I LOVE the Temple!

 My Oldest Two Children in Front of the Gilbert Temple

Today is the dedication of the Gilbert Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  We have tickets to attend a broadcast of the dedication at 9 a.m..  It's 5 a.m., and I am wide awake.  I love the temple and am excited to be able to attend the dedication with my mother, my husband, and my three children who have been baptized.

 This photo was taken the day I was sealed to my parents 

in the Oakland Temple.

I believe that my love of the temple began when I was 3 weeks old.  My parents joined the church after missionaries found and taught them in August 1972.  I was born the next July.  My parents took me to the temple to be sealed to them when I was only three weeks old.  For those not of our faith, we believe that a man and woman can be married in the temple for not only time but for all eternity in the temple.  This is what we call sealing.  Their children already born at the time of their temple marriage can be sealed to them in the temple.  Any subsequent children are born in the covenant and that sealing automatically includes them as well.

As a child, I would watch my parents sacrifice to get to the temple.  We lived in Berlin, Germany for a time while my dad was in the military.  My parents would travel to the Bern Switzerland Temple.  Once we returned to the United States, my parents would trade babysitting with another couple once a year so they could spend a week at the Washington D.C. temple which was approximately 10 hours from our home.  I remember how happy they would be when it came time for them to go and even how much happier they were when they returned home from their temple trips.

The Chicago Illinois Temple brought the temple 

within 3 1/2 hours of my home.

When the Chicago Illinois temple was announced in 1981, my mom cried out of joy.  The temple would be a mere 3 1/2 hours from our home.  I remember attending the open house for the Chicago temple with my family.  There was a special feeling that I recognized was unique inside the temple.  As a teenager, I loved going to the Chicago temple to do baptisms.  I recognized that the special feeling that I felt inside the temple was the Holy Ghost.  In my heart, I knew the temple was the House of the Lord.

 The Provo Utah Temple will always be one of my favorites.

I graduated from high school in 1991 and headed west to attend Brigham Young University where I lived within walking distance of the Provo Utah Temple.  At night, I loved to take walks around the perimeter of the temple to unwind from the stress of university life.  I always felt a sense of peace walking around the temple grounds.  As a sophomore, I started to weekly make a trip to the temple to do baptisms.  I felt that my week always went better if I went to the temple.  It became my favorite place to go, and I longed for the day that I could experience more of the temple.

In 1994 after much praying, I knew that I needed to serve a mission.  In June, I received my call to serve in the Chile Santiago South Mission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  I was thrilled about serving a mission, but I was even more excited about going through the temple for my own endowment.  The word endowment means “gift” or “bestowal.” Within a week of receiving my call, I received that precious gift in the Provo temple.

I went back to the temple each week attending almost every temple located in Utah until I left on my mission to Chile.  I couldn't get enough of the temple.  One of my favorite trips was to the Chicago temple with my parents right before I left for the Missionary Training Center.

The Santiago Chile Temple

My first day in Chile included a trip to the Santiago Chile Temple grounds.  Seeing the temple brought me such peace, and the thought of helping others prepare to go there as a missionary brought me joy.  Every time that we made a trip to the mission office, I looked forward to seeing the temple next door.  We were able to go inside the temple once every 6 months during our mission, and I looked forward to each trip and remember each experience with fondness. 

 The day I was sealed to my husband in the Idaho Falls Temple

In 1996 I returned home to Indiana from my mission and shortly thereafter returned to finish my studies at BYU.  On one of my weekly trips to the temple, I decided to visit the baptistry.  While there, I was asked if I would like to volunteer once a week as a temple worker in the baptistry of the Provo temple.  I didn't even have to think about it.  I automatically said yes and got to work serving each Wednesday afternoon in the baptistry.  Little did I know that within weeks, I would meet my future husband who was also asked to volunteer in the baptistry.  We started working together in September, went on our first date in December, were engaged by Valentine's Day, and were married for time and all eternity in the Idaho Falls Idaho Temple in May.

 Our young family in front of the Nauvoo Illinois Temple 

during the open house in 2002.

