A little about the Church

I was sent this info in an email from a friend and thought it was a neat and interesting summary.  The FORD Motor Company Interfaith group is really a neat program that was started to share inspirational articles from all faiths and to learn about the faiths of the people they work with.  I am not sure the date on this, I didn't look very long, but thought you might enjoy reading this summary of 'LDS' facts......

L.D.S Facts from Ford Motor CompanyAn interesting article written by Ford Motor Company for their employees

from the 'Ford Interfaith' group as a message about the Church.

The Ford Interfaith group promotes unity by sharing information from all faiths and

features these types of articles about all religions and faiths from time to time.



QUICK FACTS & INTERESTING TIDBITS About The Church of Jesus Christ of

Latter-day Saints



Fleeing continued mob attacks, 158 years ago today the first Mormon

pioneers desperately started their Westward trek from Illinois in the dead

of winter. Of the 70,000 who began this 1300-mile journey, 6,000 were

buried along the way, including many children. The following are quick

facts and interesting tidbits about this now flourishing church.



OVERVIEW



* Named "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints"; informal

nicknames are "LDS" or "Mormon."



* Believes it's the Lord's restoration of original Christianity as

foretold to occur before Christ's Second Coming.



* Core focus is that Christ and His teachings bring happiness in this

life and exaltation in the next.



HISTORY



* In 1820 14-yr-old Joseph Smith told of a vision of God and Christ

foretelling a church restoration.



* Organized in New York in 1830, the church moved to near Cleveland, then

near Kansas City, then Illinois.



* Fleeing Illinois, Mormon pioneers founded Salt Lake City in Utah and

over 600 other Western communities.



SALT LAKE CITY



* Temple Square in Salt Lake has over 5 million annual visitors, more

than the Grand Canyon.



* The Mormon Tabernacle Choir is the world's most famous and has the

world's oldest radio program.



* The Salt Lake Temple is the most famous, but there are 128 other

temples built or underway.



* Home of the world's largest genealogy database; visit it online or

through 3,700 free branch libraries.



ACTIVE CONGREGATIONS



* Sunday services entail a three-hour block of three meetings; about

27,000 congregations exist worldwide.



* Highly vibrant programs exist for youth, children, singles, men, and

women; very strong family focus.



* Everyone has a calling; some surveys show LDS have the highest U.S.

attendance and service rates.



* Families receive personal fellowship visits at home from other members

on a monthly basis.



FINANCES



* Members tithe 10 percent, plus donate generously to the needy the first

Sunday of each month.



* Clergy and all other congregational positions are unpaid (however, much

of the janitorial is paid).



* The church has no debt; all buildings are paid for in cash (average of

two new congregations a day).



* The paid positions in Salt Lake are famously low-salaried; funds are

frugally used and tightly audited.



HEALTH CODE



* With a health code from 1833, LDS avoid alcohol, tobacco, illegal

drugs, coffee, and tea (herbal tea is ok).



* This 1833 code also teaches grains (especially wheat), fresh fruits and

vegetables, and sparing use of meat.



* A UCLA study showed that active LDS live longer than most Americans,

men by 11 years, women by 8.



* Utah is 50th in smoking, alcohol consumption, drunk driving, heart

disease, cancer, and sick days.



EDUCATION



* With four colleges, Utah's BYU with 30,000 students is the largest

single-campus private college.



* BYU Independent Study with 130,000 students is North America (340 web

courses, 530 via mail).



* Seminary, a daily class usually held around 6:00 A.M., serves 376,000

high school students.



* There are Institutes of Religion at 1,950 colleges worldwide that serve

367,000 college students.



* The church operates schools in parts of the Pacific Ocean and Mexico

for 10,000 students.



* Utah is 50th in spending per pupil, but first in adults that graduated

from high school and attended college.



WOMEN



* In 1842 the "Relief Society" was organized; it's the largest women's

organization in the world.



* Wyoming was first to allow women to vote; Utah was second, two months

later, in 1870.



* Women preach from the pulpit and serve as organization presidents,

teachers, committee chairs, etc.



SHARING CHRIST'S GOOD NEWS



* 61,000 missionaries serve in 165 countries; 93 percent are college-age;

22 percent are female.



* Unpaid and paying their own way, most work 65 hours a week for two

years, often in a new language.



MEMBERSHIP DISTRIBUTION



* LDS are 70 percent of Utah, 30 percent of Idaho; after Catholics, LDS

are the largest sect in 10 states.



* The church has 5.5 million members in the U.S., making it the fourth

largest individual U.S. denomination.



