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lds-yw-digest         Wednesday, May 27 1998         Volume 01 : Number 082




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Date: Wed, 27 May 1998 18:49:10 EDT
From: <[e-mail]>
Subject: (lds-yw) 1998 Theme 6 of 6 (sent earlier)

New Beginnings from the Start
Have the parents do a table for each of the girls (picture momentos etc.)
Assign a parent to highlight a value they've seen in their  daughter as she
grew up.  One talks about faith their daughter has shown or experiences, next
about evidence of their daughter's DN etc.
We'll give a small photo album to the girls and let them fill it through the
year with picture of them doing projects.  Then they can display it in YW in
Excel.

We're going to tie in the year's theme by saying your family starts with you
then goes to your parents then their parents etc.  Then explain the Theme. We
are doing something similar, minus the dinner (no budget for it). Instead we
are having several homemaking type workshops, we are thinking four, one for
each of the "sections" that the year has been divided into (family, ancestors,
future, and service)  If any of you have some great ideas for these I would
love to hear them.  Some we are considering are the journal jar idea, tying
quilts, doing a scrapbook page.  Also, we gave each unit one of those
disposable cameras to use throughout the year to take
pictures of some of their "Turning Hearts" activities so we can use them in
our presentation.

We are planning a standards night with a theme of family relationships. One
workshop will have a professional family counselor speaking, the other
workshop is going to be a game like the old TV Newlywed Game, with all the
congregation being able to fill out some kind of questionnaire on how well the
kids know their parents, and visa versa...we haven't got all the details
worked out yet, but we'd also like to have several parent/child groups pulled
out of the audience to be on "the hot seat" in front of everyone, hopefully
providing some fun.

Proclamation activities:
*issue a proclamation to each YW; have an activity to mat or frame it
*memorize it
*break it down into 12 parts and each month discuss/explain.  Have each YW
write a goal pertaining to each part.
*have a special, formal night/lesson/presentation centered on the proclamation
(maybe all adults dressed in white)  Families could be invited.
*encourage families to write a family mission statement

Laurel projects:
*organize fam photos and keepsakes in a book
*enter the family pedigree on a disk at the FHC
*learn a skill that is unique to a yw's family
*make an old room in her house new (aside from her own).
*plan a fam reunion
*plan and direct the up keep of a family garden
*interview fam members, including grandparents, about their personal history
on video tape and make several copies for fam members.
*rebuild your car with your dad (or build a bookcase with dad or some
other skill that could be shared with dad)
*put together a family recipe book
*organize a mother-daughter quilting activity.  Donate quilts to a women's
shelter, local hospital, etc. (another fun thing to do would be to make
seasonal pillowcases, i.e.. Halloween, Christmas, Valentines Day, and give
them to the pediatric unit at a hospital.)
*organize a Father's appreciation day with other YW
*make a cross stitch of one of your grandparent's favorite sayings
*help younger sibling on a regular basis with homework
*organize a round robin letter to include the family's missionaries, college
students, married siblings

"As a stake YW presidency we have been trying to come up with ideas on how we
can inspire the YW to work on their family histories ... in our area  it's not
a very popular topic because we have such a large number of  immigrants that
have limited information and sources available to them from their countries of
origin.  So we came up with an idea for a "kick Off" program sponsored by the
stake for YW and their parent(s).  We are inviting the Family History
Missionaries to give a short presentation on how to start searching and let
everyone know that the ultimate goal is to gather names to submit for temple
work so that families can be together forever but that there are other ways to
do family history.  And we will have several displays around the room and
materials available with people to explain different projects that can be
considered a part of family history.  Our main idea will be to start with the
family you live with now and get all your pictures together and make those fun
scrapbooks that are so popular now.  And as families work on them  together
they will learn about the people and events behind the pictures many of which
can be written down or recorded as part of your family history.  We then as a
stake presidency will go around to our different units in the following months
and help them get started ... we have purchased templates and other needed
materials for
them to us .  We feel that we need to come up with fun and interesting ideas
and projects that the YW will like so that they will want to do family
history.  And if we can get the parents involved then that will turn their
hearts."
(Marcia Leon)

My YW Pres and I were brainstorming yesterday and hit upon kind of a cute idea
for New Beginnings this year so I thought I'd share.

