Sickness, Easter and General Conference!

Hi everyone, 

I wanted to do a quick post on here as I'm conscious that I've been quiet on the blogNow  for a few weeks now. This is mainly down to having been busy with life in general, amidst varying degrees of colds, flu, chest infections and other general lurgies! Poor Mr. Peartree is now starting with the same symptoms, so I fear I may be busy playing nursemaid for the next week or so.

Sadly, I was full of a chest infection last weekend, so my Easter / General Conference experience was pretty low-key! On Saturday afternoon, our stake was showing the Women's General Conference that was originally on March 28th, then we would be at the Stake Centre in the evening when the Saturday Morning Session of General Conference was broadcast. Since I was sick, I didn't want to share my germs at the Stake Centre, so I curled up on the sofa with the laptop and watched the Women's Broadcast and Saturday Morning Session on my own. I was, quite frankly, blown away by the answers to questions I received - even questions that I hadn't asked consciously! 

On Sunday, I visited my family for an Easter dinner. Mr. Peartree isn't a member of the Church, and unfortunately, he had to work, so joined us later in the evening. It was fun to spend time with my Gran, Uncle, Dad, Step-Mum, her parents, my Step-Brother & his wife and my Half-Brother! We don't get to see each other very often, so it's always quite an event when we do get together. I'm sad that I didn't manage to take any photos of the day.

I love being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints! It has really brought home to me the importance of family. We will always be a family, no matter what, and I love them all dearly. It is my dream to start my own family soon. I truly hope that one day soon we will be blessed with the beginnings of our progeny. 

On Monday, the Primary at our ward organised an Easter Activity for the children. There was face painting, egg decorating, Easter basket-making and egg decorating, before the children took part in an egg hunt. 

How did you spend Easter / Conference weekend? What was your favourite part from General Conference?

Fireside: Homelessness Awareness

Last night, our ward held a Fireside to raise awareness about homelessness in our town. We were given a presentation by Susan Blythe, who is the Manager of "The Room at the Inn", a charity that offers warm food and shelter to the homeless in the local area. 

We sang the beautiful hymn, Have I Done Any Good in the World Today? and one of the youth offered a lovely opening prayer to set things in motion, before Bishop Gray spoke to us about the Parable of the Good Samaritan and how we can apply the lessons of this parable to our lives today.

Following Bishop Gray's address, Sister Brett read out a personal story about Sister Johnston's mother and her experiences of being homeless in Australia. It was a very touching story and I don't think there was a dry eye in the house!

We also had speakers from the local political parties, who gave their own personal take on the issue of homelessness and possible steps we can take to resolve the current problems and prevent further cases of homelessness. 

It was great that we were all able to get together as one body and learn about steps we can each individually take to provide assistance to those who need our help. 

Have you ever thought about what you would do if you were homeless tonight? Where would you go? How would you wash and shower? Get a drink of water? Wouldn't you want to retain your dignity? Of course! There is so much that we take for granted that those without homes struggle through, day by day, night by night. It's so important that we support our local charities such as "The Room at the Inn", whichever way we can.

Can you donate much-needed blankets, clothing, toiletries, sleeping bags? Can you give up some of your time to help with some volunteer work with your local shelter? Can you just raise awareness about the state of homelessness in your local area? It doesn't matter how much or how little you can do individually - if we all work together, we will achieve much!

"By small means the Lord can bring about great things." (1 Nephi 16:29)

Think about it, as the words of the hymn 223 reminds us, have you done any good in the world today?

If you would like to help Room at the Inn in Warrington, please phone 01925 632771 and ask for Sue Blythe. Alternatively, call into 3 Winmarleigh Street, Warrington. 

Vandanalu Challenge - PLEASE SHARE

In February, one of my friends from Refreshment UK will be travelling to the village of Kotipalli to work in the Faith India Children's Home, just one of many homes in India that looks after children who are either orphaned or whose parents can no longer look after them.

