And I have 18 beautiful and brilliant grandchildren, with another one on the way – and hopefully more yet to come! during sacrament (yikes, don't tell anyone). How many of you know how to knit? If we are united in sustaining him with all our hearts, with willing obedience, we will move together in power to go wherever God would have us go and to become what He wants us to be. Do not put undo strain on threads you know are weak. To be a part of this crazy family makes life very complicated, it is true – but what can a single piece of yarn do by itself?? We have some whose attitudes and opinions and words are causing tension that is now pulling at the bonds connecting us and could even rip a hole in our family blanket if I am not watchful. First, carefully reconnect the strands that have stretched far apart by filling in the gaps of understanding. Meanwhile, strengthen those weak strands by encouraging interaction and especially service and sacrifice for each other. In the small branches of the Church where I grew up, when you were a Merrihand, you learned how to crochet, when you were a Firelight you learned how to cross stitch, and those adorable Gaynotes all learned how to knit. THIS IS A BIG, HARD, COMPLICATED KNITTING JOB! Each group comes from a very different background, each has been through harrowing, life-altering experiences that none of the others know anything about, and each group hopes to make Zarahemla their home and find love and acceptance and purpose together. It is brilliant – he simply tells the stories of each of these groups of people so that they can all feel true empathy for each other. The miracle of unity is being granted to us as we pray and work for it in the Lord’s way. This weekend we celebrate Martin Luther King’s birthday and we all remember the dream he had of the hearts of our nation being knit together in love and unity. How many strands of yarn am I working with? If I recall correctly, the very first thing I told my son when he told me he was gay was that he was born into the right family, and he was. Speak well of each other. But it is also true, in a family as large and complex as mine, with such a rich and wonderful variety of personalities and opinions, that there are bound to be challenges. There are far too many who are alone and left out, who would bring such beauty to my family blanket. See if you can do the math: My husband and I started the knitting project 43 years ago with our two little strands. And we should be willing to go more than half way to bridge the gap. From an October 2008 general conference address. Finding our "Mission" In one powerful BYU devotional address, Elder Groberg once asked the penetrating question: “What is your mission?” One might answer saying California, or Australia, yet, there is something more to this question. Archeologists have found knitted artifacts in Egypt dating from the 3rd century. The word “knit” comes from the word “knot.” In our modern world we often think of knots as undesirable, bad problems to be undone, but the right kinds of knots can save lives, and they can create something as beautiful as this: my Grandma Hansen’s afghan, which she lovingly made for each of her grandchildren when we married. The children of God have more in common than they have differences. in order that their hearts may be cheered, they themselves being welded together in love and enjoying all the advantages of a reasonable certainty, till at last they attain the full knowledge of God’s truth, which is Christ Himself. and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God" (Col. 2:2,19). They can decide if they want to be knitted in or not. And with my love Just like a blanket, Wrapped around you. I know that it seems that that day is getting further away, but I am not giving up hope. I love the idea of throwing something like this when a ward is split or reorganized as a “get-to-know-you” party. . Hearts Knit Together in Unity and Love Sunday, November 15, 2015. Hearts Knit Together "having their hearts knit together in unity and love one towards another.... And thus they became the children of God." and was a Gaynote in Primary. “And he commanded them that there should be no contention one with another, but that they should look forward with one eye, having one faith and one baptism, having their hearts knit together in unity and in love one towards another.” – Mosiah 18:21; Scriptural Example Just a few weeks ago, 3 more very special pieces of yarn were added to our family blanket when my oldest son took in 3 sisters as foster children. Christie is an active volunteer for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, PTA, Hospice Care, March of Dimes, Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts. “The millions who have accepted the gospel of Jesus Christ have committed themselves to achieving both righteousness and unity. "Hearts Knit Together in Unity and Love" "And the church did meet together oft, to fast and to pray, and to speak one with another concerning the welfare of their souls" (Moroni 6:5). My brothers and sisters, share your stories and really listen to other’s