From: owner-lds-yw-digest@lists.xmission.com (lds-yw-digest) To: lds-yw-digest@lists.xmission.com Subject: lds-yw-digest V1 #80 Reply-To: lds-yw-digest Sender: owner-lds-yw-digest@lists.xmission.com Errors-To: owner-lds-yw-digest@lists.xmission.com Precedence: bulk lds-yw-digest Wednesday, May 27 1998 Volume 01 : Number 080 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 27 May 1998 13:56:36 -0600 From: "Charmaine L. Peck" Subject: Re: (lds-yw) I am afraid to ask this... We don't do pranks at camp, HOWEVER, one ward did this and it was pretty hilarious... Their color was orange that year and their theme had something to do with pirates and treasure. Their ward's camp was right in the middle of the campground and a common "walk through" for all of the other people there. They got tired of people always plodding through their camp, so... If anyone walked through their camp that was not wearing their color, ORANGE, they "kidnapped" them, tied them to a tree (gently) and you got completely soaked from water balloons, or buckets of water, whatever. It was hilarious. Of course, I was caught unaware and was drenched. Charee Peck, Stake YW Pres, SSL Stake serryp@burgoyne.com - -----Original Message----- From: Judy L. Pickett To: lds-yw@lists.xmission.com Date: Wednesday, May 27, 1998 12:11 PM Subject: Re: (lds-yw) I am afraid to ask this... >I don't know about the list but here are a few ideas that worked great >for us:) >Ice bags in beds. >Plastic snakes, spiders etc in beds >Corn Flakes in sleeping bags >Rocks (weights) in back packs >"Kidnap" all their girls while they are in the latrine >Toilet paper the inside of the tent >Kidnap the leader, tie them to the flag pole, make them sing for their >freedom > >On Sat, 23 May 1998 23:36:15 -0600 "Julie Johansen" > writes: >>I would love it if you would share your list of fun, harmless pranks >>you >>receive to play on the other leaders. Our camp is coming up and us >>leaders >>have as much fun with each other as the girls do. >>Thanks! >>Julie in Payson, Utah >> >>---------- >>> From: RootsByRitz@webtv.net >>> To: lds-yw@lists.xmission.com >>> Subject: (lds-yw) I am afraid to ask this... >>> Date: Saturday, May 23, 1998 11:10 PM >>> >>> At our last leadership meeting for camp we agreed to let the pranks >>> continue this year. I read the comments about pranks a few weeks >>ago >>> and shared many of them in our meeting. Quite frankly, some of what >>you >>> all shared waddown right scary! >>> >>> We want to have fun and protect at the same time so we set some >>strict >>> rules and I personally told the girls in my ward that if they broke >>any >>> prank rule I would stop what I whatever I was doing and drive them >>home >>> right then and there. No packing, no appeals, just going home. >>They >>> all agreed that the journal reading and mean pranks were stupid and >>they >>> wanted no part of that (thank goodness). >>> >>> Okay here is the part I need help with. The stake leadership has >>> declared a prank war on all the ward leadership. HELP! I refuse >>to be >>> the victim of fun without having a few of my own, and can hardly >>> remember the ones I use so long ago. Would the sisters with >>all >>> the good ideas please privately email me and give me some >>protection! >>> I have already been told that the Stake President is the king of >>water >>> fights and I refuse to be drowned with out at least one chance! >>> >>> For those of you who have forbidden pranks, I understand and hope >>this >>> post will not offend you. I really do want to protect my girls and >>hurt >>> my friends! >>> Robin >>> >>> - >>> To unsubscribe to lds-yw, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" >>> with "unsubscribe lds-yw" in the body of the message. >>> For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages >>send >>> "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. >> >>- >> To unsubscribe to lds-yw, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" >> with "unsubscribe lds-yw" in the body of the message. >> For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send >> "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. >> > >_____________________________________________________________________ >You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. >Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com >Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866] > >- > To unsubscribe to lds-yw, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" > with "unsubscribe lds-yw" in the body of the message. > For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send > "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. > - - To unsubscribe to lds-yw, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe lds-yw" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 27 May 1998 17:17:37 EDT From: Subject: (lds-yw) Knowledge (Part 4 of 4 B) I really like the idea of a transition being a time we can choose to change our behavior for the better. This change for the better doesn't always happen. Remember the children of Israel who were led by the prophet Moses out of bondage in Egypt? They were left wandering in the wilderness because they could not let go of the behavior that kept them enslaved. This is such a good time in your life to let go of behaviors that would keep you in bondage. I would like to use an example that may apply to some of you. You will know the things in your own behavior that you want to consider changing. I make this one suggestion because I love you and I care about your future: Let go of crude language if you have let swearing become a part of your vocabulary. Fill your minds instead with the magnificent words that are available to you in this university. When I hear swearing or crude language in public places, I think of that dangerous transition between elementary school and junior high school. Sometimes 12­13-year-olds