In The message of financial preparedness is not new. In this dispensation, Church leaders have encouraged members to prepare themselves by wisely managing their finances and have promised blessings to those who follow this counsel. The First Presidency said: “Latter-day Saints have been counseled for many years to prepare for adversity by having some money set aside. Doing so adds immeasurably to security and well-being.”
Families and individuals, both past and present, have witnessed the blessings of peace that result from their obedience to this counsel. As Church members follow the specific guidelines in All Is Safely Gathered In and utilize the other financial counseling the Church offers, they too will experience these blessings in their lives.
In the pamphlet, All is Safely Gathered In, the First Presidency asks all Church members to consider their finances and strive to become more spiritually and temporally self-reliant: “We encourage you wherever you may live in the world to prepare for adversity by looking to the condition of your finances. … If you have paid your debts and have a financial reserve … , you and your family will feel more secure and enjoy greater peace in your hearts.”
The pamphlet outlines five basic principles: pay tithes and offerings, avoid debt, use a budget, build a reserve, and teach family members. While living these principles requires patience, temperance, and sacrifice, obedience to the Lord’s financial plan will bring greater peace and joy than individuals and families could ever experience by living the way of the world.
To learn more: All Is Safely Gathered In: Family Finances
Wednesday, September 9, 2015
Friday, September 4, 2015
Becoming Provident Providers
Elder Robert D. Hales encourages us to stay out of debt and live frugally as he recounts a story from the early days of his marriage, when his wife exemplified the principles of provident living.
Tuesday, September 1, 2015
Be Prepared - Not Scared!
Come and learn what to expect and how to
keep your family safe when an earthquake hits.
Maralin Hoff, known as the "Earthquake Lady",
is a community Outreach Specialist with Be Ready Utah.
She is highly sought after and has expert,
practical advice on earthquake preparedness.
Her presentation is Friday, September 18 at 7:00 p.m.
in the Stake Center Cultural Hall.
Everyone is welcome to attend!
Photo by: activerain.com
Monday, August 31, 2015
Sunday, August 30, 2015
Health Benefits of Good Sleep
Mark Basil is the CEO of a health and wellness company in Utah and regularly lectures on the benefits of good sleep. Here, he shares with us how a good night’s rest contributes to your overall emotional and physical well-being.
We all know that it is very important for our physical and spiritual selves to get enough sleep. However, Americans are the worst in the world at getting enough sleep. The National Sleep Foundation, which provides the recommendations for sleep, says that adults need 7–9 hours per night, but preferably 8–9 hours. There are many, many reasons we need enough sleep, but I will highlight just a few here.
In order to break a bad habit or an addiction, your brain has to be plastic—easy to change and adopt new behaviors. Without adequate sleep, our brain loses its plasticity, which means it is very difficult, nearly impossible, to break an addiction without adequate sleep. Without enough rest at night, we tend to make poor decisions and can make the same mistakes over and over again. We’re stuck in a rut and can’t get out.
Without enough sleep, we tend to overestimate rewards and underestimate consequences. This can lead to things like overeating because we are overestimating how good the food will taste and underestimating the long-term consequences of added weight gain. In more severe circumstances, someone can take their own life because they are overestimating the perceived reward of being out of emotional pain and underestimating the long-term consequences of added grief and harm.
The first part of our brain that shrinks when we don’t get adequate sleep is the prefrontal cortex. It is the front part of the brain associated with decision-making and emotional maturity. When this part of the brain shrinks, we might keep our math skills, but our relationships and rational thinking will suffer.
Also, when we don’t get enough sleep, our body doesn’t replenish many of its key hormones. Two of these are serotonin and dopamine. These are the “happiness hormones.” Many emotional issues that we deal with as a society have to do with a lack of serotonin and dopamine. A lesser amount of these hormones can contribute to anxiety, depression, ADD, ADHD, OCD, Parkinson’s disease, tremors, restless leg syndrome, a decrease in libido, and even dementia. In fact, over 30 percent of all cases of anxiety are preceded by having a lack of sleep.
To learn more: Health Benefits of Good Sleep
We all know that it is very important for our physical and spiritual selves to get enough sleep. However, Americans are the worst in the world at getting enough sleep. The National Sleep Foundation, which provides the recommendations for sleep, says that adults need 7–9 hours per night, but preferably 8–9 hours. There are many, many reasons we need enough sleep, but I will highlight just a few here.