stories. I believe that our hearts are knit together even tighter and better because Christian had the courage to come out. And may I suggest that personal face to face conversations work much better than Facebook encounters. And with any luck my 3 unmarried children will someday be marrying, adding even more strands of yarn to this project! I’m involved in a knitting project right now that is even more challenging and time consuming and precious to me than Grandma Hansen’s afghan. I will start by reminding all my pieces of yarn why it is we really do want to be knitted together – that together we can be so much more and do so much more good for each other and for this very needy world than any of us can do alone. Our hearts will be knit together in unity. Do not push or pull unnecessarily, but be gentle and careful and let that strand get stronger and more flexible before you push it too hard. The Savior Jesus Christ lives and reaches out to us in mercy. I opened my eyes for an instant to see the faces of the other children and the parents. These were all covenant relationships, which meant Christ was there too: There was no contention, which did NOT mean there were no differences of opinion or disagreements. I believe we can be successful in knitting our hearts together in love and unity and I base that belief on some evidence from history – those times in the Book of Mormon when people were actually successful in creating an ideal community of God’s children (See Mosiah 18 and 4 th Nephi, in particular). Apr 7, 2014 - RS Women's Conference table centerpiece...theme was "Hearts Knit Together in Unity and Love". 1 For I would that ye knew what great conflict I have for you, and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh; 2 That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ; 3 In whom are … If you are having a conversation with a family member and it becomes clear that he/she is not ready to stretch his/her mind and heart, back off and don’t force anything and listen more than you talk. These Camelot or Zion experiences all came directly out of times of terrible, tumultuous adversity, so much so that I am left with the clear conviction that the best knitting. It has been 200 years since the Here begins my personal blog And with my love Under your pillow In case you need it. Our hearts will be knit together in unity. “Having their hearts knit together in unity and in love one towards another.” — mosiah 18:21 general session Monday, August 27, 2018 | 9 a.m. | Marriott Center Centennial Carillon Tower R. Don Cook 2017–18 Faculty and Staff Achievements Media Presentation Welcome James D. Gordon Assistant to the President Our volunteers collect, craft, and assemble these kits which include hygiene items, toys, games, puzzles, clothing and stuffed animals for the children. Let me start with some knitting lessons. Included in … Hearts Knit Together In Unity and Love Monday, August 23, 2010. Hearts Knit Together. Repair whatever is broken among you, as your hearts are being knit together in perfect unity. Hearts Knit Together in Love is such a perfect celebration theme for a Relief Society or Young Women’s group. She has been a speaker at Women’s, Youth and Single Adult Conferences. Don’t insist on uniformity of opinion, just unity of hearts. I believe we can be successful in knitting our hearts together in love and unity and I base that belief on some evidence from history – those times in the Book of Mormon when people were actually successful in creating an ideal community of God’s children (See Mosiah 18 and 4th Nephi, in particular). Knitting Lessons: How to Knit Together in Unity & Love a Mormon Family with a Gay Child. Time and patience and an increase of love can do a lot to strengthen a weak place. She has taught early morning Seminary and Institute classes at USC and Occidental College for 16 years. The smallest child was asked to be voice. That’s how you repair the holes. I am not at all sure I have anything I can teach you because you are the ones who have been teaching me and have helped me so much the past 2 years, and I thank you so very much for that. Carol Lynn Pearson, who is an expert at knitting hearts, wrote a lullaby, which my sisters sang at my little son’s funeral. In 1992, she was the recipient of “Honored Alumni” Award from Brigham Young University. Sure enough, hearts and minds were changed, love flourished, and lives were knitted together. If I use the blanket as it was made to be used, the hole will surely grow bigger and bigger and soon the blanket will be ruined and all of Grandma’s work will be wasted. May we be encouraged in heart and united in love. What beautiful new patterns they will add! And yet, when they gathered together at the waters of Mormon, Alma and the other fledgling converts were able to form a society where the people “ [had] their hearts knit together in unity and in love one towards another.”