Entitle your NB program:  "Recipe for Turning Hearts to the Family" or
something similar.  Decorate with cute kitchen stuff that has hearts on it.  I
have a crock and some kitchen towels.  Hang heart shaped cookie cutters from
the ceiling.  Decorate any kitchen items you have with hearts.  In the program
put the recipe as something like:
1 cup  Temple Marriage
1/2 cup  Family Home Evening
1/3 cup  Scripture Reading
1/4 cup  Family Prayer
1/8 cup  Courtesy/Respect
1 Tbsp.  Law and Order
1/2 Tbsp.  Service
1 tsp.  Communication
1/2 tsp.  Genealogy
1/4 tsp.  Church attendance
1/8 tsp.  Temple worthiness/attendance
Or a list similar to the above.  At NB discuss the recipe and how the theme
relates to the items above.  Reveal your master plan which is to have an
activity and goal related to one of the ingredients each month.  We thought
for the trinket we could take a long narrow wooden board and put 11 small
hooks on it.  As they attend activities each month and fulfill goals we could
give them a cup, 1/2 cup, etc. for each one. You can buy a really cheap set
for each girl at a dollar store.  We'd decorate each cup or spoon related to
its ingredient. The board would say "Recipe for Turning Hearts to the Family"
with little hearts to decorate it.  These would then be displayed at Night of
Excellence with examples of the goals they met.

For activities throughout the year we thought of a Brides night for the temple
marriage, FHE lesson ideas for the FHE, decorating stationary and doing thank
you notes for their parents for the communication, Service projects for the
Service and the Law and Order (i.e. rules and cleaning house), and visit to
the Fam Hist. Library with culminating Baptisms for  the Dead of family
members for the genealogy and temple attendance.

Serve heart shaped cake, cookies, muffins, or rice crispy treats with
conversation hearts and red balloons to decorate the tables.  Hope this helps
someone out there!  Looking forward to all of your great ideas :)

Last year we used the theme in YW as "Have you received His Image in Your
Countenance".  We gave the girls an oval mirror dressed up in White lace so
they could look in to the mirror to see if they could see Christ's image in
their own countenances.  Our table decoration was a wooden plate with an  oval
mirror attached, the statue of the YW from Deseret book stood on the  platform
looking into the mirror and a picture of Christ was looking back.   We rubbed
off the silver on the mirror and put a picture of Christ on the  back of the
mirror.  The mirror was surrounded by dry flowers in the value  colors.  When
the girls looked in to mirror, they could see the reflection  of the YW statue
and well as Christ.  It was nice.


For 1998 we have been asked to plan events on either the ward, branch,  stake
or district level.  Its purpose is to help each young woman turn her heart to
and strengthen her association with her family.  So we have been asked to
focus (beginning in January '98 and culminating in November '98) on family-
related activities throughout the year.  Each young woman is invited to:
Read and study "The Family: A Proclamation to the World."
Prepare a record of her family's history.
Prepare at least one family name for temple ordinances and perform the
baptismal work where possible.
Participate in activities that focus on the family or on strengthening the
family.
Participate in a culminating activity in November 1998.

I think we have a lot of work to do for 1998.  I know the enthusiasm in our
stake to do Family History work is almost zero among our youth so I would love
to hear of any success stories with activities that would fit the program for
'98.  I had sent out a message last week asking for ideas and was given one by
our neighboring stake! - they are planning a "Heroes" activity where the YW
will bring an adult with them - not necessarily a parent (we have many single
parent families).  So that was a good thought.

Just got back from our Stake Leadership training so thought I would share some
of the ideas that were given!  One of the Sis. is so creative in our Stake she
broke it down into different themes by quarter.

1st Quarter: Jan.-Mar:  Hearts to the family         Possible activities
        a)family history presentations-videos histories, scrapbooks, make it
fun.
        b)lip synch presentations by classes-music assigned to each class and
quorum         taken  from each of the last 6 decades. Parents can help with
the costumes and advice, dance moves, etc...maybe you can have 'Grammy' awards
presented at the conclusion.
        c)Italian dinner-parents can act as servers.  Have Italian food,
Italian music, etc...Let the youth see their parents having fun as adults.

