==Again I am still quoting Elder Russel M Nelson from the Quorum of the 12 Apostles from his talk in the April Conferences, and printed for the May Ensing pp36==

"The first step is to comprehend the doctrinal foundation for marriage. The Lord declared that marriage is the legal wedding of one man and one woman:'Marriage is ordained of God unto Man.

Wherefore, it is lawful that he should have one wife, and they twain shall be one flesh, and all this that earth might the answer the end of it's ceation.

'Worldy trends to define marriage would sadly serve to destroy the instition of marriage. Such schemes are contrary to the plan of God.

'It was he who said: "For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall become one flesh."

'Scripture further reaffirms that "the man is without the woman neither the woman without the man, in the Lord"

'Marriage is the foundry for social order, for fountain of virtue, and the foundation for eternal exaltation. Marriage had been divinely designed as an eternal and everlasting covenanant. Marriage is sanctified when it is cherished and honored in holinss. That union is not merely between huhband and wife; it embraces a partnership with God"

"Husband and wife have a solemn reesponsibility to love and care for each other." Children born of that marital untion are 'an heritage of the Lord" Marriage is but the beginning bud of the family life; parenthood is its flower. And the boquit becomes more beautiful when graced with grandchildren. Families may become eternal as the kingdom of God him self.

Marriage is both a commandment and an exalting principle of the gospel. Because it is ordained by God, the intimate physical expressions of married love are sacred. Yet all to commonly, these divine gifts are descrated. If a couples allows lewd language or pornography to corrupt the intimacy, they offed their creator while they degrade and diminish their own divine gifts. True happiness is predicaed upon personal purity. Scripture commansds, " Be ye Clean." Marriage shold ever be a covenant to lift husbands and wives to Celestial Glory."

===Funny how this has simple concept has been so misunderstood especially from the deteractors at other such blogs. ===

'Marriage was introduced by the Lord to endure beyond physical death. His plan offers eternal perpetuation of the family in the kingdom of God. His plan provides temples and opportunities for the living and the dead. A marriage sealed there launches a husband and wife into that grand order of unity so necessary to the perfection of God's work.

Doctrines related to marriage include individual agency and accountabiliy. All of us are accountable for our choices. Couples blessed with children are accountable to God for the care the care they give their children.

As I meet with priesthood leaders, I often ask about the priorities of their various responsibilities. Usually they mention their important Church duties to which they have been called. Too few remember their resoponibilitesat home. Yet priesthood office, keys, callings, and quorums are meant to exault families. Priesthood authority has been restored so that families cn be selaed eternally. So brethern, your foremost priesthood duty is to nurture your marriage -to care for, respect, honor, and love your wife. Be a blessing to her and your children.'

===I hope and pray that people will listen this part of of Elder Nelson's tip; and take this promise from an Apostle of God. Beth.


I know my spelling is horrible and I agree 200%, but 199 mg of hydrocodon nd 50 of visteril. So I am bit boopy. So please for give me. Goodnight and have a greatweek. Beth.

Actually I had 2 vicodin and then a shot 50 mg of visteril and 100 mg of demoral. So I am amazed I got the article as right as I did. I have now edited it and will leave it for everyone to ponder as there were some serious mistakes in the editing.

PuriCristos, see that still happens in the computer age. I hope all a great weekend. Beth.

In the April 2006 Conference Elder Russell M. Nelson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles gave a talk Entitled: Nurturing Marriage

I would like to share a part of this as part two of loving thy wife with all thy heart. He began as thus:

"My beloved brethren and sister, thank you for your love of the Lord and His gospel. Wherever you live, your righteous lives provide good examples in these days of decaying morals and disintegrating marriages.

As we Brethren travel about the world, sometimes we see worrisome scenes. On a recent flight, I sat behind a husband and wife. She obviously loved her husband. As she stroked the back of his neck I could see her wedding ring. She would nestle close to him and rest her head upon his shoulder, seeking his companionship.

In contrast, he seemed totally oblivious to her presence. He was focused solely upon an electronic game player. During the entire flight, his attention was riveted upon that device. Not once did he look at her, speak to her, or acknowledge her yearning for affection.

His inattention made me feel like shouting:'Open your eyes, man! Can't you see? Pay attention! Your wife loves you! She needs you!'

