Thoughts and stories, by Pal

This was sent to me by my daughter.  Her own daughter served on a 12 week mission before being called to her current mission in California.  Her missionary testimony on Mormon.org can be found in entry # 210. THIS WAS FOUND ON A "MISSIONARY MOMS" SITE.   (WHAT IN THE HECK IS A) TWO TRANSFER MISSION?!  (WRITTEN BY A MISSIONARY ABOUT HER OWN EXPERIENCE.) You probably got a call from your Stake President asking to meet with you because you hadn’t received your call in the mail like most future missionaries do. The Stake President sat across from you and read your call. Speaking from personal experience, I was filled with TONS of questions and knew other people would be too. Turns out, I wasn’t the first one to do this. These missions are rare, but hopefully this post can answer a few questions for you and many others. What is a two-transfer mission? A two transfer mission is a 3 month period of a proselyting mission. The...

Today my dear father Orson Pratt Miles would be 123 years old.  There are many stories about his life that you can find in the "Labels" list under "Miles Orson Pratt", and "my father Pratt".  Below is a treasured letter with his testimony.                                                                  Dad in World War I                       Above is a treasured letter giving his testimony.                                                                                                      Da...

Friday, September 05 2014 The Quitter As Hero By Darla Isackson We as a people seem to have a deeply engrained belief in the nobility of perseverance. Winston Churchill’s famous words “Never, never, never give up” have been canonized in the minds of many. Yet giving up something good for something better is what life is all about. The book  Deep Survival: Who Lives, Who Dies, and Why , by Laurence Gonzales includes that thought-provoking quote, “A secret to resilience is quitting.” The author explains, “It’s a matter of looking at yourself and assessing your own abilities and where you are mentally, and then realizing that it’s better to turn back and get a chance to do it again than to go for it and not come back at all. We are a society of high achievers, but in the wilderness, such motivation can be deadly.” Such motivation can be deadly spiritually as well. The thesis of this article is that appropriate quitting is vital to our ...

This is a beautiful reminder that we can face the problems of today, and not let the problems of the past or future cloud our vision.   Today I have had health problems associated with my recent operation that have been rather surprising, and not expected.  A few hours ago a dear Navajo couple we have known, and who are like family to us simply showed up, and brought with them a carpet cleaner, and proceeded to clean our front room carpet!  Kindnesses like that are not forgotten, and become the roses in our lives.   Enjoy this new blog by Brian Mickelson: Facing Long-Term Challenges By Facing Today’s Challenge… by  BJM I'm in the middle of a project where I'm trying to study young adults through prophetic eyes. This research has given me the chance to read some incredible addresses from apostles and prophets that were directed to members of the church from ages 18-30. I'm not ready to report on anything from that study, but I do want to s...

I received this from the internet site where I have musical compositions posted.    musichousepublications.com    This excellent monthly blog is entitled: CONFESSIONS OF A HYPOCRITICAL COMPOSER Our guest blogger this month is Janice Kapp Perry , a renowned and prolific composer.   Having produced more than 50 albums of original music, numerous sacred cantatas, several full-length musicals, her music is known world-wide throughout the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS).  Introduction                           As writers and composers in the Church we most often try to write about the ideal - the conditions we are striving for in our lives, rather than any state of perfection we have already attained. Even as we write we are painfully aware of our own...

As I looked over this list, I found I had read only 5 of these books.  I have highlighted the titles of those I have read, but most of them I read a long time ago.  I makes me think I should do more selective reading.   20 Life-Changing Books! BY   SETH ADAM SMITH   ON   SEPTEMBER 2, 2014 •  If you want to change your body, change what you eat and how you exercise. If you want to change your outlook on life, change what you read and put it into practice. Listed below are twenty life-changing books. Unless you are determined to be miserable (which, strangely enough, some people are) these books will change your life for the better. Click on the titles to order a copy for yourself, then mark them up and put them into practice. Man’s Search for Meaning 1.  Man’s Search for Meaning  by Viktor Frankl – In this book, the author details his experiences in an Auschwitz concentration camp, while simultaneously sha...