Every Family has a Story - This is Ours
Sometimes even our best made plans are sabotaged! We wanted to remind you all how many prayers and miracles came about in our efforts to get together in 2015. So many things kept going wrong. The Tidlunds car broke down, and their house flooded. The Clark's car broke down. The Arringtons found out they were moving to Arkansas and they needed to go find a place to live. The Parker's had an extra long way to travel and Taralyn was sick every day. Grandma and Grandpa had tires go bad and needed to replace them. It would have been so easy to give in and decide getting together was going to be too hard. But instead, everyone prayed harder and looked for solutions and we were all very blessed in many ways. It may have felt like climbing a mountain, but in the end all of the challenges that led up to our coming together actually made our time together all the more sweet. WE are so blessed to LOVE and LIKE each other so well. WE are so blessed to have shared FAITH and prayers for one another. Another special part of our time together was having Grandma and Grandpa Boyer join us to express their love for us and tell us about their testimony of prayer and their gratefulness for all of us. We hope you will all always remember the answered prayers and miracles that led up to our fun time together. Families are the most important thing we have!!! We sure do love ours.
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Faith of Our Fathers
We love Independence day because it reminds us about the brave men who decided we could have a better life if we became the United States of America. They felt they were being led by God to create a land where all could be free. They knew when they signed the Declaration of Independence they were putting their lives and the safety of their loved ones at risk, but they also knew that in order to live the way God inspired them to live they would need to have freedom from the King of England. So they wrote the Declaration of Independence and declared that they would live free or die! They remind us a lot about the people who followed Captain Moroni in the Book of Mormon. They fought for their liberty, their religion, and their families. That's exactly what our founding fathers fought for too. We need to remember to stand up for the same values, no matter what the world says.
We're so proud of Katelyn and her choice to be baptized. She is a great example of faith - knowing what God wants us to do and acting on that knowledge because we know blessings will come from our obedience and sacrifice. We love her and the gospel of Jesus Christ. |
Sacrifice is part of living the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We are so richly blessed, we all can live in places where we can see a temple in less than a day! We are asked to sacrifice other things to be worthy to go to the temple. While you are preparing to be worthy to go to the temple some day, you are choosing to live your life a certain way. We know this obedience brings blessings. Those who don't know what we know look at our choices as sacrifices - things we give up. No sacrifice is too great for the blessings of the temple!
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Taralyn and Daren prepared to be married in the temple by keeping their baptismal covenants. The have always known that the best place to be married on earth is in Heavenly Father's temple and so they have worked hard to keep the commandments and frequently repent just like Jesus taught.
They know that the words of Elder M. Russell Ballard are true,
"What matters most is what lasts the longest and families are forever."
So promising God they will create a forever family is absolutely the best thing they can do!
They know that your parents love you and we love you, but Heavenly Father loves you even more! He has given us a way to return to live with Him forever and that includes making and keeping the promises that are taught in the temple. That's why they are making eternal marriage covenants.
You can learn more about temple promises and blessing by getting your parents to help you print out the coloring page and work sheet.
They know that the words of Elder M. Russell Ballard are true,
"What matters most is what lasts the longest and families are forever."
So promising God they will create a forever family is absolutely the best thing they can do!
They know that your parents love you and we love you, but Heavenly Father loves you even more! He has given us a way to return to live with Him forever and that includes making and keeping the promises that are taught in the temple. That's why they are making eternal marriage covenants.
You can learn more about temple promises and blessing by getting your parents to help you print out the coloring page and work sheet.
If you're looking for a story about Faith - this is the best story ever!
Get your parents to look up these scriptures and and read them with you.
Then, as a family list all of the ways the people in these scriptures used faith.
Faith is knowing God's will for us and having the courage to act on it. We show true faith when we align our choices with the hopes Heavenly Father has for us. LIke knowing when we should be baptized (or married in the temple) then taking the steps to do it. Whenever that happens we are exercising our faith.
We exercise our faith when we pay our tithing or go to church or forgive someone or serve someone or fast & pray for someone.
What other ways can you exercise your faith?
How are you exercising your faith today?
Get your parents to look up these scriptures and and read them with you.
