With the coming of Thanksgiving, my thoughts have turned to what I am grateful for. There are so many blessings we have that we take for granted. We sometimes don’t recognize how fortunate we are. The other night I lay in my warm bed as the wind howled outside. I thought of the homeless men and women I have seen and wondered where they would sleep that night. Thank you Heavenly Father for a roof over my head, a warm bed to sleep in and food to eat. Thank you for service, and help me to help others in need. I learned of a family I know that is out of work and struggling financially and other ways as well. Thank you Heavenly Father for a working car and a job to drive to each day.

I have loved ones who are seriously ill, who have struggled all year to do the basic things I do every day without thinking. Thank you Heavenly Father for my health. There are people all around who are lonely, who have no one to turn to this holiday season. People who are dealing with the loss of loved ones. Thank you Heavenly Father for my family and friends. I have relatives whose siblings live all over the country and can only come together once or twice a year. I am blessed to have my family close by.

Last night I was watching a video taken at the hospital the day my oldest nephew was born. His mother was teary eyed, his father grinning nonstop. Now I have three nephews. Thank you Heavenly Father for little boys who bring such joy and remind me of your love for us. On Sunday I attended the missionary homecoming of my cousin. She shared her joy at serving a mission and telling people the good news of the gospel. There are still many who have not heard. Thank you Heavenly Father for the gospel, for Thy plan and Thy mercy.

My dad and I have been doing genealogy together and on a recent visit to the Family History Library we were able to find a little boy to seal to his parents. I keep a picture of my grandparents on my desk. They are both on the other side now, but I know they are together. Thank you Heavenly Father for temples and for eternal families. The signs of Christmas are popping up in stores everywhere. But it’s the Christ child not Santa that matters most. Thank you Heavenly Father for sending your Son to show us the way home and to make it possible for us to get there. As you sit down to your turkey feast this year, take a moment to give thanks to He who gives us all that we have.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

We have recently added jewelry to our list of products and as I looked over the new items I found that one piece warranted a closer inspection. It is the Joseph Smith replica ring, designed after one the Prophet was known to wear. It’s a simple band, wider on top with a black circle on the top center. I thought it would be interesting to share a little history of this ring.

The original ring dates back to the Nauvoo period of church history. It is believed to be the ring the Prophet used in the April 1844 “King Follett” sermon to illustrate the eternal nature of man. It can be seen on his hand in several paintings of the Prophet done in his lifetime. Sometime after the martyrdom in 1844, Emma Smith gave the ring to her son Alexander Hale Smith. The original ring is privately owned today, but the replicas are an accurate depiction of what the Prophet’s ring looked like. They come in both men’s and women’s sizes and include an inscription of the Prophet’s signature on the inside of the ring.

A ring by its very nature is a symbol of eternity. It has no end and no beginning. As such, it reminds me of the Plan of Salvation, which is a great comfort. Even if we are separated from loved ones and friends by death, we can and will see them again. We are so blessed to have this knowledge.

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At the end of last month The Church made a donation of $927,000 to Operation Smile, a medical charity that goes to countries all over the world providing surgery to repair cleft palates in children who otherwise couldn’t afford it. These funds will support medical missions over the next year to help a combined 3,800 children in Kenya, Ethiopia, Egypt and Jordan.

At a press conference, William Magee, cofounder and CEO of Operation Smile, expressed his gratitude for The Church’s contribution: “Without so many people [working together], no job would get taken care of. There’s never one person that does it. The Church is a great example of that…We want to say thank you for sharing your love. God bless you.” It is through donations to the Church’s Humanitarian Fund that the partnership with Operation Smile was possible. This got me thinking that as the Christmas season approaches, perhaps we should focus more on what we can give than on what we hope to get.

It doesn’t have to be monetary donations. In fact, it is probably the little things we can do and give that matter the most. There is no one without a need of some kind. Some are more obvious than others, but that doesn’t make the hidden needs any less important. There is a scene in the movie Christmas Angel that illustrated this. A young woman who has been mired in her own struggles ends up helping out a wealthy neighbor in his efforts as a Secret Santa. He takes her to the park that is filled with different kinds of people. She asks what they are going to do here. The neighbor instructs her to look around and see who needs help. She first points out a homeless man. Nick, the neighbor, says that although the homeless man does need help she should open her eyes and see that everyone around them needs help.

The needs are there if we can but open our eyes to see them. We can pray to be able to see the needs of others and seek guidance on how to fill those needs. Sometimes a smile can change a person’s whole day, or giving someone a listening ear when they need to talk can lighten their burden. This year as you go about your holiday shopping try to look for those who you can help by giving of yourself. A classic Primary song says it best,

“Give, then, as Jesus gives,
Give, oh! give, give, oh! give.
Give, then, as Jesus gives;
There is something all can give.”