* Some memberships: New Zealand 95k, Japan 115k, UK 175k, Philippines

500k, Brazil 900k, Mexico 925k.



* Worldwide 51 percent are female; about 55 percent are not Caucasian;

about 70 percent are converts.



MEMBERSHIP GROWTH



* For the last 15 years, every day an average of 800+ people worldwide

joined the LDS church.



* Half of the growth is in Latin America, but the rate of growth is

highest in Africa and the former Soviet bloc.



* Worldwide membership just passed 12 million, a tenfold increase in 50

years.



* In 1984 a non-LDS professor estimated 265 million members by 2080; so

far growth has been faster.



* As this growth has been steady, he said it will be the "first 'new'

major world religion since Islam."



CHARITY/SERVICE



* Members in need obtain welfare from the LDS Church (thus Utah

government welfare spending is very low).



* LDS donate time at 220 welfare storehouses or canneries and about 400

farms (a FL ranch is 312k acres).



* There are 210 employment centers placing over 175,000 people annually,

and 64 family service centers.



* The church operates 46 thrift stores, in part to provide employment for

the disadvantaged.



* The 61,000 missionaries spend half a day each week doing

non-proselytizing community service.



HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE



* Over 200 million pounds of food, clothing, and medicine were donated

in the last 20 years in 147 countries.



* Almost all of this help is to non-LDS; LDS charities also work with and

donate to many non-LDS charities.



* Very rapid disaster relief has been given in 144 major disasters since

1986.



* Almost 3,000 welfare "missionaries" work without pay in 55 countries

(farm instructors, doctors, teachers...).



* LDS charities fund a wide variety of projects like drilling water wells

or funding small business startup loans.



* New in 2001, members in poor areas can get low-rate college loans;

10,000 loans have been made to date.



GRAB BAG



* Utah is first in: charitable giving, scientists, household computers,

children with two parents, and birth rate.



* Noted LDS included five senators, the Osmonds, Gladys Knight, Steve

Young, and the inventor of TV.



* LDS played a key role in the 2002 Winter Olympics; the chair is now the

governor of Massachusetts.



* Hawaii's #1 tourist site is the LDS Polynesian Cultural Center (Tonga

and the Samoas are one-third LDS).



* LDS have sponsored Boy Scout troops since 1913; 23 percent of all Scout

troops are LDS.



* The BYU Women's Cross Country were national champions or in second

place each of the last seven years.



DETROIT AREA



* The Detroit metro area has 30 congregations; the Dearborn chapel is on

Rotunda by Ford's Building #5.



* Detroit has a temple, storehouse, cannery, employment and family

service office, and family history libraries.



* LDS include former Governor Romney, three former Lions quarterbacks,

and hundreds of Ford employees.









A member of Ford's Interfaith Network,

the author of this note sends out monthly interfaith notes to thousands of Ford employees who have asked to receive them.

Though he writes on many different faiths, he does happen to be LDS.

If you'd like to contact him, his e-mail is sdrencure@yahoo.com.

Cookie Crumb Trail Christmas in Panaca

Panaca’s Cookie Crumb Trail 2011--These are all the upcoming events of the Cookie Crumb Trail:

A Call for Help
This year we have events throughout the entire month of December beginning December 2 and running through until the town Christmas Party on December 24th. Please call town chairperson Dixie Tienken at 728-4408 or Secretary Chris Ficken at 728-4274. We desperately need volunteers not only to bake cookies & furnish hot chocolate but also to help with the many events.
During the month of November Students Pre School through Middle School
(Public, Private or Home School) were invited to make decorations for the town tree. Ornaments must be no smaller than 2 inches by 2 inches or larger than 6 inches by 8 inches & must be made of a durable material that can handle outdoor weather from December 2nd through January 6th. Judging will be done November 29th & 30th by a panel of local artists. Winners will be announced by town board member, Pete Wells prizes and ribbons will be given out at the Town Lighting Ceremony at the Town Hall on Main Street at 6PM Friday, December 2nd. Christmas Caroling around the tree with Bible Talk’s Praise Band until 7PM. Cookies & hot chocolate will be served. So we need host & hostesses to serve. You may seen our local firemen, town board members, middle school students and other volunteers lead by Gary Elmer & Marty Soderberg trimming the town & tree earlier. Linda Lee will conduct tours of the Heritage Museum between 1& 4PM by request. Please call her prior to noon 12/1/11 at 728-4567to reserve a time. Both the Panaca Market & McCrowsky’s Y Service will be serving free Hot Drinks & cookies when you buy an LCAT Mug between 1PM & closing on December 2nd & again on December 17th.