Then, as a family list all of the ways the people in these scriptures used faith.
Faith is knowing God's will for us and having the courage to act on it. We show true faith when we align our choices with the hopes Heavenly Father has for us. LIke knowing when we should be baptized (or married in the temple) then taking the steps to do it. Whenever that happens we are exercising our faith.
We exercise our faith when we pay our tithing or go to church or forgive someone or serve someone or fast & pray for someone.
What other ways can you exercise your faith?
How are you exercising your faith today?
Do you remember John and Priscilla Alden? They are your many many great grandparents and they came to America on the Mayflower. Priscilla came because she had faith she could worship God how she wanted to in America. John came because he got a job on the ship the Mayflower and once he saw the new world, he decided to stay.
They were at the first Thanksgiving. See - we've been celebrating it since it began!
Since falling in love and weddings seem to be the theme of the year, we thought you'd like to know their love story:
Everyone said Priscilla was the prettiest girl in town, and Captain Miles Standish liked what he saw. He sent one of his crew members, John Alden, to tell Priscilla he wanted to marry her. It turns out Priscilla didn't want to marry stuffy old Captain Standish, but she did think John was kind and handsome. John really liked Priscilla too, but he was trying to obey the Captain's wishes. Finally, Priscilla got impatient and said, "Can't you speak for yourself John?" That gave John the courage to admit he loved Priscilla and wanted to marry her. And that's exactly what they did! They lived many years and had eleven children.
John outlived all of the crew of the Mayflower and all of the signers of the Mayflower compact, so he was famous for being the last survivor of those brave Pilgrims.
The famous poet, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, wrote a poem about their love story.
They were at the first Thanksgiving. See - we've been celebrating it since it began!
Since falling in love and weddings seem to be the theme of the year, we thought you'd like to know their love story:
Everyone said Priscilla was the prettiest girl in town, and Captain Miles Standish liked what he saw. He sent one of his crew members, John Alden, to tell Priscilla he wanted to marry her. It turns out Priscilla didn't want to marry stuffy old Captain Standish, but she did think John was kind and handsome. John really liked Priscilla too, but he was trying to obey the Captain's wishes. Finally, Priscilla got impatient and said, "Can't you speak for yourself John?" That gave John the courage to admit he loved Priscilla and wanted to marry her. And that's exactly what they did! They lived many years and had eleven children.
John outlived all of the crew of the Mayflower and all of the signers of the Mayflower compact, so he was famous for being the last survivor of those brave Pilgrims.
The famous poet, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, wrote a poem about their love story.
We have faith you'll have tons of fun this week and that your mom's will create amazing makeup faces for you.
When we were kids no one did make up.
We had these nasty plastic masks that were thin and crunchy and way hot.
They cracked if someone bumped you and they were hard to see and breath out of. Yucky.
When we were kids no one did make up.
We had these nasty plastic masks that were thin and crunchy and way hot.
They cracked if someone bumped you and they were hard to see and breath out of. Yucky.
You can Color This -
We learn many things in conference.
How have the messages helped you?
We left the Goofy Camping video for you to watch. Be glad our camping trip wasn't like his!
Camping and Faith
Ha ha - get your parents to let you watch the silly video of Goofy camping. He has an unexpected adventure.
We have faith our camping trip will go much better than Goofy's!
We have faith our camping trip will go much better than Goofy's!
Mickey Mouse and Faith
Walt Disney said he wanted his theme parks to be "a source of joy and inspiration to all the world." He made sure Mickey and his friends teach us such things too. Peter Pan taught us that "faith, trust, and pixie dust" can help you leave your cares behind. So, good is always rewarded; evil is always punished. Faith is an essential element in Mickey's stories — faith in yourself and, even more, faith in something greater than yourself. Plus, Mickey Mouse just always seems to be filled with joy and he always watches out for his friends. That's awesome!
Learning something new requires faith. You have to believe in yourself that you can learn it and you have to have patience in yourself to keep trying. Click on the link with your parents and start learning how to draw Mickey Mouse. We have faith you can do it!!!!
Learning something new requires faith. You have to believe in yourself that you can learn it and you have to have patience in yourself to keep trying. Click on the link with your parents and start learning how to draw Mickey Mouse. We have faith you can do it!!!!
