Provident Living

We have been thinking a lot recently about budgeting!  This week, I read a Dave Ramsey book called, "Total Money Makeover,"  listened to our combined RS/Priesthood Meeting with the Bishop yesterday on "Managing Finances in the Family,"  and Travis is taking Personal Finance and I've been watching some of the classes online.  Anyway, it has gotten us to thinking a lot about personal finance and budgeting.  In all of these classes/books (including the Dave Ramsey book), they talk about how managing finances is essential for spiritual growth.  Travis's professor said that we are "stewards," and if you can't be a good steward over your own finances or other resources, then it is hard to be a good steward over other things.  The prophets have talked a lot about debt and finances and how they can either be used to do a lot of good, or they can totally destroy a family.

Here is a quote from Elder Hales, "These two lessons are the essence of provident living. When faced with the choice to buy, consume, or engage in worldly things and activities, we all need to learn to say to one another, “We can’t afford it, even though we want it!” or “We can afford it, but we don’t need it—and we really don’t even want it!”

Travis and I have tried to make budgeting fun.  For example, we established a "Smoke Fund."  Basically we figured out how much we would have to spend to smoke a pack of cigarettes each week, and then we use that money instead to do something fun each week!  What are some tactics that you guys use to make budgeting/finances more effective and fun?

Good resources
Elder Hales talk, "Becoming Provident Providers Temporally and Spiritually" -  http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2009/04/becoming-provident-providers-temporally-and-spiritually?lang=eng
One for the Money - http://www.lds.org/ensign/2007/09/one-for-the-money?lang=eng
Dave Ramsey -https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ng2f_ZlZjdQ

Rivalries

Ok, so this kind of hearkens back to my "Contention" post a few weeks ago, but...

I hate rivalries. I remember a couple years ago when a friend and University of Utah alum made several adversarial posts on Facebook about BYU just prior to the annual BYU-U of U game. It felt personal, and I struggled not to become angry with her. Anyway, it really bothered me.

Today I read an article in this week's Sports Illustrated magazine and came across this:

"Heated rivalries are part of what makes college football so special, and the annual BYU-Utah clash has become one of the the nastiest, most personal rivalries in the nation. Last year while working on the book, The System: The Glory and Scandal of Big-Time College Football, I attended my first BYU-Utah game. At the time I had no intention of mentioning the game in the book, but the extreme profanity and vile abuse I witnessed that night caught me off guard. Utah fans spit on BYU players and taunted BYU fans by mocking the school's honor code. In one sense it reminded of the 1980s when the Notre Dame-Miami rivalry was cast as The Catholics versus The Convicts. But the BYU-Utah rivalry has a certain us-versus-them tone. Only it is Mormons versus Mormons."

From http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/college-football/news/20130925/spencer-hadley-byu/#ixzz2g625Sqpr

Anyway, this probably doesn't qualify as something "lovely or of good report," but the subject of contention is something I keep returning to in my thoughts lately. So I think I will be talking about contention in my next RS Presidency lesson. Anybody have any favorite talks on the subject that they can refer me to? Especially talks about overcoming contention or teaching children not to be contentious? I've already got Elder Holland's "The Tongue of Angels," but that's it so far.

Sexual Purity Mormonad

So... The YM / YW in our ward (all 6 of them, age 14 and under, none of whom are particularly active) have to create a Mormonad for stake standards night this Saturday, and the topic they were given by the stake is sexual purity--from For the Strength of Youth. They're getting together tomorrow night to make their poster, and Scott (YM president) asked me to help brainstorm ideas. Anybody got anything?

https://www.lds.org/youth/for-the-strength-of-youth/sexual-purity?lang=eng

Worldwide Leadership Training

Yesterday I read Elder Ballard's talk, "This Is My Work and My Glory." He encourages us all to watch the 2013 Worldwide Leadership Training: "Brothers and sisters, this leadership training is for every member of the Church." I have seen several segments, but I haven't watched the whole thing from start to finish. It's just 76 minutes long; I plan to watch the entire thing this week.