In order to break a bad habit or an addiction, your brain has to be plastic—easy to change and adopt new behaviors. Without adequate sleep, our brain loses its plasticity, which means it is very difficult, nearly impossible, to break an addiction without adequate sleep. Without enough rest at night, we tend to make poor decisions and can make the same mistakes over and over again. We’re stuck in a rut and can’t get out.
Without enough sleep, we tend to overestimate rewards and underestimate consequences. This can lead to things like overeating because we are overestimating how good the food will taste and underestimating the long-term consequences of added weight gain. In more severe circumstances, someone can take their own life because they are overestimating the perceived reward of being out of emotional pain and underestimating the long-term consequences of added grief and harm.
The first part of our brain that shrinks when we don’t get adequate sleep is the prefrontal cortex. It is the front part of the brain associated with decision-making and emotional maturity. When this part of the brain shrinks, we might keep our math skills, but our relationships and rational thinking will suffer.
Also, when we don’t get enough sleep, our body doesn’t replenish many of its key hormones. Two of these are serotonin and dopamine. These are the “happiness hormones.” Many emotional issues that we deal with as a society have to do with a lack of serotonin and dopamine. A lesser amount of these hormones can contribute to anxiety, depression, ADD, ADHD, OCD, Parkinson’s disease, tremors, restless leg syndrome, a decrease in libido, and even dementia. In fact, over 30 percent of all cases of anxiety are preceded by having a lack of sleep.
To learn more: Health Benefits of Good Sleep
Thursday, August 27, 2015
Be Strong, Be Healthy, Be Smart
"Just as some individuals struggle with physical health, others struggle with emotional health. Life can be difficult, and sometimes we may have feelings of anxiety, depression, or lack of self-esteem. But remember that for both physical and emotional health, exercise and hard work help to maintain a positive perspective. Taking care of your body also blesses your mind and helps you to remember that you are a child of God and can be confident and happy. Our emotional, physical, and spiritual sides are all linked together."
-- Elder Adrian Ochoa
To learn more: Be Strong, Be Healthy, Be Smart
-- Elder Adrian Ochoa
To learn more: Be Strong, Be Healthy, Be Smart
Tuesday, August 25, 2015
How Our Physical Health Affects Our Emotional Well-Being
We’ve all heard the old adage “If you don’t have your health, you don’t have anything.” In other words, when you’re comfortable and content in your body, it’s easier to focus on life and living. Our physical health is closely connected to our emotional well-being. Contracting a simple cold is often enough to help us appreciate the gift of daily health. A wise and truthful Catalan proverb states, “From the bitterness of disease, man learns the sweetness of health.”
Small Victories
Sometimes we feel stuck in our bodies. We know we don’t feel as well as we could. We struggle to make changes and despair at our inconsistencies. These feelings can be overcome by starting small. Remember, “a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step” (Lao Tzu). By focusing 95 percent of your attention on the steps and 5 percent on the destination, you’ll avoid being overwhelmed, experience the sweetness of success, and enjoy the journey.
You can feel better in your body each day by focusing on the little things. Even tiny successes boost mood and confidence—which naturally contributes to emotional well-being. Change isn’t easy. Mark Twain captured the humor in the challenge when he said, “The only way to keep your health is to eat what you don’t want, drink what you don’t like, and do what you’d rather not.” Humor aside, Twain fails to cite the joyful benefits that accompany self-discipline. Over time, exercise does begin to feel good, eating healthily becomes a preference, and an afternoon catnap can become a saving grace.
Balance
A soul experiences more happiness in a balanced body—a body that eats healthy, gets exercise, receives rest when it’s tired, and is recharged regularly with meditation or prayer. If you’re lacking in any or all of these areas, you can now see with more clarity what your personal journey will look like—but remember that the destination gets 5 percent of your attention—only because you have to know where you’re going. Give the rest of your attention and energy to the first step.
Your first step could be similar to any of the following: fitting one more hour of sleep somewhere in your daily 24, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, giving yourself permission to sit quietly and be alone with your thoughts for 15 minutes today, trading sweets for fruit, or drinking water instead of your usual beverage. Your first step could be anything that helps you feel more in control. Before taking a second step, take time to perfect the first one. Before you know it, you’ll look up from the steps you’ve taken and discover you’ve made exceptional progress on your journey to better health and being happy in your body.
To learn more: How Our Physical Health Affects Our Emotional Well-Being