Simon wants to take along greetings from across the world to these people. The local greeting in Telugu to these children is 'Vandanalu' and it shows warmth, LOVE and FRIENDSHIP.

The aim is to show these children that they are cared about and cherished, so using social media, we have set up the 'Vandanalu' Challenge - where you can bring a greeting to these children by posting your videos to them.

This is a challenge of a few days and we plan to show them all of the videos at the end of the week on Wednesday 18th February 2015.

Show them that you care and say 'Vandanalu' to these wonderful children.

Make sure you also give at: https://www.indiegogo.com/…/the-vandanalu-challen…/x/8125217
Post your video to the Vandanalu Challenge on Facebook or on twitter by using ‪#‎VandanaluChallenge‬
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Vandanalu-Challenge/754332874635135?fref=nf

Please donate what you can but most importantly, let’s show these children some love. Make a video on your phone, tablet, laptop, whatever and share at the Vandanalu Challenge on Facebook and using #vandanaluchallenge ! Share some love!

Family Home Evening: No Technology Night!

It's Monday. 

Anyone who is familiar with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints will know that Monday is the night that the Church has dedicated to Family Home Evening. This is simply one night a week where the Church will not have any scheduled activities, to allow for families to be together and to participate in social and spiritual activities as a family. There is more information about the idea of Family Home Evening (FHE) in the BYU Enclyclopaedia of Mormonism webpage here.

I often feel as though I don't do enough each week to fulfil my spiritual requirements. One thing that has been lacking is Family Home Evening. There is only my husband and I at home (as of yet, we haven't been blessed with children). My husband is not a member of the Church and is not particularly religious. I hope that by setting an example at home, he will come to love the Gospel and love our Saviour, as I do. 

Being a single-member household makes Family Home Evening somewhat of a challenge. However, this week, my husband and I came to an agreement - one night a week, once he comes home from work, we will sit down together for dinner and have a "No Technology Night". 

What is No Technology Night?

No Technology Night is what is sounds like: an evening where we will refrain from using computers, watching television or using our mobile telephones. It is going to be an evening where we focus on each other, our relationship and communicating with each other, face to face.

I strongly believe that relationships are being damaged by the cultural necessity to remain 'plugged in'. We're losing the ability to just sit and chat with each other, to tell stories, play games: to enjoy each other's company. The following video was recently posted to my Facebook page and I couldn't help but be strongly moved by its message:

So, whether or not you are a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, whether you are Christian or not, I challenge you to start your own No Technology Night! Let's all reconnect with each other on a more basic level and let's start building our relationships back up.

Ideas for No Technology Night

• Family History work
• Story telling
• Board Games
• Card Games
• Reading
• Go for a walk in the local park
• Visit a friend in need together
• Write each other letters

If you decide to take me up on the No Technology Night Challenge, then let me know what you get up to!! 

Enjoy your time together - life is precious and remember that the family is central to Heavenly Father's Plan of Salvation. 

More resources for strengthening the family unit can be found here.

The Liebster Award 2015

Happy new year, lovely readers! 

I trust that 2015 finds you all well and happy. My darling friend, Kimmy, has nominated me for the Liebster Award... so it would be rude not to accept!

Here are the rules of the game, ladies and gentlemen!

1. Each person awarded must post 11 facts about themselves.

2. Answer the 11 questions the nominator has set for them.

3. Choose bloggers to nominate.  

4. Create 11 more questions for the bloggers they will nominate.

5. Let the lucky bloggers know.

So, without further ado... let's start the ball rolling with 11 tasty tidbits about me...

#1 I love to sing! Whether it's with the fantastic Manchester Show Choir or each week at Church, I just love to sing. 

#2 I'm kind of addicted to showers. Showers are the most incredible invention ever, aren't they? I could spend full days at a time under the shower. I just love them. I loathe baths, but showers, they are my thing. I long for the day when I can install a rain head shower into my very own private wetroom in the mansion I will eventually undoubtedly own. Possibly. Maybe.

Deliciously heavenly showers...

