NateHowe

One more that's been working for me lately - scripture mastery basketball. We use slap cards with a rhyme on one side and the scripture reference on the other. I use two decks, and lay out the cards along the side wall of the gym. I sit in the middle at a table. I shout out a rhyme, and team A has to find the right scripture reference and bring me the card. Meanwhile, team B is shooting from the free throw line. Team B gets points for every basket, so there's an incentive for team A to memorize the scriptures so they can bring me the cards fast. Then they switch.

Spiritual growth is well indicated by a change in our nature (often gradual) in which our desire and propensity toward sin diminishes and our sensitivity to the Holy Ghost increases. It comes through the exercise of faith.

I know you said NOT LDS.org, but you might not have found these resources there: Seminary Institute of Religion Courses I find the institute manuals extremely helpful in studying the scriptures.

I'm sure the Church as an organization will not condemn nor condone your pacifism. If you were to be drafted, the Church would not allow you to use it as an excuse not to serve -- many LDS men have served in the military, both as volunteers and through the draft. I think it comes down to your relationship with God. Like Nephi, we may desire peace and still be called upon by the Spirit to do something we desperately want to avoid. However, the world could benefit from more peaceable followers of Christ, and hopefully you and I fit into that category.

From For the Strength of Youth: Source: http://lds.org/youthresources/pdf/ForStrengYouth36550.pdf This seems to draw a pretty clear line about what types of video games are appropriate and which are not. If it glorifies violence or immorality, or makes them seem acceptable, it will drive away the Spirit. Avoid it.

I think the title alone will kill it on Broadway. What makes them think they can charge Broadway prices for people to come and see "The Book of Mormon" in a posh theatre when we often have a hard time giving away the real thing for free?

This seems to be another example of people taking the words of the scriptures out of context to serve their own agendas. Of course, God and His prophets like peace, but that does not mean that there is no appropriate time to fight for the right.

I'm teaching early-morning Seminary for the second year in a row, and I'm always looking for new games or activities to help with scripture mastery. I'll share one and hope you reply with your favorites, too. Scripture Mastery Basketball Put a mixing bowl in the middle of the floor (not against the wall - that makes a good backboard). Make a line on the other side of the room with tape. Divide the class into two teams, and have each team crumple several sheets of scrap paper into balls. The teacher uses the scripture mastery cards, and the students use their scriptures. When it's Team A's turn, the teacher reads something from the back of the card (Historical Setting, Missionary Application, etc.), and Team A tries to find the correct scripture and read the full text of that scripture aloud. Meanwhile, Team B has one member shooting baskets from behind the line. They try to get as many balls in the bowl as possible before Team A finishes the scripture. They get 1 point for each ball in the bowl. Then the teams switch roles.

Good to meet you, OES. I'd love to hear some of your music.

Thanks, Pam!

It's been a few years since I used LDS.net, so I suppose I should re-introduce myself. I'm an LDS teacher, performer, composer, writer, husband of 1, dad of 2 in Colorado. You can learn more about me on Twitter (@NateHowe) or through my music (see my signature). I am glad to be a member of the Church, and I know that its teachings are true.

Does one obscure quotation of personal opinion from a Church leader make it the doctrine of the Church? No. President Lee never said that that particular opinion came by revelation, and it was certainly not an item of instruction to the whole Church.

Thank you for your service. What can we do as Church members to support Latter-day Saints deployed overseas?

Carol, The difficulty in defining every doctrinal reference in the Church is that all the words of the Prophets and Apostles, when they are speaking in those roles, are binding as the will of the Lord. Thus, every General Conference, more is added. The scriptures of the Church are the Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price. More may be added from time to time as new revelations are brought forth. Thus, the catechism of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints would be incomplete within months after it is published. Additionally, there are ordinances which are not given to the world, but which are found in the Temple. These could not be included, but they are a part of the doctrine of the Church. If you want to search the teachings of Church leaders, my suggestion is http://lds.org/search

It is our nature to want reasons. In this subject, reasons do not always come. We do know that congenital disabilities are not given as punishments for the parent or the child (Christ dealt with the topic in speaking of a blind child), but sometimes there are no other discernible reasons besides "God is in control." I believe that we can do more good by asking what we can do to benefit the handicapped than by asking why they are in that state.

