General Conference - Sunday Morning Session

Dallin H. Oaks, Apostle and 1st Counselor in First Presidency, conducting

Choir: How Firm a Foundation

Bradley D. Foster, Seventy, opening prayer

Choir: I Feel My Savior's Love

Dale G. Renlund, Apostle
God desires to bless us. Most blessings require action on our part. Act in faith. We do not earn blessings but we do have to qualify for them. Accept His will and timing for the answer. Small actions allow us to walk along the covenant path.

Sharon L Eubank, 1st Counselor, General Relief Society
Stay connected to the source of our light, Jesus Christ, to grow. Satan works hard to isolate us. There is light in our darkness. Christ's scarlet blood returns us to white purity.

Quentin L. Cook, Apostle
Unique time in history. Love of the Savior and our fellow man and woman is the spirit of ministering. Missionary work. Patriarchal blessing said he would carry gospel all over the world. We need to align our hearts with God's, and move away from motivations of responsibility or guilt. Love is at the center of temple work as we gather those on the other side. Home is now our primary Family History Center. Home centered gospel learning.

Choir & Congregation: Come Ye Children of the Lord

D. Todd Christofferson, Apostle
Beyond selfless service, it is extremely important to prepare the world for the Second Coming. Do all we can to relieve suffering, but after the Second Coming, there will not be that need. Prepare now for both. A people prepared to receive Him must be on the earth. A new Zion will receive him (the pure in heart). Build Zion in homes, branches, wards, and stakes. Gather and partake of the sacrament. Gather the lost tribes of Israel. Publication of the Book of Mormon was the signal that the great gathering had begun.

Tad R. Callister, just released as SS General President
What is the Atonement of Jesus Christ? A series of events motivated by love, needing an innocent sacrifice, for our benefit. Purpose was to make it possible for us to return to God's presence. The Savior overcame death so that we may live. Don't limit the Atonement by not forgiving ourselves. We CAN be forgiven. If we feel the Spirit, that is the proof that we have been forgiven, evidence that the Atonement is working in my life. An eternal perspective can help us through our own trials. The saving ordinances manifest the power of God. The gifts of the spirit (Holy Ghost and other gifts) are attributes of godliness. Seek these gifts.

Choir: Oh, Thou Rock of Our Salvation

President Russell M. Nelson, Prophet, President of the Church
Lost daughter, Wendy, three months ago to cancer. Do not worry about her as they anticipate being with her again. Where is my family? His arms are stretched out still. Salvation is an individual matter; exaltation is a family matter. We qualify for exaltation by making covenants with God and receiving ordinances. Take the covenant path back to Him.

Jean B. Bingham, RS General President

General Conference - Saturday Afternoon Session

Henry B. Eyring, Apostle, conducting

BYU Student Choir: Come, O, Thou King of Kings

Brent H. Nielsson, Seventy, opening prayer

Dallin H. Oaks, sustaining of Church officers

Mark L. Pace, Milton Darocha Camargo, Jan Eric Newman, new Sunday School presidency

Kevin R. Jergesen,  Church Audit

Choir: I Stand All Amazed

1) M. Russel Ballard, Apostle
We can find peace, joy, and happiness despite the troubles in the world. Christ the only Savior, must take upon ourselves His name. Many changes to Church activities made recently but don't lose sight of the spiritual reasons behind these changes. Do things with thanksgiving and cheerful hearts. Keep testimony simple and focused on Christ. Keep things simple - no extra meetings. That will help us find that peace, joy, and happiness. Is having trouble keeping up with President Nelson who is the only Apostle older than he is.

2)  Matthias Held, Seventy
Joined the Church 31 years ago. Moved to Germany as nonmembers. Wife felt that they would receive a message of some sort. Salesmen included. :D Missionaries came and they were baptized ten months later after a very detailed scrutiny. Mosiah 18 was the final prompt to be baptized.  Perspective of truth.

Choir & Congregation: Praise to the Lord

3) Neil L. Anderson, Apostle
Pilate asked Christ if He were the king of the Jews. "What is truth?" Pilate then asked. Eternal truths are absolutely true for everyone. The Holy Ghost helps us know the truth of all things. Family Proclamation. A warning. Contains eternal truths. Our premortal growth influences who we are here. It is okay to have honest questions. Don't walk away from the boundaries the Lord has set. Many of us have lives that don't fit into the Family Proclamation. Have faith, patience, and diligent. Laws of man sometimes move outside the laws of God.

4) Takashi Wada, Seventy
Nephi reminds us to feast upon the words of Christ. Feasting is a celebration of joy, sharing, thanking God, and building relationships. Lehi's dream, fruit filled his soul with exceeding joy. The words of Christ increase our spiritual capacity to receive revelation. In coming days, we will not survive without relying on the gospel (President Nelson). The scriptures help us know who we really are. Lift others through the words of Christ. Mother was baptized two years ago. Press forward with a steadfastness in Christ having a perfect brightness of hope...

5) David P. Homer, Seventy
Near air accident. Multiple voices compete for our attention; vital to listen to the right ones. What is popular is not always right.

