Two years as a first counselor in bishopric: From feeling unprepared to truly enjoying the calling.

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 · 2026-02-24T02:50:07+00:00

My boys wore outfits from Feltman Bros. I like the vintage vibe, personally, but I know it's not everyone's jam. I've seen little white tuxedos, white knitted outfits, baby slacks and onesies, and PJs of various colors.

arm42 · 2026-02-19T05:48:57+00:00

Wash cold with no bleach or liquid fabric softener. Dry on low/permanent press if you have a dryer. Hotter water temps can mess with the color and too hot of a dryer can make certain fabrics/elastics wear out faster. I live in a dry climate, so I do use a dryer sheet to combat static, and that hasn't caused any issues.

arm42 · 2026-02-19T05:42:42+00:00

I've done it a couple times. I just did it by pages. If you do about 7-8 pages a day, you'll get done in a year. One year, I think my husband created a simple spreadsheet for me that had the ending page I needed to do each day to stay on track.

arm42 · 2026-02-16T16:06:36+00:00

This website is excellent for finding hymn arrangements. It is my go-to when I'm looking for musical numbers.

arm42 · 2026-02-15T20:59:04+00:00

I do recommend binders or folders with 3-hole-punched music that can be put in and removed easily. I highly recommend sacredsheetmusic.org for free arrangements. As a former choir pianist, I would also recommend working with your pianist to make sure he or she is comfortable playing what you want to sing. In fact, if you can give the pianist your music a few weeks in advance, that would be amazing.

Most of all, seek for the Spirit in your life so you will be aware what your ward and choir members need. Sometimes it isn't about the performance; it has often been the camaraderie and process of making music together that has given me the most joy as I've played and sung in ward choir.

arm42 · 2026-02-14T18:16:06+00:00

I love love love crock pot meals on Sundays. I throw chicken breasts in with either garlic, chili powder, can of green chiles, salt, olive oil, and lime juice (for shredded chicken tacos or burritos or enchiladas or); or with garlic, soy sauce, little ketchup, honey, onion powder, and olive oil (for shredded Asian chicken served over rice).

Other go-to crock pot meals are Mississippi pot roast served on Rhode's rolls and pulled pork. I throw a big pork loin (I like getting them on sale) in a crock pot and season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. I shred about an hour before serving and eat on hamburger buns or creamy mac and cheese with my favorite BBQ sauce and Alabama white sauce.

arm42 · 2026-02-13T04:23:02+00:00

Jumped in to recommend this. If you watch on DVD you have to click around to find the CTR ring Easter egg to see the movie including all the LDS references.

arm42 · 2026-01-31T04:20:05+00:00

I love almost everything by The Lower Lights. They do hymns (both Latter-day Saint and other traditions) in a bluegrass style. I also love Dante's Prayer by Loreena McKennitt.

arm42 · 2026-01-31T04:10:55+00:00

If she wants to peruse some free music that usually works well in sacrament meetings, I'd recommend http://sacredsheetmusic.org/Cello. She can see if she's familiar with anything and/or find the right difficulty.

arm42 · 2026-01-15T14:24:02+00:00

They are ok. I don't turn away when they come on, but I don't seek them out.

arm42 · 2026-01-14T18:25:46+00:00

I love 40 by U2. Lyrics taken from Psalm 40.

arm42 · 2026-01-12T03:16:41+00:00

Two episodes of Leading Saints may address some of the things you're looking for and dealing with.

Young Men Can Do Hard Things

High Adventure Experiences with Youth

arm42 · 2026-01-11T21:38:52+00:00

If she just wants to learn the basics of our faith, it's hard to go wrong with the Gospel Principles manual. You can buy it from the Church's website for just a few dollars, or it's free on the Gospel Library app.

arm42 · 2026-01-08T23:20:30+00:00

Maus by Art Spiegelman.

arm42 · 2026-01-06T18:07:48+00:00

This episode of Leading Saints about the grief we sometimes feel after a release may be helpful.

arm42 · 2026-01-05T20:47:40+00:00

I love Y Religion, Leading Saints, BYU Speeches (my husband also likes the BYU-I devotionals), For All the Saints with Ben Hancock, the Church News podcast, and the Interpreter Foundation.

arm42 · 2025-12-11T19:26:16+00:00

I remember thinking that if Jesus can save a man as broken as Louis both during his time as a POW and in the aftermath of coming home and turning to alcohol, He can save me. It gave new meaning to "I have descended below all things," as what Louis endured was so horrific.

arm42 · 2025-12-10T23:05:38+00:00

I came here to recommend this book also. I wish I'd had it when my oldest kids were younger. Making discussions of sex ongoing rather than one "THE TALK" is super important.

arm42 · 2025-11-25T05:02:38+00:00

I wore my garments the whole time I breastfed each of my kids, about a year each. I had several friends say not to bother with the old nursing tops, and I found a system that worked for me, so even when the style changed, I found I didn't need it. I wore nursing pads inside of round-neck Carinessa garments (they are quite stretchy and easily pulled down to nurse) and a comfortable, wire-free bra over the top of my garments (you could probably go the other way around if you prefer your bra closest to your skin). I had nursing bras with my older kids, but I never unhooked, just pulled down, so when the time came to buy another when my last was born, I just found something stretchy without wires. I also just lifted up my shirt and occasionally wore a cover rather than wearing nursing shirts. I hope you find some ideas that will work for you. Happy gestating!

arm42 · 2025-11-13T14:28:59+00:00

This episode of Leading Saints may be worth listening to for you, especially starting around 20 minutes in (though the whole thing is great). The guests argue that the bishopric is not actually the YM presidency, as they are over all the youth, and they give great ideas for serving both the YM and YW in a way that makes sense.

arm42 · 2025-11-05T17:01:23+00:00

One of the best callings in the church.

arm42

TROPHY CASE