 #3 I also play clarinet and piano; alas, not simultaneously.

#4 I have Relapsing Remitting Multiple Sclerosis, but I am being treated by the renowned Professor Carolyn Young at the Walton Centre - I'm so grateful to God for His mercy. I'm very fortunate to be being treated at such a wonderful specialist centre by such a renowned neurologist.

#5 I'm very poor at thinking about original things which are about me. No, really, this is a very taxing exercise. 

#6 My favourite colour is purple. Nothing can beat purple. For reals. I love it. 

#7 I own two lovely pussy cats called Bramble and Shelby. They are my fur babies and are completely adorable. See?

#8 My favourite Disney film of all time is Lady & The Tramp. 

#9 I was baptised as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in August 2014 and it was the best decision of my life! I'm so grateful to have been welcomed into the Church with open arms and I feel like a real member of the international Mormon family! 

#10 On 21st June 2008, I married my best friend! Love you, Mr. Peartree!

#11 I have a love of challenging myself every year. This year I'm signed up to do a sprint triathlon and a 5K... I'm am beyond terrified. 

So, there you have 11 inane facts about myself... Now onto Kimmy's questions! 

#1  How many bones have you broken?

Surprisingly, I've only broken 2 bones, that I can remember (despite being one of the most clumsy individuals on the planet)... I feel over a step in a bathroom when I was young and fractured my left arm (I'm a lefty) and I once broke my big toe by failing to jump over a badminton net... (I was barefoot and the toe didn't make it over the net...). 

#2  If you could learn any fictional language, what would it be?

Elvish. It's so beautiful.

#3  What is your dream job?

To be a Mummy. Yes, I'm quite career driven and I want to someday go back to being self-employed, but there is one job that I would love to do and that is to be a Mummy. God willing, my time will come.

#4  Your thoughts on Snooki?

Given that I just had to Google who that was, I'd say I have a limited opinion...

#5  Your favorite holiday and why?

In 2006, Philip whisked me away for a surprise holiday to Oslo, Norway and he proposed to me! Best. Holiday. Ever. 

Here is a photograph of me looking cold and terrified at the top of the Holmenkollen...

#6  Have you ever convinced your sibling they were found in a trash can and adopted?

I can honestly answer that I have never done this, yet. 

#7  What is your earliest memory?  How old were you?

 I remember sitting at a table in my room drawing a picture with my Mum. I think I was about 3 years old.

#8  Name something you're afraid of.

Clowns.

#9  What's your favorite hobby?

Rollerskating. I'm dreadful, but it's fun!

#10  If you were trapped on an island and could choose one celebrity to be there, who would you choose?

Tough question! Probably Hugh Laurie. He's soft on the eyes, English, good actor, musical and an interesting fellow. Plus he's tall. Yes, Hugh Laurie. Funny, smart, sexy and tall enough to reach the good fruit off the top of the tree. 

#11  If you had to choose to watch only one comedy for the rest of your life, which would you choose?

These questions are hard work! My favourite comedian is Victoria Wood, so I think I could spend my life watching her stand up, without much hesitation!

My Nominations
I nominate:

• the beautiful Clara who blogs at The RM Diary
• the wonderful Jocelyn over at We Talk of Christ, We Rejoice in Christ
• the sweet Caroline over at the Quilting Journey
• of course, Kimmy is re-nominated. She blogs at Memoirs of a Kimmy

The Questions:

1. Who is your favourite world leader and why?
2. What is your favourite evening activity?
3. Dogs or cats?
4. Favourite restaurant?
5. What is your happiest memory?
6. Who do you most admire?
7. What is your most embarrassing moment?
8. Who would win in a battle between Albus Dumbledore and Gandalf?
9. Who is your favourite sci-fi character?
10. If you have children (or more children), what would you name them and why?
11. What is your least favourite food stuff and why?

Christmas Charades Complete!

So a belated Merry Christmas, dear readers!

