One step closer to saying good-bye...
Our mission farewell was a rousing success.😊
We are so grateful for all the family and friends who were able to join us on September 22nd. The weather even cooperated! We counted 79 at the brunch.
(With our mission buddies Kay and Larry Brown and the Vittorazzos from our second mission in Curitiba, Brazil - Atìlio, Raquel, André, Pedro, and Caio)
(We were all college roommates 50 years ago! Linda, Cynthia, Sandy, and Susan)
(The college cousins - three at BYU and three at BYUI)
(The Brothers Four)
Now, this next section is certainly not a mandatory read. I've included our talks only as a way of preserving them. 😌 I know!!
Linda's Talk
Now, this next section is certainly not a mandatory read. I've included our talks only as a way of preserving them. 😌 I know!!
Linda's Talk
Lisbon
Farewell Talk
September
22, 2019
A professor of
philosophy stood before his class with some items in front of him. When the
class began, wordlessly he picked up a large empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded
to fill it with rocks about two inches in diameter. He then asked the students
if the jar was full.
They agreed that it was full.
Next the professor picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly and watched as the pebbles rolled into the open areas between the rocks. The professor then asked the students again if the jar was full.
They chuckled and agreed that it was indeed full this time.
They agreed that it was full.
Next the professor picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly and watched as the pebbles rolled into the open areas between the rocks. The professor then asked the students again if the jar was full.
They chuckled and agreed that it was indeed full this time.
The professor then
picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. The sand filled the
remaining open areas of the jar. “Now,” said the professor, “I want you to
recognize that this jar signifies your life. The rocks are the truly important
things, such as family, health and relationships. If all else was lost and only
the rocks remained, your life would still be meaningful. The pebbles are the
other things that matter in your life, such as work or school. The sand
signifies the remaining “small stuff” and material possessions.
“If you put sand into the jar first, there is no room for the rocks or the pebbles. The same can be applied to your lives. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are truly important.”
“If you put sand into the jar first, there is no room for the rocks or the pebbles. The same can be applied to your lives. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are truly important.”
President Dallin H. Oaks calls the small stuff the “vain things of
the world” - property, pride, prominence, and power.
Stephen R. Covey, in his book First Things First, wrote:
Our priorities are the areas of our lives that are
meaningful and important to us. They’re usually activities, practices, or
relationships that we want to put genuine time and effort into.
President Monson gave us wise prophetic
counsel when he taught: “This is our one and only chance at mortal life—here
and now. The longer we live, the greater is our realization that it is brief.
Opportunities come, and then they are gone. I believe that among the greatest
lessons we are to learn in this… sojourn upon earth are lessons that help us
distinguish between what is important and what is not.”
In the 1960s, during the Vietnam War, Church member
Jay Hess, an airman, was shot down over North Vietnam. For two years his
family had no idea whether he was dead or alive. His captors in Hanoi
eventually allowed him to write home but limited his message to less than 25
words. What would you and I say to our families if we were in the same
situation--not having seen them for over two years and not knowing if we would
ever see them again? Wanting to provide something his family could
recognize as having come from him and also wanting to give them valuable
counsel, Brother Hess wrote---and I quote: "These things are
important: temple marriage, mission, college. Press on, set goals,
write history, take pictures twice a year."
We as members of The Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints know what our priorities should be, but we do not have a
corner on setting priorities. Listen to what Erma Bombeck, an American
humorist, wrote when she contemplated what she wished she had done differently
in her life: “If I had my life to live over… I would have talked less and
listened more. I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet
was stained and the sofa faded… I would have taken time to listen to my
grandfather ramble about his youth… I would have cried and laughed less while
watching television… and more while watching life... There would have been more
‘I love yous’…more ‘I’m sorrys’… but mostly, given another shot at life, I
would seize every minute…look at it and really see it… live it and never give
[it] back.”
So, what matters most in your life? How does
that priority influence the vision you have for your future? Remember, you become the person your daily
priorities define.
Elder Richard
G. Scott, in his April 2001 conference address, taught:
Are there so
many fascinating, exciting things to do or so many challenges pressing down
upon you that it is hard to keep focused on that which is essential? When
things of the world crowd in, all too often the wrong things take highest
priority. Then it is easy to forget the fundamental purpose of life. Satan has
a powerful tool to use against good people. It is distraction. He would have
good people fill life with "good things" so there is no room for the
essential ones. Have you unconsciously been caught in that trap? (The Ensign May
2001)
Can you see the value in identifying what
matters most in your life in the long term?
It is so easy to get distracted along the
way. And I must admit that I am often found off the path of what matters
most. I have always thought that I was a
very good multitasker. Then someone reminded me that the word in reality means
“not paying full attention to anything.” So lately I have been trying to pay
closer to those things that really matter most. And what are those things?
I received my Patriarchal Blessing when I was
a senior in high school. I didn’t realize it back then, but, over the years, I have come to realize that the things that matter most to me
– my priorities – were all outlined in that blessing fifty-three years ago. How
amazing is that?! Another amazing thing is that these priorities have become
even more important to me as the years have gone by. And I have been able to
set goals based on those things that matter most and on what God wants me to
accomplish.
