Learning and Living the Gospel

• Prepare a pedigree chart with your name and your parents’ and grandparents’ names. Prepare a family group record for your family and share a family story. Discuss how performing temple work blesses families. 

I already prepared a pedigree chart online - as I do love Family History, Both my Mum and Grandad have done Family History for a long time. I would like to compile a book of somes sorts of our family stories. Such as the time when one summer we were travelling as a family it was sooo hot and hungry. My Grandma saw this and demanded my Grandad stop the car to stop and eat. As I mentioned before the Sun was scorching hot and the bonnet of the car became the perfect place to crack open some eggs and in Grandmas arm she carved off a slab of bread from a loaf. "Im not letting the bairnes go hungry" she would yell at my Grandad who Im sure just like us would of been amazed at the sight. She cared enough for us all to do this on a moments notice. 

I love my family and was able to do some temple work for my Great Auntie Elsie - we were very alike she loves sparkly things so do I, She loves animals so do I. She loved chocolate...soooo did I. I only met her a couple times but I really liked the visits. She was bound to her bed with cancer. The Doctors said she was riddled by it. She never complained when I saw her, I just wondered in awe why she had her bed in her living room. My Mum later explained. I felt so sad for her but Elsie never let on she was in pain or grumbled about it, as she has every right to. I dont remember her friend or neighbour who helped her out but I know she cared alot. They cared alot for each other. Auntie Elsie saw me in the corner watching Farthing Wood Friends an absolute favourite of mine as a child. She hummed along to the tune and admitted she loved it too. Followed by prompting me to grab a bag of maltesers from her "secret stash" from the bottom of her fridge. She gave me a piece of her aurora borealis jewellery which glittered in the light. I loved her from that time I met her and was keen to do the work for her.


I was able to act in her behalf to help her progress on her eternal journey and was so thankful for that experience. What a lovely time to reflect on her journey in life. She was a hero for someone to endure through her trials she would probably not be happy I am speaking of her like this as she was humble. I am proud to be related to her truly. Temple work blesses families because it unites us and binds us together eternally. We are able to be unselfish in doing this work for them. We are fulfilling Gods purposes but my final comments to leave are. If you loved someone you would want them with you forever? The temple does this it keeps us together, no one to break apart. Im really thankful for these beautiful blessings.

Learning and Living the Gospel

• Learn to sing “Choose the Right” (Hymns, no. 239). Explain what agency is and what it means to be responsible for your choices. Discuss how making good choices has helped you develop greater faith.

I learned Choose the right when I was very young and even though it wasnt one of my absolute favourites I did love the words. Simply said 


Theres a right way to live and be happy
It is choosing the right everyday
I am learning the teachings of Jesus
They will help me and show me the way
Choose the right way and be happy, I must always choose the right


Through the Gospel I learn to be prayerful
To have faith, to repent, to obey
And I know if I live by his teachings
I will truly be happy each day
Choose the right way and be happy, I must always choose the right


Arnt they such beautiful words? To truly be happy is to choose the right. I learned from the topics and scriptures this teaches about CHOICE - COMMANDMENTS - HAPPINESS - OBEDIENCE.

I have found myself through obedience to Gods Laws that I have been closer to him and indeed closer with the Holy Ghost. I notice in the song it mentions about "to have faith, to repent, to obey" they are the priciples of the gospel we need to follow that we are taught. These are constants if we truly want to be happy in life. 


Agency is having the choice between wrong and right, good and evil. We have the CHOICE to do as we please. Heavenly Father does not force us to follow him, he wants us to be he would never make the choices for us as then he would be a hypocrite and wouldnt fulfill his eternal purposes for us. We are on this earth to gain a body to experience all this life has to offer. We have to make choices with or without Gods help and follow the path we have chosen. All choices have CONSEQUENCES and if we make a bad choice a ba consequence will follow. Same thing happens with obedience and using your agency for good choices. You gain blessings a righteous consequence.  


We need to be responsible for our choices by realising the Lords plan for us. Will the choice we make help us to reach our Heavenly Home? Will the Lord be pleased with our choice? Heavenly Father has set his Laws the commandments so we have a guideline - we still choose the do them or not. By OBEDIENCE and love of the Lord if we follow the commandments this brings us closer to the Holy Ghost and to our Saviour. Which in turn will being us true HAPPINESS.


