January 2016 Visiting Teaching Bookmark

Of the general Relief Society meeting in 1995, when President Gordon B. Hinckley (1910–2008) first read “The Family: A Proclamation to the World,” Bonnie L. Oscarson, Young Women general president, said: “We were grateful for and valued the clarity, simplicity, and truth of this revelatory document. … The proclamation on the family has become our benchmark for judging the philosophies of the world, and I testify that the principles set forth … are as true today as they were when they were given to us by a prophet of God nearly 20 years ago.”¹

“From the family proclamation,” adds Carole M. Stephens, first counselor in the Relief Society general presidency, “we learn, ‘In the premortal realm, spirit sons and daughters knew and worshipped God as their Eternal Father’² …

“… We each belong to and are needed in the family of God.”³

We live in a time when parents must protect their homes and their families. “The Family: A Proclamation to the World” can guide us.

Additional Scriptures
Living Stories
Consider This

Mosiah 8:16–17; Doctrine and Covenants 1:38

“Lee Mei Chen Ho from the Tao Yuan Third Ward, Tao Yuan Taiwan Stake, said the proclamation has taught her that family relationships help develop divine characteristics such as faith, patience, and love. ‘When I try to improve myself according to the proclamation, I can experience real happiness,’ she said.”⁴

Barbara Thompson, who was present when the proclamation was read for the first time and later served as a counselor in the Relief Society general presidency, said: “I thought for a moment that [the family proclamation] really didn’t pertain too much to me since I wasn’t married and didn’t have any children. But almost as quickly I thought, ‘But it does pertain to me. I am a member of a family. I am a daughter, a sister, an aunt, a cousin, a niece, and a granddaughter. … Even if I were the only living member of my family, I am still a member of God’s family.’”⁵

How is “The Family: A Proclamation to the World” a document for our day?

2015 December-Teaching Bookmark

“In the scriptures, compassion means literally ‘to suffer with.’ It also means to show sympathy, pity, and mercy for another.”¹

“Jesus provided us many examples of compassionate concern,” said President Thomas S. Monson. “The crippled man at the pool of Bethesda; the woman taken in adultery; the woman at Jacob’s well; the daughter of Jairus; Lazarus, brother of Mary and Martha—each represented a casualty on the Jericho road. Each needed help.

Daughter of Jairus, by Wilson Ong

“To the cripple at Bethesda, Jesus said, ‘Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.’ To the sinful woman came the counsel, ‘Go, and sin no more.’ To help her who came to draw water, He provided a well of water ‘springing up into everlasting life.’ To the dead daughter of Jairus came the command, ‘Damsel, I say unto thee, arise.’ To the entombed Lazarus, ‘Come forth.’

“The Savior has always shown unlimited capacity for compassion. … Let us open the door of our hearts, that He—the living example of true compassion—may enter.”²

Additional Scriptures

Psalm 145:8; Zechariah 7:9; 1 Peter 3:8; Mosiah 15:1, 9;3 Nephi 17:5–7

From the Scriptures

“My husband and I knelt by the side of our 17-year-old daughter and pleaded for her life,” said Linda S. Reeves, second counselor in the Relief Society general presidency. “The answer was no, but … we have come to know … that … [the Savior] feels compassion for us in our sorrows.”³

“One of my favorite stories from the Savior’s life is the story of Lazarus. The scriptures tell us that ‘Jesus loved Martha, … her sister [Mary], and [their brother] Lazarus.’”⁴ When Lazarus became ill, word was sent to Jesus, but when He arrived Lazarus had already died. Mary ran to Jesus, fell down at His feet, and wept. When Jesus saw Mary weeping, “he groaned in the spirit, and … wept” (John 11:33, 35).

“That is our charge. We must feel and see for ourselves and then help all of Heavenly Father’s children to feel and see and know that our Savior has taken upon Himself not only all our sins but also our pains and our suffering and afflictions so that He can know what we feel and how to comfort us.”⁵

Consider This

Who could be blessed by your compassion?

November 2015 Visiting Teaching Bookmark

November Visiting Teaching comes from the October General Conference. There were so many inspiring talk to choose from.  I've had a few negative thoughts lately and decided to use "The Summer with Great Aunt Rose" by President Uchtdorff to help me remember to make the choice to be happy, think positively, and express gratitude daily.

I hope you enjoy skipping down the path with the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

 I also hope you enjoy this talk again. 

Oct. 2015 VT Bookmark

VISITING TEACHING MESSAGE

The Guide to the Scriptures defines charity as “the highest, noblest, strongest kind of love” (“Charity”). It is the pure love of Jesus Christ. As we learn of Jesus Christ and strive to become like Him, we will begin to feel His pure love in our lives and be prompted to love and serve others as He would. “Charity is having patience with someone who has let us down,” said President Thomas S. Monson. “It is resisting the impulse to become offended easily. It is accepting weaknesses and shortcomings. It is accepting people as they truly are. It is looking beyond physical appearances to attributes that will not dim through time. It is resisting the impulse to categorize others.”¹

In the Book of Mormon, we learn the great truth that we “pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that [we] may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that [we] may become the sons [and daughters] of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure” (Moroni 7:48).

