Father & Daughter Baking Day 8 Aug 2020

Our branch Young Women will have an activity during this MCO period to baking for the Fathers' Day celebration. All the young women plan to bake to all the fathers and fathers in the Puchong branch.

Today Alvin and Annabelle are planning to bake as this is a first trial preparation baking class for Annabelle before she joins the Young Women baking activity at sister Jing Jing house in the next two weeks.

First, all the ingredients are prepared: all-purpose flour, baking soda, butter, light brown sugar, eggs, chocolate chips, vanilla extract. Then Alvin starts to teach Annabelle how to bake the chocolate chips cookies step by step.

It was melting the butter.

Measuring the all-purpose flour.

Measuring the baking soda.

Mixing all the ingredients in a large bowl.

Beat till combined.

Add chocolate chips.

Drop tablespoons of batter, about 1 1/2 inches apart, onto baking sheets.

Bake, rotating sheets halfway until cookies have spread and are golden brown and soft to the touch.

Cool 5 minutes on sheets.

Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

The yummy chocolate chips cookies.

It is a fun day for both father and daughter and as a family as a whole!

Breakfast by Issac 10 Jun 2020

Due to Malaysia Government has replace the Movement Control Order (MCO) with Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) as the Covid-19 cases become lesser, the school still not allow to open yet.

Both Alvin and I has started work, thus we have no choice but leave both children Issac and Annabelle at home as they are schooling through online class with the teachers in the school.

So both of them have to cook their own breakfast and lunch sometimes if I am not free to go back home from office during lunch time. I had bought some vegetables, sausages, meats and eggs if they would like to cook anytime while they are at home.

Here is the breakfast cooked by Issac. It kind of something that both of them looking forward too, as they can try whatever recipe or dishes that they want at home.

This Covid-19 global pandemic in another way has strengthen our family bond and everyone of us has learned something new during this time.

Spiritual Wake-up Calls

In Alma 10:1-12, Amulek described his life before he was visited by an angel and his conversion to the gospel.

Amulek was a descendant of Nephi. He was hardworking man who had built substantial wealth. He was also well known and was “of no small reputation” among his many family members and friends.

However, before he met Alma, he had not been living according to the gospel truth he had been taught.

Amulek recounted how an angel instructed him to take Alma into his home and care for him. And how Amulek and others were blessed because Amulek obeyed the angel.

What can we learn from Amulek’s experience in these verses? What effect did his testimony have on those listening?

From Amulek’s experience in these verses, we can learn that When we hear and obey the Lord’s call, blessings come to us and to others. It was what happened to Amulek, when he open his heart and mind to accept the spiritual “wake-up calls” from the Lord, he accepted Alma into his home.

Alma’s influence or teachings have been a blessing to Amulek and this experience prepared Amulek to be a second witness of Alma’s message to the people of Ammonihah. In addition, Amulek’s household, families and friends too were blessed.

There was a statement by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf during October 2016 General Conference:

“Perhaps, like Amulek, you know in your heart that the Lord has ‘called [you] many times,’ but you ‘would not hear’ [see Alma 10:6].

“Nevertheless, the Lord sees in you what He saw in Amulek—the potential of a valiant servant with an important work to do and with a testimony to share. There is service that no one else can give in quite the same way. … Listen with your heart and follow the promptings of the Spirit”

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

“Learn from Alma and Amulek”

October 2016 General Conference

There are many ways the Lord can “call” to us – through a prompting from the Spirit; through a feeling; through a feeling; through a dream’ through the words of a Church leader, teacher, or parent; through being called to a Church position; through adversity; or through other ways.

One interesting verse that in this chapter is Alma 10:6

“5 Nevertheless, after all this, I never have known much of the ways of the Lord, and his ^amysteries and marvelous power. I said I never had known much of these things; but behold, I mistake, for I have seen much of his mysteries and his marvelous power; yea, even in the preservation of the lives of this people.”

“6 Nevertheless, I did harden my heart, for I was ^acalled many times and I would not ^bhear; therefore I knew concerning these things, yet I would not know; therefore I went on rebelling ^cagainst God, in the wickedness of my heart, even until the fourth day of this seventh month, which is in the tenth year of the reign of the judges.”

This actually a glimpse and something that very familiar and applicable to many of us, especially myself.

I feel that during I was called as Relief Society President and during I wanted to be released; I felt that during I knew that I needed to do something on the nurturing of the children or the education of the children but I did not do it; I felt that during struggling to kneel down and pray or read the scripture, and so many seems like small occasions.

Most of the time I have been saying to myself that, “I knew that better or otherwise because I wanted to keep doing the things that I wanted to do.” I should as according President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “Listen with your heart and follow the promptings of the Spirit.”

It is indeed a spiritual wake-up calls for me that I should change like Amulek as what was recorded in Alma 10:6.

