I have felt frustrated from time to time with my children as they are growing up. These young men don't always act like young men, or at least they don't act like I want them to act and what I often expect young men to act like. Often, I find myself wanting my boys to be as mature as fully grown men but still have have the playfulness of youth. When these boys don't act like that I find myself feeling frustrated and let down.
As I was pondering on this frequent scenario I had the inspired thought that in a very real sense, that is exactly how our Heavenly Father sees each of us. We all have some amazing potential, to become like He is. But all to often we don't act like those amazing gods and goddesses that we could be. Most of the time we act like spoiled children who are not happy that we are not getting our way in life.
Then I realized that we are, spiritually speaking, still in our infancy. If we can imagine the life experiences of a newborn infant through about the age of 2, we can see very interesting parallels to our growth and development. Here are a few examples:
1. A newborn baby doesn't do much except eat and sleep. These individuals are capable of becoming many important things (teachers, gymnasts, presidents, astronauts, etc.) but they don't really seem to be making much progress in any of these directions. In fact, the babies seem content to eat, sleep and cuddle and don't give much thought to their futures. AND, we don't expect them to! As we watch them we know that they will eventually grow up to be amazing individuals but we enjoy them in their infant state.
However, as adults we don't view each other spiritually in the same way. All of us are just getting started in this mortal state but spiritually we are very young and growing. We have amazing potential and some of us are not doing very much with that potential. We are content to just go about our daily lives just covering the basic needs of life. One day we will mature and grow into our potential but right now we get very frustrated with each other for not making that progress now.
2. As the babies grow into toddlers they learn to roll and eventually how to crawl. We watch them in fascination as they make progress. We get excited with each new level of moment that they master. We encourage them and take pictures and videos of each moment because we are so proud of what they can do. However, none of us would think about getting mad at this child and telling them how slow they are. We don't yell at them for not even trying to walk, let alone run sprints for the track team. We don't even have that expectation.
As adults, we don't allow each other this same opportunity spiritually. We expect every adult (especially other members of the church) to be able to "sprint" spiritually. There is an expectation that each adult will participate in every activity, contribute their time, talent and resources for any need. That they will accept any calling just because it is extended to them. We don't stop to celebrate that these same members may still be learning to roll over and crawl (spiritually speaking).
3. When the child first begins to walk they make lots of mistakes and fall repeatedly. They start to walk with the help of parents and other older siblings holding their hands and supporting them. Then they will start walking, but only along the couch or next to a walk or anywhere they can use a solid surface for support. Finally, they venture into the free space and will fall over many times as they learn to get their balance. As adults we love these first steps and celebrate them. When a child falls we immediately help them back up and encourage them to try again.
When adults fall spiritually, when they make serious mistakes, we tend to be much less forgiving of each other. We get offended and hold grudges. We begin to look down on these people as somehow being second class citizens because of their mistakes. And even though we believe in repentance and forgiveness, somehow it doesn't really wipe away all of the sin. There are stains left that somehow taint the person. But the reality is that from Heavenly Father's perspective, we are just learning to walk spiritually. And part of our learning process in mortality is learning how to see others as Heavenly Father sees them. They are just learning to walk and they are going to make mistakes and fall. Some will fall harder than others but we should be there to help pick them back up and encourage them to take the next steps, whatever they are.
This idea that we are growing spiritually is not new and I've heard it many times. But this time is has been more impactful because I realize how much I don't look at others as Heavenly Father does. I look at others (especially my own children) as fully grown and mature adults and I expect them to act as such. But they are not fully grown and mature adults (at least not spiritually, yet) and I need to realize that they are still working through this growth process. Instead of berating them for making mistakes I need to help them get back up and try again. And this is an area that will take some concentrated effort on my part, with the help of my Heavenly Father, to improve.
Wednesday, November 27, 2019
Sunday, September 29, 2013
About The Fourth Watch He Cometh Unto Them
One of the biggest challenges in life for me is not getting an immediate answer to an honest and heartfelt prayer. It seems like there are times when I can pray and pray and not seem to receive an answer. But when the prayers are related to an exceptionally difficult challenge the apparent lack of response can be disheartening.
I have often wondered why a loving Heavenly Father would intentionally ignore my petition. Or what I may have done to disqualify myself from hearing the soft whispering of the Holy Ghost, somehow missing the crucial answer being sent to me. As I have pondered why I wasn't getting the important direction and inspiration I cam across a thought that has changed some of my thinking.
Michael Wilcox gave some interesting insights in his book "When Your Prayers Seem Unanswered". In the book he pointed me to an event in the New Testament that showed me that I'm not alone when my heavenly petitions seem to go unanswered.
The story is found in the book of Mark when Jesus calms the sea (Mark 6:45-51). After feeding 5,000 miraculously Jesus sends his disciples across the sea while He takes some time to pray. That night a storm arose and His disciples were caught in the sea, unable to get to land. After struggling all night Jesus comes to them, walking on the sea, and calms the storm. This miracle shows that Jesus not only loved His disciples but that he is master of earth and skies.
However, the lesson came to me as I read Mark 6:46: "And he saw them atoiling in rowing; for the wind was contrary unto them: and about the fourth watch of the night he cometh unto them, walking upon the sea, and would have passed by them." While Jesus loved His disciples He didn't come unto them until the fourth watch (between 3:00 - 6:00 a.m.). Jesus saw them struggling and yet He waiting before showing forth His awesome power.
This miraculous event gives us a clear example that not all of our prayers and petitions to Him will be answered immediately. For reasons we will not know until later, there are times that our loving Heavenly Father is going to let us struggle through the trial. There may be lessons we need to learn, experiences we need to appreciate His answer, or faith we need to exercise before He will show is awesome power in our lives. The delay is not because He doesn't love us or He has abandoned us. These delays are precisely because He loves us and wants us to learn from our experiences.
I'm not going to lie, there are a lot of times I wish He would answer my prayers in the first or second watch and not wait until the fourth watch. But our all wise and knowing Heavenly Father does things on His timetable, when it is right and not when I want it. The struggles are still just as difficult but it helps me to know that He will always watch over me and will be there before my boat sinks, to calm the storm and make things right for me.
I have often wondered why a loving Heavenly Father would intentionally ignore my petition. Or what I may have done to disqualify myself from hearing the soft whispering of the Holy Ghost, somehow missing the crucial answer being sent to me. As I have pondered why I wasn't getting the important direction and inspiration I cam across a thought that has changed some of my thinking.
Michael Wilcox gave some interesting insights in his book "When Your Prayers Seem Unanswered". In the book he pointed me to an event in the New Testament that showed me that I'm not alone when my heavenly petitions seem to go unanswered.
The story is found in the book of Mark when Jesus calms the sea (Mark 6:45-51). After feeding 5,000 miraculously Jesus sends his disciples across the sea while He takes some time to pray. That night a storm arose and His disciples were caught in the sea, unable to get to land. After struggling all night Jesus comes to them, walking on the sea, and calms the storm. This miracle shows that Jesus not only loved His disciples but that he is master of earth and skies.
However, the lesson came to me as I read Mark 6:46: "And he saw them atoiling in rowing; for the wind was contrary unto them: and about the fourth watch of the night he cometh unto them, walking upon the sea, and would have passed by them." While Jesus loved His disciples He didn't come unto them until the fourth watch (between 3:00 - 6:00 a.m.). Jesus saw them struggling and yet He waiting before showing forth His awesome power.
This miraculous event gives us a clear example that not all of our prayers and petitions to Him will be answered immediately. For reasons we will not know until later, there are times that our loving Heavenly Father is going to let us struggle through the trial. There may be lessons we need to learn, experiences we need to appreciate His answer, or faith we need to exercise before He will show is awesome power in our lives. The delay is not because He doesn't love us or He has abandoned us. These delays are precisely because He loves us and wants us to learn from our experiences.
I'm not going to lie, there are a lot of times I wish He would answer my prayers in the first or second watch and not wait until the fourth watch. But our all wise and knowing Heavenly Father does things on His timetable, when it is right and not when I want it. The struggles are still just as difficult but it helps me to know that He will always watch over me and will be there before my boat sinks, to calm the storm and make things right for me.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Rasing Youth to Hold the Priesthood
by Michelle Jones
I am humbled to have the opportunity to speak on such a wonderful day. We are in the midst of amazing fathers of all fashions. The fathers of our families, home teachers, the bishop, the stake patriarch, elders quorum president, high priest group leader (actually he is not back in town yet from adventure camp) even all priesthood bearers. It is that priesthood power I was asked to speak on, and more specifically How to prepare young boys to hold and use the priesthood power. I suppose I can see why the bishop thought I would be a good candidate for this topic do to the distinct male presents in our home.
In order to prepare boys for the priesthood, it is important to know what the priesthood is and how it’s used so they will know what to do with it when they get it.
In the last General Conference President Packer said, (and I quote) “Priesthood is the authority and the power which God has granted to men on earth to act for Him. When priesthood authority is exercised properly, priesthood bearers do what He would do if He were present” (end of quote). That is the what.
