Scripture of the Week: Happiness Scripture Chain

Our family home evening lesson this week was adapted from I Can Be Happy (Behold Your Little Ones: Nursery Manual, Lesson 19). Instead of only choosing one scripture for the week, we used a treasure hunt around the house to read from the scriptures and learn more about happiness and joy.

“My soul shall be joyful in the Lord”
Psalm 35:9

“Men are that they might have joy”
2 Nephi 2:25

“Rejoice evermore”
1 Thessalonians 5:16

“Lift up thy heart and rejoice”
D&C 25:13

“The next time you’re tempted to groan, you might try to laugh instead. It will extend your life and make the lives of all those around you more enjoyable.”
Elder Wirthlin (Come What May and Love It – Ensign November 2008)

Recently Read: The Invention of Hugo Cabret

The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick

This book is unlike any other book I have read. I am currently working my way through Caldecott medal winners, and at 526 pages this book didn't seem to fit the criteria of children's book. While not a book for the very young, this book spins a great story of thievery, magic and time. It is an intriguing read.

Here is the description from the official website:

"ORPHAN, CLOCK KEEPER, AND THIEF, twelve-year-old Hugo lives in the walls of a busy Paris train station, where his survival depends on secrets and anonymity. But when his world suddenly interlocks with an eccentric girl and the owner of a small toy booth in the train station, Hugo’s undercover life, and his most precious secret, are put in jeopardy. A cryptic drawing, a treasured notebook, a stolen key, a mechanical man, and a hidden message all come together...in The Invention of Hugo Cabret.

This 526-page book is told in both words and pictures. The Invention of Hugo Cabret is not exactly a novel, and it’s not quite a picture book, and it’s not really a graphic novel, or a flip book, or a movie, but a combination of all these things. Each picture (there are nearly three hundred pages of pictures!) takes up an entire double page spread, and the story moves forward because you turn the pages to see the next moment unfold in front of you."

Scripture of the Week: Moses 1:39

"For behold, this is my work and my glory--to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man."
Moses 1:39

This scripture was chosen to go along with our family home evening lesson on the the plan of salvation.

Recently Read: Austenland

Austenland by Shannon Hale

Having just finished reading Pride and Prejudice, I was in the mood for a little more Jane Austen. This book was recommended by a friend, and it's a fun little romantic comedy. Here is the blurb from the book jacket:

"Jane Hayes is a seemingly normal young New Yorker, but she has a secret. Her obsession with Mr. Darcy, as played by Colin Firth in the BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, is ruining her love life: no real man can compare. But when a wealthy relative bequeaths her a trip to an English resort catering to Austen-crazed women, Jane’s fantasies of meeting the perfect Regency-era gentleman suddenly become realer than she ever could have imagined.

Decked out in empire-waist gowns, Jane struggles to master Regency etiquette and flirts with gardeners and gentlemen—or maybe even, she suspects, with the actors who are playing them. It’s all a game, Jane knows. And yet the longer she stays, the more her insecurities seem to fall away, and the more she wonders: Is she about to kick the Austen obsession for good, or could all her dreams actually culminate in a Mr. Darcy of her own?"

It's a lighthearted book, great for all of the Jane Austen fans who secretly have a crush on Mr. Darcy.

Favorite Bunny Books on our Bookshelf

My Friend Rabbit by Eric Rohmann

Knuffle Bunny by Mo Willems

Knuffle Bunny Too by Mo Willems

Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown

Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown

Scripture of the Week: Matthew 28:5-6

"And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay."
Matthew 28: 5-6

This scripture was chosen to go along with our Easter Family Home Evening lesson, adapted from Jesus Christ was Resurrected (Behold Your Little Ones: Nursery Manual, Lesson 29) and an interactive Easter Eggs lesson from Kidology.

Recently Read: Pride and Prejudice

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

This book is well-deserving of its classic status. I've read it once or twice or before and just re-read it for our book club, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Elizabeth Bennett is an interesting heroine, and the romantic in me loves to watch her relationship with Mr. Darcy unfold. Jane Austen's books are always an enjoyable excursion to another world in another time, and this book bears no exception.