I'm writing this after coming home from spending Boxing Day / St. Stephen's Day with my family at my Dad's house. We had so much fun! There was (as usual) a lot of food but the thing that I enjoyed the most about the day was playing charades with the family! We have never done that before and I felt as though we really bonded and spent some proper, quality time with each other, rather than just sitting limply in front of the television, ignoring each other. 

I love my family and I am loving growing closer to the Lord. The closer I grow to the Lord, the closer I become with my family. We are going to be a family forever, so I am looking forward to forging stronger relationships with my God and my family over the coming year. 

How the Gospel is Changing My Life

This past Sunday I was asked to give a talk during Sacrament meeting about how the gospel is changing my life. The spirit has prompted me to share my talk with you here too, perhaps someone reading will gain some inspiration from it. 

When I was first asked to give a talk about how the gospel is changing my life I really didn't know that I had a lot to say, but then I got down on my knees and prayed to Heavenly Father to ask Him to allow the Spirit to be with me and to lead me to prepare a talk which someone in the ward needed to hear. Almost instantly things started flying into my mind, beginning with a very obvious one: PRAYER!

When I was first being taught by the missionaries, I openly admitted that I really struggled with the act of prayer. Praying to Heavenly Father just wasn't something that came naturally to me. When I was growing up my family rarely went to Church - only for weddings, christenings, funerals etc., yet we used to bid each other good night and God bless every evening! The fact that I now pray repeatedly to Heavenly Father throughout the day is a big change for me.

Over time, I have come to realise that prayer is the tool that Heavenly Father gave us to communicate with Him. He is our Father in Heaven and He is our family. I would like to think that we talk with our families regularly - that we ask them how they are doing, we share our ups and  our downs, ask for advice or ask for someone to listen to us - that's what Heavenly Father wants from us - He wants us to communicate with Him - that's how we build our relationships spiritually and temporally. Prayer is so very important!

In 3 Nephi 18:19-20 Jesus tells us:

"Therefore ye must always pray unto the Father in my name; And whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, which is right, believing that ye shall receive, behold it shall be given unto you."

We must always pray unto the Father and we must have faith and believe that we will receive an answer from Him, even if it may be an answer that we didn't want to hear!

So, we are commanded to pray - but more importantly, we need to want to communicate with Heavenly Father, even though He already knows what's in our hearts, He needs us to counsel with Him each day and to spend time with Him. Of course, I'm still very much a "baby Christian" - I'm still learning and I'll forever be learning but praying each day to my Father in Heaven is a big change for me, even if I'm taking baby steps each day, I'm pleased to be building my relationship with the Lord my God.



Every day I'm learning a little bit more about what it means to be a woman of God. I'm learning about obedience to the Lord; that I am a strong-willed and sometimes ridiculously stubborn individual, yet I am slowly coming to realise that I must learn to exercise patience; that things will be done in God's own time, not necessarily when and by what means I want them to happen. 

If I miss Church due to illness, or travelling, it now feels strange: my week just doesn't feel complete without taking the Sacrament, which is like my weekly spiritual recharge. 

I'm learning that my scriptures are my best friend and counsellor - they are the first place I should seek guidance and comfort (as well as through prayer to Heavenly Father). 

Finally, the biggest change is taking place in my heart. I just need to learn to trust more in the Lord. He knows where I am going and what lies ahead. I can take my struggles to Him as well as my gratitude for my blessings and He will always guide me. I'm so grateful that He softened my heart enough to receive the gospel into my life. 

In just over a week we will be celebrating Christmas. This will be the first CHRISTmas for me in a long time and I am so excited to be learning about my Saviour and building upon my relationship with Him. Having a Christ-centred Christmas is a big deal for me and I'm also a little bit nervous but as my husband recently reminded me: there's no need to be nervous when you know that God's backing you up.

There are so many other lessons I'm learning every day as my testimony grows but I will leave those for another time. 

