August Presidency Message

I have come to the conclusion that we will probably never comprehend how much our Heavenly Father loves us. As I study the scriptures and learn more of the atonement, I realize more and more of the great love God has for us. “For God so loved the world, (us) that He sent His only begotten Son. Romans 8:16,17,32,38,39. Do you feel the reality of what it means to be a literal spirit daughter of heavenly parents who love you? Do you know who you truly are?

Our Heavenly Father feels it so important that we learn and know this truth, that the Nursery Manuel at 18 mths begins with “I am a child of God” these young children are taught this in all their primary years. YM and YW are taught it through all their years. YW repeat each week in the YW Theme, “We are daughters of our Heavenly Father who loves us and we love Him. The Proclamation to the world states, “All Human beings male and female are created in the image of God. Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and as such, each has a divine nature and destiny.” The RS theme begins, We are beloved spirit daughters of God, and our lives have meaning, purpose, and direction. Do you think our Father has a message for us? He doesn’t want us to forget that we are His children.

As Latter-day Saint women we have more than the average demands in life. We generally have more children, more responsibilities, more directions to be pulled. We serve, show compassion, are self reliant and thrifty, we strive for perfection and we belong to the greatest organization for women on earth who’s motto is.. “Charity Never Faileth” Yet many times we fail to love and have charity for ourselves. So why are so hard on ourselves? -- When things don’t go as planned in life, we become discouraged and Satan sits waiting to jump in with his #1 strategy to destroy women. We begin to compare ourselves to other women, feeling inferior, sinking in to despair and discouragement and darkness sets in. When we choose to participate, Satan begins to win for he knows if he can destroy the woman, he destroys the family, He hates families because he doesn’t have one and never will! Satan uses the forces of evil to convince us that we are beyond help or forgiveness, he sends messages of doubt, despair, and fear. He desires misery for us.

-When we truly know and believe we are God’s daughters, we will have the power to resist Satan. As I have pondered this topic the thought came---- To what sources of light are we as women turning to for self approval???? We will never find self worth when we turn to the world‘s lights for approval and happiness. We will find peace and everlasting happiness when we turn to the Savior’s Light for approval.

Satan is the Destroyer. The lights he uses are beautiful and alluring, un-true and temporary, eventually leading to darkness, despair, and destruction. Jesus Christ is the Savior. His light gives truth, illuminating love, peace and everlasting happiness. Jesus Christ is the source of all light. He is the Master of all light. He is the Light of the World and because loves us he has given his light, the light of truth that gives direction to everyone. It is the means by which the Lord invites and entices all men and women to improve. His light is everlasting. DC 88:7-13,67,68 DC 50:24. Do you see how generous the Father is? He gives us the Light of Christ that guides us to more light. Do you think he desires you to be lifted, enlightened and loved? To have all that he has? Do you know he loves you? My sisters, I hope you can feel His great love for you. God is our Father and desires us to return to Him and have all that He has.

“Like a gentle smile embraces empty souls in lonely places, We should be more gentle with ourselves. We’ve been hurt by others often, we’ve forgiven and forgotten, We should be as gentle with ourselves. Life can be hard but we need not be so hard on ourselves, if we will see like the Shepherd leads his flock with gentle commands, with his gentle voice that only hearts understand. One thing we can know for certain, He has borne the awful burdens so we can be more gentle on ourselves. One thing that I know for certain: He will bear my every burden, so I can be gentle with myself.” Michael McLean

August Spotlight

Our Spotlight for August is Elaine Hoagland

Elaine was born and raised in Lovell, Wyo. She is the seventh of eight children. She is planning a trip to Lovell this month to visit her 95 year old mother.

Elaine graduated from Lovell High School, then went to BYU where she received her BSN-Nursing degree and has been a nurse for 35 years, first working at UVRMC (Utah Valley) them Mountain View Hospital where she is now. She loves nursing but is enjoying being in management now.

She met her husband Jerry at a dance while at BYU. She says he is a very determined man and he chased her until she said YES. He said 'she was to be married to him'. She turned him down a few times but is so gratefull he never gave up! They are very happy and have a wonderful time together. (Actually the reason she kept putting him off is she wanted her degree so badly.) They have been married for 35 years and have lived in Springville, Payson, and Salem.

They have five children, Kristie, Lisa, Jacob, Julie, and Jennifer and fifteen grandchildren which she adores and loves to pieces. (She and Jerry are great examples! She brings grandchildren to church with her each week. It's so special to watch her little grandson bear his testimony on most Fast Sundays).

Elaines hobbies are yard work, sewing or tieing quilts, sports and watching grandkids.
Her greatest joys are her family, her husband and eating good food.

She and her husband had a marvelous vacation recently traveling to Australia for three weeks where they visited Jerry's Uncle and Aunt who live there. She loved the sights, culture and animals but her favorite was the people and listening to them talk. They had so much fun fishing, staying at a beach house and seeing all the sights.

Elaine is our Librarian in the ward. We are thankful and greatful to have her in our ward. She has a strong testimony of the gospel and is a wonderful neighbor and friend. She lives at 595 S. Towers Dr.

Good News Moment

A huge Thank you to Heidi Hanks for organizing the summer program for Moms and their children!

Thank you Pat Rappleye for teaching the preparedness mini class!

