SMITHFIELD — After dinner, three baths, four bedtime stories and a half-a-dozen goodnight kisses for 2-year-old twins Brock and Isaac and 6-year-old Ellie, Erin and Brian Thompson finally sink into the couch with weary smiles.

Being parents is just what they always wanted. And they love it.

“Of course we have our crazy moments,” Thompson says, “but for the most part we just try to find the good things in the day and remember that they’re only going to be little for so long.”

As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Thompsons believe that maintaining a strong marriage and raising and teaching children are essential keys to happiness and their most important responsibilities on earth.

In fact, 81 percent of Mormons say being a good parent is “one of the most important things in life,” according to a new survey by the Pew Research Center‘s Forum on Religion & Public Life — the first survey of Mormons about Mormons, by a non-LDS research organization.

The survey of more than 1,000 self-identified Latter-day Saints from across the country asked how accepted Mormons feel in American culture, as well as their thoughts on religious practices, political issues and family roles.

The survey showed that Mormons are more likely to be married than the general population, 67 percent of the sample size compared to 52 percent of the general public.

And 85 percent of married Mormons married other Mormons. Protestants marry other Protestants 81 percent of the time and Catholics marry each other 78 percent of the time.

With an emphasis on marriage, it should come as no surprise that the Mormons surveyed also had, on average, more children (2.6) than the general U.S. population (1.8).

Thompson grew up wanting to have a large family and be a good mother, but she and her husband have struggled with infertility for nearly nine years — a trial punctuated by the joys of two different adoptions, Ellie, then the twins.

“We said when we finally get to be parents, we’re going to actually sit down and take a little more time to focus on our kids,” Thompson said, who lives in northern Utah. “I’m not saying that other people don’t do that — the perspective we have is just a little different.”

Other Latter-day Saints share the Thompson’s enthusiasm to put family first.

“Family is at the core of our faith,” says Jane Clayson Johnson, a Latter-day Saint and former anchor of CBS’s “The Early Show” who prefers the title of mom to two young children and stepmom to three older ones. “There are so many distractions today that all force us outward, away from core relationships. What our faith does is turn us back toward deep, rich, meaningful relationships in families.”

“It teaches us that families are where we find meaning,” continued Clayson from her home in Boston. “The work I do in my family is the most important work that I’ll ever do.”

Among the general public, 50 percent list being a good parent as “one of the most important things in life,” with 44 percent listing it as “very important but not most important.”

That shouldn’t be taken to mean that the average American doesn’t value marriage or family, just that they don’t “go to church every week and get told that’s what they’re supposed to do,” says Marie Cornwall, a professor of sociology at Brigham Young University. Cornwall advised the Pew Center for this survey.

“There’s nothing to suggest that family life is less valued in the United States over time,” she said, “but there’s more that suggests that people are feeling like it’s not possible for them to attain that.”

The pressure comes when a “successful” marriage is defined as having a good job, a hefty retirement account and a lovely home with a white picket fence, Cornwall said. So when people can’t achieve that in today’s tough economy, many feel like they’ve failed.

“For Mormons, there’s a spiritual aspect brought to that (definition of success),” she said, “an effort, in terms of sermons, to try and downplay the material and place more emphasis on the relationships.”

When the survey asked Mormons about working arrangements in families, nearly six out of 10 Mormons indicated they would prefer a marriage where the man works and the woman stays home to care for the home and the children.

LDS college graduates liked this marital structure more than any other subgroup, with 71 percent of them preferring the man to work and the woman to stay home.

In the general population, only 30 percent of Americans would prefer a marriage where the husband works and the wife stays home. Among religiously unaffiliated Americans, it drops to 15 percent who would pick such a scenario.

Almost four-in-10 Mormons would prefer that both parents work and both parents help with child rearing and housework.

For American Fork mom Ruth Ann Dupaix, 37, it’s not a black-or-white decision. Throughout her marriage she has both worked and stayed at home.

“The way we look at it, we try to make it a partnership,” Dupaix says. “It’s more who’s able at the time to do it best. It’s working together, a give and take.”

