By Marie C. Ricks

Why Food and Home Storage?

Food and home storage is the purchase, storage, and rotation of regularly-used food and non-food items (those which can sit on a shelf for a decent period of time) to facilitate better use of time, energy, and money. Just think, once you have found a good brand, a good size, and decent price on a type of food, say peanut butter, why not buy enough to last your family for a whole year? Think what would happen if you made an inventory of all your food and non-food supplies, decided how much you might need for a whole year, and one big shopping trip to price foods and paper products, and another to purchase them. It is more work focused in a shorter period of time, but then less work for the whole rest of the year.

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By Annette Lyon

The Mormon Battalion never fought in battle, but some consider the National Guard 222nd of Cedar City, or the “Triple Deuce” as they are often referred to, one of their military descendants. Since its inception, the unit has fought in seven wars from the Mexican War through the Iraq War, including the Civil War, World War I, and World War II. As far as they know, in spite of the numerous dangerous missions the soldiers have encountered, the 222nd has never lost a soldier in battle.

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By Alison Palmer

When I was a young woman, there was a girl in my ward who “made” me want to throw up my hands and give up on most things. She was tall, blond, athletic, and talented. She was everything I wasn’t. I know, because I took careful comparison notes. Then came the year she taught herself to play piano. Within that year, she could play circles around me, and I’d been playing since age five.

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By C.S. Bezas

Heard of the fun new family craze, Geocaching? Have no idea how to do it or even if your family would want to? Never fear. In about five minutes time, you’ll have all the information you need to begin or to at least sound like an expert.

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By Danielle Ellis

General Conference is upon us again. It’s a wonderful time to listen to Latter-day prophets, recharge spiritual batteries and hear direct counsel on the current situations in your life. It’s also, by the last hour of the afternoon sessions, a bit hard to ward off a nap. After all, hours on end of listening to soothing voices while sitting still does take its toll!

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by Danielle Ellis

When my first baby was a newborn, I learned a great lesson. A dear friend who taught elementary school was in between babysitters for her 13-month-old son. She asked if I could I watch him during the day for a week. She was a dear friend, and her little boy was a sweet angel. Still, I found a difference in my feelings for him compared to my own baby.

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by Danielle Ellis, Editor

Whether you’re in the throes of planning your wedding, or that day is decades and generations past, it’s always important to keep the courtship alive. Scientists will tell you how much a happy marriage improves your health and increases your life expectancy. Sociologists will tell you how much better you are in a happy partnership than any other way. Prophets will tell you that you are building a relationship that can go on through eternity. But you probably already know for yourself that wedded bliss is just plain old fun. So how do you keep the spark in your relationship? Here are a few ideas.

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by Annette Lyon

My parents would be shocked to hear that I cherish the memory of early morning scripture reading. It was my older sister’s New Testament year in seminary, and at the time we didn’t have access to a seminary class, so she did the work independent study. To support her, our family woke up each weekday morning and studied. Thus began my love of the New Testament. Reading the Savior’s words from His lifetime touched a spiritual chord that has never left me. The 2007 Gospel Doctrine lessons are focused on the New Testament. From the birth of Christ to John’s Revelation, there is so much that can touch you in the same way.

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by Andrea Lauritzen

After I bought my first home, I wondered if I’d done the right thing. I soon learned that I was right where the Lord needed me to be, and that I could do what He asked me to do.

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by DaLea Ellis

Wherefore, whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better world, yea, even a place at the right hand of God, which hope cometh of faith, maketh an anchor to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in good works, being led to glorify God.” Ether 12:4

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by Danielle Ellis

Work plays a huge role in our lives. Parents try to teach their children to work. Young adults go out into the world to find their first “real job,” and plan to work for forty years or more. Older adults plan ways in earnest that they can support themselves without “working.” We buy special clothes for our work, buy cars to take us to work, buy pricey educations to help us get better work.

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by Danielle Ellis and Harvey Foutz (missionary in the 12-step program)

If we increase our dependence on anything or anyone except the Lord, we will find an immediate decrease in our freedom to act.” – L. Tom Perry

Addiction

What do you depend on? If it is alcohol or some other drug, legal or illegal, you might already think of yourself as an “addict.” But what about those who soothe or ignore their troubles with excess body weight or other disorder towards food or eating, compulsive use of money, or excessive work commitments?

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by Laurie Richardson, Educational Advocate

“My son gets special education support for reading and math and he is making progress, but he doesn’t have friends. He is often sent to the dean’s office for bad behaviors and they have warned me if he has one more dean’s referral they will send him to behavior school.”

“My daughter is constantly told she is not trying hard enough.
The teachers tell her she is smart, but that she doesn’t seem to care.”

“My daughter is 11 years old and seems to be very smart. She tells me she gets bored in class. What can I do to insure that she is being challenged?”

“When I call my school and leave a message, no one ever calls me back.”

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by Danielle Ellis

What does it mean to be a good citizen? What do good citizens know and do? What do they look for in their elected officials? To what standard do they hold their government? What is the value of a strong, united nation?

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by Jeff Muir

Growing up in a non-LDS home, the idea of tithing was foreign to me. My grandfather, a very un-religious and self-made man, always told me that I should save 10% of my income for a rainy day. As I grew older I read stories about professional athletes – usually LDS – who donated 10% of their incomes to “church.” But I always assumed that only the fabulously wealthy actually did this. That’s as close as I ever came to learning about tithing.

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