I LOVE the temple and the covenants that I have made there, and as parents my husband and I want my children to be able to experience the temple as much as possible.  Many a vacation has been planned around temple open houses or stops to see temple grounds.  Our children have been able to attend open houses for the Nauvoo Illinois, Redlands California, Draper Utah, Oquirrh Mountain Utah, Rexburg Idaho, Gila Valley Arizona, and Gilbert Arizona temples.  They have been able to tour the grounds of dozens of temples from San Diego California to Hermosillo, Mexico to St. Louis Missouri to Orlando Florida.  We have a list of future open houses that we would like to attend including those for the Phoenix Arizona Temple, the Payson Utah Temple, the Indianapolis Indiana Temple, and the Tucson Arizona Temple.

My daughter painted the San Diego Temple which is her current favorite.

My greatest desire has been to pass the love of the temple to my children.  The other day my thirteen year old daughter said, "Mom, do you realize that Emma and I have 15 temple pictures hanging in our room?"  I smiled knowing that each picture had been personally chosen by this particular daughter to be hung in their room.  Her friends to whom she is always quick to show her collection of temple pictures think she is a little obsessed.  This daughter went with three friends not of our faith to the Gilbert Temple open house.  After leaving the temple, one of her friends commented, "Liz, I can see why you love the temple so much and why you only want to be married there."

My father, Stephen, with my youngest son, Stephen, 

a month before my dad passed away.

I LOVE the temple for the knowledge that it gives me that life does not end with death.  Families can be together forever.  I have lost all four of my grandparents and most recently my father to death.  I LOVE the peace that I feel in the temple which assures me that they are not lost, that life continues after death, and that I will someday be reunited with those whom I love who have already graduated from this mortal existence.  The greatest reason that I LOVE the temple is that it testifies to me that Heavenly Father loves his children so much that he provided a Savior for us.  My experiences in the temple have solidified my testimony that Jesus is the Christ, that He lives and loves each of us, that through his infinite atonement we can be forgiven of our sins, and that He will plead for me at the Judgement Seat.  I long to kiss the nail marks in His hands and feet and to thank him for all that He has done for me and for my family.  I LOVE the temple because every time I enter the House of the Lord I feel close to Him.

Update:  This morning we attended the broadcast of the Dedication at our church building.  The Spirit again reconfirmed to me the importance of the temple.  Tears of joy started flowing from the time they showed the young children hugging the prophet, President Thomas S. Monson, until the "Amen" at the end of the heartfelt closing prayer.  What an uplifting and inspiring dedication!  I am so grateful for my temple covenants and for the peace and Spirit that my family and I were able to feel throughout the dedication service today.  My love for the temple continues to grow, and I look forward to heading to the House of the Lord soon.

Arise and Shine Forth talk to the Young Women in my ward

 

I remember as a teenager reciting the Young Women theme each Sunday. I think at that time that I didn't appreciate the theme as much as I could have. All through my teenage years and on into my adult years, I struggled with thoughts of not being good enough and thoughts that what I did really didn't make a difference or matter in the long run. These thoughts at times became debilitating and even kept me from doing good things at times. It wasn't until I was an adult that the Young Women theme literally changed the course of my life.

Many of you know that I write cookbooks. I started by teaching cooking classes all over the state of Utah.  Women attending my classes begged me to put my recipes in a book. The debilitating thought would immediately follow, “Who would EVER be interested in something that you do?” With Christmas approaching and with no money for gifts, I compiled my cake mix recipes into a book titled “101 Things To Do With A Cake Mix” to give as presents to our family and friends. Word got out that I had finished my book, and women from my classes started ordering them like crazy.

 We self published the book which means that we were printing the book on our printer in our bedroom of our 2 bedroom 1 bathroom apartment and assembling and binding the books in the living room. 

We had assembled and distributed 5,000 books to stores in the Mountain West region when I started to worry that this hobby gone out of control was going to start taking me away from my family. I started to pray to know what Heavenly Father wanted me to do with this book. During this time that I was praying, I went to teach a cooking class at Thanksgiving Point in Utah. At the class, a lady stopped me and asked if she could share my book with her good friend, Jane Clayson, who at the time was the co-host of the CBS Early Morning Show.

As I drove home, my first thought was how would this give me more time with my kids. My second thought was “She won't be interested. Who would be interested in anything that you do? Don't even try.” The lady from the class contacted me with Jane's address, and I sent off the book. Her response was good. She encouraged me to find a national publisher so they could feature it nationwide. Again the thoughts returned. “You are a nobody. Who would be interested in anything that you do? Don't even try.” It was then that I heard the still small voice say, “Stephanie, YOU ARE A Daughter of your Heavenly Father. He LOVES you, and you LOVE him. He has a plan for you. Now get on the phone and start calling publishers.” 

