February RS Message

Dear Brothers and Sisters,
As we celebrate Valentine's Day this month may we commit ourselves to increase our love each day of the year. We would like to share with you:

Twenty Ways to Make a Good Marriage Great

By Richard W. Linford, Ensign, Dec 1983, 64

1. Night and Morning Prayer . . . to say thanks, to ask for help in your marriage and family, to worship together.

2. A Weekly Planning Meeting . . . to discuss the calendar, talk over needs and problems, decide priorities and next steps. (Write decisions in a journal, including goals and discussion topics, and reasons for each.)

3. A Daily Phone Call or Personal Conversation . . . to say . . . I love you, . . . to touch base, to discuss the day, to show you care.

4. A Weekly Date . . . to a favorite park, a concert, the library, the gym; or staying home for a candlelight dinner, a game, or a mutual hobby.

5. Patience Regardless . . . of missed meals, tardiness, forgotten favors, a thoughtless remark, impatience.

6. Daily Service . . . helping with house or yard work, mending a piece of clothing, taking a turn with the sick baby, fixing a favorite meal. (Write it down. Do it!)

7. A Budget . . . to tie down income and expenses, help set financial goals, and give you control over your finances.

8. Listening . . . not only to what is said, but also to what is meant.

9. Regular Attendance . . . at church . . . and where possible . . . the temple.

10. Daily Scripture Reading . . . to learn the gospel, to receive inspiration for yourself and your marriage, to become more like Jesus.

11. Working Together . . . caring for a garden, painting a bedroom, washing the car, scrubbing floors, building a piece of furniture, writing a poem together, team teaching a class.

12. Forgiving Each Other . . . always learning from each other, trying a different way, being the first to make peace.

13. Courtesies . . . like saying please and thank you, not interrupting or belittling, not doing all the talking, continuing the niceties of courtship.

14. Soft and Kind Words . . . of tenderness, compassion, empathy.

15. Learning Together by . . . reading to each other, discussing ideas, taking a class.

16. Respecting . . . opinions, ideas, privacy.

17. Supporting Your Spouse’s . . . Church callings and righteous goals.

18. Caring for Your Spouse’s Family by . . . enjoying their company, praying for them, serving them, overlooking differences.

19. Occasional Gifts . . . such as a note, a needed item . . . but mostly gifts of time and self.

20. Loving with All Your Heart. “Thou shalt love thy wife [thy husband] with all thy heart, and shalt cleave unto her [him] and none else.” (D&C 42:22.)

February Wise Stewards Finance Tip

February has come and the Christmas decorations are packed away (hopefully). You might still be keeping some of your New Year’s resolutions, and you may already be eyeing a certain box of chocolate for that special someone, but do you have your taxes done? Taxes aren’t due until April 17^th, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get them done early. If you do your taxes yourself there are some great ways to save time and money. Before you go out and buy an at home tax program for your computer, check out the IRS website. Go to www.irs.gov and click on the “Free File” icon. If you made under $57,000 last year you can use software programs by some of the same companies that sell them in the store, for free. E-filing is free for anyone regardless of how much you made, and you can find online tax forms at the IRS website as well.

Now that I’ve put a bug in your ear about taxes, let’s get down to the really important stuff. Have you picked out a Valentine’s present yet? How about a plan to get out of debt?! It may not be easy to gift wrap, but it could have a more positive effect on a relationship than a stuffed toy or some perfume. Whether you’re married or single, having a solid financial plan is beneficial to anyone. Being in good financial standing when you’re single is tough, but doable. Staying in good financial standing after you’re married should be just as important a goal. In Elder Marvin J. Ashton’s Guide to Family Finances, Elder Ashton quotes, “The American Bar Association has indicated that 89 percent of all divorces can be traced to quarrels and accusations over money. Others have estimated that 75 percent of all divorces result from clashes over finances.” Having good communication and positive goals is essential to a good marriage, but this is especially true regarding your family finances. So if you are married and a financial plan isn’t a romantic enough Valentine’s present for you to give, go ahead & wrap it up with some candy hearts. I bet they’ll both be appreciated.

February Newsletter Announcements

Mark your calendars for Stake Conference, February 4^th & 5^th. Special meeting on Sunday morning for youth at 8am. Make sure to come early Sunday morning for the choir prelude at 9:30am. It will be a spiritual treat!

YW News – New Beginnings will be Wed, February 1st in the Relief Society room. Young Women (and girls who turn 12 this year) and their parents are encouraged to attend. Sunday dress requested.

Valentine Adult Dinner – Saturday, Feb. 18^th at 6:00pm. Nursery will be provided by the youth.

Choir practice will be Sunday mornings, 11am at Sister Beck’s home starting Feb 19^th.