Making good choices has brought me greater faith as I have had to trust in the Lord - he has guided my paths. I know he always wants to reach out his hand to us and help us. I know this closeness has come from being obedient and I have been much happier since trying to live closer to him. My faith has developed when I have made good choices as the spirit works more freely within me I feel the truthfulness of the Gospel more. I am more focussed and I am more in tune with the path of my life I need to take.

Developing Talents

• Write a poem, story, or short play that teaches a principle of the gospel or is about Heavenly Father’s creations. 

I used to write poems and thought I would have a go at it again. So here is my effort. 

I see it in the sunlight
I see it in the eyes of a child
I see it in the seasons that pass
I see it in genuine love

I hear it in the birds song
I hear it in distant lands
I hear it in the wind when it blows
I hear it in kind words

I feel it in the petal of a flower
I feel it in the softness of a babies skin
I feel it in the freedom to choose
I feel it in the camera lens

I smell it in natures perfume
I smell it in good food
I smell it in newly washed hair
I smell it in freshly cut grass

I see, hear, feel and smell Gods beauty arround us daily. I am so grateful for these bounties. This isnt enough but simply - Thank you

Serving Others

• Plan, prepare, and serve a nutritious meal. 

So as my husband was out home teaching I decided to prepare a meal that was healthy and something we havnt had before. I thought what havnt we had and had thoughts to make. RISOTTO! its healthy and I knew it would be tasty with stock. I always wanted to use the limes I bought (theres a lush wrap recipe that you use lime for - but we didnt have wraps oh well!) I went onto Google.com as you do and typed "cheap and healthy risotto" and came up with THIS (click here)


So I didnt want to add cheese and I didnt add Broccoli but I sorta made do with what we had and what I wanted to add so here is the ingredients

Ingredients

• 1/2 liter vegetable stock (or put that much water in with 2-3 veg oxo cubes)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 300g long grain rice (your supposed to use risotto rice :)
• 2 carrots chopped finely
• 1/2  swede peeled and chopped finely
• 2 chicken breasts defrosted and cut in cubes
• 1 lime

Ok so Method - I USED ALOT OF PANS! (my mum would kill me)


Method



1.  Pour the stock into a large pan and bring to simmer, leave on a low heat. Grate in the whole lime zest.


2.  Put carrot and swede together in a seperate pan cover with water, add a little lime juice.


3. Heat the oil in a large pan and cook the onion over a medium heat until golden and softened. Add the garlic and rice and cook for a further minute.


4.  Add a ladleful of the hot stock and boil until the liquid has been absorbed. Pour in half of the remaining stock and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the liquid has been absorbed, stirring from time to time.


5.  Whilst 3 and 4 is going on start to cook the chicken add a little lime juice to a little oil with this - once the carrots and swede are mostly cooked through add the water and veg to the chicken to boil. Add a little more lime juice and a little salt (like a pinch) 


6. you should by now only have two large pans on your stove one with the rice mixture and one with the chicken/veg/stock.


7. Once the stock is nearly absorbed add the two pans or wok (whatever is biggest) together and add any left over lime juice (I also added flesh of the lime) 


8. Give it 5 mins to all come together nicely remember to check your rice that it is cooked correctly, and seasoned properly. I added a pinch of salt at the end.


9. Serve and enjoy!

Verdict - My husband loved it and asked if we could make it a weekly meal. I certainly won him over. The only thing is I over cooked the onion a little as it cooked quick but hey Im not a chef and I think I did a pretty good job adding things. I was impressed myself thinking I would do a bad job as Husband is way better than me at cooking. I can cook I just prefer not to. Well Ill show you a picture of proof that I cooked and the meal at its end. I was quite impressed with myself and it wasnt overpowered with lime taste, the garlic and stock helped this. For us this was a really healthy meal and I was glad to make it :) Yummy!

Preparing for Young Women

• After studying the thirteenth article of faith, make a list of things that are uplifting and virtuous. Discuss with a parent or leader how you can seek after these things. 

  13 ^aWe believe in being ^bhonest, true, ^cchaste, ^dbenevolent, virtuous, and in doing ^egood to all men; indeed, we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul—We believe all things, we ^fhope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to ^gendure all things. If there is anything ^hvirtuous, ⁱlovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things. 

Ok I do love this Article of Faith but I love them all - anyway I went over things that are virtuous and uplifting - I guess I included how I can seek after them too!

