Author Archives: Joyce Anderson

About Joyce Anderson

Her family and friends call her the Queen of the United States...and Mom -- Joyce Anderson has been involved in LDS apologetics for over 20 years and with the Millennial Star since 2010. Since the beginning of the Covid19 pandemic she has added homeschooler to her list things she does in addition to being the butcher, baker & candlestick maker. When not schooling the children, she reads, paints, declutters, teaches primary, and is happy to share a bowl of chips & salsa with anyone who stops by.

Avoiding the Christmas Wars

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This year I’m not feeling my usual anxiety — I don’t want to say yet, maybe it will come, maybe it won’t. Who knows. I’m glad though that right now, I”m not stressing about the holidays like I usually do. That said, I’ve noticed the same holiday stories creeping into my newsfeeds and those things might give me anxiety!

I’m not linking to any particular story — no one needs clicks from me — but you know what I’m talking about:

“Saying Happy Holidays is More Inclusive than Saying Merry Christmas.”

“Bring Back Merry Christmas!”

“We Only Celebrate Christmas Here!”

“Christian Groups upset over Starbucks Holiday Cup.”

“10 People Trampled on Black Friday at a Flash Toaster Sale”

Arg! You know these headlines. You see them too. Make them stop! Continue reading →

Light the World Week One: Give as He Gave

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I can hardly believe that we are fast approaching the end of 2018,and we’re here at another holiday season. The last few years of my life and that of my family have seen many changes, new baby, new house, new ward and callings. I keep hoping things will slow down, but they don’t!

In the Church we have a new prophet, and many significant changes to how we “Latter-day Saint”. In April we said goodbye to home and visiting teaching and have been learning to serve in the higher and holier manner of ministering. Over the summer and again in Conference, Pres. Nelson asked the members of the Church to use the full name of the Church as we refer to ourselves and the Church. In October General Conference we were also introduced to the new Come Follow Me program for individuals and families and welcomed (at least everyone I know welcomed it) the change to a 2 hour church meeting schedule. Many new temples have been announced, members of the church are engaged in exciting and necessary good works all over the globe. It is truly an exciting time to be alive.

This year, as in years past, the Church is encouraging members to participate in service over the month of December as part of its “Light the World” initiative. This year December is divided up in to areas of focus for each week. In week one, the theme is, “Give As He Gave”. We are encouraged to pray and think of ways to give to others and the savior gave. Some suggestions that the Church has given are:

1. Share on social media an example of someone in your life that has been an example of Christlike service. Make sure to use the hashtag #LightTheWorld, so others can see your post.

2. Use a Giving Machine, or donate to another global cause.

3. Collect supplies for refugees.

4. Seek out a person from another culture and learn his or her story.

I hope that our readers will be inspired to serve, and then come back and share with us what you did to #LightTheWorld and how it changed you.

Pres. Nelson’s Second Challenge

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Pres. Nelson issued four challenges to the sisters in the Saturday night Women’s Session of General Conference. They are:

1. Participate in a 10 day social media fast — removing negative influences from your life, and things that cause you to have impure thoughts.

2. Read the Book of Mormon between now and the end of year (that’s 84 days as of today).

3. Establish a pattern of regular temple attendance. If you’re far from a temple study the standard works and other church materials on temples.

4. Participate fully in Relief Society.

Saturday night and over the course of Sunday, my Facebook feed filled with girlfriends signing off of social media for 10 days. But, let’s not forget the other three parts of the challenge. I wanted to focus first on the Book of Mormon reading challenge — as that is something I can do without having to rearrange life too much. Continue reading →

Stepping Stones for Generations: Thoughts on Pioneer Day

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Hymn #36, “They The Builders of the Nation” is one of my favorite hymns in our green hymn book. I actually like it more than “Come, Come Ye Saints“, which I like too, but not as much. As I was listening to the words of Builders the other day, a line in the first verse stuck out at me and has been on my mind ever since, here is the first verse, and the line in bold,

“They, the builders of the nation,
Blazing trails along the way;
Stepping-stones for generations
Were their deeds of ev’ry day.
Building new and firm foundations,
Pushing on the wild frontier,
Forging onward, ever onward,
Blessed, honored Pioneer!

“Blazing trails for generations, were their deeds of every day.” This picture collage below is of my ancestors. They came from England, Scotland, and Germany. Some of them joined the church in the early days — the 1830s, some later in the 1920s. All of them were pioneers in their own way.

This lyric made me think about those every day deeds of my ancestors. What were they? What were the every day choices they made that laid a foundation of faith for their descendants? It was things like, reading the scriptures, praying with faith, acting in faith, following the prophet even when it was very hard, dedicating their lives to the gospel of Jesus Christ, building the temple, leaving their homes in far away lands to come to America to be with the Saints, leaving their families to serve missions, having children in hard circumstances, and sacrificing what they wanted for what the Lord needed from them. None of them had very easy lives. Continue reading →