Birthday Cake and Funeral Potatoes

April 6 was a special day this year.  It was Good Friday, the day we commemorate the death of Jesus Christ, and also His birthday.  We had funeral potatoes for an Easter celebration, and white cupcakes with white frosting to celebrate His birth.  Everybody knows we celebrate Christ's birth on December 25; most people know that's not really His birthday.  The Doctrine and Covenants chapter 20 verse 1 (D&C 20:1) tells us that God wanted His church to be reorganized on this special day, and though the language is not exactly specific, I believe it means that this is the actual day Christ was born.  So I started a tradition with my family a few years ago that I would make a white cake with white frosting (the white symbolic of His purity) or cupcakes to have a birthday party for Jesus.  We like to sing "Happy Birthday to You," and then share some of the cupcakes with our neighbors.  We still also celebrate in December.

Weeding with Scriptures

Where I go to church, we have a monthly fast and testimony meeting when the bishop turns the time over to the members after sacrament to come up to the pulpit and testify what they know to be true.  It is a faith building experience to hear others' testimonies and even more so to bear your own.  This past week, Belle's best friend took a turn.  She is a darling seven year old girl with wide eyes and a bright face.  She spoke of a lesson her mother had taught her that "touched her heart" about how reading our scriptures is like pulling weeds.  If the weeds are left to grow, they will eventually choke our testimony, so we must continue to read and study the scriptures to keep our testimonies strong and growing.  The simple faith of this young girl was an inspiration to many.  A few people commented on what she said, and several people gained the courage to stand and take a turn because of the example she set.  And here I am several days later still thinking about it.  The simple faith of young children can make a dramatic impact on all around!

The Brother of Jared

I was able to substitute teach in the 6 year old primary class in church today.  The lesson was about having faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and about the brother of Jared, one of my very favorite stories from the Book of Mormon.  If you are familiar with the Old Testament of the Bible, you know the story of the tower of Babel, where the Lord confounded the people's language.  Jared and his brother were there.  The brother of Jared prayed to not have their language mixed up--them and their family and friends.  Their desire was granted.  Later the Lord guided them (the people of Jared, or Jaredites) to a choice promised land (America).  They had to cross the ocean.  Jesus instructed them to build barges (eight of them).  He gave them instructions, I assume in a like manner as he did for Noah and his ark, and they followed the instructions.  The barges were designed to go completely under water and turn over, as God intended to blow them where they needed to go.  They were "tight like unto a dish," which caused the problem of having no air to breath and no light to come in.  The Lord taught the solution for the air--to cut holes in the top and bottom so it could be opened up for air, then stopped up again when the water started to come in.  When the brother of Jared (his name was Mahonri Moriancumer--whew!  What a  mouthful!) inquired what should be done for light, Jesus asked him to come up with his own solution.  He came up with sixteen molten stones, clear like glass.  He had faith that the Lord could light them up if He only touched them with His finger.  His faith was so strong that he actually SAW the finger of Lord.  It frightened him, and he fell down.  This was the spirit body of the Lord, before he had come to Earth to get his body.  He didn't know that God looked like a man.  Jesus praised him for having more faith than any anybody else and showed Himself to him and taught him some awesome stuff about the future.  He instructed him to write it down, and no one would understand his language (remember Babel), and not share it with anybody.  It would be revealed when the time was right, after the resurrection of Christ, and he would make a way for the language to be known.

I began by telling a story about a girl who brought lunch for her father who was working inside a well.  She knew he was there because she could hear him, but couldn't see him.  He told her to jump in, and he'd catch her.  Then they could eat lunch together.  She trusted him and hopped right in, and he caught her.  Just like this, we know that God is there, even though we can't see Him.  I had these stones laid out on the table covered up by a paper towel.  I asked if they believed something was under the towel.  Well, it was bumpy instead of laying flat, so they could tell something was there without seeing it.

When I got to the part in the story about the brother of Jared asked the Lord to touch the stones, I turned out the light and asked the kids to come touch one of the stones.  They all thought it was great when it lit up.  (I had a flashlight hidden in my sleeve!)

That was so fun.  I love when the lessons turn out well, and you think the kids actually learned something that they'll take with them.

God lives!  Jesus lives!  The Holy Ghost is real!