I don't know more about them. I haven't seen them since. Perhaps I was alarmed unduly. And very possibly, if this man knew of my concern for them, he might feel sorry for me in not knowing how to use such an exciting toy.

But these things I do know: I know 'that marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and that the family is central to the Creator's plan for the eternal destiny of His children.' I know that the earth was created and that the Lord's Church was restored so that families could be sealed and exalted as eternal entities. And I know that one of Satan's cunning methods of undermining the work of the Lord is to attack the sacred institutions of marriage and the family.

Marriage brings greater possibilities for happiness than does any other human relationship. Yet some married couples fall short of their full potential. They let their romance become rusty, take each other for granted, allow other interests or clouds of neglect to obscure the vision of what their marriage really could be. Marriages would be happier if nurtured more carefully.

I realize that many mature members of the Church are not married. Through no failing of their own, they deal with the trial of life alone. Be we all reminded that in the Lord's own way and time, no blessings will be withheld from his faithful Saints. For those who are now or will be married, I suggest two steps you can take to have a more joyful marriage."

==I will post the steps in parts three and four. First I want to comment on the fact that so many spouses take for granted their wives and husbands. We treat our families in the worst possible way because we know they love us and will not leave us. That is not true.

It is something we believe. Many spouses put up with the pouting and anger and child like behavior and don't realize that they need to address their spouse and tell them. I was not put on this earth for your abuse. I am a child of God and demand to be treated as such. However, when making such a demand you too must treat your spouse as such.

I want to give an example. My family is a family of gourmands. We grew up owning and working restaurants from a very early age, I was sent to Philadelphia, New York and New Jersey to work the family restaurants to learn how to serve people. I was also taught the most important secrete of food service. It is not the taste. Most food taste the same. It is in the presentation.

I had several veggies and a small amount of salad and we needed veggies to add to our meal. I took the small handful of salad each and placed it in the center of each plate and then I counted out each slice of red and green peppers, small carrots and celery sticks. In the middle of the salad I placed a small container of dressing. On the salad itself I placed some cheese, bacon bits and croutons carefully counting to make sure all was even. My husband has an even OCD all things must be done in even numbers. He was in the garden and I did this because I like to make food look nice. It is something I do. I cut his sandwiches and place them nicely on the plate these are things I was taught from a small child. Presentation.

When my husband came back in and drank some water and went in to sit down to take his blood sugar and insulin I brought in our first course. He started crying as NO ONE had ever done such a thing for him in his lifetime.

That made me cry because if we treat guests better than we treat our families we are wrong in our priorities. I use our crystal for us. I use our best plates for us. I do this to show him that he is the most important person in my life and that he means more to me than anything I or we own.

Everything in our life is replaceable, except for each other. I want him to know that each and every day.

He is a trained chef, yet his presentation of food has been as most home presentation is. Just out of the pot. Why do the extra dishes. Why go the extra bit. The reason is to show that person that they are more important than anyone or anything except for Heavenly Father and that you want them in your life not just for time for for all eternity.

Now my husband is taking just a few extra minutes to make a nicer more presentable meal and he is amazed how much better it tastes. It is all in the perception. If love at home is shown, the love is not sought outside the home.

If you can't find one nice thing to say about your spouse each and every day try harder. Marriages are the way to break Satan's grasp on America. We need to fight him with the love of our spouses and put him back into his place. Where belongs, out of our homes. We need to replace him with the Spirit of God who will keep contention down, if we let Him do that.

Beth.

Do you consider this to be the teachings of a False Prophet or a Real Prophet?

Remember the way to tell a true prophet is if what he says in in keeping with the Bible and if you pray for yourself and get that still small voice of confirmation of truthfullness of the things being taught.

Love Thy Wife with All Thine Heart

"In latter-day revelation the Lord speaks again of this
obligation. He said, 'Thou shalt love thy wife with all thy heart, and
shalt cleave unto her and none else' (D&C 42:22). To my knowledge there is only one other thing in all scripture that we are commanded to love withall our hearts, and that is God Himself. Think what that means! ...

"What does it mean to love someone with all your heart? It means
to love with all your emotional feelings and with all your devotion.
Surely when you love your wife with all your heart, you cannot demean her, criticize her, find fault with her, or abuse her by words, sullen
behavior, or actions.

"What does it mean to 'cleave unto her'? It means to stay close to her, to be loyal and faithful to her, to communicate with her, and to express your love for her.