start to spill out harsh words in an effort to protect themselves. Aggressive and unbecoming language becomes like a barbed wire fence wrapped around an inexperienced child. If that happened to you in your growing-up years, let go of that bad habit. Transitions can allow us to modify our behavior in ways that better prepare us and better equip us. When I think of great words, I think of our prophet, Gordon B. Hinckley. He is an example of one who invested in great words throughout the many transitions of his life. His tremendous capacity has come through a lifetime of experiences not unlike your own. He lost a parent at an early age, struggled to get an education during the depression, and went on a mission. He experienced moves, mission, and marriage. He raised a family while carrying heavy responsibilities and has traveled extensively throughout the world. As he visits comfortably with the kings, queens, presidents, and leaders throughout the world, it is obvious that his commitment to great words and thoughts has become a part of him and has become a constant through the transitions of his life. Some of you heard him say at the groundbreaking for the Harold B. Lee Library addition, "What a marvelous thing is a book." Also, in a recent Relief Society lesson, I heard President Hinckley quoted: When I was a boy we lived in a large old house. One room was called the library. . . . There was quiet in that room. It was understood that it was a place to study. . . . . . . There was no television, of course, at that time. Radio came along while I was growing up. But there was an environment, an environment of learning. I would not have you believe that we were great scholars. But we were exposed to great literature, great ideas from great thinkers, and the language of men and women who thought deeply and wrote beautifully. [Gordon B. Hinckley, "The Environment of Our Homes," Ensign, June 1985, p. 4] He added that not all homes can have a library. Your apartments may have little private space, but he said there can be an area that becomes something of a hideaway from the noises around us where one can sit and read and think. During this time of transition for you, let go of any words in your vocabulary that are unbecoming and follow the example of President Hinckley, who prepared himself by giving permanence in his mind to the words and wisdom of great writers. Times of transition can allow you to make changes through positive choices. Some of the transitions we go through are not of our own choosing. These transitions are often characterized by a feeling of loss. Sometimes it is the loss of something we expected. Sometimes the loss is very tangible. One student told of a very traumatic move just before starting high school. She said, "That move ended up being the best thing that could have happened to me." One student returned from a mission full of optimism about the future to find his parents going through a divorce. The missionary said, "It was a contradiction to all I had hoped to be true." Another student moved not to a new town but to a wheelchair. One thing we can all learn is that with time and perspective much growth and spirituality can come from transitions, and that is gratifying to know. One student said, "With my parents' divorce, it has strengthened me to know how important it is to keep a family together." Even in difficult transitions we can learn important lessons that will help our own future choices. For some, the postmission transition is the beginning of the premarriage transition because you feel "marriage pressure." As one who has been single twice and married twice, I learned in each case I could be a normal and happy person if I made the necessary adjustments--but I remember the pressure. When I was 18, my grandmother would say in a feeble voice (it is the only time she used a feeble voice), "Janette, I hope you get married before I die." She lived to be 97, long after I married, so she had plenty of time to pressure my cousins, too! When the time is right for your marriage, it will be a time of transition. The book of Abraham states, "Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife, and they shall be one flesh" (Abraham 5:18). Leave means some letting go; cleave means holding onto a new and unique one-on-one sacred relationship. When one student got married, she reported feeling a loss of single friends--a normal feeling for one who has had close roommates and good friendships. Fortunately they are not lost, but the relationships will change and mature. Some years ago my daughter said her husband felt he lost his sister when he got married. They had been close, and she withdrew a little so she wouldn't interfere with his marriage. The loss was a temporary one and helped a healthy marriage transition. Their good visits have resumed, to the delight of my daughter, who also enjoys long-distance chats with her own brother. I remember mourning the loss of college life when I got married just before my senior year at BYU. My husband was in graduate school, so we moved. Our budget didn't allow two tuitions at once. My graduation came after five children. It is true that a few tears followed my honeymoon, but I knew the decision was the right one for me, and I was learning about transitions--letting go and holding on. When my husband died in 1988, I remember saying to myself, "Heavenly Father thinks I can do this." With that heartbreaking disappointment I asked myself, "What do I do when my first choice isn't one of the options?" Making an action plan often helps in a time of change. Even increasing physical exercise can help. I have learned, as you have, that we can't go back to the past. As one student was learning to live on her own, she said, "I realized I would never again be my parents' 'little girl.'" She experienced a feeling of loss but also a new beginning and a time of growth. We