Baptism is the literal washing away of all unclean things (sins), and a fresh start. It also gives you the ability to be worthy of the holy ghost as a constant companion and guide. That is so amazing. I know my daughter is ready, and I had no problem baptizing people on my mission, so I don’t know why its such a different feeling when its your own family. I guess I just want to be 100% prepared and ready, and its been good in getting me more focused on the things that really matter.

I use to love the feeling I got seeing those I baptized come out of the water, and how fresh and clean their spirit was. It was so amazing to see their face and how happy they were. For that moment, they were the most pure thing on earth.

I am looking forward to baptizing my daughter, and really can’t wait, but I just wanted to share how it really makes you take a step back from your day to day, and makes you want to do everything you can to be even more worthy to perform the sacred ordinances. I am very great full to my Heavenly Father for entrusting us with such power, and that our brother Jesus Chris set the example for us.

I just wanted to thank my Dad for giving us kids everything. I remember growing up, and my Dad never got the “toys” or cool things that I know he wanted. He choose to make sure his kids were taken care of first. If I can be 1/2 the Father he was to me, then my kids should do ok. Thanks Dad, and I love you!

I was thinking it serves another purpose too, as your kids see you serve the Lord, they will want to as well. It is a huge responsibility to teach service and this is one of the easiest ways to do so.

I got my Eagle when I was 14 years old, and can’t remember everything that went on in scouts, or cub scouts for that matter, but I do remember how much fun I had and all the work that the den mothers, and leaders I had put into their calling. That makes me want to encourage my wife more about her calling, and serve better myself!

I really think as your kids see you put everything into your calling, and give service, they will want to do the same in life and in future church callings they may have. Has anyone ever had something like this happen in their life they can share with us, about how having a calling was a teaching tool for you kids? I would love to hear the stories here!

I remember growing up I had always relied on the testimony of my parents, and I guess I never did a good job enough of getting a solid testimony of my own. I had a testimony, but did I really know for sure beyond any doubt it was true? If my parents knew, that was good enough for me until I could figure it out I guess. I had never read the Book of Mormon until I was in the MTC, and really had never felt that burning everyone talks about. I just knew serving a mission was the right thing to do in my heart, just like I knew the Church was true (even without that amazing burn).

Well I got into the mission field fresh out of the MTC, and found myself in a weird country that smelled like pancakes. That is the best way I can describe it. I got called to the Fiji Suva Mission back in June of 1995. When I first arrived and smelled the weird smell, and looked around at all the weird looking people (at the time I had thought) that return trip ticket that I had not given back yet really seemed like a good deal.

Contrary to what I hear from everyone; “Oh you are so lucky to get called to an exotic Island”, it was a 3rd world country, and the resorts that everyone goes to and talks about (with Fiji) was not where I served. I remember being humbled my very first day because the two things I hated in life the most was the hot (or being hot - no air conditioners in Fiji “bures” or huts) and fish. I found myself hot, and eating a fried fish (with the head attached) the very first day.

I needed to rely on the Lord big time. I remember pouring my soul out that night and praying harder then I had ever prayed in my life for guidance, and that I was indeed in the right place. I soon calmed down, and had a feeling in my heart that I was doing the right thing. The major burn, and gaining my own testimony came about 19 months later during my mission (another story for another post another day), but I got what I needed to finish my mission and survive in Fiji!

The point here is we need to remember to rely on the Lord even when things are going great. He never goes away, so why do we? I think the start of my mission would not have been so difficult if I had that open line of communication with the Lord already.

I will be sharing some of my own personal experiences as well, but I would love to kick this off by having any returned missionary that wants to, send in stories from the mission field that are up-lifting, and will spread the spirit with those who read this blog.

Please contact My LDS Direct Bloggers by visiting the link and filing out your information. Let us know that you would like to share your story and we will give you the information you need to go from there, and the possibly have your storied featured in our blog. We have no problem linking to your personal blog if we run with the story, but our mail goal here is to spread the spirit of missionary work through this LDS Blog!

You want them to know that what is going on is a good thing, even if your house is like a construction zone for a few days. The only way they will feel comfortable with what is going on is by you including them.