I'm glad that I live in this beautiful world - Heavenly Father Created for Me.
Do you know that primary song?
One of the reasons we love to camp is because Heavenly Father has made such a beautiful world. We love the sights, sounds, smells, and touch of nature. It all reminds us that Heavenly Father loves us so much he created this earth and everything on it for us. We feel extra loved when we are surrounded by His beautiful creations. That includes nature and it includes all of you. You help us feel extra loved too because you are His beautiful creations too.
That's why we're so excited to go camping with you!
One of the reasons we love to camp is because Heavenly Father has made such a beautiful world. We love the sights, sounds, smells, and touch of nature. It all reminds us that Heavenly Father loves us so much he created this earth and everything on it for us. We feel extra loved when we are surrounded by His beautiful creations. That includes nature and it includes all of you. You help us feel extra loved too because you are His beautiful creations too.
That's why we're so excited to go camping with you!
Click the pictures full size to find out what we learned from our Daddies!
Click the pictures full size to find what we learned from our Mommies!
Faith and Goals
Did you know setting goals requires faith? Even silly ones. When you set a goal you say you are going to do something and then you work to make it happen. Daren always wanted to succeed at a food challenge, and this weekend he did it! It might seem silly to eat such a giant hamburger, but he set a goal and he accomplished it.
Knowing we want to do something is a dream. Working to make it happen is a goal. Faith is what moves us from the dream to success.
What goals to do you have? Do you want to play baseball, or ride a bike? Do you want to read? Do you want to ski as well as your daddy? Do you want to eat a pickle?
Write us a letter and tell us what you're goals are!
Knowing we want to do something is a dream. Working to make it happen is a goal. Faith is what moves us from the dream to success.
What goals to do you have? Do you want to play baseball, or ride a bike? Do you want to read? Do you want to ski as well as your daddy? Do you want to eat a pickle?
Write us a letter and tell us what you're goals are!
Taunalee & Peter choose Nauvoo
Uncle Steve drew this.
Taunalee and Peter chose to be married in the Nauvoo Temple because Nauvoo was built by their ancestors. That means it was built by yours too! Many of your great grandma's and grandpa's traveled very far and sacrificed a lot so they could live in Nauvoo. They came their to build a temple so they could receive special blessings from Heavenly Father. There was no other place on earth where they could get those blessings.
It took a lot of faith and many angry people tried to stop them. These people became the pioneers when the angry men made them leave Nauvoo and destroyed the temple. So the pioneers showed more faith and traveled 1200 miles to Utah where they could be safe and build more temples.
The angry men couldn't stop the people from following God. Now their are over 150 temples on the earth! (This temple is one of them.)
All because your ancestors and their friends had the faith to keep trying to keep the commandments and to keep building temples.
It took a lot of faith and many angry people tried to stop them. These people became the pioneers when the angry men made them leave Nauvoo and destroyed the temple. So the pioneers showed more faith and traveled 1200 miles to Utah where they could be safe and build more temples.
The angry men couldn't stop the people from following God. Now their are over 150 temples on the earth! (This temple is one of them.)
All because your ancestors and their friends had the faith to keep trying to keep the commandments and to keep building temples.
Easter All Week
Here's a way for you and your family to think about the true purpose of Easter all week. Each day read and discuss one of these stories as a family.
Sunday -Triumphal entry into Jerusalem Matt. 21:1-11 Monday - Clearing the temple Matt. 21:12-15
Tuesday - Scribes questioned the authority of Jesus and asked about paying tribute money Matt. 21; Matt. 22
Wednesday - Discuss the Parable of the 10 virgins Matt. 25
Thursday - The Last Supper and the Garden of Gethsemane Matt. 26
Friday - Trial, Crucifixion and burial of Jesus Matt. 27
Saturday -Discuss missionary work in the spirit world 1 Pet. 3:18-20; 1 Pet. 4:6
Easter Sunday - The empty tomb and Resurrection Matt. 28
Sunday -Triumphal entry into Jerusalem Matt. 21:1-11 Monday - Clearing the temple Matt. 21:12-15
Tuesday - Scribes questioned the authority of Jesus and asked about paying tribute money Matt. 21; Matt. 22
Wednesday - Discuss the Parable of the 10 virgins Matt. 25
Thursday - The Last Supper and the Garden of Gethsemane Matt. 26
Friday - Trial, Crucifixion and burial of Jesus Matt. 27
Saturday -Discuss missionary work in the spirit world 1 Pet. 3:18-20; 1 Pet. 4:6
Easter Sunday - The empty tomb and Resurrection Matt. 28
Climbing a Mountain Requires Faith
Squaw Peak - Steve wants to hike this!
