Happy New Year everyone! Hopefully you’ve had a GREAT Christmas Season and are starting off 2024 in a WONDERFUL way! While time is continuously flowing and there is technically no difference between the last moments of one year and the beginning of the next, sometimes having these arbitrary milestones can help us refocus and redirect our efforts. It can also be a time when we celebrate the accomplishments we have made and forgive ourselves in areas we have fallen short.
One thing that I want to start out with is how this time of year gives us a way to look at and set our goals and start new beginnings. Since this is the start of the New Year I will start by talking about time. Time is interesting. One thing we do is to arbitrarily set up certain milestones in our lives. This includes making the beginnings/endings of years, decades, centuries and milleniums. Just 24 years ago we celebrated not only a new year but also a new decade, century and millennium. While these are just arbitrary milestones, since there is no difference between the 24 hours that happen on the 31st of December than those in the middle of July, they can be used to set our goals into focus. Afterall, we don’t find ourselves setting forth midsummer resolutions (although this might be an idea). With this in mind, I thought I’d dosciss making New Year's Resolutions.
I have looked at a few websites concerning New Year’s resolutions. I found a couple that are specifically LDS oriented. One article in particular from the January 2018 Ensign was titled 6 New Years Resolutions you probably never thought about. These suggestions include:
1. Make eye contact with people as you speak with and listen to them.
If you’re looking to make new friends, this is a great goal to set. Don’t overdo it—staring into someone’s eyes for too long (sometimes even for just a little) might make them uncomfortable—but try to look people directly in their eyes as they talk to you. When you meet someone new, notice the color of their eyes. Looking people directly in their eyes sends the message that you see and appreciate who they are.
2. Look in the mirror every morning and say, “I am a child of God. He loves me and will help me today.”
We think thousands of thoughts every day, and if we’re not careful, many of these can be negative. Repeating a positive, powerful, and hopeful thought to yourself is a great way to keep out all those complaints, criticism, and fears. Repeating that thought out loud makes it an even more powerful reminder. The fact that you are a child of God who loves you and will help you is one of the most positive, powerful, and hopeful thoughts out there!
3. Do something besides pull out your phone when you have free time.
What do you do when you’re sitting in class before the bell rings? Or waiting for your mom to pick you up? Chances are, you pull your phone out. But what if you didn’t?
Set a goal to not pull your phone out every single time you’re bored or waiting. Give your mind time to wander. Look around. Notice things. Bored? Good. You can handle a few minutes of boredom. Creativity can happen when you’re bored.
4. Learn to cook 3 new meals this year.
Think outside the (cereal) box. Reach for some fresh ingredients and kitchen gadgets and wow your family with your chef skills. Whether you love to cook or aren’t sure what a tsp is, learning a new recipe is always a good idea! You can find someone who cooks well to teach you a few things, or you can find some recipes to try yourself. Don’t forget to clean up!
5. Try something new every day!
This doesn’t mean you have to jump into a new hobby every day. Something new can be something little. Never hang up your coat? Hang it up! Always sit with the same people at lunch? Sit with someone new. Even making the smallest changes can lead to amazing new experiences, and help you learn new things. “Fill up your memory bank and your book of life with as many ‘I’m glad I did’ activities as you can possibly crowd into one lifetime,” counseled Elder L. Tom Perry (1922–2015) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.1 Don’t let fear, laziness, or a routine keep you from “I’m glad I did” experiences. Surprise yourself! You’ll be glad you did.
6. Say “thank you” 10 times a day.
You can make someone’s day by showing them some gratitude, but studies show that being grateful has a powerful effect on your own mood and well-being. Many people find that the more they focus on things to be grateful for, the happier they are. Want to be happier, healthier, and make someone’s day? Amp up the gratitude. “No matter our circumstances, no matter our challenges or trials, there is something in each day to embrace and cherish,” said President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Second Counselor in the First Presidency. “There is something in each day that can bring gratitude and joy if only we will see and appreciate it.”2 Try saying “thank you” 10 times a day. Or finish each day by writing down 10 things you are grateful for.
On looking further I found a Latter Day Saint lifestyle blog entitled My Life by Gogo Goff It talks about 7 New Year’s Resolutions Every Latter-day Saint Should Consider! The list (with tips and quotes) includes:
1st. Read the Book of Mormon cover to cover this year.
Tip. To reach this goal, strive to read the Book of Mormon every day. You can also listen to it while driving or at the gym!
“I promise that as you prayerfully study the Book of Mormon every day, you will make better decisions—every day.”