Choir: Jesus Once of Humble Birth

6) Jeffrey R. Holland, Apostle
Gentle guidance on improving reverence and on the Savior's sacrifice for us.

Choir: Jesus, Love of My Soul

General Conference - Saturday Morning Session

Saturday Morning Session

President Dallin H. Oaks, Apostle, 1st Counselor in the First Presidency, presiding.

Choir: Press Onward Saints

Steven E. Snow, Seventy, opening prayer.

Choir: There is Sunshine in my Soul Today

1) Ulisses Soares, Apostle
Teach each other. Ethiopian eunuch asked Phillip to be taught, life transformed. Raise our families in light and truth. "Come and see." Be attuned to the Lord, call on Him, learn how to bring the gospel of Jesus Christ to the center of our lives. Our actions must reflect our beliefs. Best teacher is a good role model. If our children stray, they are not totally lost. The Lord knows where they are and is watching over them. Love them, embrace them, pray for them. Never give up on them and always preserve our relationships with them.Think of the prodigal son.

2) Becky Craven, 2nd Counselor, Young Women
Where do we look for happiness? In cheap, temporal things? The covenant path will take us to our eternal destination if we remain on it. Casual efforts may lead us to forbidden paths. Don't rationalize.  John 14:15 - youth theme for 2019. Follow the prophet. We cannot live a perfect life, but we can be worthy. Living the gospel of Jesus Christ brings happiness.

3) Brook P. Hales, Seventy
God is involved in the details of our lives. Missionary coat too big, given to one who had none and had been praying for help. Sometimes the answer to righteous prayers is no. Sometimes we do not hear the answer in our lifetime. But the Lord has what is best for us in mind. Sometimes you have lessons to learn. Example of blind lady (like my friend, Kathy Nimmer!) All our concerns, injustices, and disappointments will be taken care of by Heavenly Father.

Choir & Congregation: Redeemer of Israel

4) Dieter Uchtdorf, Apostle
Discipleship. Share what is in your heart. Trust the Lord to work His miracles. It's not our job to convert people, that is the role of the Holy Ghost. Our role is to share our beliefs and live them. It is not a personal failure if someone does not accept the gospel. Believe. Love. Do.

Choir: Dearest Children, God is Near You

5) W. Christopher Waddell, 2nd Counselor in the Presiding Bishopric
Brother with pancreatic cancer, hadn't attended Church in 50 years. Began listening to missionaries, got his patriarchal blessing 57 years after his baptism. Ordained on his deathbed to the Melchizedek Priesthood. Minister to the one just as Christ did. Needs come in a variety of conditions, big or small. No one is too far gone and it is never too late. Model our efforts after Jesus Christ. The Lord will direct our efforts. It is never too late.

Choir: I am a Child of God

6) Henry B. Eyring, Apostle, 2nd Counseor in the First Presidency
On this day in 1830 at Fayette, NY, Joseph organized the Church. Be spiritually minded. All parents have found parenthood a challenge. 4 Nephi - no contention in land because the love of God was in the hearts of people. Lead your children toward righteousness. Build on the Savior's gospel, build your faith. Use Come Follow Me to help build your faith and that of your family's. Alma the Younger remembered his father's faith in the Savior; your children may also when they desperately need repentance. Family prayer plays a crucial part in making home a sacred place. Repent of harsh words and thoughts quickly. Apologize.

A bluebird landed on our window screen and then hopped onto the shepherd's crook just as Elder Eyring completed his talk. Beautiful!

Choir: Rejoice the Lord is King

Cowboys & Cowgirls - It's a Generational Thing

Lukie has saddled up and is riding across the range!

Vanessa sent me this video of Lukie enjoying the wooden rocking horse that we gave their family last Christmas. He's the third generation of rocking horse cowboys and cowgirls in our family.

One of my earliest memories is of riding one very similar to this wooden rocking horse.

 Ours was almost all red and aptly (if unimaginatively) named Reddy. I spent hours in Reddy's saddle!

I outgrew Reddy and moved on to Buttermilk. (This was in the early 1960s and Dale Evans and her horse, Buttermilk, were quite popular.) My dad named my horse, but I never knew why until I was an adult and learned about Roy Rogers and Dale Evans!

Like Reddy, I spent countless hours riding Buttermilk, and although I shared her with my brother and sister, no one rode her as much as I did. You could bounce up and down or you could rock back and forth like I had on Reddy. (Funny thing, all these years later I still like motion when I am sitting - give me a rocking chair any day!)

Having known the joys of rocking horse-dom, I made sure that my children had the same opportunity to ride the horse of their dreams when they were children.

Santa brought this horse, Lightning, for Christmas when our two oldest were toddlers. They both loved it, but it was Jessica who, like me, was constantly in the saddle. (Somewhere I have the cutest picture of her cuddled up on the floor underneath Lightning, sound asleep.) But Jessica outgrew her horsiness just as she outgrew Lightning.

I have fifteen grandchildren and one more due in June, so surely SOMEONE will be a horse lover like their Grammy. So far Mila and Cambria seem the most likely candidates, but you never know - there may be a sleeper in the family somewhere!

