One of the Greatest Gifts

Not a single response to the last post? I hope that means that you were busy, and not that you didn't recognize these 4 closely related ancestors.


In a couple of months, Natalie will be baptized. About 5 months later, Emalyn will be baptized. 5 months after that, Kayli will be baptized. And 11 months later, Elena will be baptized. Grandpa and I are so excited that 4 of our granddaughters will soon follow the examples of Kylie, Jared, and Tyler. We look forward to these special times because when you are baptized you become a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. You follow the example of Jesus Christ.



After you are baptized you will be confirmed and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. It is one of the greatest gifts Heavenly Father gives to his children. The Holy Ghost can guide you, and help you know what to do when you have a problem or a question. You may use this gift any time, day or night, wherever you are, as long as you are trying to obey God's commandments.

Elder Boyd K. Packer said, "The Holy Ghost speaks with a voice that you feel more than you hear. It is described as a “still small voice” (see D&C 85:6). And while we speak of “listening” to the whisperings of the Spirit, most often one describes a spiritual prompting by saying, “I had a feeling …”

Here's an example (Based on a true story) to help you understand one way the Holy Ghost can help you:
Jamie ran outside, the screen door banging shut behind her. “Can I go for a bike ride?” she asked Mom, who was pulling weeds in the flower bed.

“Sure. Don’t go too far,” Mom replied.

“I won’t.” Jamie wheeled her brand-new bike out of the garage. She loved how the silver spokes gleamed in the sunshine. And she loved how fast it went—much faster than her old bike.

Jamie buckled her helmet and looked up and down the country road in front of her house to make sure no cars were coming. Then she jumped on her bike and started pedaling up the hill. She loved to go all the way to the top and then coast back down. With the wind in her face, it felt like she was flying.

Jamie’s legs ached as she pedaled. When she was halfway to the top of the hill, she saw something square and tan-colored in the middle of the road. It looked like one of the worn-out foam chair cushions she had taken to the trash last week when Mom had reupholstered the kitchen chairs. One of the cushions must have fallen out of the garbage truck and been left in the road.

Then Jamie got a great idea. “What if I run over the cushion on my way down?” she thought. She imagined how it would feel to run over the squishy cushion with her bike’s tires.

Jamie finally reached the top of the hill and turned her bike around with a grin. Now the ride down seemed even more exciting. She wanted to hit the cushion exactly in the middle.

She gripped the handlebars and pushed off. She pedaled hard a few times and then started coasting. The wind whipped through her hair, and the road was going by in a blur. The cushion was straight ahead, and Jamie pedaled a few extra times to get even more speed.

Then, when she had almost reached the cushion, Jamie heard a voice say very clearly, “NO.”

Immediately, Jamie turned the handlebars. Her bike tire whizzed by the cushion, just missing it. She braked hard and skidded to a stop at the side of the road.

Jamie’s legs were shaking as she got off her bike and walked over to the cushion. When she got closer, she saw it wasn’t a cushion at all. It was a big, flat, heavy rock.


Jamie didn’t feel like riding anymore. She pushed her bike the rest of the way home and told Mom what had happened.

“Do you know what would have happened if you had hit that rock?” Mom asked.

“I would have been hurt,” Jamie said.

“The rock would have stopped your bike, and you would have been thrown off. You could have been hurt very badly,” Mom said.

Jamie’s eyes got big. “It was the Holy Ghost that said ‘no,’ wasn’t it?”

Mom nodded. “You were blessed because you listened and obeyed right away.”

Jamie gave Mom a hug. “I’m glad the Holy Ghost was there to protect me!”

“So am I.” Mom hugged Jamie extra hard. “Why don’t we say a prayer of thanks right now and then go move the rock so no one gets hurt?”

Jamie nodded. Her heart felt happy and light. She knew this was also the Holy Ghost telling her that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love her.

- Janet Halling, “A Bump in the Road,” Friend, Jun 2010, 4–5

Pres. Thomas S. Monson said:

“We listen for that still, small voice. When it speaks, [we] obey. Promptings of the Spirit are not to be postponed.”

Grandpa and I were given the Gift of the Holy Ghost after we were baptized. We have used it throughout our lives. We are so grateful that you will each be given this great gift. We encourage you to prepare to receive it by listening to your parents and obeying them, by reading the Book of Mormon, and by praying to Heavenly Father every morning and every night. Practice listening better every day.

