Weeks ago, I was listening to a beautiful talk by one of my
very favorite Church leaders and Apostle,
"We must continue to teach and fortify fathers and mothers
in their divinely declared roles with their children in the home.
We must ask ourselves constantly if that extra sporting event,
that extra activity or errand outside of the home is more
important than families being together at home."
This year Christian and I have created heavy-duty scripture
goals for our family.
We will be studying from several sources, including:
For the Strength of Youth, and the new Come Follow Me manual.
It's a tall order and will take a lot of commitment and hard work
from ALL OF US, but the Little Nies accepted the challenge,
and most importantly, they accepted it--willingly.
Mr. Nielson and I set up a family scripture study plan, and
I bought all the manuals and books for each family member.
I also acquired gobs of fun pens for highlighting and writing
and a journal for them to record thoughts and inspiration.
Lottie used her new Polaroid camera and took photos of each of
us to glue on our "scripture packet."
Lottie's scripture journal is already full of doodles, and I don't think
Nicholas has even cracked his open yet.
But that is to be expected.
Each night after dinner and at the dinner table
(with plates still on the table), we study.
Some nights it's for 5 minutes, and other nights when time has
allowed, we lingered at the table for over an hour
talking about a specific topic or question.
Christian and I know our study each night won't be perfect,
and some form of failure is inevitable.
But our family wants and needs the
"profound blessings" that we know we can receive
as we put Christ first in our home.
As a mother, my calling is to help my children
have a relationship with Christ.
I can do that and am committed to doing that.
I don't know all the doctrine of the Church, I'm not good at memorization,
or have scriptures just waiting in the wings of my brain,
like some people I know...(Mr. Nielson).
I am still studying and praying for those gifts, and
I certainly don't have answers to all
my children's questions, but I do have faith, know
what I feel is real, and can get answers to my sincere prayers.
I have seen miracles come from obedience and commitment to the Savior.
And I can teach that.
Nielson Family Scripture Study 2019:
Monday- Preach My Gospel & The Book Of Mormon
Tuesday- The Book Of Mormon
Wednesday- The Book of Mormon
Thursday- For The Strength of Youth & The Book Of Mormon
Friday-Off
Saturday- Off
Sunday- Come Follow Me & The New Testament
* * * * * * * * *
Spiritual Enlightenment:
(Good quotes about Family scripture study)
"I promise you that daily family prayer and scripture study
will build within the walls of your home a security and bonding
that will enrich your lives and prepare your families to meet
the challenges of today and the eternities to come."
"The ideal place for that peace is within the walls of our own homes,
where we have done all we can to make the Lord Jesus Christ the centerpiece."
"Sabbath day observance, family prayer, family scripture study,
service and activity in the Church, as well as patterns of respect
and loyalty in the home, will have a great effect
on our children and on their future.
Now, the important thing is that we consistently work to do these things.
We will not be perfect at it, and our families will not always respond
positively, but we will be building a strong foundation
of righteous traditions that our children can depend on. "
"Consistent, wholesome family traditions that include prayer,
scripture reading, family home evening, and attendance at
Church meetings, though seemingly small and simple,
create a culture of love, respect, unity, and security.
In the spirit that accompanies these efforts, our children
become protected from the fiery darts of the adversary so
embedded in the worldly culture of our day."