We’ve been taught since Primary that our bodies are temples; that we should take care of them. We know that we were created in the image of our Heavenly Father and yet on any given day, most of us will look in the mirror and find something wrong with what we see. Many of us find lots of things we’d like to change about ourselves. “I feel like such a cow,” a girl might say about her weight. For some, this becomes an obsession, a disease.

In the book A Future For Tomorrow, the author, Haley Hatch Freeman, tells the story of her battle with anorexia. For her it was not just a physical battle but a spiritual triumph against evil. The adversary will use whatever he can to tear us down and make us feel worthless. But the truth is we are beyond price in our worth. When I feel low I try to remember that the Savior died for us, atoned for each of our sins. We are worth everything to Him. He gave His life for us.

Haley’s body deteriorated so much that she actually died and then came back. She was given a choice by angels on the other side to return. In her book she shares this and many other choice experiences of her journey to health. Her support system, both Earthly and Heavenly, was critical in helping her recover.

In Doctrine & Covenants 18:10 we read, “Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God.” In Moses, we learn that Heavenly Father’s work and glory, the thing that matters most, is to “bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man…” (Moses 1:39) For all the turmoil Haley felt, that we might feel inside, or that our friends and family might be struggling with, this fact is crucial. Heavenly Father is behind us, and values us beyond our comprehension. Consider what you see the next time you look in the mirror; when you meet people around you, buoy them up with what you see in them that you admire—because the worth of souls is great, in God’s eyes, and hopefully in ours.

Anyone entering the Joseph Smith Memorial Building can immediately see how impressive and grand a structure it is. But it is the films shown in the Legacy Theater that give the visitor a far more impressive feeling. The current film, Joseph Smith: Prophet of the Restoration gives a glimpse into the life of the prophet. As you walk into the theater the sister missionaries offer Kleenex to viewers. When you get to the end of the film, you know why.

This powerful film gives a reality to this man whom we honor, study and talk about. So many times as we look at history the people we read about are just names on a page. This film helps make Joseph Smith real. It portrays all sides of Joseph, including his playful side as he races through town with children, his humility in Liberty jail and finally his devotion to the Lord in Carthage. You can almost feel Lucy and Emma’s pain upon learning the news of the martyrdom. In the end you are left with a sense of profound gratitude for this humble farm boy who became a prophet.

If a simple young man like Joseph can accomplish all that he did, what great things can we with our modern resources and education do? If I were called upon to sacrifice as he did, could I do it? Joseph spent most of his time doing the work of the Lord. What little free time he had was spent with his family. I think about the example he set and look at the way my time is spent in comparison.

Joseph Smith gave his all so that we could have the Book of Mormon and other scriptures, the priesthood and ordinances, etc. What are we doing with those great gifts? Is your Book of Mormon gathering dust on your nightstand? I am grateful for Joseph Smith and all he did to build the kingdom. The challenge is to demonstrate that gratitude by not taking his sacrifices for granted. I’m going to dust off my scriptures and start reading again tonight. Will you?

If you need some inspiration or motivation, Joseph Smith: Prophet of the Restoration is now available on DVD as part of the Doctrine & Covenants and Church History Visual Resource DVDs.

In the recent General Conference, President Monson announced five new temples. He also said, “The ordinances performed in our temples are vital to our salvation and to the salvation of our deceased loved ones. May we continue faithful in attending the temples, which are being built closer and closer to our members.”

Today there are more operating temples on the earth than ever before. They are being built closer to members, so that a trip to the temple that used to be hours away only takes minutes. But with all this building are we taking full advantage of this wonderful blessing? Last year I realized that I was not. At a temple dedication a speaker told the story of families in other countries who scrimped and saved and sacrificed just to go the temple once, unlikely to be able to return again in their lifetimes. I live in an area where there are several temples within a short driving distance and it occurred to me that I was taking them for granted and not partaking of the blessings that were so easily available to me. I began to attend regularly and the blessings that came as a result were wonderful.

The Lord has given us temples for several reasons: First, to allow us to obtain eternal saving ordinances; second, so that we may return and serve as proxies to give the same ordinances to our kindred dead; and third, so that we may be blessed and strengthened and have a refuge from the world. Sometimes I think we overlook the third reason and I find it is as important as the rest. There is a lot of ugliness in the world. The Adversary attacks us from all sides. But in the temple we can find sanctuary from the world and feel the peace that only the Lord can give. It makes life a little easier to bear and helps remind us of the eternal perspective.