If you have any good news moments, we would love to hear them

Taco Salad

from Charleen Vest

1 pound ground beef
1/2 onion - chopped
1 envelope taco seasoning
1 can kidney beans - drained
1 whole head lettuce - tear into large bowl
2 or 3 tomatoes - diced
1 can sliced olives - drained
1 cup cheddar cheese - grated
1 bag Doritoes - crush in hand just slightlyas you put them in the bowl. Leave in large pieces
1 8oz bottle Russian dressing

brown onion and ground beef, drain if needed & add pkg taco seasoning, do not add water,and set aside. In large bowl, (I use my yellow tupperware bowl) tear whole head lettuce,then add all other ingredients to lettuce. Add ground beef mixture, pour whole bottle of dressing over all & mix well with large spoon.(Its the whole meal at our house, nothing else is needed)
p.s. (If you have any leftovers, it tastes good warmed just a bit in the microwave)

Seven Layered Salad

from Rita MacCabe

1 head lettuce, torn
½ chopped green pepper
½ c green peas
sliced purple onion

Layer in order in lg bowl.

Mix together:
2 c mayo 2 Tbsp sugar
1 c parm. cheese ½ tsp salt
2 Tbsp seasoning salt dash pepper

Spread over lettuce layers.

Top with:
4 boiled eggs, chopped
tomatoes, diced
1 pkg bacon, cooked and crumbled
2 c grated cheese

Fruit Cloud Jello

from Rita MacCabe

Dissolve one lg pkg strawberry jello in 2 c boiling water. Add:
1 md can crushed pineapple plus juice
2 mashed bananas
2 pkg unthawed frozen strawberries

Pour ½ of above mixture into 9x13 cake pan. Layer with one small carton of sour cream. Pour remaining mixture on top. Chill.

Pudding Salad

from Rita MacCabe

8 oz cool whip
8 oz cream cheese
3 c milk
2 bananas, sliced
1 can fruit cocktail, drained
small marshmallows (white if pudding is colored,
(colored if pudding is light)
2 sm or 1 lg pkg instant pudding (coconut cream, pistachio, banana, etc.)
Beat cream cheese with ½ c milk. Add pudding and remaining milk and beat well. Stir in cool whip. Stir in fruit and marshmallows. Chill and serve.
(Note: I don’t use bananas if I think there will be leftovers. They don’t save well.)

Broccoli/Cauliflower Salad

from Rita MacCabe

1 head cauliflower, cut into bite-sized pieces
4 stalks broccoli, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 red onion, chopped (little pieces)
1 lb. bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/2 c sunflower seeds
4 c mozerella cheese (white), grated
1 c Miracle Whip
1/2 c sugar
2 T vinegar (usually cidar vinegar)

Combine Miracle Whip, sugar, and vinegar, cover and let set in refrigerator for a couple of hours (or overnight). (over)Combine cauliflower, broccoli, chopped onion, crumbled bacon, and sunflower seeds. Just before serving, pour dressing over vegetables. Add cheese last. (Makes a huge salad--serves 12-15--so if you want, cut the recipe in half. Also, this is the recipe the way I received it. I don’t like that much dressing on it, so I use about half of the dressing recipe.)

July Spotlight

KIMBERLY HOLMAN

Better known to all of us as sweet little "Kimi". She was born in Murray Utah at Cottonwood hospital. When she was very young her family moved to Logandale, Nevada near Las Vegas, This is where she mostly grew up.Kimi graduated from Moapa Valley High School in Nev. But went to three different High Schools, and ended up graduating from the one she started at. When she was a teenager her mother died of breast cancer, this was a very sad time in her life! Kimi is very active and supportive of fighting breast cancer and its awareness programs. This summer Kimi and her sister Karen (who she loves and adores so much, and is just one year older than her) are doing a "Century Bike Ride" together, with other woman, in the fight against Breast cancer.
Kimi graduated from BYU with a bachelors degree in Nursing. While working at LDS hospital in Salt Lake City she met her wonderful husband Kelly, who was also working there. They have been married 8 years. From Salt Lake they moved to Cedar City, then four years ago they moved to Salem. They love it here!! They have three beautiful children. Daphnie 7, Simon 6 (Irish twins) and Lucius 3. (having fun potty training!!)She is a Labor and Delivery Nurse at American Fork Hospital right now.
Kimi is also the secretary in the Young Womans program in our ward, she is so fun to work with and the girls all love her to death! Her favorite hobbies are cycling (actually she said it's all I have time for besides family, work and church right now) She is a very talented lady and fun to be with, we all enjoyed her teaching us some cool moves at Relief Society the other night at Donna Schwarts home. (sorry I forgot the name of it)
Kimi's greatest joys are her cute, cute babies!Some of her fun experiences are: She has been sky diving twice, has done a couple Triathlons, and had her first baby at home. Kimi loves the gospel and said she loves Abinidi!! We are so happy and thankful to have Kimi in our ward! She lives at 90 E 300 S, and enjoys looking out her window at Salem pond.

Chicken Roll Ups

By Donna Schwartz

4 Chicken Breasts (cooked/shredded with onion)
4 T melted butter
1/2 tsp salt
2 sticks celery, chopped
8 oz cream cheese
1/2 small onion, diced
Saute celery and onion in butter, then mix well with rest of filling.

Roll out 2 cans of crescent rools thin. Put 1/4 C of filling in rolls. Roll up and tuck in the ends.
Roll in melted butter and then roll in bread crumbs.

Bake at 350* for 20-25 minutes.

Sauce:
Combine 1 can of cream of chicken soup and 1 C chicken broth. Heat and pour over rolls.