2nd Quarter: Apr-June: Hearts to Ancestors;
a) visit a graveyard with old grave markers and make rubbings of the
interesting ones.  Serve Tombstone pizza a refreshments.
b) research with the help of parents a family name to take to the temple for
baptism.
c)  put on a production with singing, dancing , acting, costumes, about a
long-  ago era.  Parents can help with MANY areas of this production.
        d)have a party, come as your favorite dead relative, dressing and
acting out who they were etc..

3rd Quarter: July-Sept: Hearts to the future
        a)family panel discussion; spiritual preparation for future (marriage,
motherhood, missions)
        b)career day; family members can help with teaching youth about
career possibilities
        c)"how-to" activity; teach youth secrets for how to take tests, study,
find scholarships, apply for college, apply/interview for jobs, etc...

4th quarter: Oct.-Dec.: Hearts to service;
        a)pumpkin caroling; sing pumpkin carols and deliver treats to new ward
members, lonely people, those who just need love!
        b)service road rally; teams must provide a predetermined act of
service at each clue location before receiving their next clue.

   Culminating activity
Maybe a dinner theater with food, background music, servers from the young
women, and a nice theater presentation by the YW.  Perhaps they can create
vignettes about the things that they have done all year long.

    We're doing a similar activity later this month in our ward. Our Family
History Center had a sheet that we're going to use that is entitled:
"Suggestions and Items to Consider in Writing Your Personal History" and lists
ideas to write about. You might check and see if your library has a copy of
this. Also, if you saw the post awhile back about the journal jars, there are
a lot of good ideas in that to use as well.

    In the March 1996 New Era on page 35 in the FYI section, there are some ideas
about organizing your thoughts and things you collect that could be adapted
for personal history use. If you look in the Dec. issues of the New Era they
have all the articles indexed for the year. You'll probably find lots more you
can use.

    Did you know there is a New Era Index for Young Women that you can order from
the YW Resource Room in Salt Lake? They index the articles according to topic
and also the YW values. Call the Church Office Bldg. at 1-800-453-3860 ext.
2141 and ask for the YW Resource Room and then ask them how you can order it.
It costs $1.50. It won't help you much this time, but it's a nice resource to
have.


Time Capsule
In the time capsule, instead of adding worldly items, TV programs, Magazines,
etc.  Have the girls prepare their testimonies.  How they feel about the
Savior?  Who they are and how they feel about their world, what their plans
are and how they are going to make a difference in the future, like serving
missions, temple marriages, etc.  What they like about YW's and their favorite
moment.  It would help the girls set goals, strengthen them and also inspire
the people who find it by showing them the spiritual strength and hope that
was alive in 1998.  Include a group picture and a
Book of Mormon.

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------------------------------

Date: Wed, 27 May 1998 19:09:36 EDT
From: <[e-mail]>
Subject: (lds-yw) Faith Files: 1 of 5