Be Diligent, That thou Mayest be a Wise Steward

Be diligent . . . that thou mayest be a wise steward
D&C 136:27

The beginning of a new year is a time to start over, a time to set new goals and re-evaluate some old ones. Most of us still have some resolutions on our minds. Maybe you’ve even stuck to a few of them so far. If so, great!

As I was thinking about what I needed to rededicate myself to this year, scripture study was on the top of my list. While serving in the primary the past couple of years I’ve found that I have become less and less diligent in reading the lesson materials for Sunday school. I eventually found myself wondering, “What are we even studying this year, anyway?” That was my wakeup call.

I decided that even though I don’t attend the adult classes on Sunday, I was missing out if I didn’t follow along with the lesson material. I didn’t realize how much I needed that extra nourishment from the Spirit! It has helped me add structure to my personal scripture study, and been a stimulating addition to my usual primary material.

If you haven’t done so already, it’s not too late to make it a goal to keep up with the Sunday school & Priesthood/RS lesson materials. If you are able to attend class, read the lesson ahead of time so you can participate in the discussions. Be diligent in learning the doctrines of the church. Re-dedicate yourself to home and visiting teaching. Now is a great time to start if you’ve never done it. The monthly messages in the Ensign contain still more modern day revelation for us to feast upon.

The Sunday School and Priesthood/RS classes are there to help us all learn, line upon line, and precept upon precept. As we dedicate a portion of our time to studying the teachings of the Lord, he will bless us with the knowledge that we need to be wise stewards in our lives and homes.

Additional Reading from the Ensign

Looking for inspiration and additional encouragement?

Check out the finance related articles in the February 2011 issue of The Ensign. There are real life experiences from members of the church that are dealing with the same challenges that you might be experiencing.

Learning to Be Content, pg. 62
How We Broke the Chains of Debt, pg. 63
My Tithing Couldn’t Wait, pg. 69
Growing Testimonies – and Mission Funds, pg. 73

'Quotable' from the Quorum of the Twelve . . .

“We control the disposition of our means and resources, but we account to God for this stewardship over earthly things. It is gratifying to witness your generosity as you contribute to fast offerings and humanitarian projects. Over the years, the suffering of millions has been alleviated, and countless others have been enabled to help themselves through the generosity of the Saints. Nevertheless, as we pursue the cause of Zion, each of us should prayerfully consider whether we are doing what we should and all that we should in the Lord’s eyes with respect to the poor and the needy.”

Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Care for the Poor, Ensign, Feb 2011, 71.

You Have the Choice: Your Path to Financial Freedom

In General Conference of October 2010, President Monson spoke to the brethren about The Three R’s of Choice. Wise council from a prophet can be applied to all areas of our lives and to all who are willing to listen. President Monson referred to Alice in Wonderland where Alice asks the Cheshire cat, “Which path shall I follow?” The cat answers, “That depends where you want to go. If you do not know where you want to go, it doesn’t matter which path you take.” President Monson comments, “Unlike Alice, we all know where we want to go, and it does matter which way we go, for by choosing our path, we choose our destination. Decisions are constantly before us. To make them wisely, courage is needed – the courage to say no, the courage to say yes.”

We all want to reach a destination of financial freedom where we no longer have to worry about money and where money, or the lack of, is not the dominating force in all of our decisions. In order to do that we have to set realistic goals and have the courage to say no, or yes, to those important decisions in how we manage our resources. President Monson reminds us that “Each of us has come to this earth with all the tools necessary to make correct choices. The prophet Mormon tells us, ‘The Spirit of Christ is given to every man, that he may know good from evil.’ ” We have all the resources we need to be able to make correct choices. We have access to the Spirit. As we are righteous, obedient and prayerful,the Lord will guide us in the paths that we should take – and that includes the path to financial freedom.

With that in mind, and the beginning of the New Year, it’s a good time to assess your financial health and set or re-evaluate your financial goals. Remember how important it is to make specific and realistic goals, both short term and long term. One of your goals may be to have the funds for a family vacation, but if you don’t have an emergency fund or are struggling to pay the monthly bills, a more realistic goal may be to build up your $1000 emergency fund. So, here’s a brief summary of some steps that you can take on your path to financial freedom.

• Pay Your Tithing
• Create a Budget: Stick to it and Review it
• $1000 Emergency Fund
• Get out of Debt!
• Expand Your Emergency Fund (3-6 months living expenses)
• Fund Your Retirement
• Prepare for Upcoming Events (car, mission, college)
• Save for Your Dreams

Also keep in mind that financial goals should be set as couples and as a family. Everyone that contributes to the decision making can also contribute to the decision keeping, so involve all members of the family that are mature enough to contribute. Having the support of our families and the Lord by involving them in our decisions will help us on our path to financial freedom.