Have you all watched it? Anything stand out? If you haven't seen it yet, you can watch here: http://www.lds.org/training/wwlt/2013/how-to-use-this-training?lang=eng.

Contention

One of the sisters in my ward often posts links to articles on Facebook. Several controversial topics that have been brought up in the last several months. (I won't go into any details because it's really not relevant to the point I'm trying to make here.)

I find myself deeply saddened--although not as much by the opinions expressed as by the divisive reactions they cause. I don't know if the opinions are intended to stir up contention, but they certainly do. Yesterday I read a blog post about modesty, another blog post responding to the original post, comments, a parody of the original post, more comments... These women (many of whom are members of the Church) rip each other apart with their words. I woke up this morning with the topic still on my mind, and it made my heart feel heavy. I keep asking myself: Why are these women, many of whom share the same Christian faith, so mean to each other? And why do they express their disagreements in such a disagreeable way?

This morning for scripture study I turned to the scriptures and researched the topic of contention. Did you know that there are more than 80 scriptures about contention in the Book of Mormon alone? Here are a few of my faves:

• 3 Ne. 11:29 --> Contention is of the devil, the father of contention.
• Alma 19:28 --> Sometimes our well-intentioned actions or words can unintentionally stir up contention.
• Alma 51:16 --> Contentions and dissensions had been a cause of the Nephites' destruction.
• Mosiah 4:14-15 --> We are commanded not to allow our children to fight and quarrel with one another.
• Elder Holland's Conference talk "The Tongue of Angels" also comes to mind.

Any other good reads you can recommend? Any thoughts or suggestions for dealing with contention? (One obvious one would be to distance yourself from individuals who have a track record for stirring up contention. But when that's not possible, then what?) How can we effectively teach children not to contend with one another?

Another favorite

I've been thinking about some of my favorite talks and articles, and I thought of this one: Wrong Roads and Revelation.  I was only introduced to it within the last few months, but I love how it responds to question, "Why, at times, does it seem that we receive revelation that sends us in the wrong direction?"  It's a short read and a good one.  I highly recommend it.

An Idea

My third area in the mission field was an especially challenging one. At one point, my companion and I went to the bishop of the ward and asked him for suggestions to get the members to help with the work more. He made a suggestion, and we pretty much ignored it. I'm not sure why... Maybe because we didn't think it would work, or maybe we just forgot. At any rate, several weeks later we were still struggling to get the members involved. We went to the bishop again, and he asked if we'd implemented his original advice. No, we hadn't. He didn't chide us for it, but I had the thought: "You already asked him for advice, and you haven't implemented it. Why are you asking again?"

That was a teaching moment for me. I think that sometimes we (or at least I) go to Heavenly Father asking for answers or help. We receive revelation but we don't give it the heed we should. Then down the road a little way we turn to Him again hoping for help. But how can we expect more assistance when we haven't heeded that which we have already received?

Here's my point: General Conference is a month away. A lot of times we approach Conference as an opportunity to receive personal revelation and answers to questions or concerns. But how can we expect Heavenly Father to give us answers or assistance if we haven't already paid heed to that which we've been given in the past? In order to prepare for this upcoming Conference, I'm setting the goal to study one General Conference talk a day between now and October 5. That is 33 talks in 33 days--quite manageable. If you want to join me, you are quite welcome to do so. :o)

(Of course, you are all so awesome that you have probably been studying the talks all along over the past five months. In that case, at least this post will make me accountable for my goal.) :o)

Women's Roles in The Church of Jesus Christ

This talk was given by Elder Ballard last month at BYU's Education Week. Elder Ballard does a good job talking about women and the priesthood--a topic that is sometimes misunderstood by individuals both within the Church and outside it. I think it's important to understand the principles here, because we'll all probably have the opportunity to explain them to others at some point: http://speeches.byu.edu/?act=viewitem&id=2133.