Hiking and climbing, and sometimes even walking, all require faith. You have to set a goal and then work to get there. But all the hard work is worth it because of the fun along the way and the amazing views at the end. Of course, that means setting any goal requires faith.
We've set a family goal to go camping. Now we all get to plan together to make it successful! Look at all the possibilities (below) for us to see and do near our campsite. Get your parents to look at them with you, talk it over, and then start sending us ideas for what you want to do.
We want you to tell us what you want to do. Send us all your ideas. We might not be able to do them all, but we want to make sure we do at least something you want to do! Don't forget playing & crafting in camp, sitting around the campfire, being silly, snapping glow sticks, and exploring are all part of the fun too. WE. CAN'T. WAIT.
We've set a family goal to go camping. Now we all get to plan together to make it successful! Look at all the possibilities (below) for us to see and do near our campsite. Get your parents to look at them with you, talk it over, and then start sending us ideas for what you want to do.
We want you to tell us what you want to do. Send us all your ideas. We might not be able to do them all, but we want to make sure we do at least something you want to do! Don't forget playing & crafting in camp, sitting around the campfire, being silly, snapping glow sticks, and exploring are all part of the fun too. WE. CAN'T. WAIT.
Faith and Family
Reading to grandkids.
Barbara Clark learned to love family as she grew up in Orderville. The people of Orderville were very poor. They had been sent far away so they could live the Untied Order without any outside influences. This was a divinely directed way to live where everyone in town worked together and shared what they gained. None of them had a lot, so when the children played together they all shared what they had. When the parents harvested food from their gardens they all shared what they had. It worked well for a few years, until the United States government made parts of the Order illegal. Consequently, a lot of single moms ended up working hard to keep their children fed while their husbands and fathers were in prison. They learned how to watch out for each other and care for each other more than things. Because they were so far away from other people they relied on each other and loved each other deeply.
Susie's Mommy Joins the Church
The Lunde Family in 1884 - Thea is in the front row on the right.
In 1870 your great Grandma Boyer's grandma (Thea Lunde) and her family came to America from Norway. Thea would one day become Susie's mother. They traveled by ship, then steamboat, then train. Her parents had joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and they wanted to raise their children with the Saints in the Salt Lake Valley. But coming to America cost a lot of money. It took them 2 months to get from Norway to Wisconsin, then they ran out of money. They saved for 14 years to finish their trip to Utah! In 1884, Susie's mommy was finally able to be baptized, when the missionaries found them in Wisconsin. It happened on a cold January night. There were angry people who wanted to stop them, so they had to sneak out at night to do it. Thea was baptized in the Mississippi River, but since it was winter, the river was frozen solid. The ice was about a foot thick! The Elders cut a hole in the ice then quickly baptized Thea and her brothers. As soon as they came up out of the water their clothes froze stiff! It took a lot of faith to go into that icy cold water, but Thea and her brothers didn't want to wait any longer to become members of the Church. Later that spring the family finally made it to Salt Lake City, Utah. Thea only lived 12 days after her daughter, Susie, was born. Susie didn't know a lot about her mother, but she loved to tell the story of her mother's courage to be baptized in the frozen Mississippi.
Pooh and Faith
Can a silly old bear have faith?
Of course he can!
Pooh Bear has faith his friends will always be on hand to help him. He has faith the bees won't sting him when he collects honey. And he has faith that even when his honey pot is empty he can always find a way to get more honey.
We can learn a lot from this funny little bear all stuffed with fluff. Ask your parents if you can click on the link and print out the picture of Winnie the Pooh to color. After you do, we hope you'll mail it to us so we can see it too!
