From Bro & Sis Baum:

Dear Elders and Sisters:

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!  We went to 6^th Ward today because YSA Ward had their stake conference.  Sister Tolman told how Shondie worked at a specialized baby store and was starting to feel anxious about how on earth she was ever going to provide all the “best” things for her newborn.  As she was pondering one day, this message came into her mind:  “I was born in a manger.” 

Jennica had a “hiccouph” in her testimony which was starting to bother her, especially since she was a return missionary.  She thought, “What am I doing to solve this?” so she started listening to a conference talk every day.  She felt many of the words were given directly to her and she bore powerful testimony of modern revelation, the temple, and Christ’s ability to heal a broken heart. 

Steve Arnold (just called as Stk YM Pres) said God will not forsake us during the heat of a purification process, because, like a refiner of gold or silver, He cannot look away for a second--the temperature has to be carefully controlled.

He also said “Since microtrauma is necessary to build muscle, we don’t need to let microtrauma break the whole muscle” (meaning we don’t need to let trials break our testimonies).  And “Don’t tempt a tornado (sin).  Always run for cover.”

Tiffany Tullis told us “Remember:  Christ is family.”  Aren’t we all so grateful for His Atonement?

Dear Elders and Sisters:

It’s time for General Conference again!!  Here are some quotes/talks from last conference that effected our lives for good: 

Elder Eyring:  “we know at least one of the effects [of fasting]: the Savior completely resisted Satan’s temptations to misuse His divine power.”

Elder Packer’s ‘Last Lecture’:  The Plan of Happiness

Elder Perry’s ‘Last Lecture’:  Why Marriage and Family Matter—Everywhere in the World (interesting that he & Elder Packer spoke on the same subject)

Elder Bednar:  Unlike worldly fear that creates alarm and anxiety, godly fear is a source of peace, assurance, and confidence.

Elder Christofferson:  Each individual carries the divine image, but it is in the matrimonial union of male and female as one that we attain perhaps the most complete meaning of our having been made in the image of God—male and female.

Elder Andersen:  We learn the dance steps [of the Gospel] with our minds, but we hear the music with our hearts.

Elder Renlund:  it is not the Holy Ghost that tells us we’re so far gone that we might as well give up.

Elder Ringwood: the service that counts most is usually recognized by God alone.

Elders Causse & Anderson both talked about eyes (new eyes and opening our eyes).

Elder Nielson:  All of us are lost and need to be found. 

Elder Holland:  Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, suffered, died, and rose from death in order that He could, like lightning in a summer storm, grasp us as we fall, hold us with His might, and through our obedience to His commandments, lift us to eternal life.

Elder Uchtdorf:  The Church is a place of healing, not hiding.

Prayers to you all!  Bro & Sis Baum

We just celebrated The United States of America which is still the greatest country in the world, despite its many serious problems.  We spend a significant amount of money aiding and rescuing the world’s poor and less fortunate i.e. children who are exploited for the sex trade.  No other country does that.  Many of our Founding Fathers were God fearing men and have made it abundantly clear: 

“Instant to be observed [Friday 17, 1776] as a day of fasting, humiliation and prayer, humbly to supplicate the mercy of Almighty God, that it would please him to pardon all our manifold sins and transgression, and to prosper the Arms of the United Colonies, and finally establish the peace and freedom of America, upon a solid and lasting foundation.”  –George Washington

“We will win this war because the grand artist will utilize the elements.” –John Witherspoon

“But I must submit all my Hopes and Fears, to an overruling Providence, in which, unfashionable as the Faith may be, I firmly believe.”  –John Adams

“How many observe Christ's birthday! How few, His precepts!”  ― Benjamin Franklin

Perhaps that’s the reason government officials don’t talk like that anymore.  We have perverted what the Founders meant by “separation of church and state.” They did not mean separation of God and State.   

Some say the Lord made a covenant with us and our nation (just as He did with ancient Israel) and that we must repent in order for Him to bless and protect us.

D&C 89: 18 And all saints who remember to keep and do these sayings, walking in obedience to the commandments, shall receive health in their navel and marrow to their bones;

 19 And shall find wisdom and great treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures;

 20 And shall run and not be weary, and shall walk and not faint.

 21 And I, the Lord, give unto them a promise, that the destroying angel shall pass by them, as the children of Israel, and not slay them. Amen.

Sounds like covenant language to me.

On the lighter side:

Do they have a 4th of July in England?
Yes. That’s how they get from the 3rd to the 5th.
From Big Al, a grownup, Frankfort, KY

Dear Elders and Sisters—

Our visiting teaching message this month is worth one of your morning study sessions.  It was on virtue, a divine attribute of Jesus Christ.  President James E Faust said “virtue in its fuller sense encompasses all traits of righteousness that help us form our character.”  If you substitute that into D&C 121:45 it would read, “Let [all traits of righteousness] garnish thy thoughts unceasingly… which would certainly take a lot more thought control than I have right now!  It would be worth the effort though as we read the blessings that would ensue:  “then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God; and the doctrine of the priesthood shall distil upon thy soul as the dews from heaven.”  Distill means to purify, refine, filter, treat, process or extract essential meaning but what exactly is the doctrine of the priesthood that is supposed distill upon the soul?   Bruce R McConkie gave a masterful conference talk on the subject (recorded in May 1982 Ensign) which is well worth reading & pondering.   It’s the least we could do since Elder McConkie was tempted (as Alma) to wish he could speak with “the voice of seven thunders or send forth the word by ten thousand trumpets”.   One wonders why he felt so strongly about it & why we are so resistant.  