should be particularly mindful of one another in times of transition. One student said that the most difficult part of a transition, besides the uncertainty about the future, is the lack of caring and empathy from others. While I was visiting my son one summer, a ward member related an insightful interpretation of the parable of the Good Samaritan. You remember in Luke that a certain lawyer had asked the Master what he must do to inherit eternal life. After being told, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart . . . ; and thy neighbour as thyself," the man asked, "Who is my neighbour?" Jesus told of the man stripped of his raiment who was left wounded, even half dead. Those who might have helped passed him by. In this interpretation the Good Samaritan who rendered service is our Savior, Jesus Christ. It was he who was unaccepted, even despised, by the Jewish people. We then are the wounded. He picks us up and ministers to our wounds and then takes us to an inn. He lingers long enough to be sure there are others to assume our care. He compensates the host for his effort. And then come my favorite words: "Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee." In other words, whatever it takes to help those in need, it is not too much; when our Savior comes again he will repay the debt (see Luke 10:25­35). Many of us have had a time in our lives when we felt stripped of our security, left alone, even wounded. Many, too, can testify that in times of real difficulty they feel surprisingly supported, even suspended, in warmth and love. Then gradually that feeling of support starts to leave. It could be a letdown, but perhaps this can be a reminder that a time of healing is a temporary time, and soon we need to start taking more responsibility for ourselves. The inn is a wonderful symbol. It is a temporary place--a place of transition. How many of us, especially if things aren't going well, would like to take up permanent residence as a guest of life, always expecting others to take care of us? But if we were to make that choice, we would not as likely realize our potential or reach that destination of eternal life. No matter what our past experience, it is important to realize that we must prepare to move on. After a major change in our lives, the journey seems different, even dangerous. Perhaps loving, even trusting others, is too much risk. Gradually we learn that experience, even difficult experience, can increase our appreciation and our ability to understand and to care for others. Difficult experiences can also increase our capacity to work and deal with challenges. As we are learning, I believe we all have times that we yearn for that perfect environment when we were with our Heavenly Father. Remember, we will return to him by moving forward, not backward, and in the process we will become changed. Our transitions make possible that change. Every transition, every change, gives us a chance to choose again to have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and in the principles of his gospel. Lehi's vision of the tree of life is a reminder of the important elements of healthy transitions. First we must fix in our minds and hearts the destination: the tree of life, eternal life--the perfect "love of God." As you study for your Book of Mormon class, review chapters 8 and 11 of 1 Nephi. When we think of the path to eternal life described by Lehi, we see that transitions are an important part of the journey. In chapter 8, Lehi states: I beheld myself that I was in a dark and dreary waste. And after I had traveled for the space of many hours in darkness, I began to pray unto the Lord. . . . And it came to pass after I had prayed unto the Lord I beheld a large and spacious field. [1 Nephi 8:7­8] Prayer was the constant in this time of transition in Lehi's vision. He received understanding as he moved along and after he prayed for help. Nephi's understanding came also after he had prayed to know what his father Lehi had seen. Prayer and our relationship with our Heavenly Father can be constants during every transition of our lives. The other major constant in Lehi's vision is the rod of iron, or word of God. Without those constant sources of help--prayer and the words of our Heavenly Father--we might be fooled, as were the people in Lehi's vision. The large and spacious building represents the world and the pride therein. As these scriptures describe that large and spacious building and the behavior of those inside, we do not doubt it is filled with things familiar that give temporary comfort, but the people inside have lost sight of their destination. Hold fast to the iron rod, the words of Heavenly Father, and keep your minds focused on your destination. It takes inspiration to be able to adapt without compromising your spiritual integrity. When I think of the iron rod, I think of the counsel of the apostle Paul: "Cleave to that which is good" (Romans 12:9). Paul must have understood times of change and transition. In Romans 12:2 Paul gives great counsel applicable to us here: "Be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." There is security in God's promises to us. According to Isaiah, the Lord has promised to the house of Israel: "Fear thou not; for I am with thee. . . . For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand . . . ; I will help thee" (Isaiah 41:10, 13). You are attending Brigham Young University, which has as its foundation the gospel of Jesus Christ. Most of you have made promises, even covenants, with the promise of eternal blessings. How grateful we can be for the atonement of Jesus Christ. It is that gift that allows us to change. We can let go of those things that would hold us down or keep us captive. As we make transitions in our lives, may we forgive, forget, and repent of those things that would keep us from our destination. As we go through transitions