Russell M. Nelson
2nd. Fully commit to Home Church and studying Come, Follow Me
Tip: Use the Joseph Smith Translation for the New Testament to vividly point out gospel truths that were lost during the apostasy.
3rd. Let go of your sins.
Tip. Realize that repentance is a journey, therefore be patient with yourself and others as relapses are bound to happen.
“The Savior is there, reaching out to each of us, bidding us: ‘Come unto me.’ We can repent. We can!”
Neil L. Andersen
4th. Make it a year of temple preparation.
Tip. Put a picture of the Temple in every room of your house to motivate you to go! (I love Brent Borup’s temples click here for his gallery)
“As temples are prepared for the people, the people need to prepare themselves for the temple.”
Russell M. Nelson
5th. Become a member missionary, bring someone in/back to the Church.
Tip. Pray for chances to share the Gospel, and the courage to act! Then just do it!
“If you’re not a full-time missionary with a missionary badge pinned on your coat, now is the time to paint one on your heart”
Neil L. Andersen
6th. Judge less and love more.
Tip. Next time you are tempted to judge ask yourself, how does Heavenly Father see them?
“Only by suspending judgment do we exhibit real charity”
N. Eldon Tanner
7th. Take better care of your body.
Tip. Exercise is important, but there is no substitute for healthy eating. Abs are made in the kitchen and you will never outrun your spoon!
“Feeding the spirit while neglecting the body, which is a temple, usually leads to spiritual dissonance and lowered self-esteem. If you are out of shape, if you are uncomfortable in your own body and can do something about it, then do it!”
Elder Jörg Klebingat
Scammer alert! Unfortunately this is something that is always very ongoing!
Unfortunately there are a LOT of scams going around. Here is an example of one that almost happened to me. I received an email telling me that my subscription for McAfee was being renewed - which was interesting since I had canceled it almost as soon as I signed up. The email had a number to call if I wanted to cancel my subscription. When I called I was told that I had to fill out a form online - and the operator was walking me through how to do it. He had me download a jnlp file - which, fortunately, wouldn't open. I’m saying fortunately because when I googled jnlp files it said that these files are used by computer techs so that they can get onto your computer. I was still trying to open the file when he hung up on me. When I tried to call back, numerous times, it wouldn’t go through. Hopefully, after talking to a few people, and canceling the credit card the subscription was originally purchased on, I think I’m OK. However, when I emailed my sons about it, my middle son sternly reminded me not to open any email that comes from someone I don’t know. Also, another sad situation we have to deal with, especially in this season, is porch pirates! My youngest son had a package stolen from his porch. Fortunately he had security cameras so that he could give that video to the police. Another thing that REALLY helps with this problem is neighbors looking after neighbors! Also I also saw a YouTube video concerning something that I mentioned to you guys before. This topic was even discussed in national news. The scam involves scammers calling up and pretending, quite professionally, friends or relatives in dire circumstances. Although a type of this scam has been around for awhile, this has become more serious because of the use of AI. I thought it might be beneficial to see it to refresh our memories. The YouTube video is: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/H9SUuYX4xrY
New Year - New Eating
Since I always seem to include food in my newsletter, I decided not to make an exception in this one. I am including recipes for a healthy start to the New Year. One way to get a good start on healthy eating is to enjoy the New Year’s celebration. In the website Eating Well They have an article Healthy New Year's Recipes where you can find healthy, delicious New Year's recipes, from the food and nutrition experts at EatingWell. To keep up the healthy eating for the New Year, I found a website, Jo Cooks, they have an article 21 Healthy Recipes to Kick Start Your New Year’s Resolutions. It includes recipes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. One of these recipes is:
3 Ingredient Energy Bars
Ingredients
Peanuts – Preferably unsalted. Feel free to use other nuts such as almonds, pecans, etc.
Dates – Dried dates that is. They’re so good for us, full of antioxidants, can reduce blood pressure, food for blood sugar balance and they contain a brain booster. Why wouldn’t we eat these?
Apricots – We need dried apricots. These are also good for us, they help build up our immune system!
How To Make Energy Bars
Place the nuts, dates and apricots in a food processor. Pulse a few times just to break them up. Separate the dates if they start to clump together.
Scrape the edges of the bowl as needed and continue processing for another 1-2 minutes, until the ingredients clump together and gather into a ball.
Lay a piece of parchment paper on your work surface about the size of a baking sheet. Press the dough with your hands until it forms a thick square, roughly 8″ x 8″ in size. I found it easy to roll it with a rolling pin to get it nice and smooth. Wrap it with plastic wrap and chill for at least one hour or overnight.