We hope you have a poohfectlyrific week!
Of course he can!
Pooh Bear has faith his friends will always be on hand to help him. He has faith the bees won't sting him when he collects honey. And he has faith that even when his honey pot is empty he can always find a way to get more honey.
We can learn a lot from this funny little bear all stuffed with fluff. Ask your parents if you can click on the link and print out the picture of Winnie the Pooh to color. After you do, we hope you'll mail it to us so we can see it too!
We hope you have a poohfectlyrific week!
Snowflakes!
Do you remember when we asked you about Christmas symbols and what they can remind us of? Well, Madison and Katelyn sent us mail with drawings and snowflakes. We loved what they said about snowflakes. They said snowflakes are white and pure and remind them about baptism and making the right choices to stay just as clean and pure.
Aren't they beautiful snowflakes? We love getting mail!
Aren't they beautiful snowflakes? We love getting mail!
Did you know?
Our church has made a great video that reminds us about the true message and meaning of Christmas. We celebrate the faith of Mary and Joseph. We celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. We celebrate the gift of eternal life He gave to us all through his sacrifice and service. This video reminds us beautifully of all those things. Get your parents and sit down and watch the video with you. We love it and we hope you will too.
Did you know?
Mary was only fourteen years old when the angel appeared to her to tell her she was going to become the mother of Jesus. There were many reasons for her to feel afraid. However, her response to the angel was this, "Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it unto me according to thy word." In other words, she had faith in God and knew He would never ask anything of her she couldn't do. So when you remember the birth of Jesus this month, remember the remarkable faith his mother had too. Your mother exercised that kind of faith when she decided to have you. She loved and served you before you were even born. What can you do to serve your miraculous mother today?
Did you know?
We said in our letter that all things testify of Christ in one way or another during the Christmas season. For example did you know that ...
• The Star: reminds us of a heavenly sign of prophecy fulfilled long, long ago- The shining hope of mankind.
• The Color Red: is the he first color of Christmas, symbolizes the Savior's sacrifice for all.
• The Fir Tree: since it is evergreen- the second color of Christmas reminds us that Jesus gives us everlasting light and life. The needles point up to heaven.
• The Bell: Rings out to guide lost sheep back to the fold, signifying that all are precious in His eyes. It also reminds us to listen for direction from the Holy Ghost.
• The Candle: reminds us of starlight, reflecting our thanks for the star Heavenly Father sent to announce the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem.
• The Gift Bow: Tied as we should all be tied together in bonds of goodwill forever.
• The Candy Cane: Represents the shape of the shepherd's crook, used to bring lost lambs back to the fold.
• The Wreath: A symbol of the never ending eternal value of love… having no end.
Pretty cool! We bet if you think about it you can find other symbolism from all the sights of Christmas. Even Santa reminds us by giving gifts that the greatest gift of all was the gift Heavenly Father gave us through his son Jesus Christ.
If you think of other Christmas symbols that remind us of Jesus Christ then draw us a picture and mail it to us!
We can't wait to see what you draw.
• The Star: reminds us of a heavenly sign of prophecy fulfilled long, long ago- The shining hope of mankind.
• The Color Red: is the he first color of Christmas, symbolizes the Savior's sacrifice for all.
• The Fir Tree: since it is evergreen- the second color of Christmas reminds us that Jesus gives us everlasting light and life. The needles point up to heaven.
• The Bell: Rings out to guide lost sheep back to the fold, signifying that all are precious in His eyes. It also reminds us to listen for direction from the Holy Ghost.
• The Candle: reminds us of starlight, reflecting our thanks for the star Heavenly Father sent to announce the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem.
• The Gift Bow: Tied as we should all be tied together in bonds of goodwill forever.
• The Candy Cane: Represents the shape of the shepherd's crook, used to bring lost lambs back to the fold.
• The Wreath: A symbol of the never ending eternal value of love… having no end.
Pretty cool! We bet if you think about it you can find other symbolism from all the sights of Christmas. Even Santa reminds us by giving gifts that the greatest gift of all was the gift Heavenly Father gave us through his son Jesus Christ.