and move toward our goals, may we keep our focus on that ultimate destination, which is eternal life. This my prayer, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. - - To unsubscribe to lds-yw, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe lds-yw" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 27 May 1998 17:41:03 EDT From: Subject: (lds-yw) YW Files Ok You guys... I've had several request to send everything to the group. So I will try to send a few each day. If it is something I have sent before... I will note that in the subject line, so those of you that have gotten them already can erase if you want to.. although each file is always growing. Have Fun Love Jenny in Jersey - - To unsubscribe to lds-yw, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe lds-yw" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 27 May 1998 17:41:09 EDT From: Subject: (lds-yw) 1998 Theme 1 of 6 (sent earlier) 1998 YW Theme Ideas We gave a lesson on doing genealogy. Our wonderful President (we combined classes) gave the object lesson (taken from the list) where she stood there until the girls started to get nervous and then she held up a sign "Tired of Waiting?" and then another "So are your ancestors!". We shared the story "Free the Birdies" and some personal stories, poetry and then we handed out some forms that our bi-ward genealogy specialist gave us. 1st page had room for 4 submissions NAME OF DECEASED ______________ BIRTH DATE ______________ FULL PLACE OF BIRTH ______________ DEATH DATE ______________ FATHER'S FULL NAME ______________ MOTHER'S FULL MAIDEN NAME ______________ 2cond page--Names for Marriage Sealings HUSBAND'S NAME ________________ DEATH DATE ________________ WIFE'S NAME _______________ DEATH DATE ________________ MARRIAGE DATE ________________ MARRIAGE PLACE ________________ We are asking the girls to have at least 1 name of an ancestor for us to work on. Wednesday night, we will have a member of the Stake YW Presidency (who is an expert in genealogy) give a lesson and demo with the practical, hands on approach so that the girls will have an ancestor to do the work for at our next Temple trip. This has been very well received by the girls and we think it will make their next Temple trip so MEANINGFUL to them. We are excited to be doing this and Sunday's lesson was terrific! We really want them to understand that these are REAL PEOPLE and not just names on paper when they do someone's work for them, and I think this is the message that came across! Thanks for all your wonderful ideas. Love and =>'s THE PARABLE OF THE KEYS The truth the parable attempts to amplify is stressed in section 128 of the Doctrine and Covenants. There Joseph Smith wrote: "My dearly beloved brothers and sisters, let me assure you that these are principles in relation to the dead and the living that cannot be lightly passed over, as pertaining to our salvation. For their salvation is necessary and essential to our salvation, as Paul says concerning the fathers-that they without us cannot be made perfect-neither can we without our dead be made perfect?. Neither can they nor we be made perfect without those who have died in the gospel also." (VS 15,18) Once there was a little boy and a little girl, who loved Jesus very much, and He loved them. They were kind and always told the truth, and whatever Jesus wanted them to do they tried their best to do. "You may come to my house," Jesus told them one day, "and there I will give you a gift." They put on their best clothes, made su e they were clean, and went to Jesus' house. It was a beautiful house, and it made them feel beautiful too, just to be inside it. They met Jesus, and he gave them his gift. It was a key - a wonderful key. "Take care of this key," He said. "Put it next to your heart. Don't let it tarnish or get rusty. Always keep it with you. One day it will open a wonderful door. Whenever you wish, you may return to my house, but each ime, I will ask to see the key." They promised him they would, and they went home. They returned often to Jesus' house, and each time he asked if they still had the key. And they always did. One day he asked if they would follow him. He led they to a hill covered with green grass and trees. On top of the hill was a mansion in the middle of a beautiful garden. Even in their dreams they had never imagined anything so magnificent. "Who lives here?" They asked him. ' "You may," he answered. "This is your eternal home. I've been building it for you. The key I gave you fits in a lock in the front door. Now run up the path and put your key into the lock." They ran up the hill and through the garden to the front door. "If it's this beautiful on the outside," they said, "it must be even more wonderful inside!" But when they reached the front door, they stopped. It was the strangest door they had ever seen. Instead of one lock, the door was covered with locks, hundreds of locks, thousands of locks. And they only had one key. They put their key into one of the locks. It wouldn't fit. They put it into another. It didn't fit that one either. They tried many different locks. Finally they found the one that fit. They turned the key and the lock clicked. But the door wouldn't open. They ran back to Jesus. "We cannot open the door," they said. "It is covered with locks and we only have one key." He smiled at them and said: "Do you think you would be happy living in your mansion all alone? Is there anyone you would like to live with you there?" They thought for a while and then answered, "We would like our families to live with us." "Go and find them," He said. "Invite them to my house, and I will give each one their very own key. Soon you will have many keys." They rushed out eagerly to find their families. They found their fathers and mothers, their brothers and sisters, and all of their cousins and brought them to Jesus' house. Just as he