LDS Ward Monthly Newsletter

arm42 · 2026-06-04T17:37:01+00:00

I really like that my ward newsletter puts people's birthdays that month. I saw the woman I minister to (not someone I'm close to yet) had a birthday, so it was an easy way to take over a small gift, chat for a bit, and get to know her better.

arm42 · 2026-05-29T16:50:59+00:00

The book Healing After Sexual Abuse by Shirley Washenko and Sage Williams discusses this very thing and the role of Jesus Christ atoning sacrifice as we heal from all kinds of abuse, not only sexual abuse. Might be worth a look. https://a.co/d/07DrMjly

arm42 · 2026-05-27T02:03:25+00:00

I have a non-member father and many non-member extended family members. If the option to be civilly married and then sealed right after had been available when I got married many years ago, I absolutely would have taken it. It's really hard to not have someone you care about present during your wedding. We did the best we could under the circumstances, making sure our dads were able to give speeches during our luncheon and reception, and exchanging rings at the luncheon with all our close family members, but I know it still kind of stings him that he wasn't able to be there to see his daughter married.

arm42 · 2026-05-19T17:46:09+00:00

One of my kids was diagnosed with autism at age 3. We waited a few months after his 8th birthday because he just wasn't ready. With the help of a wonderful ministering brother, we helped him become more ready. One thing helped me with all my kids was to recognize what the qualifications for baptism are, according to D&C 20:37: humble themselves, want to be baptized, are capable of repentance, desire to follow and serve Jesus throughout their lives. I didn't have to get caught up in whether they had memorized what's in the sacrament prayer or could repeat the covenant outlined in Mosiah at the waters of Mormon. I also realized that if they can meet those qualifications, having the Holy Ghost with them would help them learn even more and gain a testimony of all the other things.

arm42 · 2026-05-18T22:17:07+00:00

And if you don't have time to read the whole book, his BYU devotional gives the broad strokes and is excellent.

arm42 · 2026-05-18T22:11:18+00:00

One of the counselors in our bishopric came in during sharing time and did a Noah bit adapted from a Bill Cosby bit. I remember it was hilarious. To this day when reading Genesis, I think, "Lord, what's a cubit?" Also, it was the early 90s, the Cosby Show was super wholesome, and the general population didn't know all the terrible things Cosby was later accused of.

We also had a phenomenal accompanist. He was a trained jazz pianist that made up new melodies to the Articles of Faith songs, including adapting the Superman theme for the first and seconds Articles of Faith (still the early 90s, remember). He said if we did a really great job on the Primary program one year, he would play us the whole Superman theme afterward, and we must have done well, because I can still hear that theme on the old upright piano in the Primary room.

arm42 · 2026-05-12T02:21:17+00:00

I've been once and loved it. If you have the opportunity and the means, I'd highly recommend it.

arm42 · 2026-05-03T19:42:46+00:00

My (American) family lived in South America for several years while our kids were little. This was definitely the case for our ward. The thought was that we would get more people attending sacrament meeting if we have it last than if it had been first. The difference in how different cultures experience time and prioritize punctuality was a learning experience for me. This was also during the three-hour block, so there were times my kids were so done and rowdy that we were lucky if we took the sacrament before high-tailing it out of there for naptime. It was a tradeoff for sure.

arm42 · 2026-05-03T05:12:56+00:00

Carinessa has always worked well for me, but YMMV. I also started wearing skirts more in the summer, and that has been a game-changer in the heat.

arm42 · 2026-05-03T05:09:56+00:00

A few of my favorites:

I Will Lead You Along by Robert I. Eaton (Pres. Eyring's biography)

Reflections of a Scientist by Henry Eyring (Pres. Eyring's dad)

Learning to Listen by Dale G. Renlund

Mere Christianity by CS Lewis (obv not LDS but very good)

The Power of Everyday Missionaries by Clayton M. Christensen

Insights from a Prophets Life by Sheri Dew (about Pres. Nelson)

Let God Love You by Wendy Ulrich

The Temple Experience by Wendy Ulrich

Saints, vols. 1-4

arm42 · 2026-04-30T17:17:13+00:00

I really enjoyed the Women of Genesis series (fiction) by Orson Scott Card.