The things that matter most to me include – family, testimony,
prayer, covenants, service, and never forgetting that I am a daughter of God.
These all
work together. Through service and devotion to the Lord Jesus Christ our
testimonies grow, and through the power of the Holy Ghost, we can stay focused
on the things that really matter.
I still remember the story I heard as a teenager of a boy's first
experience preparing a field for planting. He knew how to run the tractor, and
his father charged him with making straight rows so they could plant the corn.
After a couple of rows his father stopped him and had him look at his work. The
rows were not straight. The young man asked, "But Dad, how do you do
it?" His father then told him to pick a post at the end of the field and
head straight for it. Identifying what matters most in your life will
give you a post to head toward, a guide to always have before you, to help you
stay on track.
Our prophet, President Nelson, had that same thing in
mind when, in a talk to BYU Students in 1984, he said:
“. . . Track stars don’t begin a race without knowing the location of the
finish line.
So, in your important race, I would plead for you to
begin with the end in mind. To assist you in defining that end, I would ask you
this simple question: What would you like said about you at your funeral? Or,
if you were to write your own eulogy and you could have only three sentences,
what would you want to say?
If it’s fair for me to ask that of you, it’s fair for
you to ask that of me. If I were to write what I hope might be said about me,
those three sentences would include:
I was able to render
service of worth to my fellowmen.
I had a fine family.
I evidenced unshakable
faith in God and lived accordingly. . .”
Think on that for a second. In a nutshell, these
are the 3 things that our Prophet hopes that people recognize about him and his
life (his priorities): He served well, he had a fine family and that he
lived his faith. These are the objectives for his race.
On October 8th, (or there about), Don
and I will embark on our third missionary adventure. This one to the new
Lisbon, Portugal temple.
We probably are not the most qualified to
serve over there. We speak Brazilian Portuguese – not European Portuguese. We’re
not as young as we used to be. Or as sharp. But…as President Nelson has said:
“Of all qualifications to serve (a mission), a desire to serve may be the most
important.”
We do have a desire to serve. We are available. And
we have our family’s love and support.
Someone
once said, “Point your life in the right direction and prepare to be
astonished.” So
here we go again. And we are especially grateful for the opportunity to serve
another temple mission.
Leaving our family and friends is always a
hard thing, but we trust that our Heavenly Father will watch over them.
And personally, I hope that our desire to
serve another mission will be an evidence of our priorities and that our
example will be a guide to our family and to all who know us.
It has been said that if we do not choose the kingdom of God
first, it will make little difference in the long run what we have chosen
instead of it.
The scripture we have chosen for our
missionary plaque is found in……
Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord with all thine heart: and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
Trust in the Lord with all thine heart: and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
This scripture comes with two admonitions, a
warning, and a glorious promise. The two admonitions: “Trust in the Lord with
all thine heart” and “in all thy ways acknowledge him.” The warning: “Lean not
unto thine own understanding.” And the glorious promise: “He shall direct thy
paths.”
The Lord has placed us here on earth to
accomplish His purposes. Trusting in and acknowledging the Lord in our lives
and seeking understanding in what He would have us do will help us achieve
those things that matter most – our priorities.
Our Father in Heaven and His Son Jesus Christ
live, and they are ready to listen and give us direction if we will allow them.
This is the Church of Jesus Christ, and we are being led by the Lord’s prophet,
Russell M. Nelson. We are entitled to personal revelation for a confirmation of
all of these truths, and we have a duty to live with full purpose of heart the
principles defined in this Church, and then be prepared to be astonished as to
where it will take us.
With all my heart I testify He lives. He loves
us. His Spirit is here today. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Don's Talk
Lisbon Temple Mission
Symbolism
In the beginning
Adam and Eve were commanded to offer up an offering unto the Lord.
Moses 5:5 “And he gave unto them commandments, that
they should worship the Lord their God, and should offer the firstlings of
their flocks, for an offering unto the Lord.
And Adam was obedient unto the commandments of the Lord.
:6 “And after many days an angel of the
Lord appeared unto Adam, say: Why dost
thou offer sacrifices unto the Lord? And
Adam said unto him: I know not, save the
Lord commanded me.
:7 “And then the angel spake, saying: This thing is a similitude of the sacrifice
of the Only Begotten of the Father, which is full of grace and truth.
:8 “Wherefore, thou shalt do all that thou
doest in the name of the Son, and thou shalt repent and call upon God in the
name of the Son forevermore.
:9 “And in that day the Holy Ghost fell
upon Adam, which beareth record of the Father and the Son, saying: I am the Only Begotten of the Father from the
beginning, henceforth and forever, that as thou hast fallen thou mayest be
redeemed, and all mankind, even as many as will.
:10 “And in that day Adam blessed God and was
filled, and began to prophesy concerning all the families of the earth
saying: Blessed be the name of God, for
because of my transgression my eyes are opened, and in this life I shall have
joy, and again in the flesh I shall see God.