had promised, he gave each one a key. When all had been given a key, together they returned to the great door of the mansion. Now they had dozens of keys, but there were thousands of locks, and the door still wouldn't open. They needed more keys. Once again they returned to Jesus. "We have brought our families," they said. "But the door still won't open." "Do your parents have a mother and father and brothers and sisters?" He asked them. "Do you think they will be happy living in the beautiful mansion without them? If you look hard enough, you will find many, many people. Bring them all to my house, and I will give each one a key." They looked very hard, just as Jesus had told them. They found mothers and fathers. They found brothers and sisters. They found grandmas and grandpas and great-great-grandmothers and great-great-great grandfathers. They found aunts and uncles and nieces and nephews and cousins. They found them in big cities. They found them in tiny villages. Some lived by the seashore. Some lived in the open prairie. Some lived near the mountains. Some lived far across the ocean. And some lived close, just over the next hill. Some were blacksmiths and some were farmers. There were cobblers and tailors and fishermen. There were teachers and mechanics and shopkeepers. Some were tall with strange-looking hats. Others were short and wore wooden shoes. They spoke different languages and came from many different countries. They found some with long blond hair that hung far down their backs in braids. They found some with short red hair that stuck straight up and had to be hidden under a hat. The boy and girl search until they had found everybody and all their families. They brought all the fathers and mothers, the brothers and sisters, the aunts the uncles, the nieces, and nephews, the grandmothers and grandfathers to Jesus' house. Inside he gave each one his or her, own key. Soon all the families were gathered before the great door. There was a lock for every key. They turned the keys, but the door remained closed. There was one final lock, a great big one right in the middle of the door, and no one had its key. The boy and the girl returned to Jesus, "We have found all our families," they said. "But the door still won't open. We're missing a key and don't know where to find it." Jesus smiled, put his arms around them, and gave each one a kiss. "I have the last key," he said, and he held it up. It was bright and shining beautiful. "This is the key of my atonement," he said. "Am I not a member of the family? Do you think you will be happy living in your mansion without me? Do you think I would be happy living without you? Now that you have found the whole family, all my brothers and sisters, all our Father's children, together we will enter our eternal home, for home will always be where families live and love together." He took their hands, and the whole family opened the door, entered the mansion, and spent an eternity of happiness together. "In my Father's house are many mansions," Jesus said. "I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know." (John 14:2-4) - - To unsubscribe to lds-yw, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe lds-yw" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 27 May 1998 17:41:21 EDT From: Subject: (lds-yw) 1998 Theme 2 of 6(sent earlier) We had a combined YM/YW activity that turned out to be very successful. We have the name of a woman that never had the opportunity of joining the church during her life. She was an only child, and never had any children of her own, and therefore, has no one to do her genealogy. The YM/YW in our ward are "adopting" this orphan ancestor and are learning to do the genealogy for her and her family. We are splitting her family between the YM and YW. The bishopric will give a pizza party to the group that can prepare the most names for the temple. As part of our youth conference this year we will have the youth do baptisms for those names that we prepare. The kids did not seem excited about this activity at first, but all the comments were really positive after it was over. The only thing they said that was negative was that there just wasn't enough time in each area. Better to leave them wanting more. The activity is also based on the genealogy merit badge for the YM. Combined YM/YW Genealogy Activity Everyone will meet together for the first 15 minutes Topics: 1. How do I get started --------------------------------- 2. Submitting names to the temple 3. Contests and introduction -------------------------- Break in to groups. Groups will rotate every ten minutes Topics: ***These topics meet some of the requirements for the Genealogy merit badge.*** 1. Pedigree chart ----------------------------------------- A. Begin a pedigree chart with yourself and fill it in as far as you can at the beginning of your project. Add any additional names, dates, or places that you find. B. Show yourself as a child on a family group record form, and show one of your parents as a child on another family group record form. C. Obtain at least one genealogical document showing proof of some information on your pedigree chart or family group records. This document may be located in your home, a courthouse, an archive or library, etc. 2. Journals--------------------------------------------------- A. Keep a journal for 6 weeks writing in it at least once a week B. Creative journal keeping C. Why do we keep journals D. What can you learn from journal (your own, and others) 3. Family Histories/ interview techniques------------------- A. Tell how personal and family history have begun to influence the way society looks at local, national, and international history. B. Interview an older relative to obtain information about your family. This interview may be in person, by telephone, or by letter. Add information obtained to your pedigree chart and family group records. C. Write a short history of yourself or of a close relative. 