Love means being sensitive to her feelings and needs. She wants to be noticed and treasured.

She wants to be told that you view her as lovely and attractive and
important to you. Love means putting her welfare and self-esteem as a
high priority in your life."

Topics: wife, motherhood, love, loyalty, faithfulness

( Ezra Taft Benson, "To the Fathers in Israel," Ensign, Nov. 1987, 50)

Some of you may dismiss this commentary completly because President Benson didn't speak of the Biblical Scripture. He only quoted (D&C 42:22) Why did he not quote the Bibilical Scripture? It would only make sense that we already know what the Bible has to say about a man leaving his mother and father and cleaving to his wife and they two shall become twain.

I chose this because so many people speak of how women are treated as second class citizens in this the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints aka the LDS Church aka the Mormons. Nothing is further from the truth. Men who hold their priesthood duties in righteousness never treat their wives in any manner than that which is discribed by President Benson in this lovely quote. I hope you will ponder his words and look at the relationships in your life. Men do you treat your wives this way? Do you treasure them as the gift they are from God. Women do you treat your husbands this way? Do you treasure them as the gift they are from God. If you are not married why not? What is stopping you from making that committment, fear? That doesn't come from Heavenly Father. Is is anger towards a previous relationship? That doesn't come from Heavenly Father.

I can promise you that in a committed relationship, where both partners agree with their goals that a committed relationship is one of the most rewarding things on the face of this earth.

God intends us to be married and together to raise our children and help with our grandchildren and great-grandchildren and if His will be done our great great grandchildren.

He intends these families to extend into eternity to have ties that never sever, not even by the bonds of death.

I wish all of you the happiness and peace I have found. Love. Beth.

In the April 2006 issue of the Ensign Magazine there is a talk by Elder Merrill J. Bateman of the Presidency of the Seventy. His talk os called Becoming a Disciple of Christ pp 16-23

A portion of that talk touched me today as I reread it and that section is called One by One.

"Before leaving the Savior's visit to the Nephites, we may learn another important lesson by examining the next event. The lesson concerns the way in which the Lord works with us and His desire and ability to help each person. In the 14th verse of 3 nephi 11, Jesus invited the multitude to arise and approach Him one by one, to thrust their hands into His side and feel the print of the nails in His hands and feet. Remember, there were 2,500 people. How long would it take for each person to approach the Savior, feel the print of the nails, thouch His side, and perhaps receive a brief embrace? Suppose it took 15 seconds per person. The time required would exceed 10 hours for the multitude to fulfill the invitation.

Why did Jesus do it one by one? Would it not have been just as evvective for Him to show the multitude all at once? The answer is no! Salvation is an individual process. Ordinances are conducted one by one. Every individual's faith counts.

Can you imagine the extraordinary feelings you would have felt had you been there that day? Suppose you were invited to approach the Savior, feel the wounds in His hands and feet, touch His side, and hear Him quietly say how much He loves you. That would be a spiritually transforming experience.

The invitation extended to the righteous Nephites was unusual in that the resurrected Christ was physically present. And yet each person today also has an invitation to "come unto Christ" (Moroni 10:32), to become His sons and daughters through a spiritual rebirth. In a different way, we may feel the print of the nails in His hands and feet and thrust our hand into His side by experiencing the cleansing and refining power of the Atonement. The Savior knows each of us intimately through His experience in teh garden and on the cross. Alma states that He took upon Himself our pains, afflictions, temptations, sicknesses, and infirmities, that He might know how to succor us (see Alma 7:11-12) Elder Jeffery R. Holand of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles has pointed out that the word succor in old French means literally "to run to." He suggested that "even as [Christ] calls us to come to him...,he is unfailingly running to help us."

When you believe in Christ strongly enough to believe that He knows and cares about you and will respond to your prayers and needs, you will lay hold on the good."

This caught my eye as there are several people on the stream here who are hurting and have a belief in Christ but don't believe in Christ. Meaning that they don't have a knowledge that Christ knows them intimately and cares about them. So many are in dispair and hurting from the inflictions of the world.

I just want all of them to know that they can go to Him as He runs to them to help heal the pain that he too felt in that garden all alone when He groaned under the pain.

Come unto Him and let Him ease your burdens that they may seem light and perhaps dissapear completely.

Take care of yourselves. Beth.