How can we make temple worship more steady? Find what works for you. Take the time to prepare before you go so that your mind and heart will be in tune with the spirit. If you do not live in an area where a temple is close by, then may I suggest you go when you can and in the mean time live worthily so that you can go when the opportunity presents itself. The Lord has promised us great blessings if we will attend the temple. Take Him up on His offer and you fill find greater joy and peace in your life.

Elder Robert D. Hales was born in New York City in August of 1932. He was raised by loving parents who taught him the gospel and lived it. He spent a lot of time in Utah with his Grandparents and other relatives and so had experience on both coasts. As a young married man, Elder Hales served in the air force as a pilot. His squadron had the motto of “Return with Honor” stamped on each jet. They wanted to do their best to complete every mission and come home, not just safely, but knowing they did everything they could. It has become a motto for his life–so much so, that he has recently written the book, Return: Four Phases of Our Mortal Journey Home.

Together with his wife, Mary, Elder Hales has always gone willingly to serve where the Lord needed him. He learned as a young man to put himself in the Lord’s hands and then the difficulties he might be having would work themselves out. Along with their two sons, Elder Hales and his wife have lived all over the world and have been enriched by living in foreign countries. He has learned from his leaders as well.

Elder Hales loved baseball and was the pitcher for his high school team. After a streak of bad games, he was ready to quit, but his coach made some suggestions of what he could do to fix the problem. Elder Hales listened and learned. When he was a deacon, he learned from his bishop to treat all aspects of the sacrament with respect and reverence. He and the other deacons would climb up on stage and put the trays away and then jump down off the stage and repeat the process. His bishop caught him mid-flight and told him that as Deacon’s president he should set the example and be reverent when dealing with the sacrament, even something as simple as cleaning up afterwards.

He was called as an apostle on April 7, 1994 and has served faithfully in the many assignments he’s had since. Integrity and honor are still paramount to him. He said, “We come to earth to undergo testing. Through faithful obedience and enduring to the end, we can one day return with honor back into the presence of our Heavenly Father and his son Jesus Christ.” We too can follow his example and do everything we can to live so that we can return to live with our Heavenly Father. No matter where he’s asked to labor, Elder Hales will continue to serve and return with honor. To learn more about this book, click here.

Sometimes you see a film or read a book and you just fall in love with it. You want to find more films or books like it and you want to learn more about the artist behind them. So from time to time we will profile an artist. John Lyde has been making films since before DVDs existed. Some of his work includes One Man’s Treasure, Minor Details and Take A Chance. Following is an interview with John that will tell you a little bit about this unique filmmaker.

Tell us about yourself and what you’ve been up to lately.
Hi my name is John Lyde. I am the director of You’re So Cupid. I also picked up a few more roles on the film – producer, director of photography and editor. The film is a romantic-comedy about Cupid’s daughters.

How did you become interested in filmmaking?

My dad took me to movies since I was very young. He had two VCRs with flying erase heads and let me use them to edit my own films as a teenager. I saved money up over the summer and purchased my first camera, a Panasonic VHS OmniMovie. I would make movies all year long with my friends and family.

Tell us about your inspiration and vision for the film.

I wanted to make a film that my 7 year old daughter would enjoy. A romantic comedy that would be cute enough for my mom and clean enough for my daughter.

What were some of the biggest challenges in making and completing the film?

Weather was a challenge. We shot in the middle of summer and had to battle hail and rainstorms. We were on such a tight schedule that we couldn’t change anything and had to shoot. Luckily we were able to film around the storms and get the shots needed.

What do you recall from your first film that you’ve applied to each one following?

The first film I got distribution for had really bad audio and lighting. There was no crew, I did it myself. I really try and look at what didn’t work at each of my previous projects and improve on the next one. Luckily, these beginning projects had no budget, so I didn’t lose any money for investors. I made sure that I had a good mic on the next show. The following show I hired a gaffer to take care of lighting. Each little film I did, I discovered what was missing – Color Correction, a good sound mix, a better camera, professional actors. Hopefully each film I make is better than the last.

This coming Monday is Labor Day and in the past it has always been just another day off work or a day to labor in my parents’ yard. But it is more than that. It is a holiday set aside to honor the American worker. Labor Day became an official national holiday in 1894 and is traditionally celebrated on the first Monday in September. The holiday celebrates the working class contributions to the strength, prosperity, and well being of our country. It is not clear who founded the holiday. It has been attributed to Peter J. McGuire, general secretary to the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners and a cofounder of the American Federation of Labor. Many believe that it was Matthew Maguire, a machinist, who proposed the holiday in 1882 while serving as the secretary to the Central Labor Union in New York.

Regardless it was a day to honor the everyman laborer. So, as you sit in your air conditioned offices, or out on your porches grilling up burgers and hot dogs, take a moment to think of those laborers who make this country great.