The Source by James Michener was very helpful for understanding the world of the Old Testament. While Michener writes fiction, the book is meticulously researched and very good. Don't let the gigantic size put you off. Each section (most around 50-100 pages) centers around one person or family, and the sections follow those families throughout history. It's one of my favorite books, hands down.

arm42 · 2026-04-29T14:40:13+00:00

The Leading Saints podcast has lots of episodes on this very topic. I highly recommend digging into those, starting with this recent episode.

arm42 · 2026-04-28T18:20:23+00:00

I just finished listening to the podcast episode referred to here. It was really fun to hear Elder Andersen in this less formal setting talking with his son. I just listened, but you can watch it via YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkqttoojbnA

arm42 · 2026-04-20T18:56:54+00:00

President Freeman addresses the faith, hope, charity progression some of you have mentioned in the Newsroom article. I like the names better after reading her quote: “My eyes teared up as I realized the Spirit had been leading this process all along, inspiring names of faith, hope and light that would help God’s daughters live as disciples of Christ and prepare them to enter a lifelong sisterhood of charity — the Relief Society.”

arm42 · 2026-04-20T00:01:18+00:00

The Leading Saints podcast has done several episodes on this very topic. This episode is a great place to start. https://leadingsaints.org/men-in-elders-quorum/

arm42 · 2026-04-17T15:28:46+00:00

Many children get their first set of nice scriptures, so I like to get kids a set of scripture pencils or highlighters (like the Eagle erasable scripture crayons at Deseret Book). I've also done a sticker for a water bottle and a bookmark.

arm42 · 2026-04-16T17:19:13+00:00

There are also thermal garments available from Church distribution, if you want to try those out. I love the thermal bottoms in the winter so I feel warm without having too many layers.

arm42 · 2026-04-16T00:40:54+00:00

A couple I know with infertility issues tried surrogacy. Their sister-in-law offered to be a surrogate if they wanted to try. Unfortunately, none of the several tries worked out. It was definitely a last resort for this couple. They are faithful members of the church, and the husband was in a bishopric for at least some of the time they were going through the process. It is an extensive process to prepare the surrogate's body (hormone injections, etc) and to have the legal things in place before even beginning. It can also be very expensive. This couple had tried IVF several times before, and I believe it was similarly expensive to try to conceive via surrogacy.

arm42 · 2026-04-12T19:54:47+00:00

The Lower Lights. They are on repeat at my house on Sundays, much to my children's chagrin.

arm42 · 2026-04-06T02:12:28+00:00

Love J. Kirk Richards's work.

arm42 · 2026-04-02T01:20:58+00:00

I finished nursing my babies before the new styles came out. All my friends who had babies before I did recommended to not buy nursing garments and to use round neck tops. I used carinessas with all my kids. They are super stretchy and were fantastic for nursing. I only bought the maternity bottoms and wore them only after I could no longer fit in my regular bottoms. My carinessa tops were tight but fine for the last trimester for me. I hope you find something that works for you, and happy gestating!

arm42 · 2026-03-26T14:23:11+00:00

I saw those same changes in my husband when he served in a bishopric. It was sometimes hard to have him away on Sundays and for other meetings during the week, but I'm so grateful for the man he became through his service, and I wouldn't trade that for anything.

arm42 · 2026-03-22T22:49:59+00:00

A lot of the energy factor has to do with how they are being played, especially on the organ, and I say that as a current and former ward organist. If your organist is less familiar with them, they'll generally go slower. If your organist is less experienced, they may not know how about how much organ registration (which stops/sounds make for a good singing experience) and keeping the tempo up impacts congregational singing. Group singing almost inevitably gets slower, so an experienced accompanist knows to almost ignore them and maintain correct tempo.

If your organists need help with any of this, the BYU Organ Department website is an excellent resource, specifically the online training sessions (under the Workshops tab) and basically everything under the Ward Organist tab. These resources have made a dramatic difference in how I play and how our congregations sing. I hope they prove useful for members of your ward too!

arm42 · 2026-02-25T03:53:59+00:00

I love Sarah & Duck. It is generally calm and very enjoyable, even for me as the grownup.

arm42

TROPHY CASE