When upon life’s billows you are tempest tossed,
When you are discouraged thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings; name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.

Are you ever burdened with a load of care?
Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?
Count your many blessings; ev’ry doubt will fly,
And you will be singing as the days go by.

When you look at others with their lands and gold,
Think that Christ has promised you his wealth untold.
Count your many blessings; money cannot buy
Your reward in heaven nor your home on high.

So amid the conflict, whether great or small,
Do not be discouraged; God is over all.
Count your many blessings; angles will attend,
Help and comfort give you to your journey’s end.

(Count Your Blessings, Hymns #241 Text by Johnson Oatman Jr.)

So, what are you thankful for? What is your way to remember your blessings? Please share your suggestions for other ways we can count our blessings daily.

Check out Brandon’s story here. Take a minute to see who else is willing to stand and say “I’m a Mormon!”

If you watched Conference on BYUtv, you may have also seen several of the films we sell here on Mormon Media, including Treasure in Heaven – The John Tanner Story, One Man’s Treasure, The Book and the Rose, and Emma Smith – My Story. Be sure to look for these and other products by your favorite speakers and artists right here on MormonMedia.com.

Thank you!

He used the analogy of a forget-me-not flower and its five petals as the basis of his talk.  He gave the sisters five things we should “forget not.”

1. Forget not to be patient with yourself.

President Uchtdorf reminded sisters to be as compassionate with ourselves as we are with others, to be forgiving of our own weaknesses.

2. Forget not the difference between a good sacrifice and a foolish sacrifice.

Sometimes we use our time for that which is not as important.  He used the example of preparing a lesson.  “Dedicating some of our time to … preparing to teach a lesson is a good sacrifice. Spending many hours stitching the title of the lesson into homemade potholders for each member of your class may not be.”

3. Forget not to be happy now.

Citing the example of the book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, President Uchtdorf said that sometimes we are so focused on finding the golden ticket that we forget to enjoy the candy bar. “The candy bar itself becomes an utter disappointment if it does not contain a golden ticket.”

4. Forget not the “why” of the gospel.

Sometimes we are so focused on what we are commanded to do and how to do it that we forget the real purpose or the “why” of the gospel.  President Uchtdorf reminded us that “the gospel is not an obligation, but a pathway leading to happiness and peace in this life and ‘glory and inexpressible fulfillment’ in the life to come.”

5. Forget not that the Lord loves you.

Like the small forget-me-not flower we can sometimes feel insignificant and lost among the showier and bigger flowers of the Lord’s garden. But President Uchtdorf reminded us, “Just think of it: You are known and remembered by the most majestic, powerful, and glorious being in the universe! You are loved by the King of infinite space and everlasting time.”

General Conference is something many of us look forward to for weeks and months before it happens.  If the General Relief Society meeting was just a preview of the feast to come, I can’t wait to grab my knife and fork and dig in this weekend!

THANKS FOR YOUR HELP!!

This Sunday marks 10 years since that fateful day and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir will be airing a special broadcast in place of it’s usual Music & the Spoken Word to commemorate the anniversary. “9/11: Rising Above” will air on radio, television, cable networks and internet channels around the country. Famed news anchor Tom Brokaw will join the Choir for this memorial broadcast.

The program will focus on how Americans have risen about the grief and loss. Mack Willberg, the Choir music director said, “The message of this show is that – as individuals and as a nation – we can find healing and strength in adversity and literally rise above all the negatives.” The other thing that makes this broadcast special is that it will air on approximately 750 stations and networks, many of which have never carried Music & the Spoken Word before.

As I look back at our country then and now, it is easy to see that we are a nation forever changed by the events of that day. Some things we need to always remember and some we need to let go. Let us never forget those we lost that day and continue to remember and keep in our prayers those who are fighting to preserve our freedom now. Let us not live our lives in fear but in obedience and faith. Let us let go of hate and prejudice and love one another. Let us forgive so that true healing can begin. And finally, let us never take for granted this wonderful country and the freedoms that we enjoy.

For a complete schedule of when and where you can watch the broadcast go to: www.musicandthespokenword.org.

As I understand it, it begins in the 15th century with the followers of John Wycliffe who began the first English translation of the Bible. Prior to that time, only clergy had Bibles to read from and most were in Latin or other languages. Information is power and in order to keep their power and influence over the people, the clergy alone were left to interpret the Bible’s teachings to the masses. These were in manuscript form as the printing press had yet to be invented. In 1525 came William Tyndale whose translation of the New Testament was the first printed English translation. He continued to revise his translation over the years as new Biblical scholarship was developed and later began a translation of the Old Testament. A challenger to the Roman Catholic rule, he was unable to complete his work because he was arrested, tried, strangled and burnt at the stake for heresy. His was the first translation from the original languages of Greek and Hebrew.