If you think of other Christmas symbols that remind us of Jesus Christ then draw us a picture and mail it to us!
We can't wait to see what you draw.
Madison Follows Jesus
Heavenly Father wants all of his children to be baptized and confirmed so they can have the gift of the Holy Ghost. Although he was perfect, Jesus was baptized too because he is obedient and because he needed to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Even he could not have that gift if he were not baptized and confirmed. Madison wants to be like Jesus. She was obedient to Heavenly Father's commandments and was baptized and confirmed on Novemver 24, 2012. We are so glad we could all be together to witness Madison follow the example of Jesus.
Why did the Pilgrims sail to America?
The Pilgrims came to America because they were seeking religious freedom. They lived in a country where the King told them what church to go to and what they should think. For a long time they couldn't even read the Bible. But many brave people worked hard and gave up there lives so everyone could read the Bible, not just the rich people. When people started reading the Bible they realized God had granted them agency - the right to choose for themselves how they would worship. After a lot of prayer and sacrifice they decided to leave their homes to come to a new world, America, where they would be free to worship God in the way the Bible told them too. It took a lot of FAITH to leave their homes and families and countries behind, but they wanted their children and grandchildren to have the blessing of freedom of religion.
Tiffany Makes a Baptismal Covenant
Tiffany, with her daddy (Poppa Stu).
Once upon a time there was a little girl named Tiffany who decided she had the faith to be baptized. She knew that when she was baptized she was making a covenant with God. She knew a covenant was a two-way promise. She would make promises to God and in return He would make promises to her. She had faith they would both keep their promises.
Tiffany promised she would keep the commandments and be willing to be called one of God's people. She promised to help and comfort everyone around her too. She also promised to be a witness for God, which meant she would be brave and tell others about Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and how much they love them. She knew this would take faith and courage, but she knew the Spirit would help her if she kept her covenants.
Heavenly Father promised Tiffany that if she kept her promises He would bless her with the companionship of the Holy Ghost. She could always have the Spirit to be with her to help her feel what was right and wrong, to remember what she needed to remember, and to have the courage she needed to make good choices. So Tiffany gained faith as she exercised her faith!
Tiffany knew that even Jesus Christ was baptized. That's because baptism is the first step we take to ensure we can return to live with our Heavenly Father again. In some ways, being baptized is like knocking on the front door of heaven to tell Heavenly Father we love Him. Tiffany loved her Heavenly Father and Jesus and wanted to be like them.
Because Tiffany was baptized and kept her baptismal covenants, when she grew in faith until she was able to go to the Temple to make more covenants with God and draw ever closer to him. She was able to marry a faith-filled man named Bryan in the Temple so the could create a forever family. Now they are the parents of four fantastic kids who are making their own baptismal covenants. They are working as a family to honor their commitments to Heavenly Father by following the teachings of Jesus Christ. Every day, Tiffany is still increasing her faith.
Tiffany promised she would keep the commandments and be willing to be called one of God's people. She promised to help and comfort everyone around her too. She also promised to be a witness for God, which meant she would be brave and tell others about Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and how much they love them. She knew this would take faith and courage, but she knew the Spirit would help her if she kept her covenants.
Heavenly Father promised Tiffany that if she kept her promises He would bless her with the companionship of the Holy Ghost. She could always have the Spirit to be with her to help her feel what was right and wrong, to remember what she needed to remember, and to have the courage she needed to make good choices. So Tiffany gained faith as she exercised her faith!
Tiffany knew that even Jesus Christ was baptized. That's because baptism is the first step we take to ensure we can return to live with our Heavenly Father again. In some ways, being baptized is like knocking on the front door of heaven to tell Heavenly Father we love Him. Tiffany loved her Heavenly Father and Jesus and wanted to be like them.
Because Tiffany was baptized and kept her baptismal covenants, when she grew in faith until she was able to go to the Temple to make more covenants with God and draw ever closer to him. She was able to marry a faith-filled man named Bryan in the Temple so the could create a forever family. Now they are the parents of four fantastic kids who are making their own baptismal covenants. They are working as a family to honor their commitments to Heavenly Father by following the teachings of Jesus Christ. Every day, Tiffany is still increasing her faith.