I know that this Church is true, that our Saviour, Jesus Christ, lives as the Head of the Church and that through Jesus' Atonement, we can all have eternal life with Heavenly Father and our Saviour. I'm so grateful for the restored gospel, so grateful to Joseph Smith who I know was a prophet of God and I'm grateful to our living prophet, Thomas S Monson for his guiding and leading the Saints to salvation. I leave this with you in the name of Jesus Christ. 

Amen.

Blessings of the Temple

I'm writing this at almost midnight having returned from my first ever trip to the Preston Temple! I have been literally blown away!!! I cannot explain the level of spiritual calm and spiritual peace that I am feeling at the moment and that I've felt ever since I set foot in the Temple earlier this evening. 

LDS Temple in Chorley, near Preston, England

I received my Limited-Use Temple Recommend from the Bishop this last Sunday and was very excited as a result. Our Stake President, President Marshall, set Liverpool Stake the challenge of indexing at least one batch of names and to work on our family histories and take at least one name to the temple with us during this week; our Stake Temple Week.

I have been doing some indexing since I joined the Church and try to do a couple of batches each week but I had hit a brick wall with my family history. I realised that I didn't really know what I was doing and I mentioned this to one of my companions from the church when we were manning the local Poppy Appeal table last week. Sister Kopecna generously offered to help me with my Family History work and help me she did! With her assistance, I was able to track down 14 people from my family to add to my Family Tree and for whom Temple work could be completed, where appropriate.

I didn't realise how much this meant to me, but before I left for the Temple this evening, I prayed to Heavenly Father to ask His help at the Temple tonight and I asked for His guidance and to for me to act in the way that He wants me to act and what He wanted me to do. I was overcome with emotion and ended up sobbing my heart out. It was entirely unexpected. Then, I was suddenly embraced by a feeling of warmth and the tears stopped as quickly as they started. I had to go to the Temple and do what I was asked. So I did and I feel so so blessed as a result. Both when I was being baptised and when I was being confirmed, I felt the Spirit with me very strongly and I was again overcome with emotion. It was as though I could hear my ancestors. I could feel them. It was a beautiful and very moving experience and I was pretty sad when we had to leave. I didn't want the feeling of peace to end - and it hasn't.

I have a testimony of the peace of the temple and I'm looking forward to doing more work on my family tree and reconnecting with my ancestors. I now understand what President Monson meant when he said:

"As we go to the holy house, as we remember the covenants we make therein, we will be able to bear every trial and overcome each temptation. The temple provides purpose for our lives. It brings peace to our souls - not the peace provided by men but the peace promised by the Son of God when He said, 'Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid'".

In 1995, President Boyd K Packer, President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, counseled:

"The Lord will bless us as we attend to the sacred ordinance work of the temples. Blessings there will not be limited to our temple service. We will be blessed in all our affairs" (The Holy Temple, Ensign, February 1995).

I always want to have a valid Temple Recommend because I do not want to never be able to experience the peace that I'm feeling now. I want this peace to be with me always. How about you?

Finding Joy Through Loving Service

The Church pamphlet "For the Strength of Youth" counsels us that "Service to others is an important characteristic of a disciple of Jesus Christ". I want to be a good disciple of Jesus Christ, after all, when I was baptised at the end of August, I covenanted with Heavenly Father to take upon myself the name of Jesus Christ, to always remember Him, keep His commandments and to serve Him to the end. Regardless of all that, I also really enjoy helping people, so I'm keen to perform acts of service whenever I can. 

Today, I have another opportunity to serve in my local community - helping the Royal British Legion to raise money for the 2014 Poppy Appeal. The Legion are aiming to raise £40,000,000 for the Armed Forces through this year's appeal. You can read the story of the poppy here.

Church members have been helping our contact at the Royal British Legion sell paper poppies (donation only), commemorative wooden crosses (donations only), wristbands, car stickers, car bumper poppies, money boxes, etc at our local Tesco Supermarket for a couple of each hours each day for the past week. It's really not a difficult task - if you consider the number of men and women who gave their lives in both World War I and World War II, to allow us to now live in peacetime, you realise what little sacrifice a couple of hours once a year really is. 