. Then draw a picture of your own family in the house. © 2021 Affirmation: LGBTQ Mormons, Families & Friends. It may be that I will not be able to keep my family blanket from falling apart, no matter what I do. Thankfully, even a hole as big and ugly as this can be repaired with time and care: This is a lot of work and it takes time and careful, patient effort. Paul recognized that unity was one of the primary necessities in the church. Hearts Knit Together is a non-profit organization that delivers much needed personal items to those escaping domestic violence, sexual abuse, or war. This is His true Church. STirling & Cheri sing in church. 6 children are married, so I now have 6 more in-law children in my basket of yarn, each bringing different textures and colors to add richness and new dimensions to our family. He fills in the gaps between them with their stories of challenge and adversity, failures and triumphs – and it works! And meanwhile I am not going to limit my knitting to my family only. I remember thinking even at that young age what a clever, amazing invention knitting was. They had given the Lord’s service as one, hearts knit together. What possible good could all these unattached strands of yarn do if I let this hole get bigger and bigger? In re-reading those passages, I found some recurring patterns in the kinds of things they did that created that kind of pure and beautiful love, the kind of love we want in our families and in our Church. My life is better and I am more useful when I am knitted together with others, and so is everybody’s. They create a Camelot right there in Zarahemla where once there were gaping holes between them. Just by manipulating these two needles in the right way, you can transform single stands of yarn into beautiful, useful, life-enhancing articles of clothing like socks and sweaters and mittens and blankets that can bring warmth and protection and beauty to our lives. Back in those ancient days, for the last three years of Primary, girls were called Gaynotes, Firelights, and Merrihands. There is just so much to love about that, isn’t there? Holes can get worse when we impatiently force strands of yarn that are not ready to be stretched that far. So sleep happy, Knowing how I love you; Sleep happy tonight; I’ll leave my love Just like a blanket Wrapped around you. Doug videoed this from my iphone (yes, I got an iphone, hee,hee!) Words of comfort were spoken which fit perfectly together. 21 And he commanded them that there should be no contention one with another, but that they should look forward with one eye, having one faith and one baptism, having their hearts knit together in unity and in love one towards another. There is nothing that I want more than to keep this family of mine together: The problem, of course, with my knitting project is that, unlike the yarn Grandma used, all my pieces of yarn have minds of their own! There is room in our blanket for even deep differences, and we shouldn’t just tolerate differences but actually welcome them and cherish them. Our hearts will be knit together in unity. Each heart is stretched wide with love and appreciation for the trials the others have endured. I was invited to kneel at bedtime with a family when I was a guest in their home. “And he commanded them that there should be no contention one with another, but that they should look forward with one eye, having one faith and one baptism, having their hearts knit together in unity and in love one towards another. Find the way for each family member to get to the same path. Let me repeat that: we do not need uniformity of opinion, just unity of hearts. There’s not a thing All through the night That can go wrong. President Thomas S. Monson is the living prophet of God. Stable churches don’t chase after the latest fad or church growth techniques. Live continually in peace, and God, the source of love and peace, will mingle with you.” ‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭13:11‬ And here is the yarn I’m using for my project: My knitting project? Ephesians 6:21-24. Oh, well. And I trust and pray that we, as the United Church of God, are on the threshold of much greater work, if we will submit to God and His will, humble ourselves and work together as brethren…knit together in God's love. 41 strands of yarn to keep hold of and to try to keep inter-connected, close and tight, with no holes, no missing pieces of yarn. I want to bring as many threads as I can find into this wonderful warm blanket. it, either by presenting the lesson or answering questions. The Book of Mormon, Mosiah 18:21-22. And they might be right. What will happen if I do not fix this hole in my blanket? The family in the maze wants to be united. I would like to end with mentioning just four: He is the 2nd needle that makes knitting different from and better than crocheting. She is married to Russ Frandsen and is the mother of 11 children, one of whom is gay. In Mosiah we read: “And he commanded them that there should be no contention one with another, but that they should look forward with one eye, having one faith and one baptism, having their hearts knit together in unity and in love one towards another” (Mosiah 18:21). I bear you my solemn witness that God the Father lives. Harassment and Sexual Harassment Statement, ← Measuring, Understanding