Now for how it’s used. It’s used to heal the sick, for blessings of comfort or direction, specifically patriarchal blessings but also baby blessings, beginning of the school year blessings, before going off to college and living on your own, before leaving on a mission, I always receive one before delivery of a baby, we are blessed when called to new callings in the ward, and many more comfort and directional father’s blessings. The church website says, priesthood holders can be authorized to, preach the gospel, administer the ordinances of salvation, and govern the kingdom of God on earth. So missions play a big part. All saving ordinances are done through the priesthood power including baptism, confirmation, the sacrament, and temple ordinances. Even all administrative affairs of the church are governed through the priesthood down to the opening prayer and song for our sacrament meeting which was directed through the power of the priesthood by our bishop.
From the church website it reads, “the most important exercise [or use] of the priesthood takes place in the family. Each husband and father in the church should strive to be worthy to hold the Melchizedek priesthood. With his wife as an equal partner, he presides in righteousness and love, serving as the family’s spiritual leader. He leads the family in regular prayer, scripture study, and family home evening. He works with his wife to teach the children and help them prepare to receive the ordinances of salvation.” In short, it is the means by which God creates, and governs the heavens and worlds without number.
I don’t know about you but that seems like an awful lot for these young boys to learn. How do we teach them? Where do we even begin? A simple to the point answer: in the home! The best way for them to learn is to see the priesthood in action daily, and be able to participate as much as possible. This brings us back to the basics, family prayer, scripture study, family home evening and service.
These are obviously very important things to be doing because we keep coming back to them. They are known as the “primary answers”. Are we doing these regularly in our homes? If not, why? In past years our family has struggled with this. I thought for family home evening I needed to prepare this amazing lesson, complete with stories, pictures, and activity or game and an in-depth lesson that would leave the children changed for life. I have learned that kids don’t change over night. Adults don’t even change over night. We all learn little by little, line upon line. Repetition and daily practice are key factors. It is more important to keep it simple, than trying to make it profound. Let the Spirit teach. That is how we learn anyway. My husband and I know these things are important and we have a desire to follow the counsel of priesthood leaders. That is the first step. Next, how do we accomplish regular scripture study and family home evening?
It has taken years of trial and error, adjusting and readjusting, to come up with our current plan that has worked well for the past 2 years. Which no doubt, will need more adjusting as our boys grow older. I would like to share with you our current plan as an example of how to get started and hopefully save you a few years and some frustration.
I will start with scripture study. Pick a time when every member of your family can be in attendance. Ours is currently at 6:45 am. We wanted to start the day off on the right foot. Our basic outline, 6 days a week, is a handful of things: a Song, read scriptures, memorize, testimony, and family prayer.
It’s more of a family devotional than just scripture study. All of which takes 15 minutes or less. An adult’s attention span on a single subject is 8-10 minutes. We have 5 different subjects in 15 minutes to help them stay attentive.
We all learn through repetition so we do the same song and memorize the same scripture for the entire week or more if necessary. The first week we use the primary scripture and song of the month which can be found on the church website. Week 2 we memorize an article of faith and use a sacrament hymn for the song. This way they can participate in sacrament meetings because they recognize the music and can sing along. The third week we choose a scripture mastery to memorize and another song of our choice from the hymn book or children’s song book. The fourth week is left open for reviewing or catch-up because some scriptures and songs take 2 weeks to memorize.
We start with the song. Music is important. It penetrates to the heart and it is easy to feel the Spirit through music. We wanted to fill their minds with songs so if they were in troubled times it’s there to recall and comfort them. It’s very common in our home to have the boys randomly start singing through out the day. I also found it very helpful to have a song in my mind so when quarreling starts I just start singing and they usually join in. Problem solved.
After the song, each of the boys reads one verse of scripture. David is the only boy that can actually read at this point, the others repeat what we say. And then we (the parents) finish reading through 10 verses. Next, all the boys stand up in a line. We have them stand to get them to move and refocus, it’s just different than sitting, and we recite the scripture for the week, 3 times. At the beginning of the week it’s repeating every 2 words back and forth. Toward the end of the week they repeat 4-5 words and we challenge them to try saying the scripture on their own. It’s amazing how much young children can remember.
Fourth, we have an opportunity to bear testimonies. Last year we had each boy and us as well take a turn. That took too long so this year we changed it to one person per day. Right now it works out perfectly with 6, but when Quinten can talk, we’ll have to adjust. Depending on your family size, each person may get the opportunity 2-3 times per week. Right now for our children, it’s the same basic testimony they have memorized. More or less to establish a habit. With time we anticipate their testimonies growing and becoming their own, being able to expound on their own experiences and feelings.
Fifth, we all kneel together for family prayer and the blessing on the food. The one that bore testimony gets to say the family prayer.
Again, this is not long. 15 minutes max. It’s repetitious and not hard for us as parents to prepare. We do however, go to the extent to print the scripture we are memorizing for the week and tape it to the wall in our kitchen so we can randomly say it through out the day.
Family home evening is not that much different for us. We start with a song, one that goes with the lesson or the one we have been practicing. Someone says the opening prayer and we give a short lesson. Mostly, reading a story from the friend and then talking about it. If there is a game or activity that goes with the lesson then we do that. Next, we introduce the new scripture we will be memorizing for the next week and put the old one in a binder for later review. We close with a song that goes with the lesson or the new song for the coming week and a prayer.
I knew for me, if I’m to do this every day, it has to be simple. And I wanted to feel that my time, and theirs, was well spent. If I was going to put forth the effort I wanted to make sure the boys were going to benefit from it. So it’s structured to their level of learning. All of this is done under the power of the priesthood and our boys are seeing it in action daily.
The other part I mentioned was service. Something that came to my attention when preparing this talk was home teaching. Our boys are not old enough to go yet, but when Khayyam leaves does he take a few moments to tell the boys where he is going so they know and can file it away in their minds? So one day it will click, “oh, home teaching, that’s what father’s and priesthood holders do!” Or is dad just gone and a learning opportunity lost? Something we will be working on.
This also applies to visiting teaching and temple attending and all types of service. Do we, as parents, vocalize what we are doing so children can make a connection? It is also important to take them with you whenever possible, and appropriate. This is the hands-on part. Being home taught is another way children see the priesthood in action. Hopefully you home teachers are coming regularly. But if not, a quick phone call to ask them if they can come over and share a scripture will fix that. They get their home teaching done and your children see the priesthood in action. Win-win situation.
Once again, from the church website, “the most important exercise of the priesthood takes place in the family. As he leads the family in regular prayer, scripture study and family home evening.” This is how children will learn best, and get to see it in action daily. They will know how to lead and care for their own future families if we as parents do our part.
In April’s conference, President Packer said, “now fathers, I would remind you of the sacred nature of your calling. You have the power of the priesthood directly from the Lord to protect your home. There will be times when all that stands as a shield between your family and the adversaries mischief will be that power.”
When I heard that, there arose in me a greater desire and determination to do everything possible to have that shield and protection for my family. I thought why wouldn’t I want to help them stand against the adversary? I know, that once a testimony of family prayer, scripture study, family home evening and service is gained, your outlook on them changes, your heart changes, they become part of you and your daily living. A burden is lifted instead of having to do it, it becomes a get-to. Instead of asking yourself “what’s the point, they aren’t listening anyway?” And “is this really doing any good?” you will know it is doing good and that it will protect your children.
I have a testimony of the priesthood power. It has blessed and literally saved my life. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
I am humbled to have the opportunity to speak on such a wonderful day. We are in the midst of amazing fathers of all fashions. The fathers of our families, home teachers, the bishop, the stake patriarch, elders quorum president, high priest group leader (actually he is not back in town yet from adventure camp) even all priesthood bearers. It is that priesthood power I was asked to speak on, and more specifically How to prepare young boys to hold and use the priesthood power. I suppose I can see why the bishop thought I would be a good candidate for this topic do to the distinct male presents in our home.
In order to prepare boys for the priesthood, it is important to know what the priesthood is and how it’s used so they will know what to do with it when they get it.
In the last General Conference President Packer said, (and I quote) “Priesthood is the authority and the power which God has granted to men on earth to act for Him. When priesthood authority is exercised properly, priesthood bearers do what He would do if He were present” (end of quote). That is the what.
Now for how it’s used. It’s used to heal the sick, for blessings of comfort or direction, specifically patriarchal blessings but also baby blessings, beginning of the school year blessings, before going off to college and living on your own, before leaving on a mission, I always receive one before delivery of a baby, we are blessed when called to new callings in the ward, and many more comfort and directional father’s blessings. The church website says, priesthood holders can be authorized to, preach the gospel, administer the ordinances of salvation, and govern the kingdom of God on earth. So missions play a big part. All saving ordinances are done through the priesthood power including baptism, confirmation, the sacrament, and temple ordinances. Even all administrative affairs of the church are governed through the priesthood down to the opening prayer and song for our sacrament meeting which was directed through the power of the priesthood by our bishop.
From the church website it reads, “the most important exercise [or use] of the priesthood takes place in the family. Each husband and father in the church should strive to be worthy to hold the Melchizedek priesthood. With his wife as an equal partner, he presides in righteousness and love, serving as the family’s spiritual leader. He leads the family in regular prayer, scripture study, and family home evening. He works with his wife to teach the children and help them prepare to receive the ordinances of salvation.” In short, it is the means by which God creates, and governs the heavens and worlds without number.