Unwrap the chilled power bar dough and transfer to a cutting board. Cut into 8 large bars or 16 small squares, as desired. Wrap each bar in plastic wrap or wax paper.
At the bottom of a website it also includes a link to a website 27 Healthy Recipes to Kick Start Your 2017 New Year’s Resolutions
Contemplated then rejected
There was one holiday that, on the surface, I thought would be a good idea to include. It’s Commitment Day. Since the stronger our commitment is, the more likely we are to succeed, it seemed like this and New Year’s resolutions would be a perfect coupling. I was then planning on relating how important it is to keep our goals and commitments focused on the Savior. While I feel that this is very important, I have decided against linking with the Commitment Day holiday I found. This is because I found it to be too secular and based on faulty assumptions. The website, National Today gives information for this holiday. It is celebrated on January 1 - which would help it pair well with making and committing to resolutions. However, it then goes on to say that this holiday is focused on matrimonial commitment. While celestial marriage is essential and of eternal consequence, this particular holiday is more focused on the secular side of matrimony. One way this is seen is in the fact that their timeline started with the first marriages being in 2350 B.C.; with the first religious marriage happening in 1563. Since we know that Adam and Eve were married by God before there was death in the world, and had an eternal marriage, we know that the Commitment Day’s assumptions are incorrect. However, the websites does have interesting parts, including
Commitment Day FAQs
How to Celebrate Commitment Day
5 Facts about marriage
Why We Love Commitment Day
I have decided not to go into too much detail. Instead I will focus on the points I was trying to make and then simply putting the link to the holiday here for those who want to go into more detail.
Thank God It's Monday - January 1
I found information about this holiday on the website Days of the Year. I like this holiday just because it goes against what we usually think/feel about the day. On the last day of what is most peoples normal work week we usually make a point of saying TGIF and rejoicing in the fact that it’s Friday and the work week has ended and the weekend is going to begin. We also mope and grumble about Mondays. In fact, according to the website a schoolchild once complained: “Mondays are bad enough, but why do they have to be at the start of the week?” However, during this holiday season, I wanted to rethink this position. One way the website has of rethinking the day is to remember the amazing things that have happened on Mondays:
Cyber Monday
Nutella was Invented
YouTube was born on a Monday
In a somewhat similar vein I tried something that I thought might help my attitude toward Mondays and the starting of the week. To this end I started doing something - when my kids were young. Since it seemed like part of the dreading of Monday was having to go back to waking up at an earlier time, I thought I’d shake things up a bit. What I did for a short period of time was to get up even earlier on the weekends - with the premise that, when Monday came, it would feel like I was sleeping in. Although I did notice certain advantages to it, my life was too complicated to keep it up. But if we can embrace Monday as a gift, instead of dreading it, it might change our entire outlook. In the website they talk about rethinking our attitude - finding ways to celebrate the day. One of the possibilities they mentioned is to schedule something enjoyable (and team building) on Monday. They mentioned things like a charity bake sale or a team lunch. While this sounds like it’s specifically meant for an office setting, we can adapt it to any circumstances in our lives. However, anything we could schedule to help us look forward to Monday instead of dreading it. They also mention just taking a positive attitude. One thought could be to find a way to do something fun and positive for/with someone else. I have noticed that the text messenger I use sometimes has enjoyable pics about Mondays. Maybe just send a shout out to a friend or family member. Perhaps creating (and anticipating) a fun family home evening could make Monday cheerier. It would seem that the main thing is creating a better attitude - afterall dreading 1/7th of the week isn’t very useful.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day - January 15
One reason I like this holiday is because of inclusivness of it - we’ve all had to climb our individual mountains and have had our dreams!. In an 2022 article from the church newsroomPresident Nelson sent out a post about the day.
Over the last few years, I have developed a treasured friendship with the Reverend Amos C. Brown, pastor of San Francisco’s Third Baptist Church and a member of the Board of Directors of the NAACP. Though I come from a different background, a different family, and a different race, he affectionately refers to me as his “brother from another mother.”
Today, we commemorate the birth of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. As one of the eight students in the only class taught by Dr. King in his lifetime at Morehouse College, Amos Brown had a front-row seat to history and was shaped as he looked at the events of the civil rights movement through the lens of faith.
Amos and I have enjoyed several opportunities to give speeches together, to collaborate on projects together, and to even write an opinion piece together for The Tampa Bay Times. In that article, we wrote the following:
“Our joint efforts have shown that we have far more in common than issues that, at first glance, might appear to divide us. Both of our organizations have learned lessons from the past. Both of us have been willing to listen to and learn from each other. Respect and cooperation have yielded the sweet fruit of reconciliation, admiration, service, and genuine love.