FAITH: Thoughts & Stories
"GOD'S EMBROIDERY"
When I was a little boy, my mother used to embroider a great deal.  I would
sit at her knee and look up from the floor and ask what she was doing.  She
informed me that she was embroidering.  I told her that it looked like a mess
from where I was.  As from the underside I watched her work within the
boundaries of the little round hoop that she held in her hand, I complained to
her that it sure looked messy from where I sat.
 She would smile at me, look down and gently say, "My son, you go about your
playing for awhile, and when I am finished with my embroidering, I will put
you on my knee and let you see it from my side."
I would wonder why she was using some dark threads along with the bright ones
and why they seemed so jumbled from my view.  A few minutes would pass and
then I would hear Mother's voice say, "Son, come and sit on my knee." This I
did only to be surprised and thrilled to see a beautiful flower or a sunset.
I could not believe it, because from underneath it looked so messy.
Then Mother would say to me, "My son, from underneath it did look messy and
jumbled, but you did not realize that there was a pre-drawn plan on the top.
It was a design.  I was only following it.  Now look at it from my side and
you will see what I was doing."
Many times through the years I have looked up to my Heavenly Father and said,
"Father, what are You doing?" He has answered, "I am embroidering your life."
I say, "But it looks like a mess to me.  It seems so jumbled.  The threads
seem so dark.  Why can't they all be bright?"
The Father seems to tell me, "'My child, you go about your business of doing
My business, and one day I will bring you to Heaven and put you on My knee and
you will see the plan from My side."
Author Unknown
A TEST OF FAITH
    This letter was found wired to the handle of an old pump in the Goby
Desert that offered the only hope of drinking water on a lonely and seldom
used trail.  It read: This pump is all right as of June 1932.  I put a new
sucker washer in it and it ought to last five years.  But the washer dries out
and the pump has got to be primed.  Under the white colored rock I buried a
bottle of water.  There is enough water in it to prime the pump, but not if
you drink some first.  Pour out about one fourth and let'er soak to wet the
leather.  Then pour the rest and pump like crazy.  You'll get water, the well
has never run dry.  "Have Faith."  When you get all the water you want, fill
the bottle and put it back like you found it for the next feller.  Signed,
Desert Pete, P.S. Don't go drinking up the water first.
Prime the pump and you'll get all you can hold.
    Imagine now, if you were a lonely struggling survivor, your canteen is
dry, your parched throat is crying for water, what would you do?  Drink the
water or prime the pump?  Would you have the faith to accept the word of an
old desert hermit that you had never met or even seen?  If you did, you could
have all the water you could use and leave some for the next person, possibly
saving that person's life.  Or would the thought of doubt and self concern
control your decision?  A thousand thoughts would go through your mind "What
if the man was a joker playing a cruel trick on others?" or "Maybe the well is
dry and there is no water to pump." or "What if the pump didn't work, the
water in the bottle would be gone and you would be stranded and left to die."
    Sometimes we are asked to exercise our faith in Heavenly Father and His
plan. We do not have all the answers and must take that step into the darkness
and have faith that He will be there and save us.


BYU Speeches, December 1, 1964, p. 6
A young man, recently released as president of the Northwestern States
Mission, had a remarkable experience while attending Cornell University, which
exemplifies spiritual valiancy by trusting in the Lord. As a student, he was
called to serve in a district presidency at Cornell and one Sunday was
assigned to conduct a branch conference 200 miles away. When he had driven
home the night before, he noticed that the gas tank of the car was empty.
This, coupled with the fact that he, being a student, didn't have a dime to
his name, presented a formidable problem. He had no money, too much pride to
borrow, an important Church assignment 200 miles away, and an empty gas tank.
We remember as well as he did Nephi's testimony that the Lord will prepare a
way, but I wonder if we would have had the spiritual valiancy to put complete
trust and confidence in the Lord.
This young man rose early that Sunday morning, knelt in prayer and asked the
Lord to open a way for him to fill his assignment; and then he started out
with an empty gas tank, but a heart full of faith. His heart remained full and
the tank remained empty as he traveled over 400 miles that day in the service
of the Lord.
Story #2
BYU Speeches, December 1, 1964, p. 5
A tragic incident illustrating this quality occurred on a beautiful summer
morning in 1879. Two young missionaries, Elders Joseph Standing and Rudger
Clawson, were walking through a wooded area in the state of Georgia on their
way to preach the gospel in a small town. Suddenly they were surrounded by an
angry mob of well-armed men who held them prisoner for several hours and
abused them. They tried repeatedly to get the senior companion, Elder
Standing, to deny his testimony of the gospel. When he continually refused,
one of the enraged mob shot him through the head with a .45 caliber pistol. As
this faithful missionary fell dead at the feet of his terrified young junior
companion, all guns were then leveled at Elder Clawson. By denying his
testimony of the gospel he could save his life. I wonder what we would have
done. The leader gave the command, "Kill him!" This courageous young
missionary folded his arms across his chest and calmly said, "Shoot." Because
of this kind of spiritual valiancy Elder Rudger Clawson was later called by
the Lord to serve as an apostle under President Heber J. Grant.  Would you,
would I, die for the truth? Will we live for the truth? Which takes more
valiancy?
#3
I believe spiritual valiancy is living personally close to the Lord and
putting all of our trust in Him all of the time. It's having the humility to
know and the courage to do the right things for the right reasons, even when
it's very difficult. Spiritual valiancy is going the third mile.
One of the most beautiful experiences I've ever heard concerns the ultimate
reward for rising above mediocrity to spiritual valiancy. Apostle Melvin J.
Ballard, another of the spiritual giants of this dispensation, received a
foretaste of the joys of eternal life promised to those who are valiant in
their testimony of the Savior. He recalls:
"I found myself one evening in the dreams of the night, in that sacred
building, the temple. After a season of prayer and rejoicing, I was informed
that I should have the privilege of entering into one of those sacred rooms to
meet a glorious Personage, and, as I entered the door I saw seated on a raised
platform, the most glorious Being my eyes have ever beheld or that I ever
conceived existed in all the eternal worlds. As I approached to be introduced,
He arose and stepped toward me with extended arms, and He smiled as He softly
spoke my name. If I shall live to be a million years old I shall never forget
that smile. He took me into His arms and kissed me, until the marrow of my
bones seemed to melt. When He had finished I fell at His feet, and as I bathed
them with my tears and kisses, I saw the prints of the nails in the feet of
the Redeemer of the world.