I love you!

Guess Who...

Do you know who these people are?


How about this one:


Or her:


I'll give you a clue. You're related to each one of them.

Most of you probably recognized at least some of them. They're your great-grandparents and they're pretty special people. They love you and so do I. So do your other ancestors.

In General Conference last October, Elder David A Bednar said, "I now invite the attention of the young women, young men, and children of the rising generation." That means he was speaking to each of YOU.

He said, "You are sons and daughters of God, children of the covenant, and builders of the kingdom." Then he invited you to begin doing family history work, even though you are young. He said:

"I invite the young people of the Church to learn about and experience the Spirit of Elijah [by doing family history]. I encourage you to study, to search out your
, and to prepare yourselves to perform proxy baptisms in the house of the Lord for your kindred dead."

Any young person can do what I am suggesting, using the modules available at lds.org./familyhistoryyouth." This link will take you a step-by-step guide and you can get started easily.

Elder Bednar made some promises to those who do family history. Here are a few of the promises:

**Your testimony of and conversion to the Savior will become deep and abiding.

**You will be protected against the intensifying influence of the adversary.

**You will be safeguarded in your youth and throughout your lives.

And then he spoke to the adults:

"Parents and leaders, you will stand all amazed at how rapidly your children and the youth of the Church become highly skilled with these tools. In fact, you will learn valuable lessons from these young people about effectively using these resources. You also will count your many blessings as young people devote more time to family history work and temple service and less time to video games, surfing the Internet, and Facebooking."


You can find some more ideas here: Involve Children and Youth in Family History

BIEN VENIDOS, LUISA!!!

Kylie, Jared, Tyler, Natalie, Emalyn, Kayli, Victoria, Joshua, Bryce, Matthew, Krysta, Elena, Trey, Wyatt, and Russell:

Meet your newest cousin, Luisa Marcela:



Isn't she adorable? We are so very happy she's here.

Luisa:

Meet your cousins (and your Granparents):



We love you and we can hardly wait to meet you!

I LOVE TO SEE THE TEMPLE

We went to Temple Square on Dec 29 with Scott, Amy, and their family. First we went inside the Visitor's Center. We walked up the spiral walkway to see the statue of the resurrected Savior, Jesus Christ. I felt very grateful that He came to earth as a baby, and showed us how to live on earth.



The weather wasn't quite too cold and we enjoyed looking at the outside displays and lights as much as touring inside the Visitor's Center.



The nativity on the reflecting pool was beautiful, and we all paused to appreciate it.



Tyler was so excited, because from here he could read the words on the front of the Temple that say: "Holiness to the Lord, The House of the Lord."



This is what he saw:



Tyler told me that his parents had told him about these words and that he'd been waiting to see them on the real temple. Hs enthusiasm reminded me of when all of us went to the Temple at our family reunion last summer to take pictures and to remember that families can be together forever if they are sealed in the temple and if they follow Jesus Christ's teachings and example.

I'm glad Grandpa and I got to be at Temple Square with Tyler and his family. I'm so grateful for Temples, which are Houses of the Lord. I can hardly wait for each of you to turn 12 years old and go to the temple, like Kylie. I promise that when you are in His House you will feel His love in great abundance. I love you!

Cute Caterpillar

Can you see what this little critter is? An amazing caterpillar that Grandpa and I passed on our walk in Provo Canyon yesterday. He was moving soooooo fast! The only thing better would have been to have you join us and see him for yourself!

love you!

Our Door is Always Open...

Do you recognize this?





It's our backdoor. The door that used to have a "Los Primos" sign on it. The door that we slid open and closed a bajillion times during our family reunion. The door that kept the heat and noise and spilled food on the outside and coolness, other noise, and more food on the inside. The door that until a few minutes ago had fingerprints on both sides. Lots and lots and lots of fingerprints. Tiny and not so tiny fingerprints. YOUR fingerprints.

Grandpa has been hinting for the past week that we needed to clean the door , so I decided that I would surprise him and do it this morning. I got out my Windex and sprayed, and after just a few wipes with a rag I began to miss those fingerprints. I wished I had taken a picture of them before they began to disappear.

