Thoughts and stories, by Pal

This year we will be studying The Book of Mormon in Sunday School.  Last year beginning on August 8, 2015, in Stake Conference, our Stake President counseled us to each read The Book of Mormon at the rate of 10 pages a day, and we would be done by the end of September, just before October Conference.  In that same conference we had Elder David A. Bednar as a visiting authority, and I wrote about his messages, and his exhortation to follow our Stake President, saying that in our stake he is the same as the President of the Church.  (See Blog # 484, my notes about that conference. If you go to "labels" on the right and click on Elder David A. Bednar it goes right to it.) That reading of 10 pages a day was truly an amazing experience.  The book and its story came to life, and the continuity of the history became more clear.  The Book of Mormon is clearly the KEYSTONE of our religion, and it is so important to read it daily!  Right now my husband Wayne an...

This is fascinating!  I hope you enjoy it.  It goes along with 3 Nephi Chapter 16, verses 1, 2, and 3.     "And verily, verily, I say unto you that I have other sheep, which are not of this land, neither of the land of Jerusalem, neither in any part of that land round about whither I have been to minister.     For they of whom I speak are they who have not as yet heard my voice; neither have I at any time manifested myself to unto them.     But I have received a commandment of the Father that I shall go unto them, and that they shall hear my voice, and shall be numbered among my sheep, that there may be one fold and one shepherd; therefore I go to show myself unto them." And also in John 10: verse 16:      "And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd."  Did Jesus Visit Russia After His Resurrection? ...

This is a great article on how to stay cheerful and happy, and be able to help others do the same.  As the holidays are over, and we again go back to our usual routines, this will help us keep that happy spirit we had during the holidays!  (Hopefully!)   This is another article I saved, first posted on Meridian Magazine on May 25, 2015. PERSONAL VOICE What ‘Sighs’ Are You? By Joni Hilton  · May 25, 2015 “Uh-oh.  You’re sighing.”  This observation by my husband usually follows repeated efforts on my part, to get something to work.  It could be anything from a machine to a recipe, but eventually my frustration reveals itself in a sigh. And we’ve all done it.  We’ve exhausted our reserves of effort, patience, or sheer stamina, and there it comes: The sigh.  Scientists say we do it to reset our breathing, after a long spell of monotony.  They also say we sigh for negative reasons far more often than the sigh of...

Great article I saved for a day like this -- where we all can use some inspiration, and learn to listen to the Lord -- and the Spirit of the Holy Ghost. Listening to the Lord By Ted Gibbons  · May 26, 2015 I had an interesting insight last week as I was studying D&C 63-65.  The first verse of D&C 63 looks like this: Hearken, O ye people, and open your hearts and give ear from afar; and listen, you that call yourselves the people of the Lord, and hear the word of the Lord and his will concerning you (D&C 63:1). The material sounds like a lot of other material in the D&C, but I noticed something.  Here is the verse with some parts emphasized: Hearken , O ye people, and  open your hearts  and  give ear  from afar; and  listen , you that call yourselves the people of the Lord, and  hear  the word of the Lord and his will concerning you (D&C 63:1). At the beginning of this reve...

These are great stories that appeared in LDS Living this past year of 2015.  You can click on the links and read more about them.  Some of them I have put in this blog throughout the year.   Today, on New Year's Day, 2016, life here in the Wayne and Paralee Eckman home is not normal, to say the least.  Wayne's health seems to be on the edge almost every day, and he is at this moment, at dialysis.  We hope he survives this year, but with heart, kidney, lungs, and cancer problems, we just pray the Lord's will to be done.   We have a daughter and a grandson now living with us.  How many of you out there have a family member living with you?  Life isn't easy for many of us, and our posterity.  We have a grandson coming home from his mission in Indonesia in August.  We have a son who is engaged, and will be married this year.  Life is continually changing!  Some days have many problems, and others are true joy!  This...