Listening to good music

Go to plays/cultural events/museums

Exercising - always feel better after doing taebo or swimming

Walking arround our pretty park area

Talking with good friends

Making worthwhile goals and actually completing them - a job well done

Helping others/service

Writing in my journal

Appreciating nature and the beauty arround

Living the gospel - fully

Smiling and being kind

Taking beautiful Photos/looking at beautiful photos

Looking for the positive in others instead of the negative

Completing bits of Family History

Temple work :)

Prayer and Scripture Study

Serving in a calling and magnifying it as much as you can

Knowing the Lord has answered your prayers

Ok I added that last one because I always a lovely feeling from the Lord when I pray to him and I am always left uplifted. I also went over this with Mark and was nice for him to see what I had written, but I truly feel these are virtuous and uplifting I can seek for these things by doing them but I also think that you let things seep into your life that add too much stress or noise in your life I think its nice to simplify and sift through. I know I need to do these things more often :)

Love Rebecca

Serving Others

• Make a list of the qualities you like in a person. Choose one quality to develop in yourself. Discuss how showing respect and kindness strengthens you, your family, and others. 

Thinking of people in my life who have been good examples to me I wrote a list down of their qualities I remember struggling with this one as a child but now I have no reservations of the qualtities I admire. Ok first I will do the second part. How showing respect and kindness strengthens you, your family, and others. Well I thought firstly that respect and kindness bring love and your more likely to have better relationships because there is that love and trust there. I know from these people in my life that I have felt the spirit more with them arround what they speak about and what they do builds my testimony of the Gospel. I know when I have been more thoughtful of people it usually promotes a better atmosphere and little acts of service help out each other. I think that this goal is trying to get us look inward and simple to be more UNSELFISH - how do you do that by SERVING OTHERS. (discussed this with my Husband and he agreed)

Right so down to my list the things I admire most. 

Kindness no matter what

Non judgemental

Keeps confidences 

Doesnt gossip

Unselfish

Smiles/positive

Helpful but not pushy

Serves others

Seeks no praise/Humble

Respectful/Reverant

Supportive of all you do

Interested in you

Shows love in action not words

Oh Im sure theres million more. I always said to my best mate that I wish I was more like him and thats because I am selfish alot. I dont mind admitting it because I think we all can be on some level. I know I need to work on that and I have noticed in my personal relationships that selfishness causes problems and arguments. So I want to be more UNSELFISH so thats the quality Im going to try and live. Wish me luck!!

Love Rebecca

Learning and Living the Gospel

• Read a recent conference address given by the prophet. Decide what you can do to follow the prophet, and do it. 

I listened to the Prophets closing words at last conference in April and thought do I really listen to what he says in closing remarks? I should but usually I am really tired by the end of conference and sort of think oh hes just rounding up. So I thought no I am wrong in thinking this way this is THE PROPHET he always has important things to say so I just sat down and listened and read over what he said in closing - How beautful it was I will share the main points I thought he said beautifully and council he gave to us.

'“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.  “In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6"

"Remember that the messages we have heard during this conference will be printed in the May issues of the Ensign and Liahona magazines. I urge you to study the messages, to ponder their teachings, and then to apply them in your life."

"My counsel for all of us is to look to the lighthouse of the Lord. There is no fog so dense, no night so dark, no gale so strong, no mariner so lost but what its beacon light can rescue. It beckons through the storms of life. The lighthouse of the Lord sends forth signals readily recognized and never failing. 

I love the words found in Psalms: “The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; … I will call upon the Lord … so [I shall] be saved from mine enemies.”

Psalm 18:2–3.

And the most wonderful - "May the messages and spirit of this conference find expression in all that you do—in your homes, in your work, in your meetings, and in all your comings and goings"

I love the words FIND EXPRESSION - it doesnt mean speak it he means EXPRESS IT. So the things I can do to follow the Lord is 

1) Trust in the Lord always - no matter what not think Im right when he clearly know whats right for ME and my family

2) Study the messages from other speakers and apply them - I have so many I love I will just include my fave quote from conference and will come back with more articles I love - Sister Julie B Beck said at the same conference-

"Good women always have a desire to know if they are succeeding. In a world where the measures of success are often distorted, it is important to seek appreciation and affirmation from proper sources. To paraphrase a list found in Preach My Gospel, we are doing well when we develop attributes of Christ and strive to obey His gospel with exactness. We are doing well when we seek to improve ourselves and do our best. We are doing well when we increase faith and personal righteousness, strengthen families and homes, and seek out and help others who are in need. We know we are successful if we live so that we qualify for, receive, and know how to follow the Spirit. When we have done our very best, we may still experience disappointments, but we will not be disappointed in ourselves. We can feel certain that the Lord is pleased when we feel the Spirit working through us. Peace, joy, and hope are available to those who measure success properly."