Defeating Discouragement
Discouragement is one of Satan's most effective tools.  I must not let him use
it on me.
I believe that God created me to be happy, to enjoy the blessings of life, to
be useful to my fellow beings, and an honor to my church.
I believe that the trials which beset me today are but the fiery tests by
which my character is strengthened, ennobled and made worthy to enjoy the
higher things of life which I believe are in store for me.
I believe that my soul is worth too much to be crushed by defeat; I will rise
above it.
I believe that I am the architect of my own fate, therefore:
I will not yield to discouragement; I will trample them under foot and make
them serve as stepping stones to success.  I will conquer my obstacles and
turn them into opportunities.
My failures of today will help to guide me on to victory on the morrow.
The morrow will bring new strength, new hopes, new opportunities and new
beginnings.  I will be ready to meet it with a brave heart,  a calm mind and
an undaunted spirit.
In all things I will do my best, and leave the rest to the Infinite.
I will not waste my mental energies by useless worry.  I will learn to
dominate my restless thoughts and look on the bright side of things.
I will face the world bravely.  I will not be a coward.  I will assert my God-
given birthright.  For I am immortal, and nothing can overcome me
Lifes Struggles
A man found a cocoon of an emperor moth. He took it home so that he could
watch the moth come out of the cocoon. On the day a small opening appeared, he
sat and watched the moth for several hours as the moth struggled to force the
body through that little hole.

Then it seemed to stop making any progress. It appeared as if it had gotten as
far as it could and it could go no farther. It just seemed to be stuck. Then
the man, in his kindness, decided to help the moth, so he took a pair of
scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon. The moth then
emerged easily.

But it had a swollen body and small, shriveled wings. The man continued to
watch the moth because he expected that, at any moment, the wings would
enlarge and expand to be able to support the body, which would contract in
time. Neither happened! In fact, the little moth spent the rest of its life
crawling around with a swollen body and shriveled body and shriveled wings. It
never was able to fly.

What the man in his kindness and haste did not understand was that the
restricting cocoon and the struggle required for the moth to get through the
tiny opening was the way of forcing fluid from the body of the moth into its
wings so that it would be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom from
the cocoon. Freedom and flight would only come after the struggle. By
depriving the moth of a struggle, he deprived the moth of health.

Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our life. If we were to go
through our life without any obstacles, we would be crippled.

We would not be as strong as what we could have been. Give every opportunity a
chance, leave no room for regrets.

The Surrounding Master
Author Unknown
A mother wishing to encourage her son's progress at the piano, bought tickets
to a Paderewski performance. When the evening arrived, they found their seats
near the front of the concert hall and eyed the majestic Steinway waiting on
stage. Soon the mother found a friend to talk to, and the boy slipped away.
At eight o'clock, the lights in the auditorium began to dim, the spotlights
came on, and only then did they notice the boy---upon the bench, innocently
picking out "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star."
His mother gasped, but before she could retrieve her son, the master appeared
on the stage and quickly moved to the keyboard. He whispered to the boy.
"Don't quit. Keep playing." Leaning over, Paderewski reached down with his
left hand and began filling in the bass part. Soon his right arm reached
around the other side and improvised a delightful obbligato. Together, the old
master and the young novice held the crowd mesmerized.
In our lives, unpolished though we may be, it is the Master who surrounds us
and whispers in our ear time and time again, "Don't quit. Keep playing." And,
as we do, He augments and supplements until work of amazing beauty is created.