Seek Ye the Kingdom of God

President Gordon B. Hinckley

I hope that all of you will remember that on this Sabbath day you heard me bear my witness that this is God's holy work.

President Gordon B. HinckleyMy beloved brothers and sisters, I thank you for your prayers in my behalf. I now pray for your sustaining faith.

When a man reaches my age, he pauses now and again to reflect on what has led him to his present status in life.

I feel to indulge upon your time in what might be regarded as a selfish manner. I do so because the life of the President of the Church really belongs to the entire Church. He has very little privacy and no secrets. My talk this morning will be different from any, I think, previously heard in the general conferences of the Church.

I now face the sunset of my life. We are all totally in the hands of the Lord. As many of you know, I recently underwent major surgery. It is the first time in my 95 years that I have been a patient in a hospital. I do not recommend it to anyone. My doctors say that I still have some residual problems.

I am now approaching my 96th birthday. I take this opportunity to express appreciation and gratitude for the remarkable blessings the Lord has showered upon me.

We all face choices in the course of our lives, some of them with a siren song of wealth and prosperity; others appear less promising. Somehow the Lord has watched over and guided my choices, although it was not always evident at the time.

There come to mind the words of Robert Frost's poem "The Road Not Taken," which concludes with these lines:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
(The Poetry of Robert Frost, ed. Edward Connery Lathem [1969], 105)

I think of the words of the Lord: "Seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you" (Luke 12:31).

It was 48 years ago at this April conference that I was first sustained as a General Authority. Since that time I have spoken in every general conference of the Church. I have given well over 200 such talks. I have dealt with a great variety of subjects. But running through all has been a dominant thread of testimony of this great latter-day work.

But things have changed and are changing. My beloved companion of 67 years left me two years ago. I miss her more than I can say. She was really a remarkable woman, one with whom I walked side by side in perfect companionship for more than two-thirds of a century. As I look back upon my life, I do so with a measure of wonder and awe. Everything good that has happened, including my marriage, I owe to my activity in the Church.

I had occasion the other evening to review an incomplete list of societies and organizations that have honored me, all because of my activity in the Church. Presidents of the United States, a substantial number of them, have come to the Office of the Presidency of the Church. I have on my office wall a photograph of my presenting a Book of Mormon to President Ronald Reagan. In my bookcase is the Presidential Medal of Freedom given to me by President Bush. I have been to the White House on a number of occasions. I have hosted and mingled with prime ministers and ambassadors of many nations, including Prime Ministers Margaret Thatcher and Harold Macmillan of the United Kingdom.

I have known and worked with every President of the Church from President Grant down to Howard W. Hunter. I have known and loved all of the General Authorities through these many, many years.

I am now trying to deal with the many books and artifacts that I have accumulated over the years. In the course of this process I found an old journal with sporadic entries from the years 1951 to 1954. At that time I was a counselor in my stake presidency and had not yet been called as a General Authority.

As I read through this old journal, I recalled with appreciation how, through the kindness of the Lord, I came to know very intimately and well all of the First Presidency and members of the Quorum of the Twelve. Such an opportunity could not now be had by anyone because the Church is much larger.

The journal contains entries such as the following:

"March 11, 1953—President McKay discussed with me the April conference program for mission presidents.

"Thursday, March 19—Joseph Fielding Smith asked that I get one of the Brethren to illustrate handling of Saturday night missionary conferences. . . . I believe that Spencer W. Kimball or Mark E. Petersen should take care of it.

"Thursday, March 26—President McKay told an interesting story. He said, 'A farmer had a large tract of land. When he grew old it became too much for him. He had a family of boys. He called the boys around him and told them they would have to carry the load. The father rested. But one day he walked out into the field. The boys told him to go back, they did not need his help. He said, "My shadow on this farm is worth more than the labor of all of you." ' President McKay said that the father in the story represented President Stephen L Richards, who was ill, but whose contribution and friendship President McKay valued so highly.

"Friday, April 3, 1953—Attended temple meeting with General Authorities and mission presidents from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. More than 30 mission presidents spoke. All want more missionaries. All making good progress.

"Tuesday, April 14—President Richards at office, had a pleasant visit with him. He appears tired and weak. I feel he has been preserved by the Lord for a great purpose.

"Monday, April 20, 1953—Had an interesting visit with Henry D. Moyle of the Council of the Twelve Apostles.

