LDS Artist Arnold Freiberg

Wow, did you know this famous artist's paintings are on display at the Mesa Temple Visitor's Center???!!! It is so worth seeing. I saw it last Saturday and can whole heartedly recommend you going there and taking your precious children too. Enjoy!




About The Artist: Born December 21, 1913 in Winnetka, Illinois, Arnold Friberg is an American painter noted for his religious and patriotic works. Some of his best-known works include the 1975 painting The Prayer at Valley Forge depicting George Washington praying while the Continental Army winters at Valley Forge, and the pre-visualization paintings for the Cecil B. DeMille film The Ten Commandments for which he received an Academy Award nomination. In 1978 Friberg was commissioned to do a portrait of Prince Charles with his horse "Centennial", the great-grandson of Man-O-War. This was done at a studio in Buckingham Palace. In 1990, he and his wife were invited back to spend another six weeks residing in Buckingham Palace for his commissioned undertaking of an equestrian portrait of Queen Elizabeth II and Centennial. Being commissioned to paint these royal portraits would mean that Arnold Friberg's name would be included in a list with such great artists as; Rembrandt, Velazquez, Raphael, Rubens, Van Dyck and numerous other masters who had painted portraits of the Royal family. He was made a life member of the honorable Royal Society of Arts, London, which accounts for the initials R.S.A. after his name.

Friberg in his advanced age still works when he can from his studio in Salt Lake City. "Art to me is a service, to bring enrichment to people's lives. That's why I want my art to be perfectly understood. One of the things I work for is clarity. That doesn't mean hard-edged forms, but clarity of the picture: what time of day, what kind of lighting, where it is. It should all be clear. I hope no one ever has to explain my pictures."

RS Presidency

Relief Society General Presidency: A little refresher course on our great leaders!!

Julie B. Beck, the new general president of the Relief Society, was serving as the first counselor in the General Young Women Presidency prior to receiving her call to direct the Church’s women’s service organization. As a child she learned to speak Portuguese when she lived in Brazil with her parents and 10 brothers and sisters while her father served as mission president.In the Church she has served on the Young Women General Board, as ward Young Women and Primary president, as counselor in a stake Relief Society presidency and at the Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah. She is a graduate of Dixie College and Brigham Young University.Beck was a full-time homemaker prior to her service in the Young Women general presidency. Beck and her husband are the parents of three children and eight grandchildren.

Silvia H. Allred, newly named as first counselor in the general presidency of the Relief Society, was most recently serving with her husband as he presided over the Missionary Training Center in the Dominican Republic.A native of El Salvador, she and her husband served as public affairs missionaries in Madrid, Spain. She also served with her husband when he presided over the Paraguay Asuncion Mission. Allred served as a member of the Young Women General Board, as stake and ward Relief Society and Primary president, and as a full-time missionary in the Central American Mission.Allred attended the University of Arizona, Brigham Young University and the General Francisco Marzan Institute in El Salvador. She has been a Spanish language instructor at the Missionary Training Center, grade school teacher, PTA president and Girl Scout leader. She is married to Jeffrey A. Allred, and they are the parents of eight children.

Barbara Thompson, called today as second counselor in the Relief Society general presidency, most recently served as the activities chair in her home ward in Salt Lake City. Her previous Church service includes Gospel Doctrine teacher, ward Young Women president, Laurel advisor, Relief Society General Board member, ward Relief Society counselor, Beehive advisor and camp director.Most recently Thompson has been working as the executive director of an international assessment center for abused and neglected children. She has worked in the social services field directing a number of state-level human and family services departments. She received a bachelor’s degree in social work from Brigham Young University and as master’s degree in social work from the University of Utah.

What A Woman

Faithful in Trials

"All that we suffer and all that we endure, especially when we endure it patiently, builds up our character, purifies our hearts, expands our souls, and makes us more tender and charitable, more worthy to be called the children of God. . . "Orson F. Whitney

After the Disaster V

Here is the very belated and last installment of AFTER THE DISASTER. I hope it has been helpful to some. Thanks for coming by the blog.

