Thoughts and stories, by Pal

 These would be good for all of us to be sure we know! 10 things to teach your child before they become a deacon or young woman by Haley Lundberg  | Dec. 08, 2020 At the end of each year, Church youth leaders are asked to hold a  Temple and Priesthood Preparation meeting  for 11-year-old boys and girls and their parents. But with the recent emphasis on home-centered gospel learning, there is a greater need to begin teaching those principles long before the ward preparation meeting. Here are 10 gospel lessons that will benefit incoming young men and young women. 1. The Truth That God Loves You From their earliest days in Primary, children sing songs like " I Am a Child of God " and " I Know That My Savior Loves Me ," but has that principle truly sunk in for your children? This topic is a great place to start for so many reasons. It can help you as a parent determine where your child's gospel knowledge stands. It can help your son or daughter establish a soli...

  I do believe America is a blessed country, and I do sincerely hope we can keep it that way.  To keep our freedom of Religion, and other freedoms, we MUST be diligent, and remember the blessings we now have, and not let them slip away! Why I Believe America is Exceptional By  Ski Ingram  · December 3, 2020 The following first appeared  in Public Square Magazine . In Defense of American Exceptionalism I just returned from a wonderful trip to Mt. Rushmore, South Dakota.  Looking up at four of America’s best presidents reminded me of just how exceptional America is. That’s a dirty word to many people today, but I’d like to make the case for why it’s true.  I am an American patriot, meaning I love and support this country and I am ready to defend it against all “enemies foreign and domestic.”  I am also a defender, if necessary, of our individual rights against an overreaching and tyrannical government.  I believe in American exceptionalism. I ...

I haven't posted for almost 3 weeks, and I can't believe I haven't done that!  I have been very busy with music during that time.  I taught piano lessons for 40 years, and have had some simplified music books published in the past.  I have written out about 18 Christmas songs and hymns, and sent them to many friends, as PDF copies.  I have also written out 59 hymns, (over several years) and many Primary songs, and I am happy to send them to you ,  FREE, to your internet so you can print them out, and possibly put them in plastic sheet protectors and in a binder.  Some I have had printed in books, but that costs money, and you can print them yourselves for free! So if you want any of them, please send me an e mail to ---   paralee.eckman@gmail.com Now here is a wonderful article.  Tonight we had a Zoom fireside in our stake, telling so much about sharing stories about ourselves and ancestors on Family Search.  Then I found this article wh...

The other entry I posted today was about getting to know people of other faiths, and learning from them.  I'm putting them both out today, as I believe they are related, and in getting to know our neighbors, and those of other faiths, we can truly "Love Our Neighbor" -- especially at this holiday time, and Christmas time! How witnessing 2 neighborhood tragedies led this man to connect with others through bread by LDS Living  | Nov. 12, 2020 Makes You Think In this week's episode of   This Is the Gospel ,  three storytellers share what the gospel of Jesus Christ looks like in action. After witnessing two neighborhood tragedies, Ben decides to reach out to his neighbors through a new weekly practice. Read to find out how Ben applied the gospel of Jesus Christ through something as ordinary as a loaf of bread.  An adapted excerpt from the story is below. You can also  listen to the full episode here  or  read a transcript here . Last May, I was asked ...

  Today I will post 2 entries.  I believe their messages are related!  Getting to know our neighbors, and also this one, about getting acquainted with, and seeking to learn from friends of other faiths! The elephant in the dark: Seeking to learn from friends of other faiths by Jenny Stewart, Contributor  | Nov. 10, 2020  “He remembereth every creature of his creating, he will make himself manifest unto all” — Mosiah 27:30 In 2013, I attended a small Baptist congregation. I was pleased to visit a new church, but in my heart of hearts, I think I was watching for false doctrine or heavy marketing. I was greeted at the door by a kind middle-aged woman and then sat at a pew feeling a little awkward. Could they see that I was an interloper? Were we enemies, just pretending at acceptance? I was wearing a missionary name tag, so I wasn’t exactly incognito. The meeting was memorable. I was impressed by the guitar accompaniment. I scribbled notes on the program during the...