"Solutions will come as we open our hearts to those whose lives are different than our own, as we work to build bonds of genuine friendship, and as we see each other as the brothers and sisters we are—for we are all children of a loving God.”
I like to think that my friend Amos and I are, in a very small way, the embodiment of Dr. King’s vision that people from different backgrounds and races can “sit down together at the table of brotherhood.”
I reiterate what is taught in the Book of MormoAsn that “black and white, bond and free, male and female; … all are alike unto God” (2 Nephi 26:33). May God continue to bless us as we labor together to lead out in abandoning attitudes and actions of prejudice.
As I mentioned before this this quote, it is so good for men of good faith to come together! We need to protect religious freedom - ours and all those around us. To this end, Religious Freedom Day has been established. The following is the proclamation signed by President Joseph Biden:
Proclamation 10514 of January 13, 2023
Religious Freedom Day, 2023
A Proclamation
On Religious Freedom Day, we reflect on our right to practice, pray, and preach our faiths peacefully and openly. Across the country, we practice many different religions. We celebrate many different traditions. And we honor our faiths in many different ways and places—from churches, to mosques, to synagogues, to temples. This religious freedom—this freedom to practice religion fully and freely or to practice no religion at all—is enshrined in our Constitution. And together we must continue to preserve and protect it.
This effort is as important now as it has ever been. In the United States, we are facing a rising tide of antisemitism and renewed attacks against certain religious groups. Across the world, minority communities—including Uyghurs, Rohingya, Ahmadiyya Muslims, Jews, Christians, Bahá'ís, Yezidis, atheists, and humanists—continue to face intimidation, violence, and unequal protection under the law. This hate is harmful to our communities and countries, and it is on all of us to speak out and stop it.
That is exactly what my Administration is doing. We established the Protecting Places of Worship Interagency Policy Committee last January, and implemented the largest-ever increase in funding for the physical security of non-profits—including churches, gurdwaras, mosques, synagogues, temples, and other houses of worship. In my 2023 Budget proposal, I called for another large increase in funding for this key program. In September, we hosted the United We Stand Summit, the first White House summit on combating hate-motivated violence, including violence on the basis of religion. In December, I established a new interagency group to increase and better coordinate the Federal Government's efforts to counter antisemitism, Islamophobia, and other forms of bias and discrimination within the United States. As its first order of business, this group is developing a national strategy to fight antisemitism. To build bridges across beliefs and backgrounds, the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships is collaborating with diverse faith and community leaders on a range of projects—including helping families recover from disasters, distributing COVID-19 vaccines, improving maternal and child health, and resettling refugees across the United States.
The United States is also speaking out and standing up against religious persecution around the world. Last year, my Administration provided $20 million to help promote religious freedom and protections for members of religious minorities globally, including helping ensure that people everywhere can practice their faiths free from fear. I appointed Rashad Hussain as Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom—the first Muslim to hold this post—and Deborah Lipstadt, a Holocaust expert, as the first Ambassador-level Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism. As a founding member of the International Religious Freedom or Belief Alliance, we also have coordinated with partners around the world to promote the rights of religious minority groups and combat persecution. And we are ensuring that United States diplomats continue to receive training on religious freedom and its central importance to our work.
Faith has sustained me throughout my life. For me and for so many others, it serves as a reminder of both our collective purpose and potential in the world. But for far too many people within our borders and beyond, practicing their faith still means facing fear and persecution. Today, let us recommit ourselves to ending this hate. And let us work together to ensure that people of all religions—and no religion—are treated with equal dignity and respect.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim January 16, 2023, as Religious Freedom Day.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirteenth day of January, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-three, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-seventh.
JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.
I am a Mentor Day - January 7
One of the reasons that I like this holiday is because it goes along with a couple of the other topics that I am talking about in this newsletter. One thing that I have mentioned a couple of different times, in a couple of different ways, is our need to grow and develop. One of the ways that we can develop into our better selves is by helping those around us grow. As mentioned in an earlier newsletter, the fact that one of the best ways to hone in our own skills is to teach them to others. It is sometimes said that a good method of perfecting a skill in something is to
Learn it
Do It
Teach it
Mentoring can be seen as completing the third part of that trifecta. The website National Today give a history of the day. It also has a timeline, which includes;
1970 Contemporary Research in [the mentor-mentee] domain
1980 Founding the Mentor - a nongovernmental organization, is founded by Geoffrey Boisi and Raymond Chambers
2002 Inaugural Celebrations - [the day] was celebrated for the first time [that] year as part of the National Mentoring Month
2021 20th Anniversary - Mentor Org marked the 20th anniversary with a grand opening for mentors and mentees.