Saturday, December 3rd features two other events the 2nd annual Jingle Jog sponsored by Panaca Fitness Center & Dr. Steve Klomp. Please preregister & get further information by December 1st at panacafitnesscenter.com. The second event on Saturday the 3rd will be the Home Decoration & Town Tree Making Extravaganza at Cathedral Gorge State Park Visitors Center between 10AM & 4PM. Great family event from youth to grandparents to show your creative side making decorations from natural materials furnished by the rangers or bring your own. Preregister by calling 728-4460 Hot chocolate & cookies will be served. Don’t forget to view the park’s lights & decorations as you’re leaving the park & hang your ornaments on the town tree in front of the Town Hall before returning home.
Tuesday the 13th will be the night when the judges will be driving around Panaca from 5 to 10 PM looking at the outdoor lights & displays. Please make sure your outside lights are on the entire time as often the judges have to return for a second look to break a tie or to select the Grand Prize on the Outdoor Displays. Prizes are awarded for Most Artistic, True Spirit of Christmas, and Best Effect on a Small Budget as well as the Grand Prize. Winners will be announced in the Auditorium at the conclusion of the Matinee performance of The Gift of Love on December 17th.

Wednesday the 14th will be the Lincoln County High School Band & Show Choir Christmas Concert at 7PM at the Neldon Mathews Auditorium on Edwards Street with Jake Lester directing.
Saturday the 17th is set for the Nativity Displays & Parade of Christmas Trees. Please note new times & location this year. Plus although we have a committee we need a Chairperson to hold this event together or we may have to cancel this event. Please call as soon as possible between 8AM & noon 728-4408. Location will be at the Neldon Mathews Gym between the Auditorium & the new Elementary School. Set up can be done the night of the 16th. Doors will be open for viewing on the 17th from 10AM until 12:50PM, 2 to 4PM and 6 to 7PM. Displays can be removed after 8:30 PM Saturday or Sunday afternoon between 4 & 6PM.

Saturday the 17th Toys for Tots at Bible Talk Church between 9AM until 3PM at Main & 6th Street. Donations of unwrapped new toys for newborn to 17 & cash accepted between 9 to 11AM. This year we have a real need for toys, books & games for the older kids 12 to 17. If you could bring these early to the church it would be very helpful. For more information please call Max Austgen 728-4744 or (702)279-6107. Checks as a donation may be sent to Toys for Tots, P O Box 448, Pioche, NV 89043. Distribution of toys by Santa to the children will only be between 11AM & 1PM at the church. A free picture of your child with Santa will be taken and sent to you for great memories. Bible Talk Praise Band will lead caroling. Hot Chocolate & cookies served.
Saturday the 17th FREE Christmas Play A GIFT OF LOVE 1PM Matinee & Evening Performance at 7PM in the Neldon Mathews Auditorium. A Gift of Love was written & directed by Dixie Tienken and features all local actors, musicians & artists and is their free gift to Lincoln County residents & visitors sharing the true meaning of Christmas. Meet the cast & have a cookie in the lobby following the performance but please do not take into auditorium or gym.
Monday the 19th A Great Family Home Evening 7 until about 8:30 PM
6th, 7th & 8th grade combined Band & Middle School Choir directed by Jake Lester and the last performance of A Gift of Love directed by Dixie Tienken. This will a very nice family evening with a Christmas theme. Please do not take any food or drinks into the Auditorium.
Wednesday& Thursday the 21st & 22nd Lincoln County Community Choir Sings Christmas Carols at 7PM directed by Clark Black at the Neldon Mathews Auditorium on Edwards Street.
Saturday the 24th Christmas Eve Town Party 5pm to 6:30 at the LDS Church Cultural Hall at Main & 4th Street. Visit Santa & get bag or stocking of goodies for each child. Caroling & short program directed by Leon Poteet.

NOV 2011 PRESIDENCY MESSAGE

(November's Theme from the Releif Society Declaration is: Rejoice in the blessings of the Temple. )
Dear Sisters:
Elder Robert D. Hales stated, "The temple is truly a place where you are 'in the world and not of the world.' When you are troubled and have crucial decisions that weigh heavily on your mind and soul, you can take your cares to the temple and receive spiritual guidance.
"The opportunity to enter the temple and take upon ourselves the sacred covenants therein is one of the greatest blessings available to us in mortality. Then, after we take upon us those covenants, our obedience also prepares us to live with Them in the eternities. The temple's saving ordinances are essential to--and even the central focus of--the eternal plan of happiness."