Coping With the Stress:
Natural disasters turn lives upside-down and cause a lot of emotional stress for victims. Feelings of panic, despair, anxiety, and anger are common symptoms disaster victims experience. These feelings are natural reactions to trauma, but it’s important to address them.
Give yourself time to heal. Don’t expect everything to be better immediately, and don’t get frustrated when it doesn’t happen when you want it to.
Ask for help from others. There are people out there more than willing to help— all you have to do is ask.
Be healthy. This means eating a proper diet, getting good sleep, and exercising. Having a healthy body will enhance your ability to cope with stress.


Helping Children Cope:
The stress and fear that follow a natural disaster can be especially hard for children. Some may regress to younger behaviors, they may become more prone to nightmares, their grades in school may suffer, or they may become extremely noisy or quiet. There are several things a parent can do to help their children cope.
Spend more time with them and allow them to cling to you. Physical affection has a healing power. Keep regular schedules for things like playing, eating, and going to bed. This will help restore a sense of normalcy and comfort. Remember, safety is your first priority. Take care of yourself and your family, and be patient as you work to rebuild.

Lincoln and the LDS

Excerpt from Mormon Times/Deseret News-click to read full report.

"History also shows that Lincoln checked out a copy of the Book of Mormon from a library on Nov. 18, 1861, and kept it for eight months. He had also checked out three other books on Mormons, though they were all unfavorable to the church."

"Lincoln was also well-aware of Utah's great natural resources and once referred to the state as 'the treasurehouse of the nation'. When Lincoln needed help to protect the telegraph line in Utah, he contacted President Young, not the territorial governor, for assistance."

Women of God

"Women of God can never be like women of the world. The world has enough women who are tough; we need women who are tender. There are enough women who are coarse; we need women who are kind. There are enough women who are rude; we need women who are refined. We have enough women of fame and fortune; we need more women of faith. We have enough greed; we need more goodness. We have enough vanity; we need more virtue. We have enough popularity; we need more purity. "

This is one of my all time favorite quotes from a talk by Margaret Nadauld entitled THE JOY OF WOMANHOOD. Just click on that title and you will be magically transported to this brief but powerful talk. I hope I'm not the only one who will take the time to read it (again).

Church Helps Starving in Ethiopia

The Church plans to send to Ethiopia more than 1.4 million pounds (540 tons) of Atmit, special food for the severely malnourished, over a span of three months, with the final shipment scheduled to arrive in the drought-stricken country by November 2008.

What is Atmit you ask....okay: Atmit is a mixture of oat flour, powdered milk, sugar, salt, vitamins, and minerals that is mixed with water and cooking oil to reach the consistency of cream soup. It has been proven a successful resource for feeding the severely malnourished.

I'm so happy to be able to pay my tithes and offerings and know what good it does.

Go here for the rest of the story.

Missionaires Leave Bolivia

Some 102 North American missionaries of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints serving in Bolivia have been transferred to missions outside the country. The transfer was taken in consultation with U.S. government representatives in Bolivia and with the cooperation of Bolivian immigration authorities as a precautionary measure during the present unsettled conditions there.

Well the missionaries are out but our member sisters and brothers still live there. Prayers are always good.

Converting Power of the Book of Mormon

Elder F. Burton Howard of the Seventy acquaints us with a strong testimony of the converting power of the Book of Mormon:

Sister Celia Cruz Ayala of the Puerto Rico San Juan Mission decided to give the Book of Mormon to a friend. She wrapped it in attractive paper and set out to deliver her present.
On the way, she was attacked by a bandit who stole her purse and with it the wrapped copy of the Book of Mormon. A few days later she received this letter:

Mrs. Cruz:
Forgive me, forgive me. You will never know how sorry I am for attacking you. But because of it, my life has changed and will continue to change. That book [the Book of Mormon] has helped me in my life. The dream of that man of God has shaken me …. I am returning your five pesos for I can’t spend them. I want you to know that you seemed to have a radiance about you. That light seemed to stop me [from harming you, so] I ran away instead.

