Thoughts and stories, by Pal

Our nephew who is a bishop asked us to write up the story of how much indexing Wayne has done, and the reasons behind it.  He plans to give it as the 5th Sunday lesson to the Priesthood and Relief Society this coming Sunday.  You can have a preview, with pictures!  And the update on his cancer is that the cancer is not gone!  We wrote last week that the tumor was gone, but the results of the biopsies came in showing there is still cancer there.  He has decided to not do chemo at his age, 85, and hope he feels good for quite a while in the days to come.  He still has trouble swallowing, and his throat and esophagus are sore, from the radiation.  But he is a trooper! On the right you can see our wedding picture, and on the left some pencil drawings by our grandson, Sam Lieske.  Also in the mirror is reflecting some of the mural of Hawaii on our bedroom wall I made a few years ago. ----------------------------------------------------------...

This is an article with such excellent ideas and truths, that it needs to be read slowly and pondered.  The author has shown many ways to become like God. Attributes of Highly Developed Beings By M. Catherine Thomas  · November 16, 2015, in Meridian Magazine Editor’s Note: The following is the fourth in a series of excerpts from  The God Seed  by M. Catherine Thomas. To see the previous installment,  click here . If men do not comprehend the character of God  they do not comprehend themselves.  (Joseph Smith) The very power of God is found in His attributes of godliness…. We seek these attributes. (Elder Gene R. Cook) Therefore I would that ye should be perfect  even as I, or your Father who is in heaven is perfect.  (3 Nephi 12:48) Where shall we find a prototype into whose likeness we may be assimilated, in order that we may be made partakers of life and salvation?…. There will be no dispute…that ...

This is a touching story. I'm sure I had ancestors who were refugees.  There is a link at the bottom of the article which you can click on and read on how you can help refugees in your area.   The Town That Rescued 5,000 Mormon Refugees by Jamie Armstrong  | Nov. 19, 2015 Makes You Think Mormon Life The rescue of thousands of Mormon refugees in the winter of 1838–39 is one of the greatest acts of compassion to take place on U.S. soil. And whether or not you've heard the little-known story in Church history before, it's definitely an inspiring one that you'll want to keep sharing. In the winter of 1838, Governor Lilburn W. Boggs issued an  Extermination Order , forcing thousands of Mormons leave Missouri by March 8, 1839, or be killed. But where were they to go?  With their beloved Prophet Joseph imprisoned in Liberty Jail with the rest of the First Presidency and Boggs’s deadline fast approaching,...

If you or a loved one is experiencing a crisis in their faith, this article gives great ideas on how to not get too lost and discouraged, and to hang onto truth. Surviving a Faith Crisis (and How Church Members Can Help) by Patrick Q. Mason, adapted from "Planted: Belief and Belonging in an Age of Doubt"  | Nov. 17, 2015 Makes You Think Mormon Life Church members can experience a crisis of faith for a variety of reasons. Whether stemming from a discovery of an unflattering but true account of Church history, a negative interaction with a Church leader, or a recent change in the  Church Handbook,  each person’s reason is valid and should be treated as such. Here are ways those experiencing a faith crisis can cope, as well as ways loving members can support them. Anatomy of a Faith Crisis For many people who undergo a faith crisis of profound propor­tions, their whole world comes crashing down because that world ha...

The counsel President Gordon B. Hinckley gave in October Conference in 2001, just after the 9/11 attack on the Twin Towers and other places, is just as appropriate today as it was then.  We have several Muslim friends, who are really good, kind, and peaceful friends.  It is the radical terrorists that are bad! President Hinckley on Muslims, Fighting Terrorism & How We Can Find Peace Despite Attacks, Death by LDS Living  | Nov. 16, 2015 Mormon Life When Gordon B. Hinckley approached the pulpit at general conference in October 2001, the heinous attacks on September 11 were fresh in the minds of everyone listening around the world. Today, as yet another series of coordinated terrorist attacks have taken the lives of at least 129 in France, memories of those earlier attacks are awakened once again. The counsel President Hickley gave  the Saints that October over a decade ago still hold true today and...