I don’t know about you but that seems like an awful lot for these young boys to learn. How do we teach them? Where do we even begin? A simple to the point answer: in the home! The best way for them to learn is to see the priesthood in action daily, and be able to participate as much as possible. This brings us back to the basics, family prayer, scripture study, family home evening and service.
These are obviously very important things to be doing because we keep coming back to them. They are known as the “primary answers”. Are we doing these regularly in our homes? If not, why? In past years our family has struggled with this. I thought for family home evening I needed to prepare this amazing lesson, complete with stories, pictures, and activity or game and an in-depth lesson that would leave the children changed for life. I have learned that kids don’t change over night. Adults don’t even change over night. We all learn little by little, line upon line. Repetition and daily practice are key factors. It is more important to keep it simple, than trying to make it profound. Let the Spirit teach. That is how we learn anyway. My husband and I know these things are important and we have a desire to follow the counsel of priesthood leaders. That is the first step. Next, how do we accomplish regular scripture study and family home evening?
It has taken years of trial and error, adjusting and readjusting, to come up with our current plan that has worked well for the past 2 years. Which no doubt, will need more adjusting as our boys grow older. I would like to share with you our current plan as an example of how to get started and hopefully save you a few years and some frustration.
I will start with scripture study. Pick a time when every member of your family can be in attendance. Ours is currently at 6:45 am. We wanted to start the day off on the right foot. Our basic outline, 6 days a week, is a handful of things: a Song, read scriptures, memorize, testimony, and family prayer.
It’s more of a family devotional than just scripture study. All of which takes 15 minutes or less. An adult’s attention span on a single subject is 8-10 minutes. We have 5 different subjects in 15 minutes to help them stay attentive.
We all learn through repetition so we do the same song and memorize the same scripture for the entire week or more if necessary. The first week we use the primary scripture and song of the month which can be found on the church website. Week 2 we memorize an article of faith and use a sacrament hymn for the song. This way they can participate in sacrament meetings because they recognize the music and can sing along. The third week we choose a scripture mastery to memorize and another song of our choice from the hymn book or children’s song book. The fourth week is left open for reviewing or catch-up because some scriptures and songs take 2 weeks to memorize.
We start with the song. Music is important. It penetrates to the heart and it is easy to feel the Spirit through music. We wanted to fill their minds with songs so if they were in troubled times it’s there to recall and comfort them. It’s very common in our home to have the boys randomly start singing through out the day. I also found it very helpful to have a song in my mind so when quarreling starts I just start singing and they usually join in. Problem solved.
After the song, each of the boys reads one verse of scripture. David is the only boy that can actually read at this point, the others repeat what we say. And then we (the parents) finish reading through 10 verses. Next, all the boys stand up in a line. We have them stand to get them to move and refocus, it’s just different than sitting, and we recite the scripture for the week, 3 times. At the beginning of the week it’s repeating every 2 words back and forth. Toward the end of the week they repeat 4-5 words and we challenge them to try saying the scripture on their own. It’s amazing how much young children can remember.
Fourth, we have an opportunity to bear testimonies. Last year we had each boy and us as well take a turn. That took too long so this year we changed it to one person per day. Right now it works out perfectly with 6, but when Quinten can talk, we’ll have to adjust. Depending on your family size, each person may get the opportunity 2-3 times per week. Right now for our children, it’s the same basic testimony they have memorized. More or less to establish a habit. With time we anticipate their testimonies growing and becoming their own, being able to expound on their own experiences and feelings.
Fifth, we all kneel together for family prayer and the blessing on the food. The one that bore testimony gets to say the family prayer.
Again, this is not long. 15 minutes max. It’s repetitious and not hard for us as parents to prepare. We do however, go to the extent to print the scripture we are memorizing for the week and tape it to the wall in our kitchen so we can randomly say it through out the day.
Family home evening is not that much different for us. We start with a song, one that goes with the lesson or the one we have been practicing. Someone says the opening prayer and we give a short lesson. Mostly, reading a story from the friend and then talking about it. If there is a game or activity that goes with the lesson then we do that. Next, we introduce the new scripture we will be memorizing for the next week and put the old one in a binder for later review. We close with a song that goes with the lesson or the new song for the coming week and a prayer.
I knew for me, if I’m to do this every day, it has to be simple. And I wanted to feel that my time, and theirs, was well spent. If I was going to put forth the effort I wanted to make sure the boys were going to benefit from it. So it’s structured to their level of learning. All of this is done under the power of the priesthood and our boys are seeing it in action daily.
The other part I mentioned was service. Something that came to my attention when preparing this talk was home teaching. Our boys are not old enough to go yet, but when Khayyam leaves does he take a few moments to tell the boys where he is going so they know and can file it away in their minds? So one day it will click, “oh, home teaching, that’s what father’s and priesthood holders do!” Or is dad just gone and a learning opportunity lost? Something we will be working on.
This also applies to visiting teaching and temple attending and all types of service. Do we, as parents, vocalize what we are doing so children can make a connection? It is also important to take them with you whenever possible, and appropriate. This is the hands-on part. Being home taught is another way children see the priesthood in action. Hopefully you home teachers are coming regularly. But if not, a quick phone call to ask them if they can come over and share a scripture will fix that. They get their home teaching done and your children see the priesthood in action. Win-win situation.
Once again, from the church website, “the most important exercise of the priesthood takes place in the family. As he leads the family in regular prayer, scripture study and family home evening.” This is how children will learn best, and get to see it in action daily. They will know how to lead and care for their own future families if we as parents do our part.
In April’s conference, President Packer said, “now fathers, I would remind you of the sacred nature of your calling. You have the power of the priesthood directly from the Lord to protect your home. There will be times when all that stands as a shield between your family and the adversaries mischief will be that power.”
When I heard that, there arose in me a greater desire and determination to do everything possible to have that shield and protection for my family. I thought why wouldn’t I want to help them stand against the adversary? I know, that once a testimony of family prayer, scripture study, family home evening and service is gained, your outlook on them changes, your heart changes, they become part of you and your daily living. A burden is lifted instead of having to do it, it becomes a get-to. Instead of asking yourself “what’s the point, they aren’t listening anyway?” And “is this really doing any good?” you will know it is doing good and that it will protect your children.
I have a testimony of the priesthood power. It has blessed and literally saved my life. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Sunday, June 6, 2010
My Testimony
By Dave Petersen
Today, fast Sunday, has been a spiritual feast. The spirituality began during the week with lesson preparation as I studied the conference issue of the Ensign looking for an appropriate message to share with my priesthood quorum. So many good talks; but few from which to choose. I say few because the stake has already assigned certain talks for future priesthood/relief society lessons. I was left with a talk that had been assigned to a previous lesson, but not used because we never got to the talk during the lesson. The conference talk was by President Monson; Preparation Brings Blessings. Spirituality, or feeling the presences of the spirit, continued to increase as we began our fast and I finished preparations for my lesson. It continued to increase with the sacrament music and partaking of the sacrament. Our Bishop bore strong testimony of the Savior’s and Heavenly Father’s love for us. We are God’s children and He wants us to succeed. He does not leave us alone in this world, but helps us as much as we allow Him to do so. He then turned the time over to the congregation for testimony bearing.
Several bore testimony, including children. Then Karma Dale bore her testimony. It is not often a person gets to hear first hand, directly from someone who experienced it, a near death experience where they visited the other side of the veil. About two months ago Karma collapsed in her garage. After a quick priesthood blessing by her brother and son she was rushed to the hospital. There the doctors struggled to keep her alive. At first they thought she was experiencing a stroke, but they could not actually find the cause of her condition. Karma testified that while her body lay in the hospital her spirit traveled to the spirit world where she met her mother. Karma’s mother died a few years ago, advanced in age and in a very weaken and frail condition. Karma testified that her mother looked beautiful, strong and healthy. The feelings of peace and love were overwhelming. She immediately wanted to stay and rest from her mortal cares, but her mother informed her that she could not. There was much for her yet to do in mortality. She would be a positive influence to others and especially grandchildren who were now entering their mortal existence. Her mother assured her that her sacrifices in mortality were accepted by the Lord and that she was living a life in harmony with the gospel. Her mother also assured Karma that she would be there with her as she finished out her mortal existence, helping her and comforting her during her trials and times of discouragement. Karma was told she would be able to feel of her mother’s presences and know that she was there for her.
Karma then met a neighbor lady who died early in life without having the opportunity to finish raising her family. A few days before ending up in the hospital Karma had been at the prom (she is a school teacher) and had seen the daughter of this friend she met in the spirit world. The daughter does not like to be touched much but in spite of this fact Karma felt impressed to give her a hug and tell her how beautiful she looked in her prom dress. The hug was graciously received. When Karma met her neighbor in the spirit world she thanked her for hugging her daughter. She said she had been standing there also with her daughter wanting to hug and kiss her but was unable to, not having a body and separated by the veil. She thanked Karma for looking out for her daughter and asked Karma to let her daughter know her mother is actively involved in her life trying to influence her for good.