These men would be followed by Myles Coverdale, John Calvin and other reformers. Names such as Martin Luther and Thomas Moore also figure into the story. It was during the reign of King James I that the Hampton Court Conference was convened. There it was decided that a new English version of the Bible would be translated to correct several problems detected in prior translations. The work was begun at the end of 1604 and was completed and printed in 1611. This is only a brief sketch of the story of the King James Bible. There are many more details and parts to the story which can be found in books such as the newly published A Bible Fit For the Restoration: The Epic Struggle That Brought Us the King James Version.

As you learn more about the journey that brought us this most valuable book of scripture, you can’t help but be grateful and realize just how blessed we are to have a copy of the Bible that we can read whenever we like. Back in the beginning an average person would be lucky to see a Bible, let alone read one. Today, there’s a Bible in every hotel room and most of us have a copy sitting on a shelf or table. In fact, I believe that in order for the Restoration of the Gospel to happen, we needed to have all these early reformers and we needed to have the Bible. Take a moment and consider the Bible and express your thanks for these men who risked much and sacrificed all that we might have this holy book of scripture.

Daughters in My Kingdom details the history of the Relief Society organization as well as other gospel topics as they apply to women. Sister Julie B. Beck, General Relief Society President, explained that the new book will provide perspective and strength for the 21^st century woman.   She went on to say that, “This story that the Church is releasing now is very important, I think, for our time now and I can’t think of a time when it’s been needed more than it’s needed today.”

The book’s 208 pages are organized by themes such as family, sisterhood and charity.  It is designed to be accessible to all literacy levels and includes stories of Latter-Day Saint women throughout history as well as women today.  Each page includes colorful photographs and artwork.  It even goes back so far as to show the way the Savior Himself treated and felt about women.

Daughters in My Kingdom has been translated into 25 languages and will be distributed in Church free of charge to all the sisters in the next couple of weeks. How grateful I am that we live in a time that we have living prophets on the earth and righteous leaders who can receive revelation and inspiration to create and give us resources such as this book that will further enrich our lives and help us to be more Christ-like women. I can’t wait to get my copy!

Those things helped her messages stick with me, but it was the power of the spirit in Sister Okazaki herself that really came through.  She always seemed to exude optimism and excitement despite the sometimes gravity of her topic.  I read an article about her life and it was interesting to note the variety of geographical locations from which the comments from readers came.  Her reach and influence were far and wide.

Chieko Okazaki was born and raised in Hawaii. It was there that she first learned of the LDS faith.  There was a Mormonism class offered at her school and since it was held during a study period for her, she decided to attend.  Not long after she was baptized.  Her parents worked hard so that she could get an education.  It was while in school that she met her husband, Ed.  He was not LDS and she was concerned about that, but 10 months after they married he too joined the Church.  They served together in various positions in the church, including as mission president in Japan.

Sister Okazaki was not afraid to talk about hard things.  She was the first to address such issues as sexual abuse, as well as speaking on racism, balancing work and family, homosexuality and blended families.  She helped sisters worldwide learn to cope with these and other trials.  She reached out globally and individually at the same time.  Carol Lee Hawkins, a longtime friend of Chieko’s, said it best: “Every trial she had – including cancer, widowhood and prejudice – she consecrated to the good of others. She saw them each as a gift to be able to connect to other people – and to the Lord.”  Another reader suggested that Sister Okazaki was a giant spirit in a tiny body.  I agree and I will miss her indomitable spirit.  Thank you, Sister Okazaki.

Recently the Mormon Channel has debuted on Roku. You can stream everything from General Conference to the recent Pioneer Day Commeration Concert straight to your TV. This also allows access to content you wouldn’t normally get like the new Joseph Smith film. Content such as Mormon Messages and CES devotionals are now at your fingertips with the push of a button.

So far thousands of users have downloaded the Mormon Channel on Roku in recent weeks and it is currently the top rated channel on the Roku Channel store. It is interesting to me to see all the many avenues that technology gives us to get the message of the Gospel out to others. I used to think that the Prophet Joseph’s quote about the Gospel rolling forth till it reached every corner of the world was more geographical. Now, I wonder if there are other corners it could refer to, virtual corners through every technological forum. I’m usually a late adopter when it comes to new technology so I have not tried Roku yet. For those of you who have this service, please let us know what you think.