"Trust In The Lord"  by Marion D. Hanks (April Conf. 1975)
". . . we may in our anguish feel that we could bear anything if we could only
understand the divine purpose in what is happening . . . the righteous live by
faith and that faith is not an easy solution to life's problems.  Faith is
confidence and trust in the character and purposes of God . . . .
Our religion is 'not weight, it is wings.'  It can carry us through the dark
times, the bitter cup.  It will be with us in the fiery furnace and the deep
pit.  It will accompany us to the hospital room and to the place of
bereavement.  It can guarantee us the presence of a Captain on the rough
voyage.  It is, in short, not the path to easy disposition of problems, but
the comforting assurance of the eternal light, by which we may see, and the
eternal warmth, which we may feel.  'The Lord is good; Blessed is the man that
trusteth in him.' (Psalm 34:8

"Because My Father Said So"
by Richard L. Evans
I remember the words of a beloved stake president, and I thank him for the
thought he left with me some months ago.  He said, "I used to ride the range
with my father, looking for lost sheep or cattle.  And as we would mount a
ridge we would look off into a distant hollow or a clump f trees, and my
father would say, "There they are. . ."  But this stake president said, "My
father could see farther than I could, and often I couldn't see them.  But I
knew they were there because my father said so."
There are many things, my beloved brethren and sisters, that I know and you
know are there, because our Father said so.  And I know that he lives, that he
made us in his image, that he sent his divine Son, our Savior, to show us the
way of life and redeem us from death.  I know that he will enter into our
lives as fully as we let him, and that his church and gospel and way of life
are on earth and here with us, and that we will realize our highest
possibilities if we accept the counsels God has given, and that we will fall
somewhat, somewhere short of what we might have been or might had had if we
run contrary to his commandments.  God bless you and be with you always, I
pray.


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 To unsubscribe to lds-yw, send an email to "[e-mail]"
 with "unsubscribe lds-yw" in the body of the message.
 For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send
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------------------------------

Date: Wed, 27 May 1998 19:10:10 EDT
From: <[e-mail]>
Subject: (lds-yw) Faith Files: 2 of 5

from "Faith Precedes The Miracle" by Spencer W. Kimball (p. 97)
"Is there not wisdom in his giving us trials that we might rise above them,
responsibilities that we might achieve, work to harden our muscles, sorrows to
try our souls?  Are we not exposed to temptations to test our strength,
sickness that we might learn patience, death that we might be immortalized and
florified?
If all the sick for whom we pray were healed, if all the righteous were
protected and the wicked destroyed, the whole program of the Father would be
annulled and the basic principles of the gospel, free agency, would be ended.
No man would have to live by faith.
If joy and peace and rewards were instantaneously given the doer of good,
there could be no evil-all would do good but not because of the rightness of
doing good.  There would be no test of strength, no development of character,
no growth of powers, no free agency, only satanic controls.
Should all prayers be immediately answered according to our selfish desires
and our limited understanding, then there would be little or no suffering,
sorrow, disappointment, or even death, and if these were not,
there would also be no joy, success, resurrection, nor eternal life and
godhood."

FAITH
The father a well digger, and strong was he.
And as loving and kind as a father could be.
And his daughter, five years old
Very much dearer than silver or gold.
To Mary her father was big, grand and nice...
So each had a treasure beyond price.
One day to the well little Mary was sent
To take Daddy his dinner; how gently she went.
But when she looked down not a thing could she see.
The well, like a pocket was dark as could be.
The father saw Mary and heard her voice, too
But said not a word just to see what she'd do.
She dropped to her knees, the dear little soul
And called down, "Oh, Daddy! Are you down this deep hole?"
"Why, yes, Mary darling.  I'm here at your feet.
Just drop me my lunch for I'm ready to eat.
Just let it go easy, I'll catch it all right."
She did so and watched it go down out of sight.
"Why, Mary," he said, "There's enough here for two.
Now this is the thing I would like you to do.
You jump down here and we'll eat together
Down here in the cool, away from the weather."
"Oh Daddy!  I'm afraid! I can't see you at all.
Be sure and catch me and don't let me fall."
'Twas just for a moment she wavered in doubt...
Then closing her dear little eyes she jumped out.