4. Name extraction center---------------------------------------- A. Learn about name extraction 5. Family History Center------------------------------------------ A. Learn about doing genealogy from the family file and IGI. Spiritual Hope Chest We made "Spiritual Hope Chests" at the beginning of the year. We covered file storage boxes with material. The girls will use these for items they make/receive during the year which are related to the Turning Hearts to the Family theme, such as FHE packets, a framed copy of the Proclamation, temple dress bags, YW cookbooks, etc. ONE-HOUR LIFE HISTORY *Set aside an hour, use a timer to ease your mind *Find a comfortable place to write or type *It is good to have a handwritten copy of at least some of your history. No matter how we may dislike our own handwriting, it does express some of your personality. This will help us to share more of our self with our family. 1- Start with you name. "May name is...." Tell how you got your name, what it means, nicknames, if you are named after someone, etc. 2- Write down everything you know about where and when you were born. The day of the week, the time, the weather, the location. 3- List the names, birthplaces, and birth dates of your parents and brothers and sisters. 4- Name the schools you have attended, including college. ********You may be tempted to begin a long story, resist. You will run over time. You can return later and add in the story. 5- List the organizations you joined as a child -- Primary, Brownies, band...etc. 6- List important Church dates, baptism, other ordinances, and church callings. 7- List the date, location and other significant details of your marriage. Then list your children and their birth dates. Mention important changes in your family -- a child's marriage, deaths, divorces, moves and jobs.****Keep to the bare bones on your life right now you only have an hour****** 8-Describe how you have spent your adult life -- at home, work, and so forth. YOU'RE DONE!!!!!!!!!! AFTER YOU'RE DONE *Make a clean copy, put in page protectors and put it in a 3-ring binder. Then you can easily add to it. *Your One-hour life history is a fair representation of your life. You never have to worry about writing it again if you don't want to. *Of course you can add to it. Try the following: ADDING TO YOUR LIFE HISTORY 1- Write a story about an event in your childhood. It can be simple. "I remember when I was seven......." 2- You can elaborate on any of the topics in the first history. 3- Add written history that you have already done to the three ring binder. 4- Add photographs to your history. This will make your history come alive. 5- Write down your testimony. This is important for every Latter-Day Saint. Schedule a special time, perhaps on fast Sunday. Seek the spirit of the Lord. 6- How about a Romance chapter!!! Courtship, engagement, wedding and honeymoon. 7- Write some memories of your children. 8- Write about yourself as you see yourself. Things like, you cry over sentimental movies, love baseball, hate beets.......... 9- Write about your best Christmas, summer vacation, family outing........... 10- Make a "favorites" list. Foods, books, etc. 11- Write about items in your home that have special meaning. If your son cut his teeth on the back of a chair, handed down furniture from a loved one. 12- Write a one-page annual update of the highlights of the past year. 13- Make a fancy cover for your binder, add index tabs or think up more topics. Gradually, you will write a life history rich in detail. But don't think about that. For now, have fun in just one hour!! ***Information came from Ensign June 1994 One-Hour Life History by Carol Huber. OPERATION CAMP: we'll be doing a lot with the Turning Hearts idea along with a big emphasis on First aid. The girls are going to be wearing medical scrubs which we were able to get donated. Each level will be known as med. students, residents, interns, etc.. The Ward Camp Directors will be the psychiatrists I hope you are able to use the song "White Dress" from the Living the Legacy (EFY) tape. It touches and brings tears every time, especially if the words are printed on the program. ```````` These ideas designed to support Family Home Evening would be especially good to use in light of the 1998 theme. Make a FHE bag which contains ideas for activities, cutouts and pictures for lessons, a Family Home Evening Manual, recipes for desserts and special meals, ideas for special occasions, free places to go, and a bag of popcorn Make several plans for FHE lessons and activities which a youth could carry out. Have everyone volunteer to take charge of the next week's Family Home Evening. Read the Proclamation on the Family Read "The Eternal Family"--Elder Robert D. Hales (Nov. Ensign p. 64) Genealogy I dreamed my Father called me home Across the great divide, I was very much bewildered I thought surely I had died. St. Peter met me at the gate He said, "Come follow me. There's something I must show you, Something you must see. Then I saw rows of people standing in a line. When I looked them over, They were relatives of mine. Some among that massive crowd I remembered well. Some had lived long years before I came to earth to dwell. They were Grand parents Whom I was glad to see, But when I walked toward them They turned away from me. Then I saw my cousins, My uncles and my aunts. They said to me accusingly, "We didn't have a chance. To do the work that must be done To start us on our way To gain for us Eternal Life So here we have to stay." My father and my Mother, too, Were standing apart. They looked so disappointed. It made the tear drops start. I turned and saw my Savior On his face there was a frown. "I died upon the cross for them, And you have let them down. Behold you noble ancestors Waiting for the day When