Karma bore testimony that our family members are among us, helping us in unknown ways, always encouraging and influencing us for good. We are never alone, they are there for us. They want us to succeed. The eternal family bond is far stronger than we realize or appreciate.
Another member of the ward bore strong testimony of the power of the priesthood. They had a child who through priesthood blessing was restored to health after all hope for their recovery through medical means was exhausted. She testified of the priesthood power given to men on earth to act in God’s name to heal the sick, and assured us that miracles were being performed by the priesthood today just as they were in ancient times.
These testimonies and the events of the day caused me to ponder and remember the blessings we have had as a family. My siblings will remember, and perhaps my children, but my grand children are too young to have heard or understand the sacred experiences that happened at the time my father died. My mother experienced visitations of comfort from Dad after his death. Mother, through her humble faith, received many direct promptings from the spirit giving her direction and comfort with regard to her children and her responsibilities as a mother. Her faith was strong. She had a firm understanding and knowledge of the plan of salvation. This knowledge and faith she had from the time she was a little girl. At the time of Dad’s death we as a family were given a powerful priesthood blessing from Rolf Kerr. He promised us great blessings of family unity and a willingness of us as children to help and support our mother. All he promised came to pass. I also thought of the priesthood blessing given to James and Melissa at the time of Camille’s birth and death. Most of the blessing has to do with Camille’s presence and participation with the family. All of this is consistent with the testimonies that were borne today in sacrament meeting. Family members who have passed on are yet with us. I am saddened when I think of the many times I must have disappointed my father and others who have a direct interest in me and my progression. But I know they understand and are happy and pleased when I do get it right and when I am progressing positively toward exaltation. I as a parent here on earth am no different. I get unmeasured happiness whenever my children and grandchildren live their lives in accordance with the gospel. I see happiness prevail in their lives when they do so and it is a great reward to be able to share in their happiness.
On this day of testimony bearing I want to close with my own testimony. I have had many many experiences wherein I have felt the presences of not only the spirit, but of my parents. I too have been a witness and participant in priesthood blessings that could only be considered miracles. When I am living my life in accordance with the gospel my connection to the spirit world seems constant and close. I have no doubt about the Plan of Salvation, or of the Restored Gospel. I feel abundantly blessed to have faithful parents and ancestors who care about me and love me. I am grateful to have been born in the covenant with all the blessings that birthright entails. I am grateful for a faithful and loving wife, her valiant parents, and for children who have testimonies of the gospel and who are raising their children in the gospel. These are the last days and perilous times. Because it is the last day, manifestations of the spirit are abundant for those who are in tune. We need not be afraid, as President Monson taught; Preparation Brings Blessings. God bless each of you.
Dave/Dad
Today, fast Sunday, has been a spiritual feast. The spirituality began during the week with lesson preparation as I studied the conference issue of the Ensign looking for an appropriate message to share with my priesthood quorum. So many good talks; but few from which to choose. I say few because the stake has already assigned certain talks for future priesthood/relief society lessons. I was left with a talk that had been assigned to a previous lesson, but not used because we never got to the talk during the lesson. The conference talk was by President Monson; Preparation Brings Blessings. Spirituality, or feeling the presences of the spirit, continued to increase as we began our fast and I finished preparations for my lesson. It continued to increase with the sacrament music and partaking of the sacrament. Our Bishop bore strong testimony of the Savior’s and Heavenly Father’s love for us. We are God’s children and He wants us to succeed. He does not leave us alone in this world, but helps us as much as we allow Him to do so. He then turned the time over to the congregation for testimony bearing.
Several bore testimony, including children. Then Karma Dale bore her testimony. It is not often a person gets to hear first hand, directly from someone who experienced it, a near death experience where they visited the other side of the veil. About two months ago Karma collapsed in her garage. After a quick priesthood blessing by her brother and son she was rushed to the hospital. There the doctors struggled to keep her alive. At first they thought she was experiencing a stroke, but they could not actually find the cause of her condition. Karma testified that while her body lay in the hospital her spirit traveled to the spirit world where she met her mother. Karma’s mother died a few years ago, advanced in age and in a very weaken and frail condition. Karma testified that her mother looked beautiful, strong and healthy. The feelings of peace and love were overwhelming. She immediately wanted to stay and rest from her mortal cares, but her mother informed her that she could not. There was much for her yet to do in mortality. She would be a positive influence to others and especially grandchildren who were now entering their mortal existence. Her mother assured her that her sacrifices in mortality were accepted by the Lord and that she was living a life in harmony with the gospel. Her mother also assured Karma that she would be there with her as she finished out her mortal existence, helping her and comforting her during her trials and times of discouragement. Karma was told she would be able to feel of her mother’s presences and know that she was there for her.
Karma then met a neighbor lady who died early in life without having the opportunity to finish raising her family. A few days before ending up in the hospital Karma had been at the prom (she is a school teacher) and had seen the daughter of this friend she met in the spirit world. The daughter does not like to be touched much but in spite of this fact Karma felt impressed to give her a hug and tell her how beautiful she looked in her prom dress. The hug was graciously received. When Karma met her neighbor in the spirit world she thanked her for hugging her daughter. She said she had been standing there also with her daughter wanting to hug and kiss her but was unable to, not having a body and separated by the veil. She thanked Karma for looking out for her daughter and asked Karma to let her daughter know her mother is actively involved in her life trying to influence her for good.
Karma bore testimony that our family members are among us, helping us in unknown ways, always encouraging and influencing us for good. We are never alone, they are there for us. They want us to succeed. The eternal family bond is far stronger than we realize or appreciate.
Another member of the ward bore strong testimony of the power of the priesthood. They had a child who through priesthood blessing was restored to health after all hope for their recovery through medical means was exhausted. She testified of the priesthood power given to men on earth to act in God’s name to heal the sick, and assured us that miracles were being performed by the priesthood today just as they were in ancient times.
These testimonies and the events of the day caused me to ponder and remember the blessings we have had as a family. My siblings will remember, and perhaps my children, but my grand children are too young to have heard or understand the sacred experiences that happened at the time my father died. My mother experienced visitations of comfort from Dad after his death. Mother, through her humble faith, received many direct promptings from the spirit giving her direction and comfort with regard to her children and her responsibilities as a mother. Her faith was strong. She had a firm understanding and knowledge of the plan of salvation. This knowledge and faith she had from the time she was a little girl. At the time of Dad’s death we as a family were given a powerful priesthood blessing from Rolf Kerr. He promised us great blessings of family unity and a willingness of us as children to help and support our mother. All he promised came to pass. I also thought of the priesthood blessing given to James and Melissa at the time of Camille’s birth and death. Most of the blessing has to do with Camille’s presence and participation with the family. All of this is consistent with the testimonies that were borne today in sacrament meeting. Family members who have passed on are yet with us. I am saddened when I think of the many times I must have disappointed my father and others who have a direct interest in me and my progression. But I know they understand and are happy and pleased when I do get it right and when I am progressing positively toward exaltation. I as a parent here on earth am no different. I get unmeasured happiness whenever my children and grandchildren live their lives in accordance with the gospel. I see happiness prevail in their lives when they do so and it is a great reward to be able to share in their happiness.
On this day of testimony bearing I want to close with my own testimony. I have had many many experiences wherein I have felt the presences of not only the spirit, but of my parents. I too have been a witness and participant in priesthood blessings that could only be considered miracles. When I am living my life in accordance with the gospel my connection to the spirit world seems constant and close. I have no doubt about the Plan of Salvation, or of the Restored Gospel. I feel abundantly blessed to have faithful parents and ancestors who care about me and love me. I am grateful to have been born in the covenant with all the blessings that birthright entails. I am grateful for a faithful and loving wife, her valiant parents, and for children who have testimonies of the gospel and who are raising their children in the gospel. These are the last days and perilous times. Because it is the last day, manifestations of the spirit are abundant for those who are in tune. We need not be afraid, as President Monson taught; Preparation Brings Blessings. God bless each of you.
Dave/Dad
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Stand Ye In Holy Places
In Doctrine and Covenants section 87:8 it reads “Wherefore, stand ye in holy places, and be not moved, until the day of the Lord come; for behold, it cometh quickly, saith the Lord.” Today I would like to discuss what it means to stand in holy places and be not moved.
As Latter-day saints we have been blessed with latter day revelation which helps us to understand what the Lord means by “holy places”. For example, we know that here at church is one important “holy place” and we are blessed to visit this place once a week. But what are some other holy places that we can visit during the other 6 ½ days of the week so that we can follow the admonition of the Lord?
Sister Sharon Larsen, former counselor in the General Young Women’s Presidency related an experience that helps us to know what the Lord meant by “holy places”. In General Conference 2002 she related the following:
“It was Thursday night, Mom and Dad’s regular night to work at the Cardston temple. I was in my teens…My grandmother, who was living with us, was away, so I would be home alone. As they left, Dad hugged me and said, ‘Now, Sharon, be in good company.’ I thought, ‘What is he thinking? Doesn’t he know I’ll be here by myself?’ And then I realized – that is exactly what he was thinking. Standing in holy places is all about being in good company, whether you are alone or with others. It’s about being where the Holy Ghost is our companion – alone or in a crowd.” (“Standing in Holy Places”, Ensign, May 2002, p. 91)
If standing in “holy places” can be anywhere that we have the companionship of the Holy Ghost, then we have many places that could be considered “holy places” that we visit every week. The first and most obvious place should be our homes. Our homes should be places in which the Holy Ghost should be free to visit and is a welcomed guest. Every morning we have the opportunity to kneel in personal and family prayer where we can invite the Holy Ghost to visit us throughout the day, in all that we do and all that we say.