A Pony Pal Visits

Jessica, Andrew, and the kids moved from Virginia to Utah, and as they drove across country with their things, they stopped by March 18 for a quick visit and to spend the night.

Curt and crew came over to see them, and we had a pizza dinner and then popcornpalooza and watched a movie. (Popcornpalooza is popcorn mixed with M&Ms, gummi bears, pretzels, goldfish crackers, and anything else you want to toss into the mix. It is HUGELY popular in our family.)

Pony Pal Cambria requested a tour of my collection and I let her select a ribbon that I'd won the previous weekend at Silver Star Classic down in Carmel. She promptly hung it on her shirt.

I'd also made the kids care packages with things like fun pads, snacks, and small toys to keep them entertained as the family drove across the country. If you look at the bag, you can see that my pony pal is also taking home a palomino Grazing Mare. (Her brother, Titan, got the matching foal.)

Cambria really does seem to have the horsey gene. Time will tell, but her Grammy has her fingers crossed!

Tragedy - A Murdered Former Parent

I had a bit of a shock this week. There was a homicide/suicide Sunday morning in a neighborhood that my school serves. Domestic violence; argument in the garage and the husband shot his wife then killed himself. Her children were in the home and called 911. 

Since I didn't recognize the name, I did not think I had any connections to the family as a teacher. Then my principal texted me; it was one of my families. The mother had divorced/remarried since I'd had her son in my class so I had not recognized her name. (I also used to babysit the mom when I was a teenager and she was a child.) 

Jane was not a stable person, and her first husband, the one I knew, had a lengthy police record. (The kids are now with him; not good.) I only had the son for a year, and it did not end well. I caught him cheating multiple times and she felt I was picking on him. It didn't matter that I had physical proof (he'd plagiarized a paper off the internet that he presented as his own work) yet somehow I was the problem and picking on her son. (He had told me that she knew he was using the paper off the internet; perhaps that added fuel to her ire.) 

After two incidents where she blew up at me over his cheating (and with the full support of my principal), I quit telling her about other cheating and handled things directly with him in the classroom. She hadn't wanted to hear it and certainly was not supportive in trying to help me help her son. The school year ended on a sour note with Jane but a better one with her son.

I feel sad that I will never run into her in the grocery or around town and have the opportunity to maybe have a cordial hello-type conversation. But, there is nothing I can do about it now. 

Jane's obituary in in a previous post. 

Jane Sizmuir Schick's Murder

Jane and Jason Moore died in this house early Sunday, March 17, 2019, as a result of a homicide/suicide during a domestic fight. (Photo: Ron Wilkins/Journal & Courier)

LAFAYETTE — Jane and Jason Moore's domestic fight late Saturday and early Sunday wasn't their first, but unlike earlier fights, this one ended tragically.

Fifty-three-year-old Jason Moore shot his 50-year-old wife several times with a .38-caliber revolver inside the garage of their upscale home at 50 Mill Drive in rural Tippecanoe County, northeast of Lafayette, Tippecanoe County Coroner Donna Avolt said.

Then Jason turned the gun on himself, according to preliminary autopsy results released by Avolt on Monday afternoon.

Jane Moore's two teenage children were inside the house in their bedrooms, according to Tippecanoe County Sheriff's Office. Both went downstairs after hearing the shots, and one of the teens, went into the garage to see if he could help his mother and stepfather, Avolt and Tippecanoe County Sheriff Bob Goldsmith said.

The couple, however, was dead, Avolt said.

The teens then called 911 at 12:08 a.m. Sunday, according to Tippecanoe County Sheriff's Office.

No one will ever know what Jane and Jason argued about because both of the teens were in their rooms during the fight and shooting, so they didn't hear what sparked the fight, Goldsmith said.

The children are with family, Goldsmith said.

The shootings marked the end to a rocky relationship that was punctuated by domestic upheaval. 

Jason Moore (Photo: Provided/Tippecanoe County Jail)

In November, Moore went to jail accused of landing an uppercut to Jane's chin during a fight, according to the probable cause affidavit. He was scheduled for trial on April 4 on a felony charge of domestic battery.

At the time, the affidavit says Jane told deputies, "This always happens when he starts drinking."

Deputies reported that Jane also told them, "He's always the aggressor."

In the Nov. 27 fight, Jane told deputies that they were arguing about "distant family issues," according to the affidavit.

Jason told deputies the argument was about "a thousand different things," according to the affidavit.

The Moores married in October 2014, but in July 2017, Jason filed for divorce from Jane, according to court documents, which indicated that the two did not have any children together.

The court case remained active for six months, then on Jan. 16, 2018, Jane Moore petitioned to have the case dismissed, stating she and Jason reconciled. Jane Moore's motion was was granted two days later.

The violence shatters the stereotype that domestic violence only occurs in lower social economic classes, said Leah Giorgini, director of Lafayette's YWCA Domestic Violence Intervention and Prevention Program.

"It happened in a very affluent, nice neighborhood where you wouldn't think domestic violence would happen," Giorgini said. "It can happen in any means and circumstances."