Mormon Monday: Tell Me the Stories of Jesus

Our church holds a General Conference every 6 months, a time when thousands gather at church headquarters in Salt Lake City and millions watch and listen in via radio, satellite, and internet broadcasts around the world to hear messages of inspiration and instruction from our church leaders. The messages are always inspiring and often convicting, and are a spiritual highlight of the year for me. Unfortunately I have not yet discovered a way to get three small children to sit and listen quietly through a combined 8 hours of conference sessions over a two-day period! We try to catch as much of conference as we can, but I'm sure I wasn't able to really listen to more than 1/4 of the talks last month. Fortunately, they are all available online--you can find them here.

One morning last week I was having a hard time motivating myself to clean the kitchen (that seems to take an enormous amount of motivational energy--I'm sure it deserves its own Law of Physics!) I decided to jumpstart myself by listening to conference talks on my MP3 player, and randomly selected this talk by Neil L. Andersen. His words struck me powerfully, and I have been thinking about them ever since. Here is a part of his talk:

"We hold in our arms the rising generation. They come to this earth with important responsibilities and great spiritual capacities. We cannot be casual in how we prepare them. Our challenge as parents and teachers is not to create a spiritual core in their souls but rather to fan the flame of their spiritual core already aglow with the fire of their premortal faith.

This afternoon I wish to emphasize the plea of a child from a Primary song:

Tell me the stories of Jesus I love to hear,
Things I would ask him to tell me if he were here.⁶

In our world today, each child, each young man and young woman needs his or her own conversion to the truth. Each needs his or her own light, his or her own “steadfast and immovable”⁷ faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, independent of parents, youth leaders, and supportive friends.

The stories of Jesus can be like a rushing wind across the embers of faith in the hearts of our children. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.”⁸ The stories of Jesus shared over and over bring faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and strength to the foundation of testimony. Can you think of a more valuable gift for our children?"

Because I have chosen to homeschool my children, I spend a lot of time and energy researching and pondering educational goals, methods, and curricula. I wonder if I am giving sufficient thought to my children's spiritual education? I am sure that question is one that every parent could ask themself. Do we think more about whether our children are learning to read than we do about whether they are learning to love the scriptures? Are we more concerned about their mastery of mathematical facts and operations than about their mastery of right and wrong choices? Do we get more excited about a first soccer goal than about a first independent prayer? Do we spend more time and energy helping them prepare for their first piano recital than for their baptism? Are we encouraging their expanding knowledge of the workings of the world through science but neglecting to guide their understanding of the Creator of the Universe and their own place and purpose in it?

Once again, I find myself needing to realign my expenditure of time and effort in regards to my family with my true values and priorities.

Mormon Monday: Are Sunday's Fast or Slow?

Mormon Monday is my time to discuss things that are important or unique to my faith as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

Yesterday, like the first Sunday of every month, was Fast Sunday in my church. We could sometimes wish this meant the day goes by faster than usual! In fact, it often seems to go slower. A Fast Sunday is a day of fasting and prayer. Those members who do not have a medical counterindication to fasting are generally expected to fast for 2 meals, or aproximately 24 hours. In fasting we exercise self-control over physical appetites by going without food or water, and we focus on our need to be spiritually in tune with the Lord. Often a fast is accompanied by particularly fervent prayers, individually and as families or congregations, for specific needs. In addition, the money that would have been spent on food is donated as a "fast offering" to the church, specifically earmarked to administer to the needs of those who cannot afford food, clothing, shelter or other needs.
Church sacrament meetings on Fast Sunday also differ from the normal pattern which includes prepared talks by church leaders or members of the congregation. Instead of a prepared sermon or talk on a specific topic, members of the congregation are invited to stand as they feel moved by the spirit to share their testimonies of the gospel. When those present bear pure testimony of the truths of the gospel and the blessings it has brought into their lives, these meetings can be a time of spiritual feasting.
In recent years, I have not often participated in a full 24 hour fast as I have always been pregnant or nursing or a baby (or both!) and fasting is generally counterindicated under such circumstances. I do however appreciate the greater spiritual depth of fast sundays and look forward to the time when I can again participate fully.