Additional Scriptures

John 13:34–35; 1 Corinthians 13:1–13; 1 Nephi 11:21–23;Ether 12:33–34

From Our History

“A sister who had recently been widowed was grateful for visiting teachers who mourned with her and comforted her. She wrote: ‘I was in desperate need of someone to whom I could reach out; someone who would listen to me. … And they listened. They comforted me. They wept with me. And they hugged me … [and] helped me out of the deep despair and depression of those first months of loneliness.’

“Another woman summed up her feelings when she was the recipient of true charity from a visiting teacher: ‘I knew that I was more than just a number on the record books for her to visit. I knew that she cared about me.’”²

Like these sisters, many Latter-day Saints around the world can attest to the truth of this statement by President Boyd K. Packer (1924–2015), President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles: “How consoling it is to know that no matter where [a family may] go, a Church family awaits them. From the day they arrive, he will belong to a quorum of the priesthood and she will belong to Relief Society.”³

Consider This

How is Christ our perfect example of love and charity?

Divine Attributes of Jesus Christ: Forgiving and Merciful

Understanding that Jesus Christ has been forgiving and merciful to us can help us forgive and extend mercy to others. “Jesus Christ is our Exemplar,” said President Thomas S. Monson. “His life was a legacy of love. The sick He healed; the downtrodden He lifted; the sinner He saved. At the end the angry mob took His life. And yet there rings from Golgotha’s hill the words: ‘Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do’—a crowning expression in mortality of compassion and love.”¹

If we forgive others their trespasses, our Heavenly Father will also forgive us. Jesus asks us to “be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful” (Luke 6:36). “Forgiveness for our sins comes with conditions,” said President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Second Counselor in the First Presidency. “We must repent. … Haven’t we all, at one time or another, meekly approached the mercy seat and pleaded for grace? Haven’t we wished with all the energy of our souls for mercy—to be forgiven for the mistakes we have made and the sins we have committed? … Allow Christ’s Atonement to change and heal your heart. Love one another. Forgive one another.”²

Additional Scriptures

Matthew 6:14–15; Luke 6:36–37; Alma 34:14–16

From the Scriptures

“We are to forgive even as we are forgiven,” said ElderJeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.³ The story of the prodigal son shows us both sides of forgiveness: one son is forgiven and the other son struggles to forgive.

The younger son took his inheritance, quickly spent it, and when a famine arose, he worked feeding swine. The scriptures say “when he came to himself,” he returned home and said to his father he was not worthy to be his son. But his father forgave him and killed a fatted calf for a feast. The older son returned from working in the fields and became angry. He reminded his father that he had served many years, never transgressed the commandments, yet “thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry.” The father replied, “Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine. It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found” (see Luke 15:11–32).

Consider This

How can forgiveness benefit the one forgiving?

Virtue-June 2015 Bookmark

Hello from Logan Utah. I love the Gospel of Jesus Christ and am enjoying learning

g about the Attributes of Jesus Christ. As I follow his teachings I am happier and more grateful for all that I have and enjoy in this life.

I liked learning that more than one woman was healed by just touching the Savior in Luke chapter 6. I think of the times that I have reached out and tried to touch the Savior in prayer and when I do He healed me in some way or other. I am still imperfect and living in a difficult world but I testify that the Father and Son love us, will help us in all that we do. Let us each be virtuous, lovely and do good that we may be happy in this life and the next.

I love you my family and friends. Visit teach with love and virtue this month. 

Love, Pat

Divine Attributes of Jesus Christ: Virtue     reliefsociety.lds.org.

“Let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God; and the doctrine of the priesthood shall distil upon thy soul as the dews from heaven” (D&C 121:45).

What is virtue? President James E. Faust (1920–2007) said: “Virtue in its fuller sense encompasses all traits of righteousness that help us form our character.”¹President Gordon B. Hinckley (1910–2008) added: “Love of God is the root of all virtue, of all goodness, of all strength of character.”²

Of the relationship between women and virtue, Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said: “Women bring with them into the world a certain virtue, a divine gift that makes them adept at instilling such qualities as faith, courage, empathy, and refinement in relationships and in cultures. …

“Sisters, of all your associations, it is your relationship with God, your Heavenly Father, who is the source of your moral power, that you must always put first in your life. Remember that Jesus’s power came through His single-minded devotion to the will of the Father. … Strive to be that kind of disciple of the Father and the Son, and your influence will never fade.”³

Additional Scriptures

Psalms 24:3–5; Philippians 4:8; 2 Peter 1:3–5; Alma 31:5;Doctrine and Covenants 38:23–24

From the Scriptures

Today, virtuous women, full of faith, reach out to the Savior. In Luke 8 we read of a woman who had an issue of blood for 12 years that could not be healed. She sought healing when she “came behind [Christ], and touched the border of his garment: and immediately her issue of blood [stopped]. … And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue⁴is gone out of me.” This virtuous faithful woman fell down before Him, declaring “unto him before all the people” that “she had touched him” and “was healed immediately. And he said unto her, Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole” (seeLuke 8:43–48; see also 6:17–19).

