Our Spiritual Giant!

Since it is Father's Day I wanted everyone to know how great our dad is! Joel gave an excellent talk last sunday on strengthening families through activities. I thought it was great and LOVED his analogies that he came up with on his own. I think this just proves to me what a spiritual giant he is. I am thankful that I married a husband that does more than his fare share of helping with our kids! Thanks babe for everything! Okay I know it is a lot, but you have to read it if you have time.



As you know I’m a football and track coach and this can consume ones life. So as a coach I believe that sports teach a lot of valuable life lessons. So I tend to compare and see a lot of things in an athletic mindset.

As this school year was coming to and end our coaching staff began to hand out summer notebooks and have individual meetings with each athlete. The summer notebooks included personalized and computed workouts down to the very pound. There where also lists of specific drills, targeted to accomplish certain things, running and speed training, and motivational reading material to encourage positive thoughts. This was all done with the purpose of strengthening each athlete and in turn strengthening the entire team.

Strengthening a team a critical to the success it will have during a long season that could last from August until December. Just as strengthening a family is critical to its’ spiritual well being. And a successful season for a family is literal an eternity.

A coach may have his job on the line for an unsuccessful team, but an unsuccessful family has eternal ramifications. To remind us of the importance of the family, President Gordon B. Hinckley said in "The Family: A Proclamation to the World," "We, the First Presidency and the Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, solemnly proclaim that marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and that the family is central to the Creator's plan for the eternal destiny of His children.
"All human beings—male and female—are created in the image of God. Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny. Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose.
"In the premortal realm, spirit sons and daughters knew and worshiped God as their Eternal Father and accepted His plan by which His children could obtain a physical body and gain earthly experience to progress toward perfection and ultimately realize his or her divine destiny as an heir of eternal life. The divine plan of happiness enables family relationships to be perpetuated beyond the grave. Sacred ordinances and covenants available in holy temples make it possible for individuals to return to the presence of God and for families to be united eternally.
"The first commandment that God gave to Adam and Eve pertained to their potential for parenthood as husband and wife. We declare that God's commandment for His children to multiply and replenish the earth remains in force. We further declare that God has commanded that the sacred powers of procreation are to be employed only between man and woman, lawfully wedded as husband and wife.
"We declare the means by which mortal life is created to be divinely appointed. We affirm the sanctity of life and of its importance in God's eternal plan.
"Husband and wife have a solemn responsibility to love and care for each other and for their children. 'Children are an heritage of the Lord' (Psalms 127:3). Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, to teach them to love and serve one another, to observe the commandments of God and to be law-abiding citizens wherever they live. Husbands and wives—mothers and fathers—will be held accountable before God for the discharge of these obligations.
"The family is ordained of God. Marriage between man and woman is essential to His eternal plan. Children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony, and to be reared by a father and a mother who honor marital vows with complete fidelity. Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities. By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families. Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children. In these sacred responsibilities, fathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partners. Disability, death, or other circumstances may necessitate individual adaptation. Extended families should lend support when needed.
"We warn that individuals who violate covenants of chastity, who abuse spouse or offspring, or who fail to fulfill family responsibilities will one day stand accountable before God. Further, we warn that the disintegration of the family will bring upon individuals, communities, and nations the calamities foretold by ancient and modern prophets.
"We call upon responsible citizens and officers of government everywhere to promote those measures designed to maintain and strengthen the family as the fundamental unit of society"

What are some of the key components to strengthening a team? I can think of two nutrition and exercise and these can be compared to how to strengthen a family as well.

1st : Nutrition - There are several components to nutrition, but all only talk about a few.

*Carbohydrates- are the main source of food energy. A good athlete needs this to be able to have the energy to perform. Carbohydrates are like testimonies; this is our family’s main source of spiritual energy. A family without a large supply of testimonies has no spiritual defense to call upon when the demands of the world are on them. A testimony is ones most powerful tool, and a great place to develop this is during FHE, when lessons are taught and spiritual experiences shared.