Our homes should be places in which the scriptures should be read daily in personal and family study, teaching us the principles of the gospel. As we read the scriptures we should have a renewed dedication and desire to live the principles that we read and apply them better in our lives.
Our homes should be places in which we gather as families for meal times each day. During our meals we have time to talk with each other, to find out the good and bad things that are happening in each other’s lives. We have the opportunity to fulfill basic baptismal covenants starting with our own families by supporting those that mourn, comforting those that stand in need of comfort and being there to strengthen each other in times of trial and heart ache. Mealtimes provide a convenient time to build those important family bonds that we will carry into eternity.
Our homes should be places in which we gather each Monday night in Family Home Evening. This precious time each week provides a number of valuable tasks in making our home a “holy place”. It provides our families a specific time to be instructed in basic gospel principles through short lessons. It gives us an opportunity to practice the hymns and songs of the gospel and to sing our testimonies. Family Home Evening is a safe place in which to practice the bearing of testimonies. In the bearing of testimonies we will strengthen our own testimony and strengthen the testimonies of our family members. Family home evening also gives us the opportunity to place the family as our #1 priority. We all have so many demands placed on our time and there never seems to be enough time in the day. But once a week we have a special opportunity to declare to ourselves and our families that the family is one of the most significant priorities in our lives. We sacrifice doing many of the other good things in our lives to make time to meet together as a family, even if that time is very short. These things surely make the home a “holy place” in the eyes of the Lord.
Another “holy place” in our daily lives could be the homes of our neighbors, our brothers and sisters of our great big heavenly family. This ward is filled with many wonderful people who are striving to live the gospel and in doing so are making their homes “holy places”. Do we take advantage of the close proximity of our neighbors? I’ve had the opportunity to live outside of Utah on several occasions and I have many more friends who are currently living in other areas around the world. I can tell you that living just a few houses away from another church member and within walking distance of everyone in the ward is truly a rare blessing in this world. Obviously we have that here in Utah but Utah is not a very big place compared to this great global community. Do we take advantage of this incredible blessing and visit our neighbor’s homes? I would suggest that visiting neighbors in person may be a blessing that many of us are losing out on because of our busy schedules and the many on-line social network substitutes. I do not believe that text messages, status updates and emails have the same power of communicating the Spirit and our love compared to what a live visit can do. On-line options have their place but brothers and sisters, I would encourage you to visit at least one more neighbor each week, even if it is a short 5-minute visit. I can promise you that it will make a difference in your life as well as in the lives of the people you visit, especially if those people are people who don’t get many visitors any more.
In thinking about neighbors, what about those people who are not of our faith. Would their homes be considered “holy places” that we can visit? I believe that if a holy place is anywhere that we can be in companionship with the Holy Ghost then these homes can qualify as “holy places.” Are we trying to be active in sharing the gospel with our neighbors? Are we at least being good examples of gospel living? Can our neighbors see our good examples if we’re not interacting with them? I’m sure that some of our good examples and exemplary lives can be seen on occasion by our nearest neighbors but if we’re not interacting with them on some kind of regular basis are they really going to be influenced by our examples? Maybe we need to be more proactive in visiting and interacting with those neighbors who are not yet members of our church.
One more “holy place” in our immediate neighborhood has to include the homes of the families that we home and visit teach. As home and visiting teachers we are on the Lord’s errand every time we visit these special homes. The Lord put each of us under covenant to look after our neighbors. Mosiah 18:8-11 :
“8 And it came to pass that he said unto them: Behold, here are the waters of Mormon (for thus were they called) and now, as ye are desirous to come into the fold of God, and to be called his people, and are willing to bear one another’s burdens, that they may be light;
9 Yea, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in, even until death, that ye may be redeemed of God, and be numbered with those of the first resurrection, that ye may have eternal life—
10 Now I say unto you, if this be the desire of your hearts, what have you against being baptized in the name of the Lord, as a witness before him that ye have entered into a covenant with him, that ye will serve him and keep his commandments, that he may pour out his Spirit more abundantly upon you?
11 And now when the people had heard these words, they clapped their hands for joy, and exclaimed: This is the desire of our hearts.”
Brothers and sisters, I would submit to you that when you were baptized, as a condition of admittance into the kingdom of God, you made a covenant to be home and visiting teachers. In what other place and in what other calling do you have the specific stewardship that fulfills your baptismal covenants? Each week you come here to church and partake of the sacrament to renew your baptismal covenant. Brothers and sisters, let us stand in “holy places” by renewing our personal dedication to do our home and visiting teaching each month. Home and visiting teaching isn’t about statistics and numbers. Home and visiting teaching is about fulfilling our covenants with our Heavenly Father. It’s about standing in “holy places” and it’s about helping our neighbors, our brothers and sisters to make their homes “holy places”. As we do this we begin to fulfill the admonition of the Lord to “stand in holy places, and be not moved, until the day of the Lord come[s].” (D&C 87:8)
In discussing “holy places” we absolutely must include the temple. The temples are the most holy places on earth. The temple is literally the house of God and we know that He visits His homes regularly. Because these places are holy we can immediately feel the presence of the Spirit even before we enter the building. I love the temple and the peaceful feelings I have each and every time I visit one of these sacred buildings.
What is it about the temple that makes it such a “holy place”. Is the temple a holy place because of the immaculate landscaping, the perfectly cut grass, the beautiful flowers and clean walkways? Does it have to do with the beautiful furniture, the dusted desks and tables and the vacuumed carpets? What about the clean, white walls, the orderly and folded clothes and the bright lighting, especially including the amazing chandelier(s) in the celestial rooms? Of course we know that all of these things help to contribute to the special spirit of the temple but we also know that these things are not what make the temple a “holy place”. And the same would be true for our own homes.
President Boyd K Packer, president of the Quorum of the 12 apostles, shared a parable in the April 2000 conference which will help to illustrate what makes the temple a “holy place”.
“A merchant man seeking precious jewels found at last the perfect pearl. He had the finest craftsman carve a superb jewel box and line it with blue velvet. He put his pearl of great price on display so others could share his treasure. He watched as people came to see it. Soon he turned away in sorrow. It was the box they admired, not the pearl.” (Boyd K. Packer, “The Cloven Tongues of Fire”, Ensign, May 2000)
The temple is a “holy place” because of what happens in the temple. In the temple we make sacred covenants with our Heavenly Father. In the temple we see the power of the priesthood manifested through all of the essential ordinances of the gospel. It is the power of the priesthood being exercised every day that makes the temple a “holy place”. It is all of the brothers and sisters doing the work that our Savior would do if He were here, each and every day, that make the temple a “holy place”. It is helping our deceased brothers and sisters gain access to the blessings of the gospel that make the temple a “holy place”.
The exercising of the priesthood, the power of the Spirit and the proxy work performed in the temple are the “pearls” that are so important. The temple itself is just the box. Just like in home and visiting teaching, sometimes we forget about the pearl and pay too much attention to the box.
When we visit our neighbors to do our home and visiting teaching what is the pearl? The pearl is the exercising of the priesthood and fulfilling our stewardships. The pearl is the power and influence of the Spirit that we bring into the homes of our brothers and sisters. The pearl is the work performed to help our brothers and sister be stronger in the gospel and take advantage of the many blessing that the Lord has in store for us. The reporting, the numbers are only the box. 100% home and visiting teaching would make a beautiful box but the true work of looking out for our brothers and sisters, that is the pearl. That is where the value really is and we cannot afford to overlook it.
The terms “going to the temple” or “visiting the temple” are the box. We need to remember that it is what is inside of the box that is so very important, so essential to our salvation. We need to remember the pearl. We need to understand that going to the temple is a chance to participate in the power of the priesthood and to work directly with the spirit in the salvation of souls. And while it is true that the proxy work done for the dead is important, the first soul that we help to save is our own. Each time we visit the temple we have an opportunity to renew our dedication to live the covenants we’ve already made. Each time we visit the temple we have an opportunity to strengthen our testimonies and understanding of the power of the priesthood. Each time we visit the temple we have the opportunity to more fully align ourselves with the will of our Heavenly Father.
Is it any wonder that all of our church leaders continue to try and point our lives in the direction of the temple. Is it any wonder that our church spends so much time, effort and energy in building new temples all around the world, to make the blessings of the temple more accessible?
Brothers and sisters, we have a need to attend the temple on a more regular basis. I know there are some who are already faithfully attending the temple. The rest of us need to do better. Living this close to a temple we need to make sure that we are going regularly. There are many opportunities to serve in the temple. The service may be brief, maybe only 30 minutes. All of us have 30 minutes that we can spare if the temple is truly a priority in our lives.