:11 “And Eve, his wife, heard all these
things was glad, saying: Were it not for
our transgression we never should have had seed, and never should have known
good and evil, and the joy of our redemption, and the eternal life which God
giveth unto all the obedient.
:12 “And Adam and Eve blessed the name of
God, and they made all things known unto their sons and their daughters”.
Did you notice that the Holy Ghost bore
record to Adam of what the angel said, and Adam knew in his heart that Jesus
Christ was the Savior and Redeemer of the world, and through His Atonement all
mankind could be saved. Adam and Eve
tried to teach these truths to their children, with very limited success. Even with the sacrifice in front of them their
posterity could not catch the connection to the infinite, ultimate, and
crowning sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
Elder Jeffery R. Holland talked about this in
our last General Conference.
Ensign May, 2019, page 45.
“Unfortunately, as a symbol of genuine
repentance and faithful living, this ritualistic offering of unblemished little
lambs didn’t work very well, as so much
of the Old Testament reveals. The moral
resolve that should have accompanied those sacrifices somethimes didn’t last
long enough for the blood to dry upon the stones. In any case, it didn’t last long enough to
preclude fratricide, with Cain killing his brother Abel in the first
generation”.
Things continued to deteriorate for the
Israelites as they wandered in the wilderness.
Jacob refers to the Israelites as a stiffnecked people. The symbolism of the sacrifice pointing to
Christ, and Him the redeemer of all mankind, was so lost on the Israelites that
even after a thousand years of offering up their sacrifices, when the Lord of
Lords, and King of Kings came among them in the flesh, they did not recognize
Him, and indeed, mocked His, and ridiculed Him, and in the end, crucified Him. The Book of Mormon helps us understand how
this could have happened, as Jacob taught,
Jacob 4:14 “But behold, the Jews were a stiffnecked
people; and they despised the words of plainness, and killed the prophets, and
sought for things that they could not understand. Wherefore, because of their blindness, which
blindness came by looking beyond the mark, they must needs fall; for God hath
taken away his plainness from them, and delivered unto them many things which
they cannot understand, because they desired it. And because they desired it God hath done it,
that they may stumble”.
The law of sacrifice, once so simple, was a
classic example of taking the plainness from the tribes of Israel and giving
them instead things they could not understand:
Voluntary offerings Mandatory
offerings
Burnt offering Grain
offering Peace offering Sin offering Trespass offering
Drink offering Wave offering
Heave offering
{{{{ The law of sacrifice was divided into two
parts, the voluntary offerings, and the mandatory offerings. The voluntary offerings were further divided
into subcategories, the burnt offering, the grain offering and the peace
offering. And the mandatory offerings
were divided into the sin offering and the trespass offering. The grain offering was further divided into
the drink offering, and the peace offering had two subparts, the wave offering
and the heave offering. }}}}
No wonder the children of Israel were blinded
and confused by all these offerings and lost sight of them pointing the Christ.
Are we any less blinded today than the
Israelites were back then? Are we able
to see symbolic things more clearly?
When Christ was talking to his apostles in Jerusalem and trying to help
them understand the signs of his second coming, He said:
JS Matt 1:22 “For in those days there shall also
arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and
wonders, insomuch, that, if possible, they shall deceive the very elect, who
are the elect according to the covenant”.
The “elect according to the covenant” are
the members of the church, and those who have received their saving ordinances
and covenants.
One of the ways to protect us against the
fiery darts of the adversary in these latter days was explained by President
Russell M. Nelson in our last General Conference:
President Russell M. Nelson November 2018 Ensign p 114
My dear brothers and sisters, the assults of the adversary
are increasing exponentially, in intensity and in variety. Our need to be in the temple on a regular
basis has never been greater.
I plead with you to take a prayerful look at how you
spend your time. Invest time in your
future and in that of your family. If
you have reasonable access to a temple, I urge you to find a way to make an
appointment regularly with the Lord-to be in His holy house-then keep that
appointment with exactness and joy. I
promise you that the Lord will bring the miracles He knows you need as you make
sacrifices to serve and worship in His temples.
…to those who have long been absent from. The temple, I
encourage you to prepare and return as soon as possible. Then I invite you to worship in the temple
and pray to feel deeply the Savior’s infinite love for you, that each of you
may gain your own testimony that He directs this sacred and ageless work”
It is
interesting that the Plan of Salvation is presented in the temple beginning
with the creation of the world, the creation of Adam and Eve,, then the fall of
Adam and Eve, then the Atonement of Jesus Christ, with the bright hope that
through His Atonement all mankind may have the opportunity to return to the
presence of the Lord.
This is
the same sequence of the Lord’s Plan of Salvation that missionaries are using
to present to Gospel to their investigators, as set forth in “Preach My
Gospel”. This is taken from the pattern
that Ammon and Aaron and the other sons of Mosiah used to preach the gospel to
the Lamanites, with great success.
Much of
the details of the temple endowment are presented in symbolic form. Like the parables taught by the Savior during
His mortal ministry, so that those who were seeing and hearing with their
spiritual eyes and ears could butndiscern the truths that