Did your grandmother make a quilt that featured a temple? Or did you ever make temple cross-stitch? For the upcoming temple issue of Exponent II, we are searching for the temple folk art of LDS women.  We want everything lovely, kitschy, horrible, and wonderful.  If you have ever made temple textiles or temple art, or you are in possession of a temple family heirloom, please email our Art Editor, Margaret Olsen Hemming at arteditorATexponentiiDOTorg.

Time is running out; please email us today!

After I had my first son, we used about half male babysitters and half female babysitters. I was careful to make sure I had a balance. A’s first sitter while I worked was my brother who came to live with us for the summer and be our “manny.”

We moved to Arizona, and I only found one male babysitter that I liked and would be able to sit consistently when I called. He went on to BYU a couple years ago and is now on his mission.

I don’t have any male sitters right now. I think it’s complicated by the fact that my youngest is a girl, and I am more picky now about a male sitter.

I’d like to do better, but I feel like in my area, we’re in the minority when it comes to families who are willing to hire male sitters, and when I find a boy who will babysit, he usually only does once or twice. So, I have to polls this week. The first question speaks to hiring preferences. Keep in mind this first one is so generalized I don’t know if it will do any good, but it’s mostly as a jumping off point. Why do you (or people you know) think it’s safe (or not) to use a male babysitter?:

The second question speaks to the supply of male babysitters. (I’m wondering if location and local culture has something to do with the willingness of men to babysit.)

…when our boys got into Cub Scouts and our girls begin attending Activity Days.

To prepare this lesson, I think it’s helpful to look at both the Young Women’s outline and the Young Men’s.

For much of my life when I’ve had a lesson on the priesthood in Sunday School or Young Womens, I’ve thought, “Well, no use listening to this. I’m not allowed to have the priesthood.”  It can be challenging to find ways for girls to engage in this subject. They may be apathetic at best or hurt and angry. April posted some excellent ways to foster discussion in her YW’s lesson earlier this month. I would also add that in these lessons it is important to get women’s teachings in here as much as possible.

I have questions for the class in italics. My own musings in regular font and parts from the outline online in bold.

I think the first minute of this clip is great, particularly when Elder Oaks says, “Men are not the priesthood. The priesthood is something they exercise on behalf of the sons and daughters of God.”

So, what is the priesthood?

“The priesthood is the authority of God delegated to men on the earth to act in all things for the salvation of mankind (see Spencer W. Kimball, “The Example of Abraham,” Ensign, June 1975, 3)”

Elder Ballard says, “Brothers and sisters, the power by which the heavens and earth were and are created is the priesthood…Not only is the priesthood the power by which the heavens and the earth were created, but it is also the power the Savior used in His mortal ministry to perform miracles, to bless and heal the sick, to bring the dead to life, and, as our Father’s Only Begotten Son, to endure the unbearable pain of Gethsemane and Calvary—thus fulfilling the laws of justice with mercy and providing an infinite Atonement…”

I also like Elder Packer’s simple definition, “The priesthood is the eternal power of God.”

For the past year, I’ve been trying to do meditation on my own. I’m horrible at it. Every five years or so I try it again.

In the past, I’ve done it purely for secular reasons–to help from feeling overwhelmed, to ease some physical pain, or just to feel a little more peace. But, lately, I’ve been thinking that that might be my problem. What if I used meditation as a companion to my other spiritual practices?

Another potential problem could be that I’ve always tried to do it on my own. I’ve listened to a couple podcasts, read a couple books (literally, 2). But, nothing really spoke to me.

So, my poll today is purely selfish. And, I’d love to hear about your experiences with meditation (What helps, what doesn’t? Why did you start? Why do you continue?) in the comments section.