We were guided after much prayer to a national publisher. I knew walking into their office that I was to turn my book over to them. I followed that prompting and within weeks of it being released nationwide it hit the New York Times Best Sellers List with no publicity. When my editor called to tell me the news, the Holy Ghost whispered that there was a reason. Heavenly Father knew that it would open doors for me to share my testimony and testify to thousands of women in Chile, Utah, Idaho, and now Arizona. I've been able to use my experience to help others.

Now I know those thoughts that I wasn't good enough were from the adversary. Satan would have us believe that our life and the decisions that we make are not that important. I testify that your life is of vital importance to the Lord. He has a plan for each of you. I testify that the decisions that you make to choose good over evil are vitally important. Each choice we make to live the gospel takes us closer to the Savior. Each decision we make to push aside the standards of the church in order to follow the crowd or the world takes us farther away from our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.

I can vividly remember a Sunday lesson in Young Womens that touched me so deeply as a teenager that I have never forgotten it. In the lesson the teacher, my young women's president, taught about the importance of our decisions. She challenged each of us to decide then and there that we would not drink, we would not smoke, and that we would save ourselves for the person that we would marry. She told us that if the decision was firmly made in our minds that when the occasion arrived that it would be easier to say no and to stay strong. The Spirit testified to me that what she was saying was true. I went home and made a promise to myself that I would not do these things. As opportunities and peer pressure arose, it was easy to say no because in my mind YES was not an option. Keeping that promise to myself brought great blessings to my life. I was able to attend BYU, serve a mission, and marry in the temple without any regrets.

I have learned in my life that as I strive to keep the commandments and to stay close to the Spirit, the Lord blesses me with ample opportunities to "put my shiny on" in regards to sharing the gospel with others.  One day as a missionary, my companion, Sister Burgess, and I were knocking on gates trying to find families to teach. We had just seen something extremely funny that happened in the street, and we were happily laughing as we knocked on the next gate. An elderly gentleman, the head of a soccer federation in the area, opened the gate to us. We were the first missionaries that he had ever let inside his home. He even admitted to throwing things at Elders in the past. Why did he let us in?  He said, “You two are so happy. What is it that makes you so happy?” We were able to teach him the gospel and to share with him what brought us the greatest joy- the gospel of Jesus Christ. He was baptized, and to this day he is the only one that I have ever heard shout “GOAL” after he was baptized.  People see the light in our eyes and want to know what makes us so unique and happy.

I have also learned that Heavenly Father has a plan for each of us to make a difference in the world for good. It's up to us whether or not we live up to that mission. As we heed the promptings that come from the Holy Ghost, the Lord will guide us to where He wants and needs us to Shine the most. Following the promptings in regards to my cookbook led me to writing 20 more books, to doing hundreds of media interviews around the United States, and sharing my testimony with thousands of Relief Society Sisters in both Chile and the United States. I was even able to share my testimony on BYU TV's Latter-Day Profiles. I've learned that Heavenly Father had a reason that he needed me to develop these skills. Recently I was called to be the Assistant Public Affairs Director over Media for our stake. As I have risen to the challenges of this new calling, I see how the Lord prepared me over the last 15 years to be able to communicate positive and accurate messages and project a positive image of the church. Through my service on the Police Commission and my relationships with people in our local media, the Lord has opened doors to me to help share publicly what good the Church is doing in our area of the world with the media and community leaders so that others can see the shiny Light of Christ that radiates from the faces of those who love their Savior and are trying to live as he would.

President Ezra Taft Benson taught this important truth that applies even more to your generation today:  “For nearly six thousand years, God has held you in reserve to make your appearance in the final days before the Second Coming. Every previous gospel dispensation has drifted into apostasy, but ours will not. … God has saved for the final inning some of his strongest children, who will help bear off the kingdom triumphantly. And that is where you come in, for you are the generation that must be prepared to meet your God. … Make no mistake about it—you are a marked generation. There has never been more expected of the faithful in such a short period of time as there is of us.” President Dieter Uchtdorf stated:  “The Lord will bless you as you follow His counsel and guidance given through prophets. Go forward and become the valiant men and women of Zion you were prepared to be. The Lord has a great work for each of you to do. “Arise and shine forth, that thy light may be a standard for the nations”. He trusts you, and He calls and relies on you to stand taller and shine brighter in these challenging but wonderful days.” Prophets and apostles have testified of your divine potential.