My Gospel Study in March 2009

Among other things, my gospel study in March included the following:

Chapter 28: Missionary Service: A Holy Calling, a Glorious Work
Chapter 29: Living With Others in Peace and Harmony

Lesson 10: “This Is My Voice unto All”
Lesson 11: “The Field Is White Already to Harvest”
Lesson 12: “The Gathering of My People”
Lesson 13: “This Generation Shall Have My Word through You”

General Conference Addresses October 2008

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf: The Infinite Power of Hope

"Hope is not knowledge, but rather the abiding trust that the Lord will fulfill His promise to us. It is confidence that if we live according to God’s laws and the words of His prophets now, we will receive desired blessings in the future. It is believing and expecting that our prayers will be answered. It is manifest in confidence, optimism, enthusiasm, and patient perseverance.

In the language of the gospel, this hope is sure, unwavering, and active. The prophets of old speak of a “firm hope” and a “lively hope.”It is a hope glorifying God through good works. With hope comes joy and happiness. With hope, we can “have patience, and bear … [our] afflictions.”

Elder David A. Bednar: Pray Always
Principle #1. Prayer becomes more meaningful as we counsel with the Lord in all our doings (see Alma 37:37).
Principle #2. Prayer becomes more meaningful as we express heartfelt gratitude.
Principle #3. Prayer becomes more meaningful as we pray for others with real intent and a sincere heart.

President Henry B. Eyring: Our Hearts Knit as One
"Happily I am seeing more and more skillful peacemakers who calm troubled waters before harm is done. You could be one of those peacemakers, whether you are in the conflict or an observer.

One way I have seen it done is to search for anything on which we agree. To be that peacemaker, you need to have the simple faith that as children of God, with all our differences, it is likely that in a strong position we take, there will be elements of truth. The great peacemaker, the restorer of unity, is the one who finds a way to help people see the truth they share. That truth they share is always greater and more important to them than their differences. You can help yourself and others to see that common ground if you ask for help from God and then act. He will answer your prayer to help restore peace, as He has mine."

Elaine S. Dalton: A Return to Virtue

"The temple is the reason for everything we do in the Church."

"Virtue is a prerequisite to entering the Lord’s holy temples and to receiving the Spirit’s guidance. Virtue “is a pattern of thought and behavior based on high moral standards.”It encompasses chastity and moral purity. Virtue begins in the heart and in the mind. It is nurtured in the home. It is the accumulation of thousands of small decisions and actions. Virtue is a word we don’t hear often in today’s society, but the Latin root word virtus means strength. Virtuous women and men possess a quiet dignity and inner strength. They are confident because they are worthy to receive and be guided by the Holy Ghost. President Monson has counseled: “You be the one to make a stand for right, even if you stand alone. Have the moral courage to be a light for others to follow. There is no friendship more valuable than your own clear conscience, your own moral cleanliness—and what a glorious feeling it is to know that you stand in your appointed place clean and with the confidence that you are worthy to do so.”

President Thomas S. Monson: Finding Joy in the Journey
"If you are still in the process of raising children, be aware that the tiny fingerprints that show up on almost every newly cleaned surface, the toys scattered about the house, the piles and piles of laundry to be tackled will disappear all too soon and that you will—to your surprise—miss them profoundly."

"Send that note to the friend you’ve been neglecting; give your child a hug; give your parents a hug; say “I love you” more; always express your thanks. Never let a problem to be solved become more important than a person to be loved. Friends move away, children grow up, loved ones pass on. It’s so easy to take others for granted, until that day when they’re gone from our lives and we are left with feelings of “what if” and “if only.” Said author Harriet Beecher Stowe, “The bitterest tears shed over graves are for words left unsaid and deeds left undone.”

William D. Oswald: Gospel Teaching--Our Most Important Calling
Principle 1: Show love to those you teach and call them by name.
Principle 2: Teach from the scriptures.
Principle 3: Encourage the pondering of gospel truths

Ensign, March 2009

The Friend, March 2009

Scripture of the Week: Amos 3:7

“Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.”
Amos 3:7

This scripture was chosen to go along with our Family Home Evening lesson, I Will Follow the Prophet (Lesson 24 from Behold Your Little Ones: Nursery Manual)

We're looking forward to General Conference this weekend. Here is some great counsel from President Hinckley:

“I invite you to listen, listen if you will by the power of the Spirit, to the speakers who will address you [in General Conference]. If you will do so, I do not hesitate to promise that you will be uplifted, your resolution to do what is right will be stronger, you will find solutions to your problems and your needs, and you will be led to thank the Lord for what you have heard”

Gordon B. Hinckley “Listen by the Power of the Spirit,” Ensign, Nov. 1996, 4