and Solving the Problem of Suicide, Presentando al Presidente Afirmación Colombia →. Hearts knit together in unity and love I was asked to make some centerpieces for a dinner for the ladies at church. Being righteous means to love God with all our heart and to love our neighbor as ourselves. Increasing family effectiveness, scholarship in the modern Church and strengthening youth were among the many topics discussed during the annual Women's Conference at BYU May 4-5. Sunday, March 05, 2006. Great for Relief Society and Elders Quorum lesson planning or study at home! He is blessed to have a whole tribe of siblings who love and cherish him even more, now that he can openly be the person he really is. We brought 11 children into our family; 2 of our little boys have already gone from us way too soon. And especially, I am a much, much better person because of my gay son and for that I will be eternally grateful. Sleep smiling, Knowing how I love you; Sleep happy, sleep smiling tonight. John 15:12 Study and learn from the words of October 2020 General Conference. Colossians 2:2 Context. After she died we discovered a box filled with afghans for all the younger grandchildren who had not yet married. I can still see every detail of those bright pink slippers that I made and can still feel the “Gaynote pride” at what I had accomplished! Satan has been employing his deceptive lies since the Garden. I first learned to knit when I was 9 years old (54 years ago – yikes!) You might remember your mother saying—mine did—“If you can’t say anything good about a person, don’t say anything at all.” I can promise you a feeling of peace and joy when you speak generously of others. But if I am willing to do the work, that hole can be repaired, and the amazing and wonderful thing is that place where the hole once was can actually become the strongest and most beautiful spot on the blanket. He prayed for every person in the family, by name. So now, here are a few lessons in how to repair a hole. It will be there Under your pillow All night long. Colossians 2:2 Parallel Verses [⇓ See commentary ⇓] Colossians 2:2, NIV: "My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ," Colossians 2:2, ESV: "that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of … What is the grand total so far? “And thus he commanded them to preach. These include the descendants of Lehi in the American continent after the visitation of the Savior, 15 the members of the early Church in the Middle East shortly after the Savior’s mortal ministry there, 16 and the ancient people of Enoch. Alma and his people came from a society that was riven by deep inequality, materialism, sexual transgression, and pride. The miracle of unity is granted to us as we pray and work for it. He hears and answers our prayers. 17 In each of these situations, the members of the society had “their hearts knit together in unity and in love one towards … 23 Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul explained his desire to comfort the hearts of the people and ensure they were being knit together in love. The best way that I know to do that comes from one of my favorite moments in the Book of Mormon found in Mosiah 25. I too have a dream that our Church will someday be knit together with love and unity. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen. Discussion questions, summary, and action steps for Elder Quentin L. Cook's talk "Hearts Knit in Righteousness and Unity" at October 2020 General Conference. All Rights Reserved. When we bring Him into our relationships, I know we will be far more successful in knitting our hearts together. Repairing holes is not a quick process. And when we work together as a team, in unity, knit together, the Father and Jesus Christ can use us so much more. Those differences can make our final product even more beautiful and strong! That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ; John 13:34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. Yes, my friends, you heard right! My beautiful brothers and sisters, I am humbled and nervous to be speaking to you this morning. I also think it would be great for a New Beginnings, as a way to welcome the new Beehives into the group. Receive the Affirmation e-newsletter with content like this in your inbox! Unity is also a broad, compre-hensive term but most certainly exemplifies the first and second great commandments to love God and love our fellowmen.12 It denotes a Zion people whose hearts and minds are “knit together in unity.”13 The context for my message is the contrast and lessons from sacred scriptures. This talk was given by Christie at the January 2016 Los Angeles Affirmation – LGBT Mormons, Families & Friends Conference. It is my prayer for all of us: I’ll leave my love Under your pillow In case you need it. When we choose to be righteous, we become unified with one another. 