I too testify that as you take a righteous stand to Arise and shine forth that Heavenly Father will open doors of opportunity to you to become the valiant women that you were prepared to be. He will bless you with opportunities to share the gospel light that shines in each of you as missionaries, as future mothers, and as righteous women. The Savior taught, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven”. As you strive to follow his example and let your light so shine, your life will be blessed as your light touches the lives of countless others. Of this I testify, In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Arizona: Eat out for a GREAT Cause TODAY

Applebees throughout the whole state of Arizona will be donating a portion of their proceeds to the Nicholas J. Ivie family TODAY ....Just mention that you are there on behalf of the Nicholas J. Ivie benefit and want to make sure that they donate a portion of your bill to Nick's family.

Other restaurants participating in the Nicholas Ivie Memorial Benefit in Sierra Vista, AZ today are the follo

wing:
Buffalo Wild Wings - 4-7pm
Buffalo Corrall BBQ - 5-close
Denny’s - 4-10pm
Little Caesar’s - All day
Papa’s 50’s Diner - All day
Papa John’s - All day
Peter Piper - All Day (You must mention this is why you are dining there)
Outback - 4-close
La Casita - All day
Vinny’s - All day
Applebee’s - All day
Down Home BBQ - All day
SubStandards - All day
Taqueria La Taquiza - All day

Be sure to mention that you are there for the Benefit.

Lest We Forget

It seems like yesterday, but almost feels like an eternity has passed since this horrific day in our nation's history.  Every 9/11 for the last 11 years, our thoughts turn to my husband's friend from high school, Brady Howell, and his family. Brady was killed on September 11th, 2001 when terrorist flew a plane into the Pentagon where he worked. We drove up to Idaho to attend his funeral and to mourn his loss with his beautiful wife Liz and his family.

I'd like to share BYU-Idaho's tribute to Brady.


Brady Kay Howell

Ricks College alumnus Brady Howell '97 was posthumously presented the Superior Civilian Service Medal, the civilian equivalent of the purple heart, from the Chief of Naval Operations.

Brady was goal oriented and enthused about his internship with Naval Intelligence. It fulfilled a childhood dream. At age nine he had written a letter to the President of the United States offering his service: "My friend and I are detectives, and we will try to come any time you need us."

His promising future was caught in the path of the attack on the Pentagon on September 11, 2001. Initially listed as missing, positive identification came on September 17. Even in death, Brady has touched countless lives. Hundreds attended both the memorial service in Arlington, Virginia, and funeral services in his hometown of Sugar City, Idaho.

Brady, age 26, was the son of Kenneth and Jeanette Howell. He served a mission to the Canary Islands. He married "Liz" Anderson '97 in the Bountiful Temple while both were attending Ricks College. After graduating from Ricks College, Brady received his bachelor's in political science from Utah State University and his master's in public administration at the Maxwell School of Syracuse University.

At the Sugar City service, Governor Dirk Kempthorne praised Brady and his family for high values. Elder F. Melvin Hammond extended condolences from the First Presidency. Deputy Director of Naval Intelligence, Tish Long, read the Navy's citation:

"...Mr. Brady Howell became the first PMI [Presidential Management Intern] assigned to Director of Naval Intelligence Staff where he first worked on the DNI's Executive Board, which sets strategy and policy for the entire Naval Intelligence community. Most recently, he began training as a watch officer for the CNO Intelligence Plot--a position normally reserved for only the most qualified and promising intelligence officers. As an IP watch officer, Mr. Howell provided daily briefings to the Chief of Naval Operations, Secretary of the Navy, and other senior military and civilian decision makers. By his distinctive contributions and inspiring dedication to duty, Mr. Brady Howell reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service."

After the Arlington service, classmates and acquaintances gathered to eat and reminisce. Conversation centered around Brady. "As the evening progressed one of the classmates proposed a toast to him, and someone suggested a proper way to honor Brady should include recognition of things important to him," shares his father. "They were fully aware that Brady didn't drink. Although peculiar to them, they respected him for his commitment and integrity. Knowing what was acceptable to him personally, they pushed aside their beverages and drank to his honor and memory from goblets filled with ice water."