When she and her husband, Geoff, were first married, her job helped pay for his school. When he finished, she kept working because her employer would pay for her to complete her degree, and education was important to both of them.

Dupaix stopped working when her sixth child was born but has recently gone back to work at a local grocery store three nights a week to help fulfill a family goal to reduce their debt load.

It’s a big pay cut from the job she used to have at a bank, but it’s a more family friendly schedule.

“As part of a family you make sacrifices,” she said. “I’m gone when the kids are asleep, but I’m still here during the day when they need me.”

Additional Resources:

For original source Deseret News article: Mormon family marriage focus Pew.

Mormons in America Pew Study.

Eight months after the earthquake and tsunami hit in Japan, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (inadvertently called by friends of other faiths, the “Mormon Church“) contributed donations to the fishermen of Kuji and the small village of Noda Mura in Japan.

The fisherman in those cities were devastated when the tsunami destroyed almost all of their equipment. The Church donated “three trucks, 4,500 nets, 3,000 octopus cages and various other fishing supplies to the local fishermen’s cooperative” to the city of Kuji, and “trucks with refrigeration equipment and fish tanks, a fork lift, a large-volume digital scale and 70 large containers for hauling the day’s catch” in Noda Mura. In Kuji, the head of the fisherman’s co-op, Kenichiro Saikachi, thanked the Church saying, “For us who received the shock of this great disaster, the donation today from your church is a reassuring act of kindness.” This is a part of the ongoing effort of the Church in contributing to the welfare of those affected by the disaster in Japan. “Both the mayor and the head of the co-op were visibly moved by the help they had received from people they were not aware of before the earthquake and tsunami.”

To read the full story, please visit the official Mormon news website of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Learn more about the Church humanitarian aid program.

Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints pitched in to help with recovery efforts after deadly tornadoes hit the South. Members of this church are often referred to as Mormons, but generally prefer the initials LDS as a shortened version of their name, which more accurately describes who they are.

Mormons in Fayetteville, North Raleigh, and Holly Springs  left church services early on Sunday, April 17^th. They raced home, changed out of their Sunday best into work clothes, and set out to find people in need of help. Many wore the yellow vests that identified them as Mormon Helping Hands, a program that began in South America and has caught on world-wide. Some of the work was practical: volunteers dragged trees from yards and cleaned up debris to make the homes navigable while others helped put tarps over damaged roofs to protect the insides of the homes. Some work was in more of a compassionate nature: volunteers helped people whose homes were destroyed to search for mementos and important items that had survived the storms. Missionaries discontinued their proselytizing work to assist in the recovery efforts. Some church members simply went door to door asking if anyone needed help. The services were given regardless of religious affiliation. They found one orchard with more than forty fallen trees , and Mormons worked to cut into smaller pieces and clear away.

There are currently almost 77,000 Mormons in North Carolina in 154 congregations. The first missionary in the state arrived in 1838. Jedediah Grant stayed until 1845 and in that time he organized seven congregations and left behind a membership of about 350 people. In the 1840s, many Mormons left the state due to intense persecution, but in 1875, work began again and new congregations were organized. In 1894, the leaders of the Church began asking members to stay in their home towns instead of moving to Utah and from that time on, church membership began to grow. Unfortunately, in 1906, mobs burnt a church building and forced missionaries out of the area, but they were able to return in the next century and the church has grown rapidly since that time.

Read more about tornado cleanup on LDS.org.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, whose members are often called Mormons, sponsored a Day of Service for Sacramento, California. It was part of a larger statewide-program the Mormons organized. Although sponsored by the Church, community members were invited to participate and many did. About 10,000 volunteers across California and Hawaii volunteered in their communities that day.

Mormons sponsored a Day of Service in Sacramento, California

In Sacramento, 1,200 volunteers showed up to work in three parks. About 1000 of them were Mormons and the others were volunteers who heard about the projects and wanted to help out. Over the course of the day, they planted flower beds, built paths, painted facilities, cleaned up trash, and painted the curbs on a roundabout to mark them non-parking zones. It is believed to be the largest volunteer event ever held in West Sacramento.