Food For Thought

'I suppose every Mormon [man and] woman [have] measured [themselves] at one time or another against [their pioneer ancestors],' wrote Laurel Thatcher Ulrich. 'Am I as stalwart? As self-reliant? As devoted to the gospel? As willing to sacrifice?' Could I leave my wife and children without food or means to support themselves while I responded to a call to serve a mission abroad, or take these same innocent ones, dependent solely upon me for their survival, into hostile territory to set up housekeeping and provide a livelihood for them? Or, were I a woman, 'Could I crush my best china to add glitter to a temple, bid loving farewell to a missionary husband as I lay in a wagon bed with fever and chills, leave all that I possessed and walk across the plains to an arid wilderness?' (Ensign, June 1978, p. 54.)"Some may feel that their lives of relative ease and convenience lack the vigor and fortitude of those who survived the pioneer days, that they can never measure up to the toil, struggles, and challenges our pioneer ancestors faced and emerge the victor."Yet, 'Our challenges are just as important as those of the past. Our testing is as crucial; our contributions may be as great. . . ." 'An essential quality of the first pioneers was optimism, an ability to see new possibilities in a strange and unsettling environment. To beautify the desert, they needed faith in God, but they also needed faith in themselves and in their ability to help shape the world. The need for that faith has not diminished. . . ." 'A pioneer is not [necessarily] a woman who makes her own soap' or a man who grubs sagebrush from the land. Pioneers are those who take up their burdens and walk toward the future. With vision and with courage they make the desert blossom and they press on toward new frontiers. (Ibid., p. 55.)"
David B. Haight, "A Call to Serve," Ensign, Nov. 1988, 82–83

June Spotlight

Andrea Anaya
I was born in Columbia, Missouri. My family moved when I was about a year old to Mequon, Wisconsin where I lived until I was 5. I then moved to Las Vegas, Nevada and went to Kindergarten and 1st grade there before moving to Eagle River, Alaska when I was 7 years old. I graduated from Chugiak High School in Alaska. Just after graduation I traveled to Tokyo, Japan where we won two first place trophies at the Miss Drill Team International Competition. Good times. I met my husband when I was in junior high school. He grew up in Anchorage, Alaska, and had a class with my older sister. Although he didn't make too much of an impression on me then, lucky for me, he kept in touch with my sister and came to visit her in 1994, when I was going through a divorce. He got me hooked up on Compuserve and we emailed and talked on the phone for more than two years while I lived in Colorado and he lived in New Jersey. Then he moved to California and I moved to Utah. We didn't live in the same state until we were engaged! After two and a half years of dating, we married just six weeks after he was baptized. Believe me when I say that he was not a golden contact for the missionaries, seeing no reason whatsoever for religion in his life. However, after he proposed I got hugely cold feet at the prospect of marrying again, so I didn't answer him for a few months. (Terrible, I know). During that time, in an effort to explain the importance of the gospel in my life, I read him the following poem by Carol Lynn Pearson

AT THE ALTAR
The thought of forever
teased my mind
like a mountain
through a thickly misted view.
But today,the veil dissolved to show
Eternity is you.

He wrote it down and prayed for the first time in his life, an event for which I remain profoundly grateful. He is my best friend and my sweetheart and I love "dragging him through life." We'll have been married 13 years in November.
The Lord definitely built our family. Shirsten, our oldest, just turned 18, graduated from high school and is heading off to Emerson College in Boston in the fall. Yikes! She has been such a source of strength to me over the years, as she and I weathered the storms of divorce and single parenting and remarriage together. Gene and I have had a difficult time bringing our own children together in our home. Four in vitro fertilizations yielded two adoptions, Kailea Joy who is 9 in June and Kaelys Nabaahi Zhoon, 6, our beautiful little Navajo warrior, and finally (after nine years) our little Daniel Bitalio who is three. Without question, my children are my greatest joy, motherhood my greatest calling.
Do I work? Ha! I don't know how not to, and if the truth be told, I love to work. I started my own business in 1992, at the age of 22. I wrote a medical transcription home study course which I then put online in 1999. It has exceeded my expectations in every way. I have learned and grown so much through the process of owning and building a company. It's been a lot of fun. When I sold controlling interest in Career Step in February I had 110 employees and more than 15,000 students from all around the world. My problem is that I enjoy working so much, I've ventured off into another couple projects, MyExpertSolution and Design It Boutique. And I still help out at Career Step whenever they need me.
I love history. I love to read. I really love to read historical fiction (put the two together!). We puzzle. A lot. More than we should probably admit to. Just about any time you come to our home, there is a puzzle at some stage of completion or one table or another.
Going to Europe last fall with my family was absolutely magical. We stayed at a 400 year old manor house in the English countryside and then took a cruise throughout Scandanavia and Russia. Wonderfully magical.
We also spend time together in Alaska as a family. I get butterflies just thinking about it. The whales. The otters, eagles, and seals. The beauty and majesty of the surroundings.
I am 6th generation Mormon on three of four grandparent lines. I had a number of ancestors join the church in 1830 and emigrate with the Saints at every stage of church history. My family includes Pratts and Tanners, Passeys and Webbs. If you've ever been to Nauvoo and visited the Blacksmith Shop, that was my great-great-great grandfathers. He and his brother built a number of the wagons which brought the Saints to Salt Lake. I'm grateful for my membership in the church, and I'm grateful to my ancestors for passing it on to me. To be born in the gospel, in this dispensation, in this Country with the freedom we enjoy, seems like all the best that the world could ever offer. Especially having traveled in 3rd world countries. Shirsten and I spent last April in Ghana, where we visited an orphanage and helped to build a medical clinic. It was a life-altering experience, which I hope to pursue many more of in the future.