Liz was able to pass the Olympic Torch to President Bush before the start of the Salt Lake City 2002 Olympics. She told CNN the following about her experience:

"This experience was beyond description. It was a culmination of so many things. Probably, if I had to sum it up into three feelings I would say pride for the -- for my husband and the ideals that he represented, and for the fallen heroes of September 11. Probably humility for being asked to carry the flame, and in such a remarkable place. And also just sheer excitement for the opportunity to do something like this.

The president is one of the most congenial men. He put his arm around me. He said, I am so sorry for your loss. Then he -- we were standing there, and he leaned over and said, I'm so cold. I told him a little bit about Brady, just shortly. And he said, I know; I know it -- how great he was.

Brady was all-American by every standard of the word. He made me proud. Brady was working as a Navy civilian in the Pentagon in the Naval Command Center. And he was a presidential management intern. He was working as an intelligence officer in the command center, and had just received his top secret clearance a couple of weeks prior. And that was one of his lifelong goals.

Mostly I am sustained by the prayers that have been offered in my behalf, and also the hope -- there's hope that there will be a better and brighter day, and that has been manifest through the aftermath of September 11 -- how countries have come together; how people here in our nation have come to one another's aid. And things are getting better. And it's this knowledge that is keeping me going.

I felt Brady's presence with me before I started the race. And I knew he was looking out for me, and I knew he was proud. He was proud because he was such outstanding man. He was very proud of what was going on today."


Another great story mentioning Brady can be found here.
Here is a more recent story about his widow.

America, we can not forget the important lessons that we learned from 9/11.  Each day is a gift from God.  What kind of legacy will we leave our children, our communities, and our nation?  I hope we can build a legacy like Brady Howell and the other great men and women who died on 9/11.

Surviving the Summer: My IF YOU HAVE TIME TO FIGHT YOU HAVE TIME TO CLEAN Plan

The thing I dread the most in the summer is the fighting between my children that occurs as we are sequestered inside our Arizona home hiding out from the heat.  Maybe your children are perfect and never argue or fight, but my kids have a problem with this during the summer.  Last summer I developed a new personal family motto:  IF YOU HAVE TIME TO FIGHT, YOU HAVE TIME TO CLEAN.  I call it inspiration in the midst of desperation.  My If You Have Time To Fight Clean plan worked so well for me last summer that I have decided to share it in hopes that it helps another mother who is fed up with fighting. 

I've been asking the kids who is going to fight first because the van REALLY needs cleaned out.  My house was really clean last summer until the kids decided it really wasn't worth fighting.

So, here is the list which hangs both upstairs and downstairs for easy access.  The kids know the plan and that mom and dad are the ones who get to pick the consequence for both offenders whenever they fight.  You can change the list to meet your families needs.

If You Have Time To Fight, You Have Time To Clean List

1. Clean out the van. Throw away all the trash in doors. Bring in any loose papers on the floor to mom. Any loose items or toys also need to come inside the house.

2. Vacuum the van- floors and seats. One of you does the driver and passenger side and the middle row. The other vacuums the back row and back storage area.

3. Pick all the toys in the house. Flip a coin to see who cleans upstairs and who does downstairs.

4. Scrub time. Each of you gets to wash the floor of one bathroom or the laundry room (mom's choice) on your hands and knees with a bucket of soap water and a rag.

5. Grab your gardening gloves. Each of you gets to pull 15 weeds from the front or back yard. Use hand shovel to dig out if necessary.

6. Dust all the blinds in the house or dust the furniture (mom's choice). One will do upstairs and the other will do downstairs.

7. Each of you will take turns vacuuming two rooms of mom's choice.

8. Broom work. One of you will sweep the kitchen, dining, living room, and walk ways downstairs. The other will sweep all the bathrooms and laundry room.

For arguing offenses of lesser manor:
1. Each of you read 3 books of Emma's choice to Emma.
2. Time out in your rooms with only a book for 20 minutes.
3. Extra 15 minutes of practicing an instrument or piano.

Can't wait for this weekend's Conference!

I'm so excited for General Conference this weekend. Anyone can watch it to see what we believe and what our church leaders are teaching.

Forget not...

As many other women from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, I too was profoundly touched by the talk given by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf at the Relief Society Conference on Saturday.  Three days later, the talk is still in my thoughts and mind.  


There are some great handouts that women have made and shared online based on his talk.  I thought I would share some of my favorites!

Original source HERE

Original source HERE

Original source HERE

Original source HERE

Original source HERE

Original source HERE

Original source HERE

Original source HERE

Original source HERE