Gap

There is a gap in our archives spanning April 2009-November 2009.

Until further notice when these letters can be traced and brought here, here is a brief run down of events:

Jamie's missionary daughter returned from her full-time mission in Moscow, Russia in July 2009. Jamie's second son received a mission call to Denver, Colorado, Spanish speaking.
Jamie's missionary (and oldest) son returned from his full-time mission in Leon, Mexico in September 2009.
Two weeks later, Jamie's second son "D" left on his mission to Colorado in October 2009.
While "D" was in the Missionary Training Center, his best friend was killed in a car accident returning to school after Thanksgiving break.

The weekly letters spanning this time period will be shared as soon as possible. Until that time, we will proceed.


-Melissa

3-31-09 Girls Camp Workshop - Part 2

Here is PART 2 of my Workshop at Girls Camp,



Next I went over respect for your parents. I told two stories from the life of Jesus. One from when he was 12 and his family went to Jerusalem for Passover. 1

Joseph and Mary were already on their way back home, when they discovered that Jesus was missing. After 3 days searching, they finally found him in the Temple with the wise and learned men, “hearing them, and asking them questions”. 2 

Mary went to him and asked “son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? Behold thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing.” Then Jesus answered, “how is it that thou sought me? Wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business?” What followed is very telling, it says that “he was subject to them”. He accepted the discipline and whatever reprimand or punishment that was given to him. In Hebrews 5:8 it says, “though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience…”. This was the Son of God, the Creator of the world! He had the right to be doing what ever he felt He should be doing! But He was also the Jehovah of the Old Testament, the very One who had given the Commandments to Moses, including, “thou shalt honor thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long upon the land”. 

What was true 2,000 years ago is even more true today, you don’t go anywhere without telling your parents where you are going, and what time you will be back. Mothers are the official designated worriers of the world. It’s in their job description. So if they always know where you are and what you are doing, they don’t worry as much! Plus you have someone to answer to, instead of just running wild in the wind. I asked them, ”why does Heavenly Father (or your earthly parents) give us commandments (or rules)”? “Is He trying to confine you or “cramp your style”? Or keep you in prison, not allowing you to have your freedom, or keep you from having fun?” One girl finally gave the right answer, “He wants us to be happy”. “That’s right” I said. He wants you to be happy. The choices we make [to live the Commandments, including “honor thy father and thy mother”, or not follow them], and the friends we keep [that will encourage us to live the commandments, not tempt us to break them], will help us to be happy, or cause us indescribable pain and sorrow. How much freedom do you really have, if you wake up in the morning craving a cigarette, and not being able to think of anything else because your addiction to nicotine. Does it put a cramp in your lifestyle to wake up with a splitting headache and “hangover”, because you got drunk the night before. If it feels like you are in prison now with all the restrictions your parents put on you, just wait ‘til you land in real prison or the county jail and are charged with vehicular manslaughter, because you killed someone while driving under the influence of smoking pot. How much fun is it, to walk out of the doctor’s office knowing that you are pregnant & have AIDS! You may say, “well I would never do any of those things”. But once you start down that slippery slope of breaking the “little commandments”, it does not take long (especially under peer pressure) to end up breaking “The Big Ones”! Once you sneak out at night to be with “friends”, or lie to your parents about which movie that you are actually going to see when they drop you off at the theater (the “R” rated one instead of Walt Disney), or texting under your covers late into the night when your phone curfew is 9:00 PM… It is amazing how quickly it goes to secret boyfriends, breaking the Word of Wisdom and the Law of Chastity.

Your parents love you, more than you can ever know, until you have to walk in their shoes, and see through their eyes. Someday when you are a mother yourself, you will understand all this stuff that I am telling you. Until then, have faith that I am giving it to you straight, and follow the counsel of your parents & Church Leaders, especially the Prophet, and your Bishop. Their headlights shine down the dark road a lot farther than does your vision. They can see things that you cannot, and keep you from danger that you would have never expected, if you will honor them, and obey them to the letter. In some cases, if you do not follow their counsel, it will mean the difference between life, health, a loving family & good friends, or not living long enough and having the good health to actually become a mother someday. But in all cases, your obedience will mean the difference between true and lasting happiness, or great sorrow.

The next story was the first recorded miracle performed by Jesus. He was at a wedding feast in Cana. Some speculate that it may have been his own wedding, or at the very least a close family member (perhaps one of his siblings), because His mother Mary, appears to be the one in charge. She approaches Jesus and announces, “they have no wine”. Jesus knew what she was implying, and questioned her, “woman what have I to do with thee? Mine hour is not yet come”. 3

 He had not yet started his Mission, or whatever his reasoning, he did not want to perform the miracle that his mother was asking Him to do (at least not yet). Mary appears to ignore her Son’s refusal, and turns to the servants, and matter-of-factly states, ”whatsoever he saith unto you, do it” (or in other words, no matter how crazy it sounds, DO IT!). 4

Then she leaves, not allowing any rebuttal from her son. Even though He (for whatever reasons) was unwilling to acquiesce to her request, and His initial reluctance to accommodate her, He told the servants to “Fill the waterpots with water” (as there were 6 large stone waterpots after the manner of the purifying of the Jews). After the servants had filled the pots to the brim, Jesus told them to “Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast”, and they bare it. The governor said to the bridegroom, “thou hast kept the good wine until now”. The water had been turned to wine.