I don't anticipate getting a Kindle any time soon. For one thing, if I find a paper book that I really enjoy, I can lend it to others when I'm done. With e-books, you have to pay to download it on each separate machine. Or perhaps I'm just whining to cover up my secret desire to destroy the forests through publishing. But I'm pretty sure the Kindle really would be an inconvenience for me.

I blog about Church and Music topics in my personal blogging, and I have my "Why am I a Mormon?" podcast, which I would almost define as audio blogging more than podcasting.

When we agree to live the Word of Wisdom, we agree to abstain from coffee, tea, alcohol, tobacco, and harmful drugs. Period. I can see eating some foods cooked with alcohol in a situation where the heat causes the alcohol to burn or evaporate - this would not qualify as consumption of alcohol if the alcohol is gone. However, I cannot see how eating ground coffee beans in a cake would be chemically different from drinking coffee. It is a change in delivery method only.

We had somebody in my ward who could not have gluten, and the Priests placed a sacrament cup with a piece of plain popcorn on the tray. It met her needs and required no special supplies.

Congratulations! Perfection on the first try means far less than humility and a commitment to represent the Lord.

If we had remained on the fence, we would not have come here. The sides in that war in Heaven became so far apart, so completely opposite, that we had to consciously choose one or the other. So it may soon become in our society.

I don't drink caffeine, but it is not against the word of wisdom. Excessive caffeine consumption, however, is contrary to the spirit of wisdom, if not the word.

Perhaps, despite all of the overanalysis to the contrary, he was simply trying to explain how he did what he did in those situations. Some brief passages in Nephi's writing are just clear, descriptive phrases which serve as connective tissue in a painfully short synopsis of an eventful span of time.

As a teacher, I can honestly say that IQ as a number has very little to do with my students' success in school. I would extrapolate that the same will continue to be true for them in the "real world." What does affect their success? Home life. My students whose parents take an active, positive interest in them are doing well. My students (even smart ones) whose parents are angry, indifferent, or too busy are constantly struggling. The number one thing I can recommend to make kids smart is to read with them. This shouldn't stop when they can read on their own. To hear you read fluently is an important modeling activity for their minds. If they can see the book and follow your words, the power will increase. I have a couple of other hints. First, make a household rule to turn off TV, video games, computers, iPods, etc. at a certain time well before bed. Consuming powerful media requires a lot of brain function. If you want your kids to remember their spelling words or their math facts or whatever it is, turn off these powerful media sources at a prescribed time in the evening. Give their minds a bit of rest time. Then, right before bed, help them review whatever is most important to remember for the following day. This review should take only about 5 minutes. Perhaps do it after they brush their teeth and before family prayers. This review will bring to mind the academic activities of the day, and the brain will process those things more effectively overnight. Remember, sleep is designed for our brains to organize, categorize, and process every stimulus from the day. By reviewing important information right before bed, you show the brain what is truly important to remember in the long term. By the way, 8 hours or more of sleep will really help academically. My other advice is that you need to teach your child how to learn effectively. Effective learning has very little to do with IQ - it is about defining processes that will help you to remember. The simplest way to begin is to show your child how to add sensory cues to learning. Perhaps something is being presented in a visual way - on an overhead or in a book. Your child may not be able to recall visually presented information very easily. But if she learns to make rhymes or use hand signals or take notes in a particular way that will help her remember, the information is no longer purely visual. The more senses (seeing, hearing, touching, tasting, smelling) she can incorporate in her own learning, the better she will learn and the smarter she will be. This alludes to the great key in the process - the student must understand that she is responsible for her own learning. Teachers and parents can help, and she should actively ask them questions, but it is her responsibility to make sure she understands what is being taught. If she does not understand, she needs to ask somebody or look it up. The answers don't just appear; they must be found. As soon as I learned that, I became a much more effective learner in all other aspects.

I like to put my flour in the freezer for a few days to kill whatever bugs might be hanging around in there. Then I keep a reasonable amount in a bin for quick use and seal the rest in whatever is at hand. I haven't done the dry-pack canning, but I have stored wheat and flour in large bins and buckets that seal airtight.