In Alma 10:13-32, many of the people in Ammonihah would not listen to Amulek’s words. Several lawyers in the crowd began to question Amulek with the intention of making him appear guilty of some crime or contradict himself.

However, Amulek detected their intentions and rebuked them. he warned them that if they did not repent of their iniquities, the Lord would smite them by famine, pestilence, and the sword.

In Alma 10:22-23, What do we learn from these verses about the influence a group of righteous people can have in a wicked city?

We learn that the important effect that the prayers of righteous had on the people of Ammonihah and there are many many upright and faithful who live all the commandments and whose lives and prayers keep Ammonihah from destruction.

Once the righteous were destroyed or removed from Ammonihah, the prayers of the righteous ceased to protect the wicked city.

Do Ye Not Remember?

Alma 9 records Alma’s efforts to teach the people of Ammonihah about their need to repent and be redeemed through the Savior, Jesus Christ. To try to help these wicked people recognize their need to repent, Alma called upon them to remember what God had done for them and for their fathers.

When reading about the way the Nephites in Ammonihah treated the Lord’s servants, it is easy to forget that they were once a gospel-living and “highly favored people of the Lord” (Alma 9:20).

In fact, part of Alma’s message to the people in Ammonihah was that because they had hardened their hearts despite being so richly blessed, their state was worse than that of the Lamanites, who sinned mostly in ignorance.

What does this contrast teach us about how God judges His children?

This contrast teach us that God expects greater obedience from those who have received the knowledge and blessings of the gospel. He Judges His children fairly.

As what Sister Sheri L. Dew, who served as a member of the Relief Society General Presidency said in October 1999 General Relief Society Meeting, titled, “We Are Women of God”:

“We are unique. We are unique because of our covenants, our spiritual privileges, and the responsibilities attached to both. We are endowed with power and gifted with the Holy Ghost. We have a living prophet to guide us, ordinances that bind us to the Lord and to each other, and the power of the priesthood in our midst. We understand where we stand in the great plan of happiness. And we know that God is our Father and that His Son is our unfailing Advocate.

“With these privileges comes great responsibility, for ‘unto whom much is given much is required’ (Doctrine and Covenants 82:3)”

As you read about the great blessings God gave the people of Nephi (see especially Alma 9:19–23), ponder the great blessings He has given you.

What are you doing to stay true to these blessings?

I have gained a brand new experience when I studied these verses, these scriptures reminds me that it is important to remember the spiritual experiences or the blessings I have had in the past.

20 Yea, after having been such a highly favored people of the Lord; yea, after having been favored above every other nation, kindred, tongue, or people; after having had all things made known unto them, according to their desires, and their faith, and prayers, of that which has been, and which is, and which is to come;

21 Having been visited by the Spirit of God; having conversed with angels, and having been spoken unto by the voice of the Lord; and having the spirit of prophecy, and the spirit of revelation, and also many gifts, the gift of speaking with tongues, and the gift of preaching, and the gift of the Holy Ghost, and the gift of translation;

22 Yea, and after having been delivered of God out of the land of Jerusalem, by the hand of the Lord; having been saved from famine, and from sickness, and all manner of diseases of every kind; and they having waxed strong in battle, that they might not be destroyed; having been brought out of bondage time after time, and having been kept and preserved until now; and they have been prospered until they are rich in all manner of things—

All these blessings that the Lord had given to me such as bring back my once broken family, get to know His true Restored Church, get to be baptized into His Church, get to seal in the temple as an eternal family, and so much blessings that the Lord have given me.

All in all I am trying my best to do the little simple things as good as possible, such as reading the scriptures according to the Come Follow Me resources, doing the best I can in my calling, attend the church sacrament meeting weekly, teach my children and remind them how great is the God is to able to bring our family back together again.

What changes do you feel you need to make?

There is something I learned from the Book of Mormon Central YouTube Come Follow Me (Insights into Alma 8–12, June 8–14) today is that:

• All the sacred ordinances which include Baptism, Sacrament and Temple Covenants are an invitation to us to remember God’s deliverance in mercy and fulfil the promises that He made with His children.
• The core messages of the Book of Mormon and the summary of our covenants and obligations with God is that:

13 Behold, do ye not remember the words which he spake unto Lehi, saying that: ^aInasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments, ye shall prosper in the land? And again it is said that: Inasmuch as ye will not keep my commandments ye shall be cut off from the presence of the Lord.

• To prosper is to have God’s presence in your life and the Sacrament is an invitation to remember the great deeds that our Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ done for us, and we recommit ourselves to offer our hearts and love to God and fully committed in the covenant path to keep the commandments.

I feel the changes that I need to make is to better prepare myself for the Sacrament meeting every week and always remember the deeds that God done for me and my family and seen His promises.

I feel that I need to communicate with God regularly through prayers even though I know that He knows what I am thinking and going through, and remember Him always through everything I do.