"July 15, 1953—Albert E. Bowen, member of the Council of the Twelve, died after more than a year of serious illness. Another of my friends has gone. . . . I got to know him well. He was a wise and steady man. Could never be rushed, and was never in a rush. Extremely deliberate—a man of uncommon wisdom, a man of great and simple faith. The old, wise heads are passing on. They were my friends. In my brief time I have seen many of the great men of the Church come and go. Most of them I have worked with and known intimately. Time has a way of erasing their memory. Another five years and such names as Merrill, Widtsoe, Bowen—all powerful figures—will be forgotten by all but a few. A man must get his satisfaction from his work each day, must recognize that his family may remember him, that he may count with the Lord, but beyond that, small will be his monument among the coming generations."

And so it goes. I read it only to illustrate the remarkable relationship I had as a young man with members of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve.

During my years I have also walked among the impoverished and poor of the earth and shared with them my love, my concern, and my faith. I have associated with men and women of privilege and stature from many parts of the earth. Through these opportunities I hope I have made at least a small difference.

When I was a young man, a mere boy of 11, I received a patriarchal blessing from a man I had never seen before and never saw thereafter. It is a remarkable document, a prophetic document. It is personal, and I will not read extensively from it. However, it contains this statement: "The nations of the earth shall hear thy voice and be brought to a knowledge of the truth by the wonderful testimony which thou shalt bear."

When I was released from my mission in England, I took a short trip on the continent. I had borne my testimony in London; I did so in Berlin and again in Paris and later in Washington, D.C. I said to myself that I had borne my testimony in these great capitals of the world and had fulfilled that part of my blessing.

That proved to be a mere scratching of the surface. Since then I have lifted my voice on every continent, in cities large and small, all up and down from north to south and east to west across this broad world—from Cape Town to Stockholm, from Moscow to Tokyo to Montreal, in every great capital of the world. It is all a miracle.

Last year I asked members of the Church throughout the world to again read the Book of Mormon. Thousands, even hundreds of thousands, responded to that challenge. The Prophet Joseph said in 1841, "I told the brethren that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book" (History of the Church, 4:461).

Accepting the truth of this statement, I think something remarkable must have happened to the people of this Church. They were observed reading the Book of Mormon while riding the bus, while eating lunch, while in the doctor's office waiting room, and in scores of other situations. I trust and hope that we have drawn closer to God because of the reading of this book.

Last December it was my privilege, together with many of you, to honor the Prophet Joseph on the 200th anniversary of his birth. With Elder Ballard, I was at his birthplace in Vermont while this great Conference Center was filled with Latter-day Saints and the word was carried by satellite transmission across the world in tribute to the beloved Prophet of this great latter-day work.

And so I might go on. I apologize again for speaking in a personal vein. However, I do so only as an expression of appreciation and gratitude for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, all of this coming to pass because of the place in which the Lord has put me. My heart is overwhelmed with gratitude and love.

To repeat:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

I trust that you will not regard what I have said as an obituary. Rather, I look forward to the opportunity of speaking to you again in October.

Now, in conclusion, I hope that all of you will remember that on this Sabbath day you heard me bear my witness that this is God's holy work. The vision given the Prophet Joseph in the grove of Palmyra was not an imaginary thing. It was real. It occurred in the broad light of day. Both the Father and the Son spoke to the boy. He saw Them standing in the air above him. He heard Their voices. He gave heed to Their instruction.

It was the resurrected Lord who was introduced by His Father, the great God of the universe. For the first time in recorded history, both the Father and the Son appeared together to part the curtains and open this, the last and final dispensation, the dispensation of the fulness of times.

The Book of Mormon is all that it purports to be—a work recorded by prophets who lived anciently and whose words have come forth "to the convincing of the Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God, manifesting himself unto all nations" (Book of Mormon title page).

The priesthood has been restored under the hands of John the Baptist and Peter, James, and John. All the keys and authority pertaining to eternal life are exercised in this Church.

Joseph Smith was and is a prophet, the great Prophet of this dispensation. This Church, which carries the name of the Redeemer, is true.

I leave you my testimony, my witness, and my love for each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen

==Now please tell me where this wonderful talk of the personal witness of a man who has worked with the Presidents of the church since he was 22 years old, just tell me where what he has said contridicts the Bible and teachings of Jesus Christ?==

Beth.