The Lord said, “Wherefore, stand ye in holy places, and be not moved, until the day of the Lord come, for behold, it cometh quickly.” (D&C 87:8) It is my prayer that we can make our homes one of those “holy places”. Let us help make the homes of the families that we home and visit teach “holy places.” And let each of us recommit ourselves to taking advantage of the many temples in our midst for they are the premier example of “holy places”. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
As Latter-day saints we have been blessed with latter day revelation which helps us to understand what the Lord means by “holy places”. For example, we know that here at church is one important “holy place” and we are blessed to visit this place once a week. But what are some other holy places that we can visit during the other 6 ½ days of the week so that we can follow the admonition of the Lord?
Sister Sharon Larsen, former counselor in the General Young Women’s Presidency related an experience that helps us to know what the Lord meant by “holy places”. In General Conference 2002 she related the following:
“It was Thursday night, Mom and Dad’s regular night to work at the Cardston temple. I was in my teens…My grandmother, who was living with us, was away, so I would be home alone. As they left, Dad hugged me and said, ‘Now, Sharon, be in good company.’ I thought, ‘What is he thinking? Doesn’t he know I’ll be here by myself?’ And then I realized – that is exactly what he was thinking. Standing in holy places is all about being in good company, whether you are alone or with others. It’s about being where the Holy Ghost is our companion – alone or in a crowd.” (“Standing in Holy Places”, Ensign, May 2002, p. 91)
If standing in “holy places” can be anywhere that we have the companionship of the Holy Ghost, then we have many places that could be considered “holy places” that we visit every week. The first and most obvious place should be our homes. Our homes should be places in which the Holy Ghost should be free to visit and is a welcomed guest. Every morning we have the opportunity to kneel in personal and family prayer where we can invite the Holy Ghost to visit us throughout the day, in all that we do and all that we say.
Our homes should be places in which the scriptures should be read daily in personal and family study, teaching us the principles of the gospel. As we read the scriptures we should have a renewed dedication and desire to live the principles that we read and apply them better in our lives.
Our homes should be places in which we gather as families for meal times each day. During our meals we have time to talk with each other, to find out the good and bad things that are happening in each other’s lives. We have the opportunity to fulfill basic baptismal covenants starting with our own families by supporting those that mourn, comforting those that stand in need of comfort and being there to strengthen each other in times of trial and heart ache. Mealtimes provide a convenient time to build those important family bonds that we will carry into eternity.
Our homes should be places in which we gather each Monday night in Family Home Evening. This precious time each week provides a number of valuable tasks in making our home a “holy place”. It provides our families a specific time to be instructed in basic gospel principles through short lessons. It gives us an opportunity to practice the hymns and songs of the gospel and to sing our testimonies. Family Home Evening is a safe place in which to practice the bearing of testimonies. In the bearing of testimonies we will strengthen our own testimony and strengthen the testimonies of our family members. Family home evening also gives us the opportunity to place the family as our #1 priority. We all have so many demands placed on our time and there never seems to be enough time in the day. But once a week we have a special opportunity to declare to ourselves and our families that the family is one of the most significant priorities in our lives. We sacrifice doing many of the other good things in our lives to make time to meet together as a family, even if that time is very short. These things surely make the home a “holy place” in the eyes of the Lord.
Another “holy place” in our daily lives could be the homes of our neighbors, our brothers and sisters of our great big heavenly family. This ward is filled with many wonderful people who are striving to live the gospel and in doing so are making their homes “holy places”. Do we take advantage of the close proximity of our neighbors? I’ve had the opportunity to live outside of Utah on several occasions and I have many more friends who are currently living in other areas around the world. I can tell you that living just a few houses away from another church member and within walking distance of everyone in the ward is truly a rare blessing in this world. Obviously we have that here in Utah but Utah is not a very big place compared to this great global community. Do we take advantage of this incredible blessing and visit our neighbor’s homes? I would suggest that visiting neighbors in person may be a blessing that many of us are losing out on because of our busy schedules and the many on-line social network substitutes. I do not believe that text messages, status updates and emails have the same power of communicating the Spirit and our love compared to what a live visit can do. On-line options have their place but brothers and sisters, I would encourage you to visit at least one more neighbor each week, even if it is a short 5-minute visit. I can promise you that it will make a difference in your life as well as in the lives of the people you visit, especially if those people are people who don’t get many visitors any more.
In thinking about neighbors, what about those people who are not of our faith. Would their homes be considered “holy places” that we can visit? I believe that if a holy place is anywhere that we can be in companionship with the Holy Ghost then these homes can qualify as “holy places.” Are we trying to be active in sharing the gospel with our neighbors? Are we at least being good examples of gospel living? Can our neighbors see our good examples if we’re not interacting with them? I’m sure that some of our good examples and exemplary lives can be seen on occasion by our nearest neighbors but if we’re not interacting with them on some kind of regular basis are they really going to be influenced by our examples? Maybe we need to be more proactive in visiting and interacting with those neighbors who are not yet members of our church.
One more “holy place” in our immediate neighborhood has to include the homes of the families that we home and visit teach. As home and visiting teachers we are on the Lord’s errand every time we visit these special homes. The Lord put each of us under covenant to look after our neighbors. Mosiah 18:8-11 :
“8 And it came to pass that he said unto them: Behold, here are the waters of Mormon (for thus were they called) and now, as ye are desirous to come into the fold of God, and to be called his people, and are willing to bear one another’s burdens, that they may be light;
9 Yea, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in, even until death, that ye may be redeemed of God, and be numbered with those of the first resurrection, that ye may have eternal life—
10 Now I say unto you, if this be the desire of your hearts, what have you against being baptized in the name of the Lord, as a witness before him that ye have entered into a covenant with him, that ye will serve him and keep his commandments, that he may pour out his Spirit more abundantly upon you?
11 And now when the people had heard these words, they clapped their hands for joy, and exclaimed: This is the desire of our hearts.”
Brothers and sisters, I would submit to you that when you were baptized, as a condition of admittance into the kingdom of God, you made a covenant to be home and visiting teachers. In what other place and in what other calling do you have the specific stewardship that fulfills your baptismal covenants? Each week you come here to church and partake of the sacrament to renew your baptismal covenant. Brothers and sisters, let us stand in “holy places” by renewing our personal dedication to do our home and visiting teaching each month. Home and visiting teaching isn’t about statistics and numbers. Home and visiting teaching is about fulfilling our covenants with our Heavenly Father. It’s about standing in “holy places” and it’s about helping our neighbors, our brothers and sisters to make their homes “holy places”. As we do this we begin to fulfill the admonition of the Lord to “stand in holy places, and be not moved, until the day of the Lord come[s].” (D&C 87:8)
In discussing “holy places” we absolutely must include the temple. The temples are the most holy places on earth. The temple is literally the house of God and we know that He visits His homes regularly. Because these places are holy we can immediately feel the presence of the Spirit even before we enter the building. I love the temple and the peaceful feelings I have each and every time I visit one of these sacred buildings.
What is it about the temple that makes it such a “holy place”. Is the temple a holy place because of the immaculate landscaping, the perfectly cut grass, the beautiful flowers and clean walkways? Does it have to do with the beautiful furniture, the dusted desks and tables and the vacuumed carpets? What about the clean, white walls, the orderly and folded clothes and the bright lighting, especially including the amazing chandelier(s) in the celestial rooms? Of course we know that all of these things help to contribute to the special spirit of the temple but we also know that these things are not what make the temple a “holy place”. And the same would be true for our own homes.
President Boyd K Packer, president of the Quorum of the 12 apostles, shared a parable in the April 2000 conference which will help to illustrate what makes the temple a “holy place”.
“A merchant man seeking precious jewels found at last the perfect pearl. He had the finest craftsman carve a superb jewel box and line it with blue velvet. He put his pearl of great price on display so others could share his treasure. He watched as people came to see it. Soon he turned away in sorrow. It was the box they admired, not the pearl.” (Boyd K. Packer, “The Cloven Tongues of Fire”, Ensign, May 2000)
The temple is a “holy place” because of what happens in the temple. In the temple we make sacred covenants with our Heavenly Father. In the temple we see the power of the priesthood manifested through all of the essential ordinances of the gospel. It is the power of the priesthood being exercised every day that makes the temple a “holy place”. It is all of the brothers and sisters doing the work that our Savior would do if He were here, each and every day, that make the temple a “holy place”. It is helping our deceased brothers and sisters gain access to the blessings of the gospel that make the temple a “holy place”.
The exercising of the priesthood, the power of the Spirit and the proxy work performed in the temple are the “pearls” that are so important. The temple itself is just the box. Just like in home and visiting teaching, sometimes we forget about the pearl and pay too much attention to the box.
When we visit our neighbors to do our home and visiting teaching what is the pearl? The pearl is the exercising of the priesthood and fulfilling our stewardships. The pearl is the power and influence of the Spirit that we bring into the homes of our brothers and sisters. The pearl is the work performed to help our brothers and sister be stronger in the gospel and take advantage of the many blessing that the Lord has in store for us. The reporting, the numbers are only the box. 100% home and visiting teaching would make a beautiful box but the true work of looking out for our brothers and sisters, that is the pearl. That is where the value really is and we cannot afford to overlook it.
