Thoughts and stories, by Pal

I got this ready almost 2 months ago, and didn't print it.  I'm doing that today! When I Thought the Church Had Failed Me By  Kim White  · August 25, 2022 The first time The Church let me down, I was just a youth. I had a longstanding difficult relationship that had advanced from “difficult” to abusive. It was severely damaging my happiness and self-esteem; I had recurrent nightmares and fantasies of self-harm, but I was too young to know what to do. So, at different times I tried to explain my situation to my bishop and youth leaders. Each time, I was dismissed or put off with platitudes and reassurances like “Sometimes people don’t get along when they’re young, but when you get older, I bet it will change.” To be fair to those leaders, in retrospect I can see that I didn’t know how to articulate the reality of my situation, and I’m not sure I gave them what they needed to know to help me. But the point is, I went to leaders in the Church for help and I didn’t get it. In...

 This article has special meaning to me!  One of the "lost sheep" of my children, and his wife, called me just 2 days ago, and we talked for 1 hour and 27 minutes!  He was searching for the group, and wanted to feel found, I feel!  It truly warmed my heart! Are you giving your black sheep a baaad rap? By  Daryl Gibson  · October 23, 2022 To read more from Daryl, visit  Parenting in the Borderlands . Sheep get no respect. Nobody wants a child to turn out to be the “lost sheep” or the “black sheep.” It’s time to take a broader look at these misunderstood mammals, and at your adult children who fit the description. You may have been wrong about both. Jesus’s Parable of the Lost Sheep is one of the shorter of his stories. The gist of it is:  What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?  (From Luke 15) I’ve always interpret...

This may help any of you who have children with anxiety or depression, or simply having stresses during growing up!  (Who doesn't?)   Seven Tips for Reducing Stress and Anxiety in Children By  Nicholeen Peck  · October 17, 2022 Families are concerned about their children who are struggling with stress and anxiety. Why are stress and anxiety so prevalent nowadays, and what can families do to help in loving ways? Understanding Stress and Anxiety Stress and anxiety are real feelings that many children suffer with daily. According to Georgetown University Health Policy Institute Center For Children And Families, “By 2020, 5.6 million [U.S.] kids (9.2%) had been diagnosed with anxiety problems and 2.4 million (4.0%) had been diagnosed with depression.” This staggering number was gathered pre-COVID shutdowns. Parents tell me regularly that “since COVID” their child has experienced anxiety, stress and/or depression that led to not wanting to try new things or step out of co...

  This is such a timely article, it should be read by everyone!  We don't want to dwell on Satan, but even little children need to be taught about him, and recognize when he is trying to influence them away from truth! Why Learn More About Satan? By  Daniel Ortner  · October 12, 2022 I never imagined that I would write very much about Satan. I grew up in a somewhat secular Jewish household and I had no conception of a devil.  My mother was a very spiritual woman, but she didn’t believe that God demanded that we obey specific commandments. One of her favorite sayings was “God does not have an IBM computer” meaning that God did not closely monitor our actions and compliance with his commandments. My father was an agnostic or an atheist depending on how cynical he felt on a given day. Perhaps my only exposure to Satan was on the show South Park where he is depicted as misunderstood and at least partially well-intentioned. When I was a teenager, I first began to lea...

  General Conference by the Numbers: President Russell M. Nelson By  Scott Brown  · September 29, 2022 Cover image via Gospel Media Library. President Russell M. Nelson has had an outsized impact on the Church in the short time that he has been President.  Some of his most impactful accomplishments as President of the Church include: His consistent message that the gathering of Israel is the most important work on the face of the earth. He has taught that the gathering is taking place on both sides of the veil. The  Come Follow Me  program of home-centered, church-supported gospel learning Emphasis on temple work and the construction of new temples Calling the church by its correct name Urging members of the Church to keep their covenants and to  Let God Prevail  in their lives. Gathering Israel on both sides of the veil Throughout his service as a general authority, President Nelson has taught the importance of the gathering of Israel [i] . ...