May Spotlight

Rita MacCabe

I came into the world the fifth of seven children in Logan, Utah, in the old hospital across from the temple. We moved to Vernal, Utah about six months later, and after three years there we moved to northern California, where I spent most of my youth. We first lived in Grass Valley, an old gold mining town, and then Red Bluff, a cow town on the Sacramento River, surrounded by orchards of peaches, plums, nuts, grapefruit and oranges.

After I graduated from high school, I came to BYU where I graduated with a degree in English/Teaching and eventually met Bret. We just celebrated our 23rd anniversary. We have six children: a married daughter, Stacy, who lives in Rexburg with her husband, Sam Robbins; a son, Cody, who is on a mission in Japan; Bryce, who will be a Senior this year; Devan, 15; Quinton, soon to be a Deacon; and Terese, 10. We will become grandparents this October.

We have lived many places during our married lives. We lived in Ketchikan, Alaska when we first got married. We lived in Juneau, Alaska (1995-1996) while Bret studied to get his Master’s. Then we moved to Idaho for six years (1999-2005) while Bret worked on his doctorate. We lived the first three years in Pocatello and the next three in Rexburg. We returned to Salem in 2005 for Bret to take a job with Provo School District as a Special Education Specialist/Technology Specialist. He travels throughout the district fixing computers, training teachers, and helping with the needs of the Special Education students/parents/teachers.



I currently serve as the secretary in the Primary in Salem 2nd Ward. My hobbies include reading, learning about other countries and cultures, gardening, playing the piano and organ, doing family history, hiking, and quilting. I enjoy bird watching and traveling to new places. My greatest joys are spending time with my family (especially Bret) and watching my children grow up in the gospel.

Mexican Pasta

by Tami Dietz

¾ lb. Spiral shaped, penne or bow-tie pasta
1/3 c. finely chopped onions
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tbsp. oil
1 15-oz. can black beans, rinsed & drained
1 10-oz. can mild enchilada sauce
¼ c. sour cream
1 jalepeno, chopped (optional)
Grated cheese
2 green onions, sliced thin

Cook pasta according to package directions. In a saucepan, cook onion & garlic in oil till softened. Add black beans, enchilada sauce & jalepeno. Simmer gently until thickened (about 6 minutes). Remove from heat; add sour cream. Salt to taste. Add to drained pasta; serve & sprinkle cheese and green onions over top.

Strawberry Spinach Salad

by Tami Dietz

2 pkg (bunches) spinach
Quart of strawberries

Sugared almonds:
¾ c. slivered almonds
1/3 c. sugar
little water
Toast on stove (low) for about 15 minutes.

Dressing:
¼ c. vinegar
½ tsp salt
¾ c. sugar
½ c. oil
1/3 c. strawberry jam
2 tsp poppy seeds
Pour dressing over salad and mix. (This recipe makes a lot of dressing, so don't use it all. Pour a little and mix until you like the amount)

Coconut Curry Red Lentil Soup by Kim Holman

Makes 2 large or 4 small servings
If you like Indian food, this is awesome!!

1 small onion, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 small yam, cubed
1 small potato cubed
2 cups vegetable stock
1/2 cup dried red lentils
1 tbsp curry paste
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 14-oz can coconut milk
1/4 cup fresh cilantro

In a medium soup pot on medium heat, sauté the onions in oil until translucent. Add the garlic and celery and sauté for an additional 5 minutes. Add the yams, potatoes, stock, lentils, curry paste, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat. Simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked. Stir in the coconut milk with a hand blender or food processor, blend half or all of the soup until smooth (be careful when blending hot liquids). Return to pot, stir in the cilantro, and serve.

March Spotlight

Annie Freeman

I was born in Las Vegas, NV where my mom and dad adopted me when I was 6 days old. I grew up in Reno, NV. I have one brother who was also adopted and is 4 years older than me. Between the ages of 5 and 13 my parents took our family backpacking each summer. These were our vacations, but they were also experiences that helped to teach me life skills. I have very fond memories of those backpacking trips.

I met Daniel in Reno when his family moved into our ward. We are high school sweethearts and will be married for 12 years this month. We have lived in many places from West Valley to Annabella and decided that we like it in the middle right here in Salem. We have lived in Salem for 7 years. We have 3 children; Maddy 11, Emily 8, Ben 6. I love being a mother. We are very blessed to have 3 healthy children. Dan and I would have liked to of had more but that was not possible due to the severe life threatening toxemia I experienced with each of my pregnancies.

Most of you know that Dan and I own Quiet Creek Construction. Daniel is a general contractor and I manage the office. We have built 3 of our own homes and have really enjoyed working on those projects together as a family. I am currently attending Provo College to become a Massage Therapist. I am so excited about this new skill I am developing. I look forward to helping others heal through massage. I don’t have much spare time these days, but when I do I love to hang out with my family. We love to play board games and watch movies. Dan and I enjoy shooting clay pigeons, improving our home and gardening together. I love basketball, scrapbooking, and having my friends come over for lunch. I also enjoy cooking and trying new and exciting dishes. I love to cook for others. Some of my favorite memories are sitting around the dinner table talking after a fabulous meal.