> FHE with Brooklyn and Jack President Monsoon/Hinckley

*Protein- Its job is to build and repair structures in the body. A key element in strengthening ones body is protein consumption. As the body is worked out muscle fibers tear, relying on the protein to repair and build new muscle fiber. Protein is like prayer it builds us when things are going good and repairs us when things are going bad. But nothing is more crucial for the strengthening of a family the family prayer. President Hinckley in a talk in 1991 said this about family prayer, “I am satisfied that it must begin with recognition of God as our Eternal Father, of our relationship to Him as His children, with communication with Him in recognition of His sovereign position, and with daily supplication for His guidance in our affairs.
I submit that a return to the old pattern of prayer, family prayer in the homes of the people, is one of the basic medications that would check the dread disease that is eroding the character of our society. We could not expect a miracle in a day, but in a generation we would have a miracle.
A generation or two ago, family prayer in the homes of Christian people throughout the world was as much a part of the day’s activity as was eating. As that practice has diminished, the moral decay discussed by the Apostle Paul has ensued.
I feel satisfied that there is no adequate substitute for the morning and evening practice of kneeling together—father, mother, and children. This, more than soft carpets, more than lovely draperies, more than cleverly balanced color schemes, is the thing that will make for better and more beautiful homes.
There is something in the very posture of kneeling that contradicts the attitudes described by Paul: “proud … heady, highminded.”
There is something in the very practice of father and mother and children kneeling together that evaporates others of those qualities he described: “disobedient to parents, … without natural affection.”
There is something in the act of addressing Deity that offsets a tendency toward blasphemy and toward becoming lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God.
The inclination to be unholy, as Paul described it, to be unthankful, is erased as together family members thank the Lord for life and peace and all they have. And as they thank the Lord for one another, there is developed within the family a new appreciation, a new respect, a new affection one for another.

I remember seeing on a billboard a statement that read, “A nation at prayer is a nation at peace.” I believe this.
I know of nothing that will so much help to ease family tensions, that in a subtle way will bring about the respect for parents which leads to obedience, that will affect the spirit of repentance which will largely erase the blight of broken homes, than will praying together, confessing weaknesses together before the Lord, and invoking the blessings of the Lord upon the home and those who dwell there.
I have long been impressed with a statement made by a man long since dead. James H. Moyle wrote to his grandchildren concerning the family prayer of his own home. He said: “We have not gone to bed before kneeling in prayer to supplicate divine guidance and approval. Differences may arise in the best governed families, but they will be dissipated by the … spirit of prayer. … Its very psychology tends to promote the more righteous life among men. It tends to unity, love, forgiveness, to service.”
In 1872 Colonel Thomas L. Kane, the great friend of our people in the days of their distress in Iowa and at the time of the coming of the army to the Salt Lake Valley, came west again with his wife and two sons. They traveled to St. George with Brigham Young, stopping each night in the homes of Church members along the way. Mrs. Kane wrote a series of letters to her father back in Philadelphia. In one of these she said:
“At every one of the places we stayed on this journey we had prayers immediately after the dinner-supper, and prayers again before breakfast. No one was excused … the Mormons … kneel at once, while the head of the household, or an honored guest prays aloud. … They spend very little time in ascriptions, but ask for what they need, and thank Him for what He has given. … [They] take it for granted that God knows our familiar names and titles, and will ask a blessing on [a particular individual by name], … I liked this when I became used to it.”
Oh, that we as a people might fully cultivate this practice, which was of such importance to our pioneer forebears. Family prayer was as much a part of their worship as were the meetings convened in the Tabernacle. With the faith that came of those daily invocations, they grubbed the sagebrush, led the waters to the parched soil, made the desert blossom, governed their families in love, lived in peace one with another, and made their names immortal as they lost themselves in the service of God.
The family is the basic unit of society. The praying family is the hope of a better society. “Seek ye the Lord while he may be found.”

I give you my testimony that if you sincerely apply family prayer, you will not go away unrewarded. The changes may not be readily apparent. They may be extremely subtle. But they will be real, for God “is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”

*Another nutrition component are -Fats- Fats are there to insulate the body and provide some energy storage. But if you know anything about the nutritional pyramid, you do need fat, but very little of it. The fats in relation to our families are material things. We need houses, we need cars and we need clothes, but these things cannot consume our lives and be priority, just like fat in the food pyramid we need material things but not and abundance of them. If the material things in our life out weight the other spiritual nutrient such as prayer and testimony building than we are in serious danger, just like the danger we would be in with a high fat diet.

