But we do need to do our part to fight against evil and make sure we have the best people leading the way. Even if the person you vote for wins you still need to make sure they are held accountable for the choices they make in your behalf.

Righteous women need to be heard and we can only do this by voting for righteous people to serve in these positions; then follow up by watching their work. They should have to answer to us if they do not do what they promised. We need to make sure they are under control of the people. We have more power than we realize, we just need to wake up and make it clear that we stand for truth and righteousness. So if you are not registered then get registered as soon as possible before it's too late. Then, most importantly, go vote.

Raising Righteous Children

Well, I have been so overwhelmed with work lately, I apologize because I'm behind on my blogging. I'm finding it's not easy to keep up with a daily work load and extra responsibilities. But, it is my goal to make this successful and hopefully keep you enlightened.

Yesterday, for family night, we read and discussed a talk by Elder Larry Y. Wilson called "Only upon the Principles of Righteousness". He says, "Wise parents prepare their children to get along without them. They provide opportunities for growth as children acquire spiritual maturity to exercise their agency properly." 

I felt like this was an important topic to discuss this week especially since our children are the ones who face the world as it is today. There is so much evil that weaves itself in and out of their daily activities. I am so amazed when I see young people so willing to follow in the footsteps of our Savior. I am so proud of them as they make righteous choices. Was it in their upbringing or was it a conscientious choice?

I know of homes where the spirit is so strong that you have no doubt that the parents have taught their children to love and respect God. But even though they teach their children the same principles one child may make choices that are not on a good spiritual path. The scriptures site this example in the story of Cain and Abel. Both are brought up in the same righteous home, but one chooses to do good while the other does not. This can happen in any home. But why does that happen? In most cases, it is not the parents fault but it is the choice of their child. We all have our agency to choose.

Even though we want all our children to make those righteous decisions some may not make it easy for us to teach those principles.  We need to be strong and stand firm in teaching moral principles by countering the opposition of the world our children live in. We do this by teaching them in their homes. This is a safe place for them to learn and live good moral values.

We have to give them opportunities to make righteous choices. When they are out of our sight they will need to know how to stand firm in the principles that they have been taught from home. These principles, whether you think they are listening or not, will save their eternal lives. We can never give up on them even though they may fall sometimes. We need to help them up and, hopefully they will have gained a testimony of what works and what doesn't through their experiences, then continue on their journey.

On the other hand I know some that have been raised in unrighteous homes and still chose to live a life of spirituality. They are happy and find success in obtaining goals through righteous decisions. We know what true happiness is, now it is up to us to teach our children to find the same. We have to give them many opportunities to recognize the spirit and to act upon it. When they figure this out they will understand the peace that you and I feel in the Savior.

I don't know about you but I know I will sleep a lot better knowing my child will more than likely make wise decisions when I am not around. Sometimes I worry that I haven't taught them enough but how will I know if I don't let them test the waters. It's a scary thing to let go of your children to make decisions for their lives. I know this because I am dealing with it right now. I have one child that I am currently worried about but I am trying to let go so she can have experiences in her life that will help her to continue on a path of righteousness. I will continue to pray and guide her but like a baby taking its first step...I have to let go or she will never learn to walk. I can only pray that she will remember her teachings and make good decisions that will bless her life for good.

What does Righteous Mean?

I apologize for not posting my weekly blog yesterday. I was in Jacksonville for my oldest grandsons 2nd birthday. We had lots of fun, but we almost had to postpone it because he was sick. However, as most children do, he recovered in time for the party. So here is my new post, even though it is late.

I like manners. I like when people use manners like thank-you and please. I like when men open the door for women. I like when people greet each other with kindness. Those are examples of manners that we should be using and teaching our families to use. I have always wondered who started manners like women having to cross their legs at their ankles, or place one hand on their lap at dinner. Is it so bad if we don't do these things? Those are not things which pertain to common courtesy. However; I do like most manners, I just don't think that some of those manners are really that important. I think we have to know which are important and which are optional.

I looked up the word 'righteous' in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary. It said being righteous was "acting in accord with divine or moral law". So for the purpose of this blog spot,  we as righteous women, have to make a stand in moral issues facing women today. Like the manners thing, I think we have to find what are good moral issues to stand up for.

I used to listen to a talk radio show for making moral choices. Some of you may have heard of Dr. Laura. She does not air on my local radio station but I often think about the things she has taught me in the past about standing up for moral values. It amazed me at how blunt she was to the callers about making stupid personal choices in life. She was not afraid to stand up for what she knew to be true and right according to God's laws. I love her for teaching and reminding me of these things.

Her example inspires me to look at the world today and what we need to be doing. Now, its our turn. She is still giving advice and helping not only women but men to "do the right thing".
It is also up to us to take that stand in issues pertaining to women and their families. Let's start looking at and discussing what are correct values according to God. Let's help find ways we can reach out to other women and help build a stronger generation against the evils that try so hard to destroy what really matters in life. We need to protect our families against the adversary because he is getting stronger and it is getting harder to fight against him. But I know we can stand together and help build the Kingdom of God here on this earth simply by choosing the good moral values that keep us on the path to righteousness and helping others to do the same.

Don't be afraid to choose good values and make a stand for them. Keep teaching your children common courtesy's and how to choose good moral values to make a stand on. It all begins with you. You are the nurturer and teacher for your children. Don't let others get away with teaching your families incorrect principles. You know the truth and only you can inspire those mighty spirits to do much good. Only you can help them to make righteous choices and be proud of it.

Let's open our eyes to see the devastation that is tearing down the family and the true beauty of women. We have to take that stand now before it grows too late. That is one reason I want to write this blog in hopes it reaches many women; so women can use those God given talents and make true changes for good. We have to built a righteous generation of children to lead and guide us back to a world with values. Let's work together and strengthen one another to do all we can. May God bless you and the stands to take.