Even children helped with the activity. Parents commented that they wanted their children to know they had the power to make their world a better place and to learn to serve the communities where they lived. One teenager looked forward to returning to the park and knowing he had made a difference there.

This was the second year the Mormons had gathered to improve their community, but Days of Service have a long tradition in the Church, as Mormons are encouraged to be an active part of their communities.

Read the full story.

Mormon Author Helps Foster Care Kids

Popular author Richard Paul Evans, who wrote The Christmas Box, Grace: A Novel,  Timepiece, The Letter, and The Five Lessons a Millionaire Taught Me About Life and Wealth, sponsors Christmas Box International.   Richard Paul Evans is a Latter-day Saint.  Christmas Box International is now associated with Operation Kids®.  Operation Kids sponsors the Christmas Box Lifestart Initiative with the motto, “Until every child is OK.”

Operation Kids has been around for a decade.  The organization supports charities that help secure the education, health, safety and well-being of kids.  Examples include the following:

• Improving Safety through The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children’s “Net Smartz” program.
• Improving Health through the life-changing and life-saving medical procedures of Operation Smile and the Children’s Organ Transplant Association.
• Improving Well-Being through Right To Play’s effective programs teaching conflict resolution through sport, in more than 23 countries.
• Improving Education in New Orleans through the Edible Schoolyard project, funding for summer science internships at New Orleans Charter Science and Math High School and programs for intellectually disabled children provided by Best Buddies.

The Christmas Box Initiative focuses on youth who are or who have been in foster care:

“Each year, more than 24,000 youths age out of the foster care system in America . These are teens that were never adopted, nor able to return to the homes from which they were removed due to abuse, neglect and abandonment. Many of these youth leave foster care as young as 18 years old. Without a family or support network, they face almost insurmountable challenges as they try to navigate the difficulties of adulthood, including incarceration, substance abuse, teen pregnancy, mental illness, poverty, homelessness and suicide. With the right resources, however, they have a much higher chance of success. 

“In October 2008, Operation Kids joined with Christmas Box International to help raise money for the Christmas Box Lifestart Initiative.  Each Lifestart kit provides youth aging out of the foster care system with important necessities including dinnerware, cooking utensils, first aid supplies, bedding, a tool kit, towels, information on local resources available to them, and much more.  As of December 31, 2008, more than $50,000 had been raised online for the Lifestart initiative, providing Lifestart kits for nearly 1,000 youth.  The funding also allows the program to grow to several new states in 2009.  Operation Kids will match every donation, dollar-for-dollar, contributed toward the Christmas Box Lifestart kits. (Read More.)

]]> http://mormonchurch.org/185/mormon-author-helps-foster-care-kids/feed 0 http://mormonchurch.org/52/make-a-school-kit-for-a-child-in-need?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=make-a-school-kit-for-a-child-in-need http://mormonchurch.org/52/make-a-school-kit-for-a-child-in-need#comments Sat, 14 Feb 2009 21:03:14 +0000 admin http://mormonchurch.org/?p=52

Place the following items in a durable cloth bag (see photo & instructions)
· 4 unsharpened pencils
· 1 rubber pencil eraser – approximately 1×2 inches
· 1 pair blunt nosed scissors with metal blades
· 1 pencil sharpener
· 1 straight edge ruler – 12 inches, with metric
· Glued or spiral bound notebooks with lined sheets, 8 x 10 ½,
or 8 ½ x 11 inches
Notebooks should total approximately 450 sheets
Do not include more than 6 notebooks
· 1 set assorted colored pencils
at least 12 per set, approximately 7 inches long

Making cloth bags for school kits (more detailed instructions available online)
Bag
· Cut one piece heavy, durable fabric 14×36 inches or two pieces 14×18 inches
· With right sides together, sew side seams and across the bottom, ½ inch seam
· Serge or zig-zag all seams
· Serge or zig-zag around the top opening of the bag
· Turn top hem down 1 ½ “ and sew
Handles
· Cut two handles 24×3 ½ inches (1 inch webbing may be substituted )
· Fold long sides in ½” then fold in half, lengthwise and sew down both long sides
· Attach and reinforce handles 2” from side seam along hem. Repeat on opposite side.
Handles should be able to hang comfortably over a shoulder like a purse, length
about 21” long