Bro & Sis Baum 

Dear Elder Snell,

We’ve been replenishing 72hr kits all week.   The food was outdated and I needed to add a few things.

Double dated with a young couple from our mission.  She was the RS President and her husband was Elder’s Quorum President at the time.  We went to Jordan River Temple together & enjoyed talking in the Celestial Room about things you can’t talk about outside.

It’s been cool and rainy here—glad for the moisture.

Liam played over 300 games on a soccer team and their final game happened to fall on a Sunday.  Britta & Garrett had taught him to keep the Sabbath Day holy but they said he could choose for himself.   He chose to play, so they all jumped in the car.  He said “At that moment I felt the Holy Ghost say ‘This is not the right thing’ and then I said we are not going…I declare.  Everyone was happy.  Cheer for Liam!”  Pretty good for an 8 year old!

Natalie & I packed up her 3 kiddos and we drove to Idaho Falls to surprise Gigi for Mother’s Day.  Mom seemed to really enjoy herself even though we had to trap the youngins into the booth at the restaurant.  They were surprisingly good, and Natalie somehow pulled it off, even with all the food restrictions.  My brother Jay came too and insisted on paying for everyone’s dinner, even though he quit his job.  The boss put everyone on part time so he didn’t have to pay health benefits which was the main reason my brother was working there.  At least he doesn’t have to work nights anymore.   Matt had motel points built up so it didn’t cost anything to stay all night.  The kids enjoyed the pool.  We drove back the next day so the trip was just right.  

Max wants to quit piano lessons but your Dad told him he'd be sorry.  I told him the story about two people who each had a bottle full to the brim with various size rocks.  A race was proposed to see who could dump out the rocks and fill their jar the fastest.  One person poured the sand & gravel back in  first but was unable to fit all the rest in.  The other put the big rocks in first and everything else fit in around it.  I promised Max if he would fit in the big rock of practice first, he wouldn't miss out on a thing because everything else would fit in around it.  I also told him the piano skill would follow him into adulthood and that the girls are always impressed!  I guess we'll see...   

Your Mama brought me some beautiful pink roses for Mother’s Day.  She said she surely enjoyed talking to you.  You sound happy to be busy doing the Lord's work.  

Love you,

Dear Elders & Sisters,

I seem to be getting better at handling rejection.  I'm even getting better at not perceiving something as rejection.  I didn't even have my usual delayed reaction.  Slept really well.  Woke up with the impression I needed to refer to a talk from last Apr Conference in Temple Prep class today but only had a vague idea about which one it was.  Looked through all my notes.  Looked through the index.  Felt a little overwhelmed because there was so much that bore repeating—I didn’t know how to find what I was supposed to highlight.  Went to set up class.  Felt prompted to take the Sacrament at YSA Ward even though I had planned to go over the lesson during that time & then go to our own ward for the Sacrament.  Wound up staying for the entire YSA fast & testimony meeting which was all about enduring the end.  When I got back to the classroom, I found the talk!  (Elder Pearson, p 114, a parable on enduring to the end).  Later I found out why I needed to take the sacrament at YSA Ward.  A young woman needed my help right during our ward’s sacrament meeting.  I prayed earlier that my fasting and my performance would be consecrated to my own salvation and the salvation of those around me.  I literally felt His guidance in what I said.  I even clarified something that started out sounding judgmental and ended up reassuring everyone that I too was a Prodigal and needed to constantly work on keeping my own "soil" conducive to growth.  To feel no regret for anything I said today was truly a miracle!

Precious Elder,

I learned something interesting in SS.  Christ is the bread of life and the light, but the living water is the HG as explained in John 7:38-39.  In v. 38, He promises that those who believe will have living water flowing from them.  Then, in v. 39, John makes a parenthetical clarification that the living water is the Holy Ghost.  Not to be confused with statements made by Jesus like “I am the Bread of Life,” and “ I am the light of the world.”

It broadens the meaning of the Sacrament.  We ingest the bread, representing Christ's mortal being, and drink the water which represents the blood that came out of Him.  Since the atoning power of a sacrifice is in the blood (BD), the water represents Salvation which came out of Christ and is wrought by the Holy Spirit because He can dwell in us.  It’s the Holy Ghost that “washes” or cleanses us of our sin by virtue of Christ’s blood sacrifice.  So the constant companionship of the HG means constant living water washing our souls! 

That connects to another insight I had about teaching with the Spirit.  I think that means we are to be baptized, obedient, covenant members of the Church before we teach.  That’s the only way we can have the constant cleansing influence of the HG (both for us & for those listening).  Like John pointed out in v. 38, Christ promises that those who believe will have living water (the Holy Spirit) flowing from them, which occurred from my SS teacher to me & which happens every time you teach an honest investigator.

We pray and fast for you!