My Efforts to Share the Gospel May Require Persistence and Patience

God’s work will not fail. But our efforts to hep with His work sometimes seem to fail – at least, we may not immediately see the outcomes we hope for.

At times we might feel a little like Alma when he preached the gospel in Ammonihah – rejected, spit on, and cast out. Yet when an angel instructed him to go back and try again, Alma couragely “returned speedily” and God prepared the way before him.

In Alma’s case, an angel commanded him to return to Ammonnihah to preach the gospel even though the people there had already violently rejected him (Alma 8:14-16).

What do you learn from Alma’s example of sharing the gospel despite challenges and opposition?

• Alma teach us to pray fervently for the people of those whom we would like to share the gospel with in Alma 8:10:

10 Nevertheless Alma labored much in the spirit, wrestling with God in mighty prayer, that he would pour out his Spirit upon the people who were in the city; that he would also grant that he might baptize them unto repentance.

• Alma teach me to be humble and care deeply for the people in Alma 8:14:

14 And it came to pass that while he was journeying thither, being weighed down with sorrow, wading through much tribulation and anguish of soul, because of the wickedness of the people who were in the city of Ammonihah, it came to pass while Alma was thus weighed down with sorrow, behold an angel of the Lord appeared unto him, saying:

• The angel taught Alma and me to do not allow others decisions to destroy my own joy and it is my agency and others agency to choose and it is important to understand that our prayers or doings cannot overrule another person’s agency as it is the gift from Heavenly Father to all of His children.

Alma teach me despite the difficulty of the command, Alma “returned speedily to the land of Ammonihah”. President Howard W. Hunter taught that the Lord loves such obedience: “Surely the Lord loves, more than anything else, an unwavering determination to obey his counsel”

18 Now it came to pass that after Alma had received his message from the angel of the Lord he returned speedily to the land of Ammonihah. And he entered the city by another way, yea, by the way which is on the south of the city of Ammonihah.

• Alma teach me to Fast for the people. Fasting often indicates to the Lord the seriousness of our request. President James E. Faust (1920–2007) of the First Presidency taught: “At times fasting is appropriate as a strong evidence of our sincerity. … When we fast we humble our souls, which brings us more in tune with God and His holy purposes”

26 And now, Amulek, because thou hast fed me and taken me in, thou art blessed; for I was an hungered, for I had fasted many days.

• Alma teach me, I should take the Holy Spirit as my guide in Alma 8:30:

30 And Alma went forth, and also Amulek, among the people, to declare the words of God unto them; and they were filled with the Holy Ghost.

Which verses in Alma 8 increase your desire to share the gospel?

There is a verse which is significantly increase desire to share the gospel, which is at Alma 8:15, which is “ Blessed art thou, Alma; therefore, lift up thy head and rejoice, for thou hast great cause to rejoice; for thou hast been faithful in keeping the commandments of God from the time which thou receivedst thy first message from him. Behold, I am he that delivered it unto you.”

This verse teach me that if we keep God’s commandments, then we will have reason to rejoice, regardless of our circumstances. I remembered that there is a talk from Elder Jeffrey R. Holland talking about a doctrine of truth that:

“… It says again and again that we are going to be blessed for our desire to do good, even as we actually strive to be so.

Please remember tomorrow, and all the days after that, that the Lord blesses those who want to improve, who accept the need for commandments and try to keep them, who cherish Christlike virtues and strive to the best of their ability to acquire them. If you stumble in that pursuit, so does everyone; the Savior is there to help you keep going. If you fall, summon His strength. Call out like Alma, “O Jesus, … have mercy on me.”⁷ He will help you get back up. He will help you repent, repair, fix whatever you have to fix, and keep going. Soon enough you will have the success you seek.”

Tomorrow the Lord Will Do Wonders Among You

By Elder Jeffrey R. Holland

March 2016 General Conference

It is the same as when Alma trying his best to preach or minister to the people of Ammonihah, the angel said that Alma had reason to rejoice because he had been faithful in keeping the commandments of God.

What can we learn from Alma about obeying the Lord “speedily” (verse 18) even when it might be difficult?

If we respond quickly to the word of the Lord, He will help us fulfill His commandments.

Learn Seminary online with Skype

Due to the Movement Control Order (MCO) for the past few months, we were unable to attend Church and organize Church activities as well. Our Church leaders indeed dedicated and they have started to use the online technology for Virtual Scrament Meeting, Seminary Online and so on.

Here is the look of Issac for his Seminary online class today. Sister Anita is the Seminary teacher and she is really dedicated sister in serving her calling!

Youth Testimony - Sis Annabelle Yu 31 May 2020

Here is Annabelle’s testimony about the new skill that she developed during the Movement Control Order (MCO) while staying at home.

 

Even though she was not so keen about making this video, but she has trying her best preparing herself to record the whole video down. I am very proud of my daughter as well!