Okay, so I was a moron and my database blew up on my website. I learned from it though, real good. So, anyway, it's now up and running again and I feel it's MUCH nicer.

So please feel free to visit my main site over at www.ruthiechan.net.

Tags: Website Personal Acts

0 comments View Entry

During Music Time (or Spot or whatever you'd like to call it) in Relief Society I talked with the sisters about this hymn.

I asked my daughter Hazel who is now five years old, "how does this song make you feel?"
She said, jumping, "HAPPY!"
I confirmed, smiling, "It makes you feel happy?"
"Yes, and it makes me feel good and like Jesus is my Savior."

How positive is that?
Children learn best through music and movement, and role playing - getting actively involved in whatever it is they are doing or learning. Children's hymns plays a vital role in helping children learn about the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

This hymn is the most well known children's hymn. Everyone at least knows the first verse and if not that, the chorus.
The words are as follows:

1. I am a child of God,
And he has sent me here,
Has given me an earthly home
With parents kind and dear.

[Chorus]
Lead me, guide me, walk beside me,
Help me find the way.
Teach me all that I must do
To live with him someday.

2. I am a child of God,
And so my needs are great;
Help me to understand his words
Before it grows too late.

3. I am a child of God.
Rich blessings are in store;
If I but learn to do his will
I’ll live with him once more.

So who's talking?
...
this is me letting you think about it first before I give you the answer.
...
The child.

Who is the child talking to?
...
ponder ponder.
...
Their Parents.

Now, here's the question. Is it true?
Look at the words, "has given me an earthly home, with parents kind and dear."
Was that true for you? And if not, is true for you children? Are you kind and dear?
How sad would it be for a child to sing this song, come upon these words and think, "but not me, I don't, mine are always yelling at me, and mean to me?"

When you receive one message at Church and then another message at home, it causes a cognitive dissonance. A confusion. Things are all nice and happy sounding at Church but the reality tells you something different. It is very important for the messages at Church and the messages at home to be the same. You can not create a two strand braid without both strands.

Is this song true for your children? Are you a parent who is kind and dear? And if not, what are you going to do about it? I have known people who hated this song because it was not true for them, and they didn't start getting over it until the age of 25 or my age (29) and one gal was nearly old enough to be my mother before she got over that this song effectively being a lie for her.

So I ask again, is this hymn true for your children? Is it true?

It is very important for these hymns to be true for your children.

And I say these things, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Tags: Music Hymns

3 comments View Entry

A bit of explanation and background:
For a few years now the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has been putting out a series of lesson books to be used in Relief Society and Priesthood meetings. The series is called Teachings of Presidents of the Church. They choose one modern day Prophet, compile many of his teachings into a book, and then use it for the whole year. For the year of 2008 we are focusing on Joseph Smith Jr.

I read the introduction, which was basically a brief overview of Joseph Smith Jr's life. Then they went to Chapter One, called, "The First Vision: The Father and the Son Appear to Joseph Smith".

Joseph Smith grew up in a time where there was a lot of religious uproar. He felt confused by all the different sects and decided to read the scriptures for himself.

He read the scriptures, he thought about them extensively, pondering them, and then one day while reading the Epistle of James chapter one verse five, which reads: "If any of you lack wisdom let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him." {1}

Joseph Smith said, regarding that scripture, "Never did any passage of scripture come with more power to the heart of man than this did at this time to mine."

And so, he did. He went to a grove of trees, prayed and received an answer. He saw God the Father and his Son Jesus Christ. "One of them spake on to [him], calling [him] by name and said, pointing to the other, Here is My Beloved Son. Hear Him." Joseph was told by Jesus Christ to join none of them, that they were all wrong because, "They draw near to me with their lips but their hearts are far from me, they teach for doctrines the commandents of men, having a form of godlines, but they deny the power thereof." {2}

However when he told a preacher about his experience Joseph very swiftly was met with scorn and persecution among the professors of religion. He was told he was being deceived by the devil, etc.

Why am I mentioning all of this? Because I realized something. First that instead of choosing to believe a preacher that sounded good, he wanted to know the truth of things, and he went to find out for himself. He was not a blind believer. Similar to buying a house. You don't just believe whatever the realtor says to you and sign the paperwork. You read the documentation, you inspect many houses, and do some research on the neighborhood you are considering. It isn't until you do all those things, coupled with prayer, do you make a choice on where you want to live.

Joseph Smith was fourteen years old when he had this vision. He had no idea that the answer was going to be so . . . life changing.

Second. When the preacher and other religious leaders and folk started coming down on him for having this vision, which "was often the cause of great sorrow to" Joseph, instead of buckling under, or thinking that maybe the preachers were right, he stood his ground. He did not doubt himself. He knew what he saw and heard was true. How many of us have enough confidence in ourselves to not be crushed under such pressure? How many of us had enough when we were only fourteen years old?

Joseph Smith was the self esteem, anti peer pressure, poster boy. He knew he had faults, but he also knew his strengths and had a firm sense of his own self worth. Wow. How blessed he was to have such positive qualities. How often do we struggle with our own self worth?

I've never thought about the various qualities one must need, the personality traits, to be able to endure what Joseph endured, and to accomplish all that he had accomplished. . . it's really rather awe inspiring. I think he may just need to be added to my list of heroes.

Now that I think about it, I know someone who has similar qualities. My husband. He knows his faults (and, unlike me, doesn't let those get him down; I'm sure Joseph Smith was the same), he knows his strengths, and he has self efficacy, as in he knows his own self worth, which is something I often struggle with even though in my head I know better. He's already on my list of heroes.

Happy New Year.
Faith and Hope.
Selah.

{1}The Epistle of James 1:5
{2}Joseph Smith - History 1 (for all other quotes)

 

Originally posted on my personal site ruthiechan.net by me.

0 comments View Entry