OCR Text |
Show Key to Self-Respe- ct Planning Produces Family Preparation BY JACK E JARRARD "Family preparedness is the key to in personand al welfare matters, declared Presiding Bishop Victor L. Brown at the welfare session of general conference Oct. 4, self-relian- self-respe- 1975. In that session Bishop Brown quoted his first counselor, Bishop H. Burke Peterson, who had saH in the April 5, 1975 conference: "When we speak of family prepared ness, we should speak of foreseen, anticipated, almost expected needs which can be met through wise preparation. Even true emergencies can be modified by good planning. In many of the conferences and meetings, the Genera! Authorities and other Church leaders have warned about indebtedness, being unprepared to meet emergenceies which arise such as illness, accident, unemployment and other problems. Self-respe- planning for families lie in carefully and balance between needs and resources. self-relian- ct a With the cooperation of the Welfare Services Department of the Church and others, the Church News in the coming ce Trials Preceded Conversion INVERNESS, SCOTLAND Alexander Bennie Ileggies search for spiritual truth was long and difficult one and his trials came constantly after another. But through his strong faith in God a and diligent study of the scriptures difficult thing with his failing eyesight Brother Ileggies search ended last September when he was baptized into the Church in Inverness, Scotland. am a child of God, though my age said Brother Ifeggie as he is 56, recalled the many events leading to his sions, but he couldnt accept what they said. Their teachings were too different from mine," Brother Heggie said. After two weeks, he told the sionaries not to come back. mis- "As the months went on the great void in my life started to tell on me," Brother Heggie said. He had lost his Bible and couldnt get one with large enough print for his eyes. had never studied before, which testified to him of the surety of God and Christ as two beings and ot the priesthood "The Lord was telling me that he had shown me the truth and that I must accept it," he said. The missionaries asked Brother Heggie to prepare for baptism on Sept. 19 and he agreed. I conversion. lie first became aware of the Savior and a reponsibihty to Him in 1952, while on the way to take my life because of the mess I was in through drink. As Brother Heggie hurried along a road, a very small man stopped him and asked him to go back to the mans home and have a little chat." This was Brother Ileggies first contact with the Plymouth Brethren," a religious group he followed for several years. However, soon realized that was traveling in faith, but not in works, said Brother Heggie, citing one of his favorite scriptures, James 2:14. In 196.3 Brother Heggie was involved in a serious accident in which he nearly I lay back accepting lost his sight. death, he said. But when he began to fully regain consciousness, he felt there w as more for him to do. After another 10 jears of troublesome uncertainty over religion, Brother Heggie received a knock at his door. It was two Mormon missionaries. They began teaching him the gospel discus I I One day,' however, his landlady came in with a large Bible and told him she had obtained it on loan for Brother Heggie. Although he now had the comfort of the scriptures, I craved fellowship, " related Bi other Heggie. One night he knelt and prayed that the Mormon missionaries would return to him. I knew the Lord would answer my prayer, he said. "How happy I was when one day that expected knock came to my door. Brother Heggie began studying the gospel again and felt it was true. However, he had trouble accepting certain different doctrines and visits from missionaries of other sects added to his confusion and turmoil. "I had to understand the priesthood and the doctrine of God and Christ as two beings," he said. "One night I went-t- bed disturbed. I had my prayer as usual and again went through Hebrews, always starting at the second or third chapter," Brother Heggie said Late into the night, as he prepared to pray again, Brother Heggie felt drawn to his Bible once more. He read in the first chapter of Hebrews the verses he looked at my cigarettes "Then and it really struck me about there lying getting prepared, he said. He read the account of the Apostle Paul asing the l)i d to remove the thorn from his flesh. I "The Lord answered. Mv grace is sufficient to thee, Brother Heggie recalled. "I thought what was good enough for Paul was certainly good enough for me, and I havent smoked again since and I know I never will. One more trial was yet to come, however. The day before his baptism, a missionary from another church Brother Heggie had studied, came to his door and began to argue violently with him about the LDS Church. Brother Heggie testified to the missionary that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God. "He became very wild and bitter at me, Brother Heggie said, "So I had to restrain him and tell him that if he w as a child of God, he should be calm and act as one. After these words, he left hurriedly. Brother Heggie was a baptized a member of the Church the next day. "As I came out of the water, 1 felt a great and I never happiness, he said, much thought a man could be given love from his brethren " Church News Staff Writer weeks will publish a series of articles concerning family financing, budgeting, home production and storage, career development and retirement. The fact that all successful businesses demand budgeting and intelligent money management for continued operation deems it necessary that a family do the same thing so the good things of life can be enjoyed. At the end of 1974 total consumer credit in the United States was set at $190.1 billion, and as of November 1975, installment indebtedness in this country was at $159.2 billion. Marriage experts have noted that financial problems are one of the top three reasons for families breaking up. As one expert said recently, "The recent influx of plastic credit cards is one of the wickedest plagues to hit the United States. The how-t- o of money management within the family, and the wise and selective use of credit will be one of the first subjects to be discussed. In his conference address, Bishop Brown summed it up this way : "As a part of family preparedness we would hope to see each individual and each family of the Church achieve the greatest degree possible of in five areas: career development, financial management, home production and storage, physical health, and strength. "Our goal is to have every family achieve the following degrees of preself-relian- social-emotion- paredness: In the Career development prepared family, the breadwinner has prepared himself for his chosen occupation. His children are preparing themselves for a satisfying and adequate vocation. In the Financial management prepared family, the parents know and use the fundamentals of budgeting and financial management. Their children are being taught through practical experience these basic skills. Home production and storage The prepared family has sufficient stores to take care of basic needs for a minimum of one year. Further, they are, where possible, actively involved in the growing, canning and sewing, and production of their years supply. The prepared Physical health family practices sound preventive health principles relating to nutrition, sanitation, accident prevention, dental health and first aid. They also understand the appropriate use of health resources. Special attention should be given to the promises made by the Lord in D&C, Section 89, regarding the health of the saints. The strength prepared family has developed strength through righteous living, gospel study, and loving family relationships. They can deal resiliently with lifes inevitable opposites of sorrow and joy, deprivation and abundance, failure and success, through their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and conversion to the reality of eternal life." Social-emotion- WEEK ENDING JANUARY 17, social-emotion- 1976 CHURCH 5 |