24 Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ with [a love] incorruptible. I could tell that they were joining their faith and their hearts in that little boy’s prayer. It will be there, Just like a blanket Tucked in tight. (Mosiah 18:21) When we love one another, we become unified. This is the very essence of being knitted together and this is what makes our lives better and more useful together than separate. Shhhhh! Then as their hearts are joined together in love, they will be wonderfully blessed with complete understanding. The Lord’s prophets have always called for unity. Our desire is that our hearts and minds will be knit in righteousness and unity, and we will be one with Them” (Doctrine and Covenants 45:71). The apostle Paul told the Colossian brethren, "That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love . One of my favorite meetings is Relief Society--a chance to meet with other sisters and to either lift them or to be lifted by them. A whole bunch of different groups of people have just arrived in Zarahemla: the Mulekites, the Nephites, Alma and his people, and Limhi and his people. There were “no manner of –ites,” and to me that means that the identity that we share together must be our primary identity and must supersede any other individual identity that we might have. And some brilliant person figured out how to do that a long time ago. Christie was born in Havre, Montana and raised on Indian reservations in Montana, North Dakota, Nevada, and Arizona where her father was a range conservationist in the Bureau of Indian Affairs. She attended BYU, majoring in ancient scriptures. He didn't realize that he needed to keep my phone upright, so the video is obviously displayed wrong. (Colossians 2:2 WEY) I want you woven into a tapestry of love, in touch with everything there is to know of God. Our Responsibility to Be Worthy of Temple Worship, Teaching Our Children from the Scriptures, Jesus Christ Is the Son of God, and He Is a God of Miracles, Our Parental Duty to God and to the Rising Generation, “Knitting Our Hearts Together,” Liahona, Aug. 2010, 60–61. This is a moment of particularly strong divisions. In The Truth War [Thomas Nelson, 2007], John MacArthur argues that faithfulness to Christ demands that we … Much is said in the Word of God, either directly or indirectly, about Christians being knit together. You will stay warm, Inside and out All through the night. Then you will have minds … (Col. 2:2) You’re Invited – We invite you to come away from all the distractions and seek the face of God and experience a time of refreshing… But I am going to do all I can, and the good news is that there ARE things that can be done when a piece of knitting gets a hole – even a very big one like this one in my grandma’s afghan. What if I just do not want to invest that much time and do that much work? Sponsored by the Relief Society and BYU, the conference was based on the theme "Hearts knit together in unity and in love," taken from Mosiah 18:21. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. ... so that you may know about us, and that he may comfort your hearts. . And continue the conversation on another day, and another one after that, and another one after that. I learned from this talk that righteousness and unity work together. If I put this blanket away in the closet and never use it, the hole will probably stay just as it is and not get any worse – and the blanket will never be of use for anything. What an incredible knitting project! And thus they became the children of God.” 3 Do you remember what he does? You have seen evidence, as I have, that we are moving toward becoming one. Knitting Hearts for Christ Ministries Hearts Knitted Together in Christ Healing Hearts – Restoring Hope – Releasing Freedom. They can and do start pulling away on their own, and that makes knitting very challenging indeed! that their hearts may be comforted, they being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, that they may know the mystery of God, even Christ, Contemporary English Version I do it to encourage them. King Mosiah has the daunting task of knitting all these different people into one cohesive, loving society. But lucky for me and for you, the theme of this Conference is knitting, and even luckier, I was asked to talk about being a mother, and it just so happens I do know a few things about knitting and mothering! One of the most beautiful examples of this comes to us from Tom Christofferson who made a point of serving side by side with saints in his Ward, every opportunity that came, as he returned to Church activity. Day 8: “Finally, beloved friends, be cheerful! Some might even say it is impossible, and that I am a fool for thinking I can hold all these strands of yarn together. It was made even more interesting 2 and a half years ago when THIS piece of yarn: -my 9th child Christian, finally had the courage and faith and hope to come out and show his true colors and his authentic texture and add that piece of rainbow colored yarn that adds so much color to our family blanket. Her hobbies include hiking and camping with her family, playing the flute, singing, reading, and preparing lessons. Knitting all these hearts together into one beautiful family. The miracle of unity is granted to us as we pray and work for it.
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