· Sew a 3” strip of Velcro on inside of bag between handle straps

These can be dropped off at the LDS Humanitarian Center. Ship or deliver completed items to:
Latter-day Saint Humanitarian Center
1665 South Bennett Road
Salt Lake City, UT 84104
Telephone (801) 240-5954
Hours: 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday
Completed items may also be taken to the nearest Deseret Industries store or bishops’ storehouse. Seal boxes and mark them Latter-day Saint Humanitarian Center-SLC. They will then be shipped to the Latter-day Saint
Humanitarian Center.

Locations of Deseret Industries stores and bishops’ storehouses may be found by calling (801) 240-5954.

In addition to kits, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) distributes other needed items that volunteers may provide. Your donation will represent the Church. Please ensure that quality and
appearance reflect appropriate high standards.

Orphanage Modules
A special module with quilts, various supplies, toys and children’s clothing is distributed to orphanages throughout the world. Instructions for most of the items listed below may be found at www.humanitarianservices.org
All items must be un-used.

· Flat twin sheets (66” x 96”, cotton or flannel fabrics)
· Soft toys, puppets, dolls, wooden toys and blocks
· Fabric activity books and file folder games (See website)
· Sidewalk chalk (up to 24 per package)
· Jump ropes – store bought
· Wall hangings
· Crayons (up to 24 per package)
· Pencil boxes/pouches
· Pic combs
Children’s clothing Guidelines:
· Sizes: Newborn 0- youth 16
· Fabrics: durable and washable
· Use simple patterns. Double-stitch crotch seams, armholes and pockets.
· Please ensure that zippers, buttons, ties and Velcro are firmly secured
· Stretch of the fabric should always go across the body, not up and down
· No prints of religious symbols, flags or military themes
· Clothing items may include:
· Pants – please include pockets
· Sweat pants
· Dresses – casual, simple play-dresses
· Shirts
· Underpants and socks – store bought
· Onesies
· Bibs
· Coats and jackets
· Baby booties
· Mittens and gloves
· Layette gown (see page 2 or website for guidelines)
· Hair items for girls (not for infants)
· Flip-flops
7
Quilts

Many of us  see suffering in our own communities and throughout the world. We want to do something to help, but don’t know what to do.

The Prophet Joseph Smith taught:

A true Latter-day Saint is to feed the hungry, to clothe the naked, to provide for the widow, to dry up the tear of the orphan, to comfort the afflicted, whether in this Church or in any other or in no church at all, wherever he finds them.
(Times and Seasons, 15 Mar. 1842, 732)

The Saints in ancient America–in the prophet Alma’s day–did not send away any who were naked or that were hungry or that were athirst or that were sick…therefore they were liberal to all, both old and young, both bond and free, both male and female, whether out of the church or in the church, having no respect to persons as to those who stood in need (The Book of Mormon, Alma 1:30).

If you desire to serve the needy throughout the world, including those in your own community, you might consider the following practical opportunities:

• Pay a generous fast offering, as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons).
• Give generously to the Church’s Humanitarian Aid Fund. All money donated to this fund goes to serve the poor and needy of the world without regard to race, religion or nationality.
• Donate usable items, including clean clothing, to Deseret Industries. Not only will this benefit the needy within your community, but surplus items are sent to the Latter-day Saint Humanitarian Center for future relief efforts.
• Volunteer to work at Humanitarian Service Rooms or other Church welfare facilities.
• Commodities produced at these facilities are used to provide humanitarian aid.
• Volunteer at an agency that assists people in your community.

Established community organizations offer many opportunities to serve, including providing meals to the homeless, teaching adults to read, and mentoring at-risk youth. Such service not only blesses those in need, but also fosters unity between Church members and the community.

• Contact your bishop about serving a mission. Opportunities for full-time service are listed in a bulletin sent to him each month.
• Part-time/service mission opportunities can be found online at www.lds.org