Lentil, Tomato, and Potato Stew by Kim Holman

Lentil, Tomato, and Potato Stew
Yield:6 main-dish servings
Great with crusty bread!!

3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp dry sherry
1 yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
6 cups vegetable stock
1 cup dried lentils
2 bay leaves
1 tbsp dried basil
1 can (16oz) whole tomatoes, chopped with juice
1/2 cup minced fresh Italian parsley
1/2 tsp salt
several grinds black pepper
1 tbsp fresh-squeezed lemon juice
6 lemon wedges

In a large stockpot, heat the oil and sherry over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, stir to coat, and cook for several minutes, until the onion is translucent. Add the stock, lentils, bay leaves, and basil. Increase the heat to high, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-high and cook for 30 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, along with their liquid, and the potatoes. Continue to cook for about 15 minutes,until the potatoes and lentils are tender. Stir in the parsley, salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Serve piping hot, with lemon wedges on the side.

February Presidency Message

The Holy Ghost is the greatest gift God has given us to go through this earthly experience.
The prophet Joseph Fielding Smith gives us a great description of the 3rd member of the Godhead. ”The Holy Ghost is a Personage of Spirit who is in the likeness of God the Father and His Son. His mission is to instruct and enlighten the minds of those who, through their faithfulness have obeyed the commandments of the Father and the Son. He bears witness of the truth, quickens the minds of those who have made covenants and reveals to them the mysteries of the kingdom of God. He is a special messenger from the Father and the Son and carries out their will."
The Holy Ghost brings us to our fullest potential.
“The gift of the Holy Ghost adapts itself to all these organs or attributes. It quickens all the intellectual faculties, it increases, enlarges, expands and purifies all the natural passions and affections; and adapts them, by the gift of wisdom, to their lawful use. It inspires ,develops, cultivates sympathies, joys, tastes, kindred feelings and affections. It inspires virtue, kindness, goodness, gentleness and charity. It develops beauty of person, form and features. It tends to health, vigor, animation, and social feeling. It invigorates all the faculties of the physical and intellectual man. It strengthens and gives tone to the nerves. In short, it is as it were, marrow to the bone, joy to the heart, light to the eyes, music to the ears, and life to the whole being. In the presence of such a person one feels to enjoy the light of their countenance. Their very atmosphere diffuses a thrill, a warm glow of pure gladness and sympathy to the heart and nerves of others who have kindred feelings, or likeness of spirit.” The Life and Teachings of Jesus and His Apostles pg. 167
What must we do to qualify for and keep companionship of the Holy Ghost?
1- Have Faith, Repentance, Baptism by Immersion, Laying on of Hands for the gift of the Gift of the Holy Ghost.
2-Keep the commandments and live worthy.
3-Have a burning desire to have the gift.
4-Pray for that spirit to be with you, plead with God for it daily.
5-Ponder and Feast upon the words of Christ.
6-Discern the voice of the spirit. Be still and listen.
7-Act upon the Promptings.
As the challenges in the world around us increase, we must commit to do more to qualify for the companionship of the Holy Ghost. Casual prayer won’t be enough. Reading a few verses of the scriptures won’t be enough. Doing the minimum of what the Lord asks of us won’t be enough. Hoping that we will perhaps feel the influence of the Holy Ghost won’t be enough. We must set the bar higher. Only steady, ever-increasing effort will allow the Lord to take us higher.

February Spotlight

(Click on picture to enlarge)

Aylene Christensen
The three pictures are: Me as a cheerleader my junior year of highschool, celebrating Lynn’s 80th birthday on May 15, 2007, and our wedding day in the Salt Lake Temple on October 15, 1946.

We will have our 63rd Wedding Anniversary this fall so I can tell a Valentine love story here – and it has all happened is Salem, UT.

To spotlight myself I must include Lynn for he has been my life all these years.

After our marriage we were given four wonderful, bright, ambitious children. All who continue to bring joy and happiness to us. We love how they have chosen to live their lives and to raise our 20 grandchildren and our 20 (plus, plus) great grand children.

All of our children and Lynn even, went to BYU. They all graduated from the Y and even higher education. Lynn just got a year of the Y when his father so needed him to be a full time farmer. So…when our four were all in school I attended BYU in their nursing program. I worked in nursing for 25 years, retiring from IHC Hospital Clinic. My education in nursing has been used daily since.

Lynn and I served a 1 ½ year mission at the Orlando Temple. We loved it! We had spent some 5-6 years at the Provo Temple and loved that. Orlando Temple required for us to learn the ordinances in Spanish which was like a miracle, but it happened! We loved the people and the near 30 other missionaries there with us. They come to our home each year and we are surprised by others that come like our Mission President and his wife who come often from Georgia. Also dear friends from Florida. After coming back home we served one year at the MTC in the Interpretation Service. It was so beautiful working with and being around about 4,000 missionaries daily. I worked with the Asian missionaries and Lynn was with those from the European countries.

It was in 2000 that Lynn was thrown down with a bad heart problem and then Parkinsons disease followed. So for the last two plus years we are home 24/7 and loving every minute of it, that we can be here with each other.