In the darkness, that was the test!
She trusted in faith in the father's request;
And both were so happy he kissed her and smiled
Because of the sweet trusting faith of his child.

Oh!  Sweet little Mary.  You have put me to shame.
How often my Father has called me the same
But because it was dark I have turned back in doubt
Refusing the call though His arms were stretched out.
I wanted some proof.  Must first see with my eyes.
So I have doubted and lost me the prize.
To him that will ask is given to see.
And he that will seek, the Lord says he shall find
Be he that's a doubter must always stay blind.
Until I have faith and can bow 'neath His rod,
I'll never inherit the Kingdom of God.

Hope Springs Eternal
╖ Author Unknown
The next time discouragement strikes-remember the self-taught young man of
limited background, who entered politics for running for a seat in the state
legislature.  He was soundly defeated. He retired from politics to try his
hand at the storekeeper's trade.  The store went bankrupt, and he spent the
next seventeen years of his life paying off the debts.He fell in love with a
young women...and suffered the heart-breaking experience of watching her die
from typhoid fever.
He again entered politics, this time a candidate for Congress.  He was elected
by a narrow margin, but when he ran for re-election, was defeated. He sought a
position with the United States land office.
He failed to get the job. He became a candidate of the United States Senate-
and was defeated.
He was nominated for the Vice Presidency of the Presidential convention of a
major political party.  He lost to a political unknown on the final ballot.
Running again for the Senate, he waged a campaign which captured the attention
of the nation, but which won him only defeat. But, he continued to dedicate
himself to the ideals and principles in which he believed.  His eventual
reward is familiar to everyone.  For Abraham Lincoln, although often
discouraged during his lifetime, attained undying fame.

The Parable of the Unwise Bee
by James E. Talmage

A wild bee from the neighboring hills once flew into the room; and at
intervals during an hour or more I caught the pleasing hum of its flight.  The
little creature realized that it was a prisoner, yet all its efforts to find
the exit through the partly opened casement failed.  When ready to close up
the room and leave, I threw the window wide, and tried at first to guide and
then drive the bee to liberty and safety, knowing well that if left in the
room it would die as other insects there entrapped had perished in the dry
atmosphere of the enclosure.  The more I tried to drive it out, the more
determinedly did it oppose and resist my efforts.  Its erstwhile peaceful hum
developed into an angry roar, its darting flight became hostile and
threatening.
Then it caught me off guard and stung my hand-the hand that would have guided
it to freedom.  At last it alighted on a pendant attached to the ceiling,
beyond my reach of help or injury.  The sharp pain of its unkind sting aroused
in me rather pity than anger.  I knew the inevitable penalty of its mistaken
opposition and defiance; and I had to leave the creature to face its fate.
Three days later I returned to the room and found the dried lifeless body of
the bee on the writing table.  It had paid for its stubbornness with its life.
To the bee's short-sightedness and selfish misunderstanding I was a foe, a
persistent persecutor, a mortal enemy bent on its destruction; while in truth
I was its friend, offering it ransom of the life it had put in forfeit through
its own error, striving to redeem it, in spite of itself, from the prison-
house of death and restore it to the outer air of liberty.
...Consider the lesson of the unwise bee!
"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own
understanding.  In all tthy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy
paths."  (Proverbs 3: 5-6)