It can make for some fun family time too! I had a blast painting one of our walls with our three kids. It was a mess, and it took a lot to clean up, but the memories we made, and the pictures we have to prove the fun that was had is priceless! The kids are also proud of the work they put into the wall, and let everyone know that they put the “first coat” of paint on “that wall”.

When you take the time to let your family know they are special, and you involve them in projects, they will want to be a part of your life later on when they are older (as teenagers) and just may come and talk to you at a critical time in their life.

I have been reading the scriptures to my kids forever. The cartoon ones, and they love it and cant wait for singing time to start after we read, but sometimes during the scripture reading they get bored, and its because they do not understand what is going on or happening.

Here is the solution:

I don’t know how many may have access to the living scriptures cartoons on DVD or video, but when you are reading the scriptures they make a great visual that comes to life what you are reading on paper. It gets them more interested into what is going on, and it may help them even like scripture related shows on the TV more. I know with all the cool cartoons (and CG) out these days its hard to get them interested in an animated series about scripture characters. So just read the chapter out of the book, and then find the video that goes along with it and then watch it. Its that simple and you will be amazed at just how much more the kids get out of scripture time. I know it will make scripture time longer, but just make sure you plan ahead and I promise you it will be worth it!

You will be surprised just how much putting the scriptures that you read along side the videos that go with them helps your kids understand, and get more into what you are reading. I have been doing it for a few months now, and it is amazing to see how into the scriptures my kids are.

Thanks Mom for the tip!

Saving money on your summer travel plans can enable you to do more activities during your trip and even make an additional trip possible. Here are a few tips to help make your summer traveling experience better:

Plan ahead - Make travel, hotel and car rental reservations before you travel. Saving these for the last minute can cost you hundreds or even thousands of dollars. Plan overnight stays, meals and activities to stay within your budget.

Back up plan - Luggage gets lost, planes are late and cars break down. Have a list of “what ifs” and what you’ll do if these things happen. Having a small budget cushion may be a good idea.

Bring meals - If you’ll be traveling by car this summer, pack your own meals. A tasty homemade lunch from the cooler may cost you less than $2 versus a $5 or more lunch at the drive-through. Having food and snacks in the car is also good for kids and emergencies.

Activities - Plan and enjoy activities that fit within your budget. Knowing what activities cost beforehand can give you a better idea of what your vacation will cost. Be sure to allow some unstructured activity time too for flexibility.

Discounts - Look for discounts or coupons on activities you will be doing. If you know someone in the area you’ll be traveling to, ask them to get information for you. Residents often get large discounts for theme parks and shows. The internet is a great resource too. Check to see if gas stations offer discounted gift cards towards gas.

Money - Bring just enough cash with you for tips, small purchases or to give to the kids. Use a credit card for large purchases. A travel reward credit card can earn you points towards your next vacation that can be redeemed towards many of your vacation expenses. Credit cards help you track spending and offer other benefits like fraud protection, dispute resolution and travel insurance.

Loyalty - Since we tend to be creatures of habit, take advantage of airline, hotel, car rental and even gas loyalty programs if possible. Many travel service providers offer their very own branded credit card offer. Build points for free travel, hotel stays, car rentals and discounted gas. All your vacation spending can add up to sizable rewards.

During one of our trips back and forth from Arizona/Utah we went out of the way to visit the Manti Utah Temple. This really is one of the coolest Temples that I have ever seen in person. I took quite a few pictures, but this one is the one I like the most. I hope you all enjoy:

Why would we do this? We love everything LDS, and want to start connecting with more of the LDS community online, and learning what all is actually out there with our faith. We here at My LDS Direct feel we can all help each other out.

Just leave a comment on this post with what you want us to blog about. Remember this is an LDS Blog, and because of that the comments of what you want us to blog about need to be LDS in nature. I get lots of idiot utah search engine optimization firms trying to leave comments on this blog because they feel it will help improve their search engine rankings by getting an anchor link back to their site (wrong place - and if your going to try it - please leave a 3rd grade level comment - at least). Just because you are a Utah firm does not mean you would be a good fit on this blog. You must be LDS in nature - understand?

Sorry - didn’t mean to go off like that, but I really do want to connect with the LDS community (Utah or not), no matter what you do online. I look forward to seeing who we connect with through this. Comments are on!