When our children were away in college or away on missions Lynn and I had other children that came to live with us. Our Stake President some years before had asked for homes where children who had come from Nicaragua with their mothers, who couldn’t afford a place large enough to keep the whole family, could place a child. We took in a 16 year old boy who stayed with us for the school year. He never spoke a word of English but he loved being in America. A mother who had cancer and went through an operation that kept her down for weeks had three children ages 5, 7 and 9. They lived with us for about two months. They were not LDS and they loved family home evening each Monday. A lovely elderly lady whose only son lived so far away that she came to live with us. I met her at the ‘family extraction center’ (genealogy center). She lived with us until her death. A high school teacher came to us and asked, “Would you like another daughter?” A 16 year old in rehab at Payson Hospital. The state refused to let her live at home…we took her. She was into drugs and smoking. She told us she couldn’t even remember her sophomore year at school. She was a sweet heart. She quit her smoking when she entered our home and has been free from it since. She loved having Lynn for a father. She helped in the home. She studied hard. She graduated from high school and continued her education to become a forest ranger. The last visit from her she was happy and working hard. (It’s a long story.)

To sum it all up, when I was 15 years old I met this quiet, intelligent, dry witted, fun personality who was one foot taller that I and near 100 lbs heavier but Oh! So good looking that my younger years were filled with happiness. Lynn was active in the church and he honored his priesthood. I loved that about him. Yes! 63 years together soon but there were four years before even the marriage that were so enjoyed plus all the eternities to come!

We’ve traveled the world over thanks to our daughter who was with Delta Airlines. We traveled free and mostly first class if the seats were available otherwise…back to the back of the plane, but free!

Lynn wants for me to tell that I was a cheerleader in high school. Our skirts (no slacks or shorts) were below the knee—no dancing and no acting. We were just to lead the excited crowd in our different cheers. We were for sure “cheer” leaders and it was great to get the crowd cheering for our winning team. I loved it!

January Presidency Message

President Thomas S. Monson has issued this invitation to those who have struggled with their church activity: "Come back. We reach out to you in the pure love of Christ and express our desire to assist you and to welcome you into full fellowship. To those who are wounded in spirit or who are struggling and fearful, we say, Let us lift you and cheer you and calm your fears."In the Book of Mormon, we read of our Savior's similar invitation in 2 Nephi 26:33: "He (Jesus Christ) inviteth them all to come unto him and partake of his goodness; and he denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female; and he remembereth the heathen; and all are alike unto God, both Jew and Gentile."As members of Christ's church, we have a responsibility to reach out in fellowship to those around us. We need to be welcoming, friendly, and full of love towards not only our relatives and close friends, but to everyone, no matter how different in appearance, or background. President Monson expects it of us - and so does the Savior.We each have our own ways of expressing our love. It could be a smile, or a handshake, or a plate of cookies. It doesn't matter how we do it, as long as we do it!When President Monson was asked what he wanted the members of the Church to give him for his birthday, he answered:"Find someone who is having a hard time, ... and do something for them."May we be individuals, families, and neighbors who do this daily and so often that it becomes part of our very nature. In this way we will do our part to bring to pass Zion.

January Spotlight

My name is Karen Taylor. I was born on a marine corps air station in Cherry Point, NC in 1967. We moved to Minnesota when I was 4 and I got my first pony that same year. My mom, brother, sister and I were baptized in Salt Lake City the year that I turned 8. My hobbies back then were horseback riding through the forests and reading books. I attended Ricks College and then transferred to BYU where I finally settled on a degree that would allow me to be home and raise a family. (I started with geology went to archaeology and settled with a dual major in education and family science.) My second year at BYU I watched a guy give some girls a friendly hug and invite them into his apartment. I decided to meet this guy. Later that evening we met to divide the apartments into family home evening groups and I found myself in the same group as this guy I saw. I learned his name and about 8 months later we were married. We lived in Provo for a few years then Spanish Fork and finally we moved to Salem about 7 years ago. I have four great children who keep me pretty busy! My hobbies have changed a bit over the years, I still read a lot (which led to a part time job at the library) and now I quilt and sew (mostly to be able to talk with my mother and sister). I have also taken up road biking which gave me a nice long scar under my chin from a crash this last summer! It is sure a lot of fun!

Coconut Macaroon Goodie

from the kitchen of Aylene Christensen

1 Can Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 pkg Coconut
3 Tbsp flour

Mix flour and milk together then add coconut and mix well. Drop by spoonfulls onto greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 15-16 min. Makes 12 large cookies.

December Spotlight

Kim Black Olsen was born way back when the wheel was first invented in the small town of Soda Springs, Idaho. When she was 6 weeks old, her brave mother boarded a train with a new babe in arms and a 12month old son and headed to Kansas City, Missouri to reunite with her father who was attending dental school in Missouri. At the age of 4, Kim’s family moved to Orem, Utah where Kim grew up and attended school. She was active in sports as a youth, excelling in swimming and track. Kim received her LPN from the now extinct Provo Technical College and has worked in healthcare marketing and administration for over 30 years with a 3 year stint working in the funeral industry. She married Todd Olsen in June of 1987 and together they are delighted to count 10 children and 12 grandchildren. After looking to buy a home in northern Utah County for six months, the realtor suggested they look at a home in Salem. Kim said “we are wasting our time; I am not going to move that far south”! Needless to say, we walked through the home and both Todd and Kim said “we’ll take it’. We truly believe we were meant to live in the Salem 2nd Ward and be blessed with such marvelous neighbors and friends. Her favorite hobbies are hiking Goblin Valley, scuba diving in Maui, playing board games with our kids, spoiling the grandkids and shopping for shoes. Kim absolutely loves the Primary kids and the amazing, talented, fantastic, beautiful young women in this ward.