EXERCISE

Nutrition is a start for strengthening athletes and a team, but now they need something to do to utilize what they have built up. Now that we have a base of spiritual nutrition we can start to use it and do some activities to strengthen the family.

The first exercise that is crucial in strengthening a team is…
*Weight training- This is where the slogan no pain no gain comes into effect. It takes a lot of motivation to get in there and work to get bigger and stronger, when you don’t always see results right away and it may not always be very entertaining. Weight lifting is like service, what a better way to strengthening your family, than by serving others. It may not always be the most fun thing to do, you may not see blessings right away, but it sure feels good when your done (just like a hard workout) and you know that King Benjamin said In Mosiah 2:17
And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.

➢ Turkey Deliveries
➢ Sister Davies
➢ Helping my dad work—building patio cover

The next must do in strengthening a team is…
*Running- Both speed and aerobic exercises: This type of training takes time, over and over again you run not much variation in the workout, just steady constants, but you do this so when you get into a game situation in the future you have the endurance and ability to perform when called upon. These are traditions in our family. Time after time you do them, they make you stronger as a family and you may be called upon to do them in the future homes you have your own family just like the running you put in now will be called upon in the future. Practice traditions now to prepare for the future.

➢ Christmas eve Mexican food
➢ Thanksgiving day hikes


The next part for strengthening a team is
*Skills or Sports Related exercise- This is all your catching and throwing, shooting baskets ext. This is usually the fun stuff, but also important in strengthening a team. The more time you put into this type of work the stronger you become, you can never have enough, (JUG Machine, extra but kids love it.) These are the fun family activities that are necessary for the strength of a family. You can never spend too much time together as family.

➢ family vacations..driving all over England
➢ family wrestling matches
➢ sitting around and visiting and eating
➢ lots of football games and track meets


These are just a few suggestions for spiritual nutrition and spiritual exercises you can do to strengthen your family just like a team is strengthened. But with all this information about building a stronger family, you may ask yourself where is my workout notebook and where is the gym and stadium to do all of these exercises. The answer is you have a workout notebook called the scriptures…L. Tom Perry in 1993 said this about the scriptures and family scripture study “The scriptures are one of our greatest treasures. They contain God’s instructions to His people from the beginning of time. In a world so full of the doctrines of men, how grateful we are to have a sure anchor on which to build our faith! Of the Book of Mormon, Elder Marion G. Romney said:
“If our young folks are traditioned in the teachings of the Book of Mormon, they will not only be inspired with righteous courage to choose the right by example, … they will also be so schooled in the principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ that they will know what is right.
“From almost every page of the book, there will come to them a moving testimony that Jesus is indeed the Christ, the Son of the Living God, our Redeemer and Savior. This witness alone will be a sustaining anchor in every storm.” (In Conference Report, Apr. 1960, p. 112.)
In the Lord’s instructions to His children, we find sublime consistency. What the Lord has declared to be right will always be right. What He has declared to be true will always be true. What He has declared to be sinful will always be sinful. Rest assured that when the so-called “enlightened” doctrines of men contradict the holy scriptures, they will only bring heartache, disappointment, and destruction to the souls of mankind.
President Benson has counseled us concerning searching the scriptures:
“Let us not treat lightly [His word]. … [It is] one of the most valuable gifts He has given us. … Recommit … immerse yourselves in them daily. … Read them in your families and teach your children to love and treasure them. Then prayerfully and in counsel with others, seek every way possible to encourage the members of the Church to follow your example.”

And where is your gym and stadium? The stadium for strengthening families is called the home. Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles emphasized:
“We cannot and we must not allow the school, community, television, or even Church organizations to establish our children’s values. The Lord has placed this duty with mothers and fathers. It is one from which we cannot escape and one that cannot be delegated. Others may help, but parents remain accountable. Therefore, we must guard the sanctity of our homes because that is where children develop their values, attitudes, and habits for everyday living” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1991, 106; or Ensign, May 1991, 79–80).

➢ growing up my home, my friends wanted to come …want to be at home….dad told me make your home nice so it’s a place you and your kids want to be.