you would open up the gates To help them on their way." My heart was very heavy As I looked these people o'er. The blinding tears ran down my face. I turned to him once more. "Please, blessed Savior, send me back, I'll make another try. I'll do the work for all my kin. I'm not prepared to die. I will not miss a single one, I'm so ashamed, dear Lord. I'll try to do each ordinance According to thy word." Then I awoke, the dream was gone I had not passed away. But I made resolutions To start that very day. Baptisms, endowments, and sealings I found were not a few. The more I searched and searched The more I found to do. But I will keep on hunting And searching all the while. Next time I meet my ancestors, I'll meet them with a smile. This is a parable that was used at our stake meeting to introduce the World Wide Celebration. Thought you might all enjoy it. Proclamation scriptures ~ I downloaded them into word, put them into a nice font, blew them up so each letter was about and inch high, and glued these to the flip charts in the scripture section The Family: Proclamation to the World Paragraph 1: D&C 49:15 D&C 132:15 Paragraph 2: Genesis 1:27 Paragraph 3: D&C 132:18-19 Paragraph 4: Genesis 1:28 Paragraph 5: Alma 1:18 Paragraph 6: D&C 68:25 - 28 Paragraph 7: Alma 56:47-48 Paragraph 8: Jacob 2:9-24 Paragraph 9: D&C 75:28 My first counselor gives the message on the first part of the proclamation and has been using a balloon with a tiny piece of folded paper inside (it reads "I am a daughter of a Heavenly Father"). She gives each YW a balloon and has them blow it up. She then points out that there's something inside ... to think of themselves being what's inside and surrounded by a vast universe. She then asks the girls questions like, "What are some things that hold you in this universe", "If you were to pop this balloon what would happen to what's inside?", "What would happen to you if you didn't have the gospel?". She tells the girls that the gospel is like the balloon that holds the piece of paper ... the gospel is what gives their life substance and direction and holds them in place. Then she goes into how the Lord has an eternal plan for each of us and asks how we can find out what that plan is. I usually get into the marriage and family part and tie it into the last three paragraphs of the proclamation. My approach is kind of a fun one with the girls! I ask if anyone has ever thought of getting married ... what their husband will be like, what they dream of, etc. The girls all really open up and get into it! Everyone has a lot of fun with it. I eventually get into how they prepare for marriage now, what covenants they have already made that will prepare them for marriage in the future, and then briefly touch on what they can do to make the "Turning Hearts to the Families" theme part of their lives this year and then hand out Journal Jars with a challenge for them to take a slip of paper out once a week, tape it to their journals and then answer the questions ... an easy way to start on their personal history! Marcia in NJ Journal Jars The Journal Jars are pint jars that you decorate with fabric and inside them are questions. Each time the youth decide they want to write in their Journal, they pull out a piece of paper and write about that topic. Some of the questions may be, "What do you love most about your mother?" "What is your favorite childhood memory?" etc. I have done these for the past two Christmas's for mine and my husband's families and they have loved them. I just thought it would be a fun idea to do for the youth that would help them start their own personal histories. Another list of Journal Jar questions has been put on the list that has more to choose from. For our Journal Jars, we chose two fabrics that matched one another, like a checker with a small floral print. We used those zigzaggy scissors (sorry, I couldn't thing of the real name) and cut out a rectangle for the front of the jar and a square one to go on top on the lid. We printed out a paper tag for the front to go on the fabric that says, "My Own Personal Heritage" or "I'm the One Who Writes My Own Story", etc. There are so many you can think of. We modpodged it on the jar and then cut out a few patches out both fabrics and modpodged those around the jar. We put batting in the lids and tied raffia around the lid. I'm not very good at explaining things, but they are so darn cute. We printed the questions out on different colored paper and put them inside. Here's the list for the youth. Here's another idea for the Journal Jars that we are doing as a stake YW Presidency as we visit ward conferences these next two months ... instead of pint jars we have used small baby food jars ( ask people to save them for you and there's no cost!). I printed the questions out on different color copy paper, cut the strips, and folded them 2 or 3 times. We have not used all the questions - instead we have counted how many weeks left in the year and included one question for every week. We simply creatively wrote "Journal Jar" on the jar and instead of fabric we cut out different color felt squares ($ .11 a piece @ Michael's) with pinking shears (is that the correct spelling?), glued them to the lids and then glued thin white ribbon around it and tied it in a bow ... we also attached the poem that was passed along on the list. The girls all think they're adorable and like to pick a color that goes with their room! Journal Jar Poem Preserve your memories, Seal them up well. What you forget, You can never retell. But a journal that's kept fresh on the shelf, Will help someone through rough times, Maybe even yourself. Journal Jar Questions For Youth Who are some of my favorite people? Why? Who am I closest to in my immediate family? How did our relationship grow? What are my goals and dreams? What do I look like? Who is my best friend? What is she/he like? Who