There are so many ways to help out! You can volunteer and give a couple of hours of your time to the Royal British Legion, raising money to support their welfare work for the families of the armed forces past and present, or you can make a one-off or a regular donation. You can even donate online. There really are plenty of way to help out. 

Remember the commandment we were given in John 13:34-35:

A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

Christmas Truce ~ Do not hide your talents

I was reminded last night of the instruction given to us in Matthew 5:16:

"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven."

We should not hide our lights under bushels, rather we should open our mouths, not hiding the talent given to us by Heavenly Father (Doctrine & Covenants 60:2).

Last night, I attended the first rehearsal for Liverpool Stake's performance of The Christmas Truce. Almost 100 years ago to the day, the troops involved in the 'Great War' took part in a series of unofficial ceasefires. Each stake across the United Kingdom is putting on a concert to commemorate the Christmas Truce and to commemorate those who fought in the First and Second World Wars.

The event will be free of charge and we are inviting as many people as would like to come. If you're interested in coming to see the performance at Liverpool, our performance will be at the Liverpool Stake Centre on Saturday, 6th December, 7.30pm. If you can't attend the performance on 6th December in Liverpool, then you can find a list of locations and times here.

The performance is really going to be top notch and I wholeheartedly recommend attending the performance in your local stake. You can see the trailer for the performance below:



The Christmas Truce 2014 - The Trailer from christmastruce2014 on Vimeo.

So, if you are looking for a wholesome, family activity and an evening out, then make sure to support your local stake and attend the Christmas Truce - it's going to be a night to remember!

If you would like to get involved, then contact your local stake or click here for more information.  

Liverpool Stake Conference ~ 26th October 2014 ~ Families Can Be Together Forever

On Sunday, I was lucky enough to attend my first Stake Conference. I was even fortunate enough to sing in the dedicated Sisters' Choir. I felt so inspired throughout the meeting; there was a strong focus on Family History, Temple Work and Indexing, which are three activities about which I'm quickly becoming very passionate!

I'm hoping to be able to take part in Liverpool Stake's Temple Week in November and to go to the Temple for the first time. I'm quite excited. I visited the Temple Grounds with Sister Haskins and Sister Nemec at the beginning of August before I was baptised and, as you can see from the photographs, the grounds are very beautiful. However, I've never actually entered the Temple before. I'm very fortunate that I only live a short distance from the Temple, so I should be able to visit often once I receive my Temple Recommend.

Temple: Preston, England

Sister Haskins (left) and Sister Nemec (right) at the Temple in Preston, England

Our Stake President, President Steven Marshall, set us a few challenges at Conference. He has asked for us to all register on Family Search as Indexers and for each of us to index at least one batch of records. You do not have to be a Church Member to register as an Indexer. Indexing is simply the process of entering information from historical records into an online searchable database. It makes the process of Family History that much more straightforward. You can learn more about Indexing by clicking on this link. Liverpool Stake has pledged to index 1000,000 names in 2014, so we need to give a big push in the last two months of the year (where has this year gone?)!

President Marshall also challenged us to work on our Family Histories and to find one more name in our family tree. As I have only just started to delve into doing Family History, I'm hoping that I can find several new names and get their records. I'm so grateful that I can use the Family Search website. Again, you don't have to be a Church Member to register (for free) and to access genealogical records. The family is the most important unit in time and eternity. We are all spirit children of Heavenly Father and He organised us into families. Families are central to the Creator's plan for the eternal destiny of His children. This is why there is so much focus on the family within the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. 

I would like to accept President Marshall's challenges to index more batches of records so that more people can link up their family members and I will accept the challenge to find out more about my family tree and find a new name which I can take to the Temple. 

I'm so grateful to Heavenly Father for the inspired words for our Ward, Stake, Temple and Church leaders and I am so grateful to Heavenly Father for welcoming me back into His eternal family.

