Are we Feasting like Flamingoes??

Last week in our presidency meeting, Sister Stackhouse shared a though with us from the January New Era, and since I LOVED it and thought that most of us probably don't have a New Era unless we have teenagers, we might have missed it, so I thought I would share here the neat thought that Whitney Hinckley was willing to share with us, so here it is.......

Feast Like a Flamingo
By Whitney Hinckley

These funny birds taught me a lesson about being a recognizable member of the Church.

The first time I saw flamingos in real life, I loved their beautiful, rich pink color—it was very different from the bubblegum pink of the plastic lawn ornaments I’d seen.



I was at an aquarium and learned that flamingos’ bright pink color comes from the food they eat, which contains high amounts of beta carotene—a pigment that causes an orange, pink, or yellow color. That means that if flamingos don’t feast on the algae and brine shrimp they usually eat, their feathers will eventually become white—and we might not even recognize the white birds as flamingos!



After that day, I started to think about those flamingos in a way I never would have expected.



I thought about what I feast on and if it changes how others identify me. In 2 Nephi 31:20, we are encouraged to “press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ.” I thought about the stories of how people not of our faith describe the members they know as having a “glow” around them or a light in their eyes. Could it be that by our feasting, instead of turning pink like a flamingo, we receive that light from Christ? We receive the Lord’s image in our countenances when we are born of the Spirit (see Alma 5:14). We are recognized as disciples of Christ because of that identifying factor.



If pink flamingos are any indication of good feasting, the opposite is also true. When a flamingo stops eating the nutrient-rich food he needs, he becomes ill and pale. When we stop feasting on the word of Christ, we also slowly become spiritually ill and lose our bright, godly countenances. Eventually, we would no longer be recognized as a faithful follower of Christ.



The more I thought about this, the more applicable the flamingos in the aquarium became to me. They were pink because they were doing everything right. They were not ashamed to be pink—they are supposed to be pink, and because they feasted they were pink. They were beautiful. They were identifiable.



As children of our Heavenly Father, we can all be beautiful too! It’s a beauty that comes from inside, by feasting on the right things. We should want to have Christ’s image in our countenances. We can be just as identifiable as members of the Church as a flamingo is for being a flamingo.

The Eminent Women of the St. George Temple - Meridian Magazine - LDS, Mormon and Latter-day Saint News and Views

I have a subscription to Meridian Magazine through my email and received this article which I wanted to share because I thought it was so neat and interesting. We have heard many times the story of President Woodruff doing work in the St George temple for the eminent men of the nation, mainly those of the 'Founding Fathers' but I have never heard of the work being done for many 'eminent women' of the time. Though Pres. Woodruff does not say if they appeared in the temple or not, there work was done for them at the time and many of them were not considered to be eminent during their time--nor would they have probably been none to Pres. Woodruff as such. I hope you enjoy the information and the article, make sure you watch the video, too!


CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL ARTICLE::
Meridian Magazine - The Eminent Women of the St. George Temple - Meridian Magazine - LDS, Mormon and Latter-day Saint News and Views

You can also see the full painting at:

http://www.bedardfineart.com/

A New Year, A New Manual

Just in case you have missed it, or you want to be ready for Relief Society on Sunday, I wanted to remind you that we are done with the Gospel Principles manual after two years of studying it, and we are returning to the Teachings of the Presidents of the Church Manuals, this year's President being George Albert Smith.  LEsson number one is: Living What We Believe.  BUT, there is some great information about this great leader if you want to take the time to read and better know and understand the man behind the book. 

Also, as a presidency, we are focusing on the Relief Society theme, "Charity Never Faileth" for our Presidency Messages each month.  I taught "Charity Never Faileth and Procedes Forgiveness and other virtues"  for January.  If you missed it, here are a few great quotes and thoughts I found along the way.  I think that I probably needed this more than anyone, but it has really made me think a lot more lately about my thoughts and actions and how much charity or sometimes how little charity I mmy have in my life.  Hopefully we can all work a little harder this year to gain a little more charity in our lives.

“There is one virtue … which, if cherished and practiced by the Saints, would prove salvation to thousands upon thousands. I allude to charity, or love, from which proceed forgiveness, long suffering, kindness, and patience” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young.)

President Ezra Taft Benson taught us “The world today speaks a great deal about love, and it is sought for by many, but the pure love of Christ differs greatly from what the world thinks of love. Charity never seeks selfish gratification. The pure love of Christ seeks only the eternal growth and joy of others.”

Elder Marvin J. Ashton (1915–94) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles: “We often equate charity with visiting the sick, taking in casseroles to those in need, or sharing our excess with those who are less fortunate. But really, true charity is much, much more.



“Real charity is not something you give away; it is something that you acquire and make a part of yourself. And when the virtue of charity becomes implanted in your heart, you are never the same again. …


“Perhaps the greatest charity comes when we are kind to each other, when we don’t judge or categorize someone else, when we simply give each other the benefit of the doubt or remain quiet. Charity is accepting someone’s differences, weaknesses, and shortcomings; having patience with someone who has let us down; or resisting the impulse to become offended. … Charity is refusing to take advantage of another’s weakness and being willing to forgive someone who has hurt us. Charity is expecting the best of each other” (“The Tongue Can Be a Sharp Sword,” Ensign, May 1992, 18–19).