Through His virtue,⁵ Christ can heal, enable, strengthen, comfort, and cheer when we choose with courage and faith to reach out to Him.

Visiting Teaching Bookmark - May 2015

I chose the talk by Bishop Gerald Causse because  we all have times when we forget to MARVEL and WONDER at the blessing of the gospel of Jesus Christ. His talk motivated me to begin not just a daily scripture reading but a daily scripture immersion into the Life of My Savior... Here is the monthly bookmark and the beginning of his talk at April 2015 General Conference. There is a link at the end to view the entire talk.

My wife and I had the great joy of rearing our five children near the magnificent city of Paris. During those years we wanted to offer them rich opportunities to discover the marvelous things of this world. Each summer, our family took long trips to visit the most significant monuments, historic sites, and natural wonders of Europe. Finally, after spending 22 years in the Paris area, we were getting ready to move. I still remember the day when my children came to me and said, “Dad, it’s absolutely shameful! We've lived here all our lives, and we have never been to the Eiffel Tower!”

There are so many wonders in this world. However, sometimes when we have them constantly before our eyes, we take them for granted. We look, but we don’t really see; we hear, but we don’t really listen.

During His earthly ministry, Jesus said to His disciples:

“Blessed are the eyes which see the things that ye see:

“For I tell you, that many prophets and kings have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.”¹

I have often wondered what it would have been like to live at the time of our Savior. Can you imagine sitting at His feet? feeling His embrace? witnessing as He ministered to others? And yet so many who met Him failed to recognize—to “see”—that the very Son of God was living among them.

We too are privileged to live in an exceptional time. The prophets of old saw the work of the Restoration as “a marvelous work … , yea, a marvelous work and a wonder.”² In no previous dispensation have so many missionaries been called, so many nations been opened for the gospel message, and so many temples been built throughout the world.

For us, as Latter-day Saints, wonders also occur in our individual lives. They include our own personal conversion, the answers we receive to our prayers, and the tender blessings God showers upon us daily.

To marvel at the wonders of the gospel is a sign of faith. It is to recognize the hand of the Lord in our lives and in everything around us. Our amazement also produces spiritual strength. It gives us the energy to remain anchored in our faith and to engage ourselves in the work of salvation.

But let us beware. Our ability to marvel is fragile. Over the long term, such things as casual commandment keeping, apathy, or even weariness may set in and make us insensitive to even the most remarkable signs and miracles of the gospel.

Watch Is it still Wonderful to You?

Visiting Teaching Bookmark - April 2015

This month is a special one...we celebrate the atonement, death and resurrection of our Savior Jesus Christ. As you contemplate becoming more like Him by developing the attributes of  "without guile or hypocrisy." And please enjoy this bookmark I created for those I love beyond measure. thank-you for being in my life. 

Understanding that Jesus Christ is without guile and hypocrisy will help us faithfully strive to follow His example. Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin (1917–2008) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said: “To beguile is to deceive or lead astray. … A person without guile is a person of innocence, honest intent, and pure motives, whose life reflects the simple practice of conforming his [or her] daily actions to principles of integrity. … I believe the necessity for the members of the Church to be without guile may be more urgent now than at other times because many in the world apparently do not understand the importance of this virtue.”¹

Of hypocrisy, President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Second Counselor in the First Presidency, said: “None of us is quite as Christlike as we know we should be. But we earnestly desire to overcome our faults and the tendency to sin. With our heart and soul we yearn to become better with the help of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.”²

We know “we will be judged according to our actions, the desires of our hearts, and the kind of people we have become.”³ Yet as we strive to repent, we will become more pure—and “blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8).

Additional Scriptures

Psalm 32:2; James 3:17; 1 Peter 2:1–2, 22

From the Scriptures

Little children are without guile. Jesus Christ said: “Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. … And he took [the children] up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them” (Mark 10:14, 16).

Christ also ministered to the children in the Americas after His Crucifixion. He commanded that the people bring their little children to Him and “set them down upon the ground round about him, and Jesus stood in the midst; …

“… [And] he wept, and the multitude bare record of it, and he took their little children, one by one, and blessed them, and prayed unto the Father for them. …

“And as they looked to behold they cast their eyes towards heaven, and … they saw angels descending out of heaven as it were in the midst of fire; and they came down and encircled those little ones about, … and the angels did minister unto them” (3 Nephi 17:12, 21, 24).

Consider This

What can we learn about being without guile from little children? (see Guide to the Scriptures, “Guile,”scriptures.lds.org).