Also, in the section about FAQs about the day they show a connection between how this and Martin Luther King Day have a connection - by suggesting that Dr. King’s inspirational words should be used to elevate the spirit of service and volunteerism. This would show the importance of lifting each other up in our nobler aspirations. Their suggestions for observing the day is to sign up to be a mentor, be a mentor and share mentoring stories. I am including this because I feel that Mentoring is important. I feel that a more personal continual action is what is needed. I feel that we need to take every opportunity to share knowledge, skills and wisdom with each other. This is both as the person importing and the one receiving. No matter which side of the equation (giver or receiver) we are on, we need to exercise humility. Only through humble prayerful giving can we really impart what we have to others. Also, only through the same humility can we gratefully receive help from others - especially from those who could be seen as having less to give then we have (those who are younger or have less experience then we do). We can use our Heavenly Father’s example. He has given us copious amounts of instructions. He also gives us the constant direction and support that we need. He also allows us the privilege of actually performing the duties necessary to build up his kingdom - and by doing so build and grow ourselves.
My General Conference Thought
I’m taking my conference thought from from the Saturday morning conference talk Kingdoms of Glory By President Dallin H. Oaks First Counselor in the First Presidency
I am going to link this together with my testimony below. As President Oaks said in his talk, Our Loving Heavenly Father will see that we receive every blessing and every advantage that our own desires and choices allow. Our part of this is to have our desires and choices lead us to live with Him eternally in the Celestial Kingdom. We can start doing this by thinking Celestial and setting a goal to become more like Jesus. President Oaks noted, As we describe the nature and requirements of each of the three kingdoms in the Father’s plan, we begin with the highest, which is the focus of the divine commandments and ordinances God has revealed through The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. As we learn about all the mansions that are in Our Father’s house, we focus on the highest degree of the Celestial Kingdom. I have heard a saying that, if you aim for the stars, you’ll never shoot yourself in the foot. So it is best to aim for as high as we can - even if it’s now above your reach. In part of the poem Andrea del Sarto Robert Frost says Ah, but a man's reach should exceed his grasp, Or what's a heaven for? However, even though we should shoot for the highest we can reach, it is good to know that we have a Loving Heavenly Father that gives the very best to each of us personally; Even the Telestial glory surpasses all human understanding (see D&C 76:89). There is also another side of the coin. How much of our obedience to the commandments and ordinances is from our hope for a reward and how much of it is just out of our love and gratitude toward Our Heavenly Father and Jesus? Hopefully, we can show our obedience to the commandments and fulfill our ordinances more times out of love and gratitude. However, in either case it is good to know that no matter how paltry our efforts are, we will receive what is very best for each of us.
My Testimony
The part of my testimony that I am going to talk about this month concerns our ability to grow and develop to become more and more like Heavenly Father and Jesus. Fortunately we don’t have to do this on our own, as we are told that we receive divine help to achieve a celestial life:
Moses 1:39 says, "For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.
They do this because of their deep love for us.
Our gaining eternal glory is so important that it's the reason we came down to earth. Because of this, we should make it our highest priority. A way to do this coincides with one of the big things about January and the starting of the New Year - making Resolutions. One common thread with most, if not all the resolutions we make is that they are made in an attempt to improve ourselves. Things like starting a healthy diet, starting exercising more, etc. are a good start. However, what better resolution can we make than to live a Celestial Life and come closer to being like Christ. A part of this resolution can be seen in Jesus’ admonition to in Matthew 5:48 “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” This admonition is so important he said it in a similar way in 3 Nephi 12:48 “Therefore I would that ye should be aperfect even as I, or your Father who is in heaven is perfect.”
Each day we can strive for perfection in all the different aspects of our lives - i.e. showing loving kindness to all we know, conscientiously studying the scriptures, etc.
However, it is not just a matter of actively bettering just ourselves, and those around us, that’s important. We also need to bring our ancestors along with us. The importance of this is shown in the Doctrine and Covenants 128:15 “And now, my dearly beloved brethren 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” I think that I mentioned before about a time when I was working in the Salt Lake Temple. I spoke with a fellow ordinance worker, who was at the recommend desk that was situated in the back part of the temple on the way to the Baptismal area. He was saying that he hoped that all those young people who were performing the ordinances realized that they were acting as Saviors on Mount Zion. This is also true of all the ordinances we perform in the temple. How can we have higher aspirations than that?
It is my testimony that it is important for us to strive toward perfection in all the ways we can - both for ourselves, our loved ones around us, and for our dead. I say this in the name of Jesus Christ Amen
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