I learn at least two lessons from this story. First, never argue with a woman in charge of a wedding feast. Whatever she asks, just do it! Secondly, that Jesus honored his mother’s request of him, even though it was something He did not want to do. So I now pose the question,… if Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Creator of heaven & earth showed respect and honored his mother (again, especially since it was something that he did not want to do), how much more so, do we need to honor and obey “our mothers” (and fathers) [even if it is something that we do not want to do]?

[TO BE CONTINUED]

I’ve got to run for now. 

All my love, Jamie

1. https://www.lds.org/scriptures/nt/luke/2?lang=eng

2. https://www.lds.org/bible-videos/videos/young-jesus-teaches-in-the-temple?lang=eng

3. https://www.lds.org/scriptures/nt/john/2?lang=eng

4. https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2011-10-023-jesus-turns-water-into-wine?lang=eng

Girl's Camp Workshop - Part 1

Dear Family,

This was a copy of a letter that I sent to my kids, answering some of their questions and tidbits of info, then PART 1 of my workshop that I gave up at Girls Camp. This is actually a compilation of the two sessions of the workshop given, as I felt impressed to say different things to each group, with maybe 50% of the material was given to both groups. I thought it best to break it up rather than send a book in one email.

Jamie

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3-31-09 [PART 1]

Dear Elder & Sister Hansen and all my kids,

Elder Hansen, these baptismal interviews that you are giving, will be good practice for when you are a Bishop someday. Also your sister’s plaque scripture is:

Alma 26:30 – “And we have suffered all manner of afflictions, and all this, that perhaps we might be the means of saving some soul; and we supposed that our joy would be full if perhaps we could be the means of saving some.”

Sister Hansen, this is from Mark P:

Hey Jamie, you may want Katrina to understand that it really doesn’t matter which day you set aside to worship Heavenly Father, so long as you make it the Lords day. IE: when the early saints did it on Thursday and even today as the saints in Israel go to church on Sat., Matthew Cowley gave quite a discourse on that subject while he was in the Islands as a Mission President
Have A Great Day!!

Mark P.



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[and these are my added words to those of Bro. P] Also in Rev. 1:10 it refers to “the Lord’s Day” (the first day of the week is meant), and references to it’s weekly observance are found in 1Cor. 16:2, & Acts 20:7 “And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread”, an obvious pattern is set, that the early Saints met to honor the Savior’s resurrection (on Sunday, the first day of the week) and partake of the Sacrament. This was in obvious distinction from the Jewish Sabbath (Saturday), or the seventh day of the week.

But it all really comes down to gaining a testimony of modern revelation, and a Prophet on the earth today. In the D&C Sec. 59:9 -12, speaking about Sunday, it tells us that “…this is a day… to rest from your labors, and to pay thy devotions…on this, the Lord’s day, thou shalt offer thine oblations and thy sacraments unto the Most High…”

As Mark mentions above, what is most important is to set aside one day a week to honor the Lord. In Saudi Arabia they hold church services on Friday, because that is their Sabbath, in Israel it is held on Saturday, but for the rest of the world in countries that do not mandate what day that you observe religious meetings, our modern Prophets have dedicated Sunday as The Lord’s Day.

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Before too much more time goes by (and the mind clouds), I wanted to share about the workshop that I did up at Girls Camp. It was on “Respect” (that was the topic that the Stake YW Leaders gave me). I had two different sessions, and I gave each group what the spirit told me to. So they were both separate lessons (maybe only 50% overlapping content), and this writing is a compilation of both talks. I started with respect for yourself, and your body. Our bodies are Temples of God. Body piercing, tattoos, scars caused by rubbings or cutting/slashing, are all offenses to God.

Obeying the Law of Chastity also shows respect for your Temple, as well as the other person that you have strong feelings for. Any sexually intimate relations outside of the bonds of marriage, is deviant behavior in God’s eyes. Whether it is fornication, adultery, heterosexual, homosexual, or masturbation, it is all an offense to our Temple, and to our Heavenly Father. The only proper use of the powers of creation, are within the sacred bonds of marriage, between a man and a woman.

From a personal insight,… if you do not have the self mastery, internal fortitude, and self control to live the law of chastity and abstain from improper relations before marriage, you will not be able to have the discipline to control the lustful desires and practice fidelity after marriage without major repentance and help from the Lord. If you engage in premarital relations, you are training your future spouse to cheat on you! You are telling them it is OK NOT TO HAVE LIMITS, that it is OK to satisfy your lustful desires, to get whatever you want, and not have to wait. If there are no limits before marriage, why should you have limits after? They will want to keep feeding whatever lustful desires they see, and will show no allegiance to you, because you taught them to be that way!

Most of the time if you do not remain virtuous, they will not marry you anyway, they got what they wanted and will drop you as soon as you do not give them what they want anymore. Even if they do marry you, they will rarely remain faithful to you, again because you have trained them not to have standards.

[PART 2 will be coming soon]

Love, Jamie