The terms “going to the temple” or “visiting the temple” are the box. We need to remember that it is what is inside of the box that is so very important, so essential to our salvation. We need to remember the pearl. We need to understand that going to the temple is a chance to participate in the power of the priesthood and to work directly with the spirit in the salvation of souls. And while it is true that the proxy work done for the dead is important, the first soul that we help to save is our own. Each time we visit the temple we have an opportunity to renew our dedication to live the covenants we’ve already made. Each time we visit the temple we have an opportunity to strengthen our testimonies and understanding of the power of the priesthood. Each time we visit the temple we have the opportunity to more fully align ourselves with the will of our Heavenly Father.
Is it any wonder that all of our church leaders continue to try and point our lives in the direction of the temple. Is it any wonder that our church spends so much time, effort and energy in building new temples all around the world, to make the blessings of the temple more accessible?
Brothers and sisters, we have a need to attend the temple on a more regular basis. I know there are some who are already faithfully attending the temple. The rest of us need to do better. Living this close to a temple we need to make sure that we are going regularly. There are many opportunities to serve in the temple. The service may be brief, maybe only 30 minutes. All of us have 30 minutes that we can spare if the temple is truly a priority in our lives.
The Lord said, “Wherefore, stand ye in holy places, and be not moved, until the day of the Lord come, for behold, it cometh quickly.” (D&C 87:8) It is my prayer that we can make our homes one of those “holy places”. Let us help make the homes of the families that we home and visit teach “holy places.” And let each of us recommit ourselves to taking advantage of the many temples in our midst for they are the premier example of “holy places”. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
The Wisdom in Hot Chocolate
A group of graduates, well established in their careers, were discussing their lives at a class reunion. They decided to go visit their old university professor, now retired, who was always an inspiration to them.
During their visit, the conversation turned to complaints about stress in their work, lives and relationships.
Offering his guests hot chocolate, the professor went into the kitchen and returned with a large pot of hot chocolate and an assortment of cups. Some cups were porcelain, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite. He invited each to help themselves to the hot chocolate.
When they all had a cup of hot chocolate in hand, the professor shared his thoughts.
“Notice that all the nice looking, expensive cups were taken, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones.”
“While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress.”
“The cup that you are drinking from adds nothing to the quality of the hot chocolate. In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink.”
“What each of you really wanted was hot chocolate. You did not want the cup . . . but you consciously went for the best cups.
“And soon, you began to eye one another’s cups.
"Now friends, please consider this . . .
“Life is the hot chocolate . . . your job, money and position in society are the cups.”
“They are just tools to hold and contain life.”
“The cup you have does not define, nor does it change, the quality of life you are living.”
“Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the hot chocolate God has provided us.”
Always remember this . . . . . . . . . . God brews the hot chocolate,
He does not choose the cup.
The happiest people don't have the best of everything.
They just make the best of everything that they have!!
Live simply . . .
Love generously . . .
Care deeply . . .
Speak kindly . . .
Leave the rest to God. ~ and remember ~ The richest person is not the one who has the most, but the one who needs the least.
Enjoy your hot chocolate!!
During their visit, the conversation turned to complaints about stress in their work, lives and relationships.
Offering his guests hot chocolate, the professor went into the kitchen and returned with a large pot of hot chocolate and an assortment of cups. Some cups were porcelain, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite. He invited each to help themselves to the hot chocolate.
When they all had a cup of hot chocolate in hand, the professor shared his thoughts.
“Notice that all the nice looking, expensive cups were taken, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones.”
“While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress.”
“The cup that you are drinking from adds nothing to the quality of the hot chocolate. In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink.”
“What each of you really wanted was hot chocolate. You did not want the cup . . . but you consciously went for the best cups.
“And soon, you began to eye one another’s cups.
"Now friends, please consider this . . .
“Life is the hot chocolate . . . your job, money and position in society are the cups.”
“They are just tools to hold and contain life.”
“The cup you have does not define, nor does it change, the quality of life you are living.”
“Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the hot chocolate God has provided us.”
Always remember this . . . . . . . . . . God brews the hot chocolate,
He does not choose the cup.
The happiest people don't have the best of everything.
They just make the best of everything that they have!!
Live simply . . .
Love generously . . .
Care deeply . . .
Speak kindly . . .
Leave the rest to God. ~ and remember ~ The richest person is not the one who has the most, but the one who needs the least.
Enjoy your hot chocolate!!
Monday, January 18, 2010
Prayer for Joseph Smith in the Restoration
In the year 1820 Joseph Smith went into a grove of trees, knelt down and prayed to our Heavenly Father. In response to this humble prayer God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ came down and spoke to Joseph Smith. In his own words Joseph said, “I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun which descended gradually until it fell upon me…When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other—this is my Beloved Son. Hear Him!” This event started the restoration of the Church of Jesus Christ and initiated the beginning of the dispensation of the fullness of times.
I know that Joseph Smith was the prophet of the restoration. I know that God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ did, in reality appear to the boy prophet. I know that through Joseph Smith, our Heavenly Father restored the truths of the gospel, in their fullness to the earth today. And if we will study and live according these truths, to the best of our ability, we can someday return to live with our Heavenly Father in His Celestial Kingdom.
But this isn’t nearly as easy as it sounds. There will be times of trial, times of doubt, times of heart ache. But the Lord will provide a way for us. In 1 Nephi 3:7 Nephi says, “I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them.” Even though Joseph Smith was the prophet he wasn’t spared the trials of life. Let’s review a few events from the life of the prophet and see how they can relate to our own lives.
In Joseph Smith History 1:8 we read, “During this time of great excitement my mind was called up to serious reflection and great uneasiness; but though my feelings were deep and often poignant, still I kept myself aloof from all these parties…” He goes on, “…but so great were the confusion and strife among the different denominations that it was impossible for a person young as I was, and so unacquainted with men and things, to come to any certain conclusion who was right and who was wrong.”
Joseph was going through a time of difficult decision making. In trying to figure out what was right he thought about things, studied the scriptures, discussed things with his family, and talked about things with his friends but he was unable to make the right decision on his own. As is the case with us so many times, Joseph finally was forced to his knees. He says, “At length I came to the conclusion that I must either remain in darkness and confusion, or else I must do as James directs, that is, ask of God.” (JS-H 1:13)
Destined to be one of the greatest men to ever live Joseph had to learn to go to his Heavenly Father in prayer. “…for amidst all my anxieties I had never as yet made the attempt to pray vocally.” (JS-H 1:14) Brother and Sisters, I don’t know where you are spiritually today. I don’t know how sincere you are with your prayers. But I do know that it is never too late to go to our Heavenly Father. Joseph discovered this passage from James 1:5, “If any of you lack wisdom. Let him as of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.” That means that if we have a question we can go to God in prayer. And it doesn’t matter what the question is, if we are sincere God will help us find the answer.
Joseph Smith discovered this to be true. He went to the Lord in prayer and was rewarded with a vision that started the restoration of the gospel. Our prayers may not be answered in such a marvelous way but God will still answer our prayers.
Joseph went into the grove of trees a boy of 14 and came out of the grove of trees a prophet of God. But I find it interesting to note that while Joseph was called to be a prophet of God he was still a boy of 14. He says, “I was left to all kinds of temptations; and, mingling with all kinds of society, I frequently fell into many foolish errors, and displayed the weakness of youth, and the foibles of human nature; which I am sorry to say, led me into divers temptations…” (JS-H 1:27,28). This means that even though we pray to our Heavenly Father and even when we receive an answer to our prayers we are still going to have the struggles of life awaiting us. Life doesn’t automatically become wonderful after the answer to a single prayer. We don’t suddenly become perfect because we receive a testimony nor do we get exalted because we find the answer to a gospel question.
The Lord designed this life so that we can learn and we can grow, line upon line, precept on precept. We see this same pattern with Joseph Smith. After he received the first vision he had to go on living life. It was several more years before he would receive significant answer to prayer. In 1823 Joseph had a visit by the angel Moroni who told him about the golden plates as well as many events that would shortly come to pass in relation to the restoring of the church upon the earth (JS-H 1:34-41). After this visit Moroni returned 3 more times and repeated the same instructions to Joseph.
Why would Moroni visit Joseph 4 different times and tell him the same basic message each time? First, this tells me that we have a responsibility to call upon the Lord for help and guidance. Second, this experience shows me that the Lord intends to teach us lessons in such a way that we learn the lessons and we don’t forget it. It has been my experience that many life lessons have been repeated because I didn’t really learn what I needed to learn the first time I experienced it. And it may be the same for you. There may be some lessons in life that you’re experiencing right now that you’ve already experienced before and the Lord is trying to teach you so that you won’t forget it.
The prophet Joseph would have many amazing experiences, any one of which, if I were to receive that experience, would consider myself more than fortunate. The prophet Joseph learned his lessons and became very in-tune with our Heavenly Father. We know of at least 134 different visions and revelations that Joseph had because they comprise the majority of the Doctrine and Covenants. But there is one more experience that Joseph had that I would like to share.