December Presidency Message

During the Christmas season thoughts of gifts fill our minds. Usually those thoughts revolve around temporal gifts, but as always, if we pause for a moment our minds turn to the reason we celebrate this season – God’s gift of love to His children.
Because our Heavenly Father is perfect, all of His gifts to us are perfect. He has given us everything we need – nothing has been forgotten or overlooked. Also, because He knows us better than even we know ourselves, each of His gifts are perfect for us. Among the greatest of His gifts is the gift of love. Because Heavenly Father and His love for us are infinite and eternal, we often cannot begin to comprehend how He can love each of us and love us so much. It can be easy to say to ourselves, “He doesn’t love me as much as He loves someone else,” or “I don’t deserve His love.” His love for us is there whether we believe we deserve it or not. Our capacity as women to love and to have that capacity to love increase is a small glimpse of God’s ability to love infinitely and without condition.
The greatest gift of God’s love to all of His children who ever have and ever live on the earth is His son Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is real and His love for us is real. Prophets throughout the ages have testified of Him. (Isaiah 53, 2 Nephi 2, 2 Nephi 31:5-12, Alma 7:10-15, D&C 76:22-24, D&C 110:3-4 are some of my favorites.) “He was the Great Jehovah of the Old Testament, the Messiah of the New. Under the direction of His Father he was creator of the Earth” (The Living Christ). He was baptized and lived and served perfectly to show us the way and He suffered in Gethsemane and at Calvary to atone for our sins. “His was a great vicarious gift in behalf of all who would ever live upon the earth” (The Living Christ).
The question for us is, “Are we going to fully accept the incomprehensible gift of God’s love and the atonement of our Savior Jesus Christ.” These gifts are perfect, they have already been given and they are enough. They are exactly what each of us needs!

November Presidency Message

Look for a moment at your hands. Your hands have done and will continue to do many great and wonderful things. The Lord has given us our hands to do His work -- our hands are His hands. I echo the words of Relief Society General President Julie Beck when she said, “We rejoice in the knowledge that you are going about doing good as the Savior did. You are doing a magnificent work. Yet we feel impressed to say there is more to be done. It is time for Relief Society to fulfill its purpose as never before. What is that purpose? “…to organize, teach and inspire His daughters to prepare them for the blessings of Eternal Life.” The Lord loves each of us individually and He wants each of us to return to live with Him forever. Making and keeping sacred ordinances and covenants in His holy temple enables us to return to the presence of our Father and to gain eternal exaltation. To accomplish His purposes, we need to move forward, our hands reaching out to the sisters in our ward as never before. Each of us must increase our faith and personal righteousness, strengthen our homes and families, and serve the Lord and His children. We have a great desire to share the happiness the gospel brings into our lives with the sisters who are not meeting with us regularly. There are also sisters around us who appear to be doing just fine, but who are in need and are desperately praying for help. The Savior needs us to help answer their prayers. President Dieter F. Uchtdorf said, “Let us open our eyes and see the heavy hearts, the loneliness and despair, let us feel the silent prayers of others around us and let us be an instrument in the hands of the Lord to answer those prayers...In the end, the number of prayers we say may add to our happiness, but the number of prayers we answer may be of even greater importance.” It will take all of us, all of our hands, praying, receiving inspiration from the Holy Spirit and acting on those promptings to help the Lord answer the prayers of His daughters and help prepare them to receive the blessings of eternal life.

Black Bean 'n' Pumpkin Chili

from the kitchen of Annie Freeman

1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium sweet yellow pepper, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups chicken broth
2 cans (15 ounces each) black beans, rinsed and drained
2 1/2 cups cubed cooked turkey
1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained.

2 teaspoons dried parsely flakes
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt

In a large skillet, saute the onion, yellow pepper and garlic in oil until tender. Transfer to a 5-qt. slow cooker; stir in the remaining ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours or until heated through. Yield:10 servings (2 1/2 quarts).

Nutrition Facts: 1 cup equals 192 calories, 5 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 28 mg cholesterol, 658 mg sodium, 21 g carbohydrate, 7 g fiber, 16 g protein. Diabetic exchanges: 2 very lean meat, 1-1/2 starch, 1/2 fat.

Notes: I used chicken instead of turkey because I never have turkey on hand. I also added a little brown sugar, because it always makes everything taste better. I doubled the recipe for the party and cooked it on the stove top on really low heat for about 5 hours. It worked great. The recipe also says that it freezes well.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

from the kitchen of Karen Taylor

2 cubes butter
2 C sugar
2 eggs
1 large can pumpkin

1 C white flour
2 C wheat flour
1 C oatmeal flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 tsp nutmeg
4 tsp cinnamon
1 bag chocolate chips

Mix together, drop on greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 15 minutes.

November Spotlight

I’m Darcy Moody. I’ve lived in the Salem 2nd Ward for almost 2 ½ years now. I grew up in Springville and lived there for the most part, until I found this wonderful place called Salem. I’m the youngest of 5 children: 4 girls and 1 boy, and love spending time with family. My mother owned and ran a catering business until I was 19 years old. Some of my fondest memories live in that giant kitchen. I don’t know what I loved most, the smells, the tastes, the noise, the wonderful people or the big stainless steel bowls that I would sit in and spin on the floor for hours. My 2 wonderful grandmothers were a big part of my life. My maternal grandmother lived in the apartment above the catering, and later lived with us after the catering was sold. I feel very blessed to have had them in my life
I met my sweet husband Scott when I was a senior in high school. It was love at first sight . Literally! I saw him playing basketball and that was it. I went home and told my mom that I saw the guy I was going to marry, and what do you know, I did. After Scott’s mission, we married and were sent the 3 most wonderful children in the world, Abe, Lucy and Jude. We own run Suggestions Salon in Orem and love it most of the time. It can be a little tricky keeping 56 girls happy at all times but I do my best to keep everyone smiling.
I love traveling, cooking and the Salem 2nd Ward primary. I love love love, my husband and my sweet sweet kids and my mom who bring me more joy than a girl could ask for.