Those fingerprints remind me of how wonderful it was to have ALL 10 of our children and ALL 15.3 of our grandchildren HERE. In our home. With us. Those fingerprints represented so many moments of joy. I loved those fingerprints and I miss them, but not as much as I miss each of you. Our times together aren't nearly as often as Grandpa and I would like. And yet, they occur more often than they might have if we still lived even further apart.

So this morning, as I wiped them away, I thanked Heavenly Father for having a family who love to be together and who make the sacrifices necessary to be together from time to time. I thanked Him for the love we share and for His restored gospel that binds us and guides us. I asked Him to help us become better each day and work together to become an eternal family, together FOREVER.

I look forward to having you return again and again, knowing that those fingerprints will once again decorate our door.

I love you!

Grandma

THE HOLY GHOST HELPS US KNOW THE TRUTH

Many years after Lehi and his family left Jerusalem, a wicked man named Noah became king of the Nephites. While he was king he taught the Nephite people to be sinful. The Lord sent a prophet named Abinadi to preach to the Nephites. Abinadi told the Nephites that Heavenly Father wanted them to repent.

King Noah had Abinadi arrested and then Abinadi was brought before wicked King Noah and his priests. Abinadi taught them Jesus Christ’s teachings and told them his message was true. They did not want to listen, but the Lord blessed Abinadi, and no one could harm him until he had given the message he had been commanded to give. King Noah and most of the priests refused to believe Abinadi’s words. They did not want to repent of their wickedness. Instead, they wanted to kill Abinadi.


One of the priests, named Alma, believed Abinadi. The Holy Ghost let Alma know that Abinadi was telling the truth. Alma begged King Noah to let Abinadi go. That made King Noah even more angry and he ordered Alma to leave. He sent his servants to kill Alma, but Alma escaped and hid. He stayed hidden and safe for many days. When Abinadi finished telling King Noah what he had been commanded to say, King Noah had Abinadi killed.

While Alma was hiding, he wrote down what he had been taught by Abinadi. Alma knew these teachings were true. He repented of all his sins and began to obey the commandments. Alma became a great missionary by sharing the truths he knew with others.

Do you know how Alma knew that Abinadi’s words were true?

We can find the answer in the Book of Mormon, in Moroni 10:5.

"And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things."

The Holy Ghost helped Alma know that Abinadi spoke the truth.

Here is a link to making these door hangers. You can print, color, cut, and hang them on your bedroom doorknob to remind you.

Did you know that you can feel the Holy Ghost during a Primary lesson, a family home evening lesson, a prayer, or any other time when you are being taught the truth?

Many people get this feeling when they are reading or hearing the scriptures or the words of the living prophets. The Holy Ghost does not usually communicate with us in words that we can hear with our ears. Instead, he gives us a good feeling about what is true.

Because the Holy Ghost has only a spirit body, he is sometimes called the Spirit. You might hear people pray to have the Spirit with them. They are asking to have the Holy Ghost with them. His presence helps us feel close to Heavenly Father, understand his commandments, and choose the right.

Although the Holy Ghost can give anyone a good feeling when he hears the truth, following baptism a person can receive a special gift when he is confirmed a member of the Church. That gift is the gift of the Holy Ghost, which means that that person can feel the influence of the Holy Ghost all the time if he lives righteously.


Kylie, Jared, and Tyler have received the gift of the Holy Ghost. You might ask them what it felt like when they were confirmed a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and received this gift. And you can ask them how they have used this gift since they received it. You can also ask your parents because they received this gift many years ago.

One day while I was on my mission in Brasil, my companion and I visited a woman in our ward who was very ill and needed a priesthood blessing. We wanted to find the elders and ask them to give her a blessing, but we didn't know where they were. We didn't have phone except at our apartment which was far away, and neither did they. We didn't have a car because we traveled by bus or taxi, and our area was very large. My companion and I prayed. We asked for Heavenly Father to help us find the elders as quickly as possible. The Holy Ghost helped us know which bus to take and we found the other missionaries in a very short time, and returned with them to give the woman a blessing.

I know that the Holy Ghost is real and that He will help you know what is true when you are obedient and when you ask. I know that the gift of the Holy Ghost is a very special blessing that each of can receive. I would love to hear how the Holy Ghost has helped you.

I love you!