"Jesus Will Save Me"
A man was drowning in the lake.  Another man driving along side the road saw
the man drowning and shouted out to him "I'll throw you a rope..." The
drowning man replied, "No thank you, Jesus will save me!"  The man shrugs his
shoulders and drives away.
Just then a man in a boat rowing by said to the drowning man, "Take hold of my
oar, I will pull you to safety!'  The drowning man replied, "No thank you,
Jesus will save me!".  The man in the boat rows away.
A helicopter pilot flying overhead shouts on his bullhorn, "I'll throw you
down a ladder and you can climb to safety!"  The drowning man replies, "No
thank you, Jesus will save me!"  As the helicopter flies away the man goes
under and drowns.
He enters heaven, sees Jesus and says, "Jesus, so many wanted to help me but I
told them that You will save me,  what happened?" Jesus replied, "What more
could I do?  I sent you a man with a rope, on man on a boat and a man in a
helicopter!!!!"
~~
Grant Oratorical Contest, BYU Speeches, December 1, 1964, p. 6
A young man, recently released as president of the Northwestern States
Mission, had a remarkable experience while attending Cornell University, which
exemplifies spiritual valiancy by trusting in the Lord. As a student, he was
called to serve in a district presidency at Cornell and one Sunday was
assigned to conduct a branch conference 200 miles away. When he had driven
home the night before, he noticed that the gas tank of the car was empty.
This, coupled with the fact that he, being a student, didn't have a dime to
his name, presented a formidable problem. He had no money, too much pride to
borrow, an important Church assignment 200 miles away, and an empty gas tank.
We remember as well as he did Nephi's testimony that the Lord will prepare a
way, but I wonder if we would have had the spiritual valiancy to put complete
trust and confidence in the Lord.
This young man rose early that Sunday morning, knelt in prayer and asked the
Lord to open a way for him to fill his assignment; and then he started out
with an empty gas tank, but a heart full of faith. His heart remained full and
the tank remained empty as he traveled over 400 miles that day in the service
of the Lord.
Have we developed this kind of spiritual valiancy and trust in the Lord in our
lives? From these and other examples how may we define "spiritual valiancy"?
Surely it is more than just attending all of our church meetings, or taking a
required religion class, or being a returned missionary, or not smoking and
drinking at B.Y.U.
Sometimes we get the idea, because we live on a higher spiritual plane than
the rest of the world, that we are valiant and they are mediocre. But we
cannot judge our spiritual valiancy by comparing ourselves with the world; we
cannot judge our spiritual valiancy by comparing ourselves with other members
of the Church. We can only compare what we are with what we can be as we
develop faith in God and the courage to do His will.
I believe spiritual valiancy is living personally close to the Lord and
putting all of our trust in Him all of the time. It's having the humility to
know and the courage to do the right things for the right reasons, even when
it's very difficult. Spiritual valiancy is going the third mile.
One of the most beautiful experiences I've ever heard concerns the ultimate
reward for rising above mediocrity to spiritual valiancy. Apostle Melvin J.
Ballard, another of the spiritual giants of this dispensation, received a
foretaste of the joys of eternal life promised to those who are valiant in
their testimony of the Savior. He recalls:
"I found myself one evening in the dreams of the night, in that sacred
building, the temple. After a season of prayer and rejoicing, I was informed
that I should have the privilege of entering into one of those sacred rooms to
meet a glorious Personage, and, as I entered the door I saw seated on a raised
platform, the most glorious Being my eyes have ever beheld or that I ever
conceived existed in all the eternal worlds. As I approached to be introduced,
He arose and stepped toward me with extended arms, and He smiled as He softly
spoke my name. If I shall live to be a million years old I shall never forget
that smile. He took me into His arms and kissed me, until the marrow of my
bones seemed to melt. When He had finished I fell at His feet, and as I bathed
them with my tears and kisses, I saw the prints of the nails in the feet of
the Redeemer of the world.
"The feeling that I had in the presence of Him who hath all things in His
hands-to have His love, His affection and His blessing was such that if I ever
can receive that of which I had but a foretaste, I would give all that I am,
all that I ever hope to be, to feel what I then felt."
As Apostle Ballard did, we too must develop spiritual valiancy in our lives,
that we may someday stand in the presence of God the Eternal Father and His
Son Jesus Christ. I bear my solemn witness that Jesus is the Christ. This is
His Church; I know this as I live. May we have the courage to rise above
spiritual mediocrity to spiritual valiancy in our testimonies of the truth, I
humbly pray, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

~~~~
1)     I am a daughter of a Heavenly Father who loves me, and I will have
faith in his eternal plan, which  centers in Jesus Christ my Savior.
2) Alma 32:21, And now as I said concerning faith-faith is not to have a
perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things
which are not seen, which are true.

3)    Let us have faith that right makes might, and in that faith let us, to the
end, dare to do our duty as we understand it.  Abraham Lincoln

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