Cub Scout Shirts

Sister Nedra Hanks is looking for used Cub Scout shirts for scouts that are unable to purchase their own.

If you have any please contact her at: 801-423-1604

October Spotlight

Sister Jill Swenson:

Jill was born September 22, 1959 to Max and Gay Wallentine, in Ithaca, New York.
She is 4th in line in a large family of 9 children. She grew up on a small farm where she helped raise sheep. She moved to Salem when she was 9 years old. After High School she attended Brigham Young University, where she majored in Interior Design. This is where she met her sweetheart Lyle. They have been married 29 years. During High School and College, she worked for Far West Bank, where she was the Assistant Manager. She and Lyle first settled in Spanish Fork but with much persuasion, she convinced him that Salem was the best place on earth! They have lived here for 22 years and have loved every minute. She has spent most of her time raising 5 children who are the love of her life, 2 boys and 3 girls, and serving in the church. Her first grandchild is coming in February and it’s a boy!!! The whole family is very excited for this big event because this will be the first grandchild in both families. (I think he will be a little spoiled.)


She enjoys being with her family, decorating, gardening and just getting her hands in the dirt, exercising, traveling the world, singing and music of all kinds, especially Classical. She loves reading, and spending time enjoying the beauty that God has created. She would much rather be outside working than inside.


Her summer project was helping her husband build a cabin in Fairview. She has learned many new building skills like laying tile, putting up wood walls, and how important it is to measure exactly and not hit your fingers with the hammer!


Her favorite season is Fall. Things that frustrate her are growing old and not moving as fast as she would like too and not retaining things in her memory. Her fears are public speaking and driving in snow storms. She is organized, determined, and generally a very happy person. Her dreams are to one day sing with the Tabernacle Choir, work in the temple and serve a mission with her husband. Her favorite scripture is: D.C. 6:36 “Look to the Lord in every thought, doubt not, fear not.” It is one that is short enough to memorize. She loves the women of this ward and is excited to serve with them in the greatest women’s organization in the world, the Relief Society.

July Presidency Message

In the Relief Society Auxiliary Training in March, Sis. Julie Beck encouraged us to read and ponder the parable of the Good Samaritan as a pattern of how to provide relief. Since we are all members of Relief Society I would like to extend that invitation to all of us in the Salem 2nd Ward.
The parable of the Good Samaritan is found in Luke 10:25-37. We know that the Savior taught in parables so that he could teach people “exactly in proportion to [their] faith and intelligence” (Bible Dictionary, pg. 740). As I studied this parable I found the first time I read it, it was just a story. The more times I read it, and the more I pondered it, I found more meaning. The following thoughts and questions are from my study. I know you will find more in your own study.
I pondered the questions of the story. There are four – two asked by the lawyer and two asked by the Savior. I asked myself these questions before and after I studied this parable and got slightly different answers the more I understood what the Savior was trying to teach.
I pondered the characters in this story: The Savior; the lawyer; the wounded traveler; the thieves; the priest; the Levite; the Samaritan; and finally, the host of the inn. In the February, 2007, Ensign there is an article discussing the early Christians belief that this parable was a symbolism for the fall of man and the Savior’s rescue of mankind through the Atonement. They taught that the inn symbolizes the Church and the innkeeper is each of us as members of the Church who are entrusted to care for the sinner until Christ returns. What did the Samaritan (or Christ) ask of the innkeeper? What did he promise him? Can this charge and these promises apply to me?
Elder M. Russell Ballard asked in his October 2001 conference address why the Savior chose the hero of this story to be a Samaritan. The Samaritans were a despised class of people to the Jews. I read this talk and asked myself, “If this parable were given today, who would the hero be? And who would the other cast of characters be? Who would I be?”
We are told at the end of the parable to “Go, and do thou likewise.” I listed the specific ways the Samaritan provided relief to the traveler. I pondered how I could improve my own efforts at helping others. This reminded me of a saying of Mother Teresa’s that Elder Oaks quoted in his last conference address. She said, “We can do no great things, only small things with great love.”
President Eyring gave a talk in the last Priesthood session entitled “Man Down” where he reminds us of our responsibility to help others. He discusses home teaching as a part of this. I read his talk and thought of ways I could improve my visiting teaching. I pondered the blessings promised as we faithfully , prayerfully, and lovingly help others . I thought of the blessings in my own life from wonderful visiting teachers and as I have been a visiting teacher. I resolved to do better .
Martin Luther King, Jr. once spoke about this parable and divided the characters into 3 philosophies: 1) What is thine is mine; 2) What is mine is mine - what is thine is thine; 3) What is mine is thine. It seemed to me that this could very easily describe the 3 different degrees of glory. I wondered how close I was to the third and highest degree.
I am so grateful for the Good Samaritans in my life and in the life of my loved ones. I am especially grateful for the Savior, the ultimate Good Samaritan. I am grateful for His teachings, His example, and His Atoning sacrifice for us all.