Isnt that just the most AMAZING quote? I love it I sought for so long to have praise from people and do good for people telling me how good I was. Recently in my calling in Stake I have learned to grow and serve because the spirit is felt, more strongly even than at any other time, when I am doing my very best and when something is completed I have been asked to do. It isnt easy but I love the feeling I get that I have pleased the Lord in his service I just cant describe it - it is everything Sister Beck says. Joy, peace and pure hope. 

3) Look to the lighthouse of the Lord - look to him to show me the way. That I may EXPRESS the things I learn from conference. I will study a few articles and try to put that into my life.

So from that simple 6 minute message I learned at least 3 important things I need to do - me thinks I will take more notice next time. I love the Prophet and the Lord - lesson learned :) 

Much Love

Rebecca

Learning and Living the Gospel

• Give a family home evening lesson on Joseph Smith’s First Vision (see Joseph Smith—History 1:1–20). Discuss how Heavenly Father answers our sincere prayers. 

My experience - so me and Mark did a Family Home Evening together which was good because we do have them just not too long or with a purpose its normally just being together. So having something spiritual was perfect and something we need to improve on together. You always know to do them with children but when your on your own its harder I think

Well we looked at JSH 1:1-20 which was probably some of the best verses of scripture the thing I noticed was Joseph had a deep desire that he carried through even though he had confusion and lots of questions he was dilligent in seeking out the answer. He obviously pondered over the scriptures as thats where he found his answer to "ask of God". So we continued reading and it was lovely to feel the spirit when Joseph got his answer and was visited by Heavenly Father and Jesus. I explained to Mark why this event happened as we dont get answers like that. 

So the question was How Heavenly Father answers our sincere prayers. He answered Josephs because he sought for the answer he pondered and studied the scriptures. He answers our prayers Mark said through the Holy Ghost, by personal revelation and through others service in following their own promptings. I added that Joseph got answers by studying the scriptures and I have got many answers to my prayers by the scriptures. 

This led me to say that Joseph Smith didnt know the answers to things so the Lord showed him just like Nephi when he built a boat - Nephi didnt know how to build a boad but as he previously confirmed in (1 NEPHI 3:7) he would do what the Lord commanded him because he would always show them the way. Laman and Lemuel complained when Nephi wanted to build a Boat (1 NEPHI 17: 8 onwards).  Nephi even asked the Lord how should I build it? and The Lord showed him where to get the tools and materials. 

I noticed also that Nephi was worthy whilst he was asking for these answers as he kept the commandments. Joseph was in a worthy family too as they were good christians. Humble and kind they were a good family and Joseph was chosen to recieve this because he simply - studied prayed and asked with all sincerity of heart and he got a wonderful answer. What a blessing as if he hadnt done this we would not be here today. 

I reflected on this and thought what can we do to be more worthy? Our Stake President spoke at a ward conference yesterday at church and told if the Lord hasnt answered a prayer its because we are either not asking the right thing or we are not getting the answer we expect and dont fully realise his will for us. I understand that I think that was for me and Mark! 

So we sat down and asked ourselves and reminded ourselves what we need to do including fasting and going to the temple more often, and doing our fhe more!! I testified that Josephs experience was true and that I was so thankful being so young followed his promptings and asked in faith. I love Joseph Smith not just for that but the way he lived his whole life and I was glad to experience the spirits witness again of how wonderful he lived in a life of service to the Lord.

Much love,

Rebecca

Begginings and Introduction

Hi!

My name is Rebecca Northcott, I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I had the idea to start the Faith in God program from scratch as I remember the time of my life I enjoyed the most was when I did Gospel in Action (Faith in God in my generation) and I wanted to go over the goals again. So heres my journey through Faith in God. I hope you find it insightful and helpful in some way. Please enjoy the journey with me as I record my experiences. 

Much love

Rebecca