Blame It On The Weatherman... A Lesson About Being Prepared

This week's weather has been wet. Wet and miserable. We're not talking usual United Kingdom wet weather, here. We are talking, really wet and windy, thanks to the tail end of Hurricane Gonzalez. 

Source: BBC Weather, 22nd October 2014

Of course, in the United Kingdom, we are used to it being a bit wet and wild out there, but this has been something new and yesterday, the weather was so bad, I couldn't bring myself to leave the warmth and safety of my home. DISCLAIMER: I'm fending off some sort of flu-like lurgy and the thought of being blown down the street was a little less than appealing. I thank Heavenly Father that I'm not a missionary out tracting in this weather! Let's spend a little moment to pray for them, shall we? Keep safe, elders and sisters!

Source: Telegraph Online, 21st October 2014

My lack of enthusiasm for the weather yesterday has left me with a quandary today: I must leave the house today in order to get in the shopping, otherwise we are going to run out of supplies rapidly. This exact situation is why the Church teaches Members to prepare every  needful thing. Never mind zombie apocalypses, bog-standard poor weather, sickness or even a dud car can mean that you are quickly stranded and supply-less in a short amount of time. Now, I understand, why the Church is so keen to have us prepared. As Benjamin Franklin keenly pointed out: "By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail". 

So, what does a new Church member do to 'be prepared'? 

LDS.org has some great advice about Emergency Preparedness as well as a Stake and Ward Emergency Planning Guide. Make sure that you and your loved ones are familiar with both of these.

Church members are counselled to become self-reliant. That means that if anything does go wrong, (and things so often do), there will be minimum stress and anxiety! 

Let's not sit on our laurels any longer, let's make sure that we are prepared! I will be posting updates about things my family is doing to help become more prepared and I hope that these updates will help anyone out there, who (like me) is feeling a little overwhelmed! Let's build our castles to be safe and prepared ones. 

In 2005, President Gordon B Hinckley gave us excellent counsel about being prepared in the Priesthood Session of General Conference October 2005. Let us heed this counsel and begin making preparations for our own families and personal situations.

Sister Peartree - That Conversion Story

Today, my second baptising missionary, Sister Kimmy Haskins, leaves for home in California. I feel as though I am losing a long-lost sister and I pray with all my heart that we will keep in touch! It felt like my heart was breaking when my first baptising missionary, Sister Nemec left for home a few weeks ago! These girls are awesome!

Sister Kimmy Haskins & Sister Clara Nemec at Preston Temple, England, 6th August 2014

I met Sister Haskins back in June, when I walked into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints; my heart weighed down with questions and doubts about what I needed to do: get baptised.

Let's start at the beginning, shall we?

I have been learning about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for about 10 years. The first time I met the missionaries was back in 2004, when I was on my way home from University in Liverpool. At the time, I lived in Widnes and I commuted each day between Widnes and Liverpool on the train. So did the two elders that lived around the corner from me. One day on my way home, they stopped me and opened the conversation with:

“Would you like to spend eternity with your family?”

I don’t think they were expecting my reaction.

Laughing, I replied “Are you kidding me?! If you had met my family, you would know why the idea of spending eternity with them is not a great selling point.”

Cue awkward silence.

Just to be clear – I love my family, greatly, I do, but we are potentially a little more dysfunctional than most families and back in 2004, we were all in the situation where 30 minutes in each others’ company was probably a bit too much.

I chatted with the missionaries for a little while. I was really too proud to listen to the missionaries' message of the gospel. I thought I knew it all, so my ears were tuned out, but there was one thing that really struck me:

These two young men were so convinced that had found the truth, they had both uprooted their lives to travel halfway across the world, to walk around in the rain in Widnes so that they could share the gospel of Jesus Christ with me. I thought they were crazy and yet I was also struck by the strength of their belief and their desire to help others. The elders had put their own lives on hold for two years so that they could save others'. There was a glint in their eyes that showed how happy they were. True happiness. It was these two elders that piqued my interest in the Church; it was these two elders who opened that door for me, just a little bit, so that I could examine my thoughts and beliefs more deeply. I wanted something in my life that I was so sure of. I just didn’t believe that it was God I was missing.