Love,

Jamie, Cindy, Loree, and Kathy

Make Your Own Temple Pic.......

On December 2nd, a Friday, there will be an opportunity for all interested throughout the community to make their own temple pictures (This is NOT a Relief Society Activity, just something that is going on and we wanted to let everyone that might be interested know about it).  Earlene Williams will be coming with all the materials to make these.  There are three sizes, 8x10 ($30), 16x20 ($50), & 20x30 ($70).  That price is for the completed, framed picture.  There are various Temple Pic's available, there is a booklet at the church by this picture with teh examples, and also the list of others that she can get for an extra $30 because they are ones they have not yet got copyright privileges for.  There is also a frame that is WIDER even than the one in the picture below.  It is an extra $15 dollars. 

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED, the sign up forms are on the table at the church foyer, or you can contact me--me email link is in the lefthand corner of this blog.  She will need all information and money turned in at least a week prior!!

This is a 20x30 example of what you can do with the St George Temple.  It will start at 9 am and run throughout the day--It does NOT take all day, but requires you to be there on  and off as painting and glueing are done and then drying.  IF you cannot make it, but are interested, there may be others available to help complete yours for you, so check with me!!  Anyw questions, let me know!

Thanks,

Jamie

Daughters in My Kingdom...

http://lds.org/relief-society/daughters-in-my-kingdom/about-the-book?lang=eng#modal=the-gift-daughters-in-my-kingdom

It has been over a month since most of you received the new History of the Relief Society, Daughters in My Kingdom book.  Have you  read it?  Parts of it?  Is it collecting dust on the shelf?  Or becoming a treasure to you? Please watch this video clip from Sister Beck, I have been waiting for it to finally be available to share and wanted you all to see it.  IF you have not received your book yet, PLEASE let me know!!

Oct 2011 PRESIDENCY MESSAGE

(October's Theme from the Releif Society Declaration is: Sustain the priesthood as the authority of God on earth)
Dear Sisters:

This month our theme is: ‘Sustain the priesthood as the authority of God on earth.’ I hope that each of you will take a few moments this month to think about what that means, and whatever better time than as we sit through the beautiful and inspired talks of the General Authorities, the Prophets, Seers and Revelators during General Conference.

How blessed we are to have the Priesthood upon the earth. Many times I have heard of the inequality an injustice of women not having these same rights and authorities as are given to the men. Oh, how sorry I am that those who would complain do not understand the depth and glory of the Priesthood and its power for both men and women alike. It is only through the Priesthood that men and women, as husband and wife, are united to receive all that the Father has. One cannot gain without the other, and neither without the Priesthood.

Many times I have thought, “We sisters have so great a work to do already as nurturers and caretakers, a work that is just as great as the work the brothers have to do in their Priesthood roles.” And we fulfill these roles with the support of the Priesthood, to strengthen, bless, and buoy us up. It is so incredibly important that we do the same for the men of the church, our husbands, sons, and leaders, need our support and sustaining love as much as we need theirs. They need our encouragement, our faith in them, and our patience as we all strive for perfection.

So, take a minute this month and write down some blessings that have come to your life from the Priesthood and then commit to renew your support to sustain those called to lead and serve as the Lord’s Priesthood bearers upon the earth.
Love,
Jamie, Cindy, Loree, and Kathy

Sept 2011 PRESIDENCY MESSAGE

(September's Theme from the Releif Society Declaration is: Stand for Truth and Righteousness)

Dear Sisters:
"We are women of faith, virtue, vision and charity, who stand for truth and righteousness." Such a powerful statment, which is taken from our Relief Society Motto.
We should never underestimate the value of our example. In times of discouragement we may wonder if we really are making a difference in the lives of our families. Our consistent example of what is true and right will make all the difference.
Sister Sheri Dew says it so well, "We are the only ones who can show our young women and men that it is possible to live with purity in a polluted world. We are the only ones who can show them that purity is not prudish and that vulgarity is not in vogue. And we are the only ones who can show them that a woman who has the Spirit with her is radiant, and a man of God who honors the priesthood he holds is the finest example of manhood to be found."
The ability to stand by one's principles, to live with integrity and faith according to one's belief--that is what matters. That devotion to true principle--in our individual lives, in our homes and families, and in all places that we meet and influence other people--that devotion is what God is ultimately requesting of us.

Love,
Jamie, Cindy, Loree, and Kathy