I want you to know that you will see me again, but when you do, you won’t recognize me, for I will be your brother …. Here, where I live, I have to find the Lord and go to the church you belong to.

The message you wrote in that book brought tears to my eyes. Since Wednesday night I have not been able to stop reading it. I have prayed and asked God to forgive me, [and] I ask you to forgive me …. I thought your wrapped gift was something I could sell. [Instead,] it has made me want to make my life over. Forgive me, forgive me, I beg you.
--Your absent friend.

(“What I Want My Son to Know Before He Leaves on His Mission:” Pres. James E. Faust; C.R., p. 58, April 1996. See also F. Burton Howard, “My Life Has Changed,” Church News, Jan, 1996, p. 16)

My New Building Project

I'm having a small struggle trying to keep up with two blogs. I'm thinking I may want to combine them. Until a final decision is made I may just refer you to the other for the post of the day. I love the talk President Monson gave yesterday to the North SLC stakes via satellite from the Conference Center. Please take just 5 minutes and read it at Snickerdoodles. Thanks.

And would you mind commenting and letting me know if you also visit Snickerdoodles. Do you think one blog would due or should I save this one also for those VT messages, FHE lessons and other church related posts.

Now don't be shy, if you've never commented before, just jump in and do it. Thanks.

The Divine Institution of Marriage

Click here to read something we must not pass by. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is joining with many other churches to help pass legislation defining marriage as being between 1 man and 1 woman. This lengthy statement clarifies much and is so worth your time to read. Thanks.

Finances

"The Secret of Living on Less"

Many are facing tough financial times, so here are some tips for that challenging task: living on less than you make. By Lyle and Tracy Shamo

Click here to read this really good article.

Grateful Heart

My darling ward sister's made my Sunday such a surprise and "love fest". Your gifts and notes of kindness made me speechless and that's not easy to do. I came home from church, sat down and read each one. I felt underserving of such comments but very grateful and more determined to be MORE. I so appreciate the opportunity to continually grow, progress, develope and get better. That's what I'm still trying to do - daily. May these dear, dear sister's be blessed in return for all the kindness they have displayed to me. I love you.

Developing A Mother Heart

Julie B. Beck, Relief Society general president:

"Oh, that every girl and woman would have a testimony of her potential for eternal motherhood. . . . Female roles did not begin on earth, and they do not end here. A woman who treasures motherhood on earth will treasure motherhood in the world to come, and 'where [her] treasure is, there will [her] heart be also' (Matthew 6:21). By developing a mother heart, each girl and woman prepares for her divine, eternal mission of motherhood" ("A 'Mother Heart,' " Liahona and Ensign, May 2004, 76).

This is just a portion of the September Relief Society visiting teacher's lesson. Click on the link on my side board to go to the full lesson.

Who I Am Makes A Difference!

My thanks to cousin Skippie who sent this to me saying I or my church would put this information to good use. Thanks Skippie, I'm trying.

This short movie packs a whollop of a message. I hope you'll not only watch it but read the comments at the end relating to how often our children hear negative messages as opposed to a positive message daily. Powerful. I truly believe I am a child of God. So are you. Let's treat one another with that heritage in mind and with love, respect and a gentle heart.

Emergency Preparedness

I've posted on my other blog a really good article on emergency prep. Specifically, what if that emergency hits while you're not at home...or your children are not at home. Check it out at Snickerdoodles. It's a good read.

Glorious Parenthood

If I had My Child To Raise Over Again

If I had my child to raise all over again,

I'd build self-esteem first, and the house later.

I'd finger paint more and point the finger less.

I would do less correcting and more connecting.

I'd take more hikes and fly more kites.

I'd stop playing serious, and seriously play.

I would run through more fields

and gaze at more stars.

I'd do more hugging and less tugging.

I'd see the oak tree in the acorn more often.

I would be firm less often and affirm much more.

I'd model less about the love of power,

And more about the power of love.

by Diane Loomans