In 1839 the saints were being driven from the state of Missouri. They were refugees, first in Far West, Missouri and later they would be force to travel to Illinois. And within 5 more years the saints would be forced to leave the United States and flee to Mexico for safety. At that time Utah was located in Mexico. But in 1839 the prophet Joseph had been taken prisoner, along with several other leaders of the church, and was being held in Liberty Jail. These men were held prisoner for several months in some of the worst conditions imaginable.
By this time the prophet was very well accustomed to visits with heavenly beings. Revelation had become second nature. Joseph had already recorded over 100 revelations in the Doctrine and Covenants, had dedicated the Kirtland temple with its heavenly manifestations, and had received the priesthood and the keys of the kingdom from angelic ministers. And yet this prophet of God went for months without receiving answers to his prayers while he was held prisoner in this jail. It was under these terrible circumstances that Joseph uttered these words in D&C 121:1-3, “O God, where art thou? And where is the pavilion that covereth thy hiding place? How long shall thy hand be stayed, and thine eye, yea thy pure eye, behold from the eternal heavens the wrongs of thy people and of thy servants, and thine ear be penetrated with their cries? Yea, O Lord, how long shall they suffer these wrongs and unlawful oppressions, before thine heart shall be softened toward them, and thy bowels be moved with compassion toward them?”
The prophet Joseph was suffering in jail. The saints were refugees and suffering without any hope of relief. The prayers of the prophet had to have been full of faith and sincerity and yet he didn’t receive answers to his prayers. Finally the Lord did answer the prophet. Finally, Joseph was told, “My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment; And then if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy foes.” (D&C 121:7-8)
Have we ever experienced a time when we felt that our prayers were not being answered? What we need to remember is that we all have those times in our lives when we feel that God isn’t answering our prayers. Even the great prophet Joseph Smith had times when he didn’t receive immediate answer to his prayer, even in desperate times of need. But Joseph remained faithful and eventually was blessed. We have the same responsibility to remain faithful until we are eventually blessed.
Brothers and sisters, we are blessed to have the restored gospel of Jesus Christ in our lives today because the prophet Joseph learned the value of prayers. From his first prayer that lead to the first vision until his final prayers before his death in Carthage he was faithful to our Heavenly Father. It is my testimony that we have the same opportunity and the same responsibility to approach our Heavenly Father is prayer. Heavenly Father does hear and answer our prayers but He will do it on his own timetable. And we must remain faithful and endure to the end, trusting in our Heavenly Father’s care, even when we don’t understand all the reason why.
I know God lives and loves each one of us. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
I know that Joseph Smith was the prophet of the restoration. I know that God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ did, in reality appear to the boy prophet. I know that through Joseph Smith, our Heavenly Father restored the truths of the gospel, in their fullness to the earth today. And if we will study and live according these truths, to the best of our ability, we can someday return to live with our Heavenly Father in His Celestial Kingdom.
But this isn’t nearly as easy as it sounds. There will be times of trial, times of doubt, times of heart ache. But the Lord will provide a way for us. In 1 Nephi 3:7 Nephi says, “I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them.” Even though Joseph Smith was the prophet he wasn’t spared the trials of life. Let’s review a few events from the life of the prophet and see how they can relate to our own lives.
In Joseph Smith History 1:8 we read, “During this time of great excitement my mind was called up to serious reflection and great uneasiness; but though my feelings were deep and often poignant, still I kept myself aloof from all these parties…” He goes on, “…but so great were the confusion and strife among the different denominations that it was impossible for a person young as I was, and so unacquainted with men and things, to come to any certain conclusion who was right and who was wrong.”
Joseph was going through a time of difficult decision making. In trying to figure out what was right he thought about things, studied the scriptures, discussed things with his family, and talked about things with his friends but he was unable to make the right decision on his own. As is the case with us so many times, Joseph finally was forced to his knees. He says, “At length I came to the conclusion that I must either remain in darkness and confusion, or else I must do as James directs, that is, ask of God.” (JS-H 1:13)
Destined to be one of the greatest men to ever live Joseph had to learn to go to his Heavenly Father in prayer. “…for amidst all my anxieties I had never as yet made the attempt to pray vocally.” (JS-H 1:14) Brother and Sisters, I don’t know where you are spiritually today. I don’t know how sincere you are with your prayers. But I do know that it is never too late to go to our Heavenly Father. Joseph discovered this passage from James 1:5, “If any of you lack wisdom. Let him as of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.” That means that if we have a question we can go to God in prayer. And it doesn’t matter what the question is, if we are sincere God will help us find the answer.
Joseph Smith discovered this to be true. He went to the Lord in prayer and was rewarded with a vision that started the restoration of the gospel. Our prayers may not be answered in such a marvelous way but God will still answer our prayers.
Joseph went into the grove of trees a boy of 14 and came out of the grove of trees a prophet of God. But I find it interesting to note that while Joseph was called to be a prophet of God he was still a boy of 14. He says, “I was left to all kinds of temptations; and, mingling with all kinds of society, I frequently fell into many foolish errors, and displayed the weakness of youth, and the foibles of human nature; which I am sorry to say, led me into divers temptations…” (JS-H 1:27,28). This means that even though we pray to our Heavenly Father and even when we receive an answer to our prayers we are still going to have the struggles of life awaiting us. Life doesn’t automatically become wonderful after the answer to a single prayer. We don’t suddenly become perfect because we receive a testimony nor do we get exalted because we find the answer to a gospel question.
The Lord designed this life so that we can learn and we can grow, line upon line, precept on precept. We see this same pattern with Joseph Smith. After he received the first vision he had to go on living life. It was several more years before he would receive significant answer to prayer. In 1823 Joseph had a visit by the angel Moroni who told him about the golden plates as well as many events that would shortly come to pass in relation to the restoring of the church upon the earth (JS-H 1:34-41). After this visit Moroni returned 3 more times and repeated the same instructions to Joseph.
Why would Moroni visit Joseph 4 different times and tell him the same basic message each time? First, this tells me that we have a responsibility to call upon the Lord for help and guidance. Second, this experience shows me that the Lord intends to teach us lessons in such a way that we learn the lessons and we don’t forget it. It has been my experience that many life lessons have been repeated because I didn’t really learn what I needed to learn the first time I experienced it. And it may be the same for you. There may be some lessons in life that you’re experiencing right now that you’ve already experienced before and the Lord is trying to teach you so that you won’t forget it.
The prophet Joseph would have many amazing experiences, any one of which, if I were to receive that experience, would consider myself more than fortunate. The prophet Joseph learned his lessons and became very in-tune with our Heavenly Father. We know of at least 134 different visions and revelations that Joseph had because they comprise the majority of the Doctrine and Covenants. But there is one more experience that Joseph had that I would like to share.
In 1839 the saints were being driven from the state of Missouri. They were refugees, first in Far West, Missouri and later they would be force to travel to Illinois. And within 5 more years the saints would be forced to leave the United States and flee to Mexico for safety. At that time Utah was located in Mexico. But in 1839 the prophet Joseph had been taken prisoner, along with several other leaders of the church, and was being held in Liberty Jail. These men were held prisoner for several months in some of the worst conditions imaginable.
By this time the prophet was very well accustomed to visits with heavenly beings. Revelation had become second nature. Joseph had already recorded over 100 revelations in the Doctrine and Covenants, had dedicated the Kirtland temple with its heavenly manifestations, and had received the priesthood and the keys of the kingdom from angelic ministers. And yet this prophet of God went for months without receiving answers to his prayers while he was held prisoner in this jail. It was under these terrible circumstances that Joseph uttered these words in D&C 121:1-3, “O God, where art thou? And where is the pavilion that covereth thy hiding place? How long shall thy hand be stayed, and thine eye, yea thy pure eye, behold from the eternal heavens the wrongs of thy people and of thy servants, and thine ear be penetrated with their cries? Yea, O Lord, how long shall they suffer these wrongs and unlawful oppressions, before thine heart shall be softened toward them, and thy bowels be moved with compassion toward them?”
The prophet Joseph was suffering in jail. The saints were refugees and suffering without any hope of relief. The prayers of the prophet had to have been full of faith and sincerity and yet he didn’t receive answers to his prayers. Finally the Lord did answer the prophet. Finally, Joseph was told, “My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment; And then if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy foes.” (D&C 121:7-8)
Have we ever experienced a time when we felt that our prayers were not being answered? What we need to remember is that we all have those times in our lives when we feel that God isn’t answering our prayers. Even the great prophet Joseph Smith had times when he didn’t receive immediate answer to his prayer, even in desperate times of need. But Joseph remained faithful and eventually was blessed. We have the same responsibility to remain faithful until we are eventually blessed.
Brothers and sisters, we are blessed to have the restored gospel of Jesus Christ in our lives today because the prophet Joseph learned the value of prayers. From his first prayer that lead to the first vision until his final prayers before his death in Carthage he was faithful to our Heavenly Father. It is my testimony that we have the same opportunity and the same responsibility to approach our Heavenly Father is prayer. Heavenly Father does hear and answer our prayers but He will do it on his own timetable. And we must remain faithful and endure to the end, trusting in our Heavenly Father’s care, even when we don’t understand all the reason why.
I know God lives and loves each one of us. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
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