Over the intervening decade, I was taught by several companions. I went to Church, too.

I refused to get baptised though. I was very clear on something: there was no way I was getting baptised. I didn’t believe that the Church was true, so I didn't see why I needed to be baptised again, when I had been christened as a baby,  yet I was completely and utterly taken with the story of Joseph Smith.

Joseph was a seeker. I was seeking something. I felt a strong affinity with his story. He had a deep connection with Heavenly Father and I should have been more aware that it didn't matter what I did, or how much I resisted baptism into the Church. I played Devil’s Advocate with each of the missionaries who visited me over the years, but no matter how much I pushed back, I could not deny that I was utterly fascinated with the story of Joseph Smith and I just kept coming back for more.

I was like the Mormon Sympathiser Boomerang. I just kept coming back, no matter what!

Looking back now, I can see that I wanted to feel the blessed and happy state of the first elders I met and every other LDS member I’d been subsequently blessed to meet.

Let's fast forward to June 2014...

There were no missionaries. I was no longer reading the Book of Mormon, nor was I praying to Father in Heaven for confirmation of the book’s validity.

I was just washing up.  (This in itself is quite the miracle, but I digress).

I found myself, yet again, pondering Joseph Smith’s life.

There was something bugging me – lurking in the recesses of my mind… what was it?

Suddenly, everything was clear:

Joseph Smith prayed to know if the Church was true. He saw a pillar of light and had a quick chat with God and His Son, Jesus. I could accept that, no problem.

Later, in Missouri, the man is pulled out of bed by a band of non-believers who want the Mormons out of their state.

His wife and his children are dragged outside, muskets rammed into their faces. 

Can you imagine how utterly terrifying that would be? 

What would you do in that situation? 

Would your first thought not be to protect your family?

Joseph was trussed up and hot tar was poured over him by these men.

If you were a liar, do you not think that this would be the moment that you said: "Hey there boys, maybe we can talk about this…perhaps there's been a mistake..."

Joseph Smith did not. 

Joseph Smith was clear. 

He could not deny the truth. Even if it meant that his life, the life of his family, the lives of each of the early Church  members were put in mortal danger.

Joseph Smith was telling the truth.

It hit me like a tonne of bricks.

If the First Vision was true, and Joseph Smith was telling the truth then it followed that the rest of the story was true. The Book of Mormon must be true. Joseph Smith was a prophet of God. 

It was a bit of a face-palm moment for me, really.

I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t know I felt - I think I felt somewhat defeated, to be honest. I’d invested so much energy into trying to deny the validity of Jesus’ Atonement and of Joseph Smith’s story, I was somewhat disappointed when I realised the truth of the matter; so I did the only thing that I could do:

I went to Church

and that is where I met the lovely Sister Kimmy Haskins.

I asked her and her companion (originally Sister Fitia, then Sister Hesketh, then Sister Clara Nemec, followed by Sister Pongi) to come and teach me so that I could be baptised. I could no longer deny the truth;

The gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored to the earth. Joseph Smith restored the Priesthood Authority. 

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the one true Church.

So, to all the missionaries across the world, I'd like you to know that what you are doing is amazing. You are doing such a wonderful and divine service. Please know that even when it seems you’re getting nowhere, know that you are making a difference for the better in every person’s life. Have patience. That person might not be able to accept the truth when you speak to them that first time, but keep spreading the truth; keep planting those mustard seeds and know that they will grow.

To any non-members reading this – think about it – ponder on what you have been taught. Remember Joseph Smith and honestly ask yourself, what would you have done in that situation? Follow Moroni’s advice and “ask God the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true: and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.”

Baptism Day! From L to R: Sis. Kimmy Haskins, Me, Sis. Clara Nemec, Caroline Hepburn 29th August 2014