are some of my "school friends"? Have I ever learned something from being in an argument with someone? If yes, what? What is the most valuable principle I've learned through my experiences with others? What is my most embarrassing moment? When was I the most proud of myself? When were my parents most proud of me? Have I ever stood up for what I believe, even when it was very hard? When? What are some of my jobs at home? What does my bedroom look like? Do I share a room? Am I comfortable in my room? What do I like best about my room? Have I ever written a story, poem, or song I would like to add to my journal? Who are my church leaders? Who's my favorite school teacher? Why? What do I think of myself? Am I pleased with what I look like? If I could change any part of myself what would it be? What is the weirdest dream I've ever had? Do I like school? Why? What's my best subject in school? What's my least favorite subject in school? Am I involved in any clubs or extra-curricular activities? (Sports, dance, choir, etc.) Who is the prophet of the church right now? What am I learning from him? What are some events that are happening in the world right now? (Include newspaper clippings). Who is my favorite General Authority speaker? Why? What has been a General Conference talk that has had an impact on me? Describe a time when I felt the spirit very strongly. What is my seminary class like? Who's in it? Who's my teacher? What's my favorite thing about my teacher? What am I studying this year? Do I enjoy it? Does the spirit thrive there? What is my most favorite thing to do at home? What's my most favorite movie, book, poem or song? What are some of my talents? Do I enjoy my everyday life? What's it like? What's my favorite Christmas memory? What's my favorite Christmas present I remember getting? What are my favorite family holiday traditions? Do I have a testimony? Write it down. Where is my most favorite place to go, what is it like? Have I ever had a "crush" on someone? Who, and do I still like him now? Describe him, and what attracts you to him. Do I have a favorite sport, talent, etc.? Describe each member of my family in my journal. What's the best thing I've ever done with my life? What is my favorite area in nature? What pets have I had? Which one was my favorite? What is my full name and who am I named after? If I could change it, what would I call myself? What is my favorite scripture and what thoughts or feelings does it provoke? Has anything major happened since the last time I wrote in my journal? If I've received my patriarchal blessing, what is the most significant part to me? Describe a time when I lost myself in the service of someone else. How did it feel? Who are my Young Women teachers right now and how have they taught me the values? What is my favorite food? When I cook for my family, what do I enjoy making most? What childhood experiences do I remember, (funny stories, accidents, memories playing, etc.)? What's my favorite music group? Why? What's my favorite movie? What's my favorite book in the scriptures? Why? What has been my favorite Young Women's Mutual Night Activity? What callings have I served in? How did I grow spiritually by serving? What's my home life like? How could I improve or strengthen it? What are my goals for the future? What do I want to do after I get out of school? What talents do I have that I want to strengthen? What challenge or trial do I really want to overcome? How am I going to do it? What is my favorite Young Women Value? Why? Am I a good communicator? How can I improve this? Am I a good listener? How can I improve this? Am I a forgiving person? Is there anyone I need to forgive and what's the game plan? Am I a good friend to other people? If so, how? If not, what can I do to improve this? What can I do to strengthen my testimony? Did I have a blanket or a favorite toy growing up? What was my favorite birthday? What was the best birthday gift I ever got? Describe my first driving experience. Write about feeling loved and by whom. Write about something or someone in your life who helped to grown and change. Write about having to apologize to someone and patch things up. What are the things I love and admire about my mother? What are the things I love and admire about my father? What are my relationships like with my brothers/sisters? What was I into when I was a child? (Barbie, My Little Pony, etc.) Who was my favorite elementary school teacher? Who is/was my favorite junior high teacher? Who is/was my favorite high school teacher? What has been my favorite family vacation? Why? What do I know about my grandfathers? What do I know about my grandmothers? Am I close to any aunts, uncles or cousins? Have I ever done baptisms for the dead? What did I think and feel about it? Describe your favorite summer activities. Describe your favorite winter activities. What qualities do I want in a husband? What kind of mother/wife do I want to be? Do I have any favorite names for future children? If I could live anywhere, where would it be? Why? If I could have anything I wanted out of life, what would it be? What do I know about my Savior? What are feelings about Him? What are my goals for making it back to live with my Father in Heaven? Write about something you are grateful for. Write your feelings about the scriptures. Write about how a prayer was answered. Write about something that drives you batty. There are so many other things you could put on this list, I'm always thinking of new and better ones. Hopefully this will help. - - To unsubscribe to lds-yw, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe lds-yw" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------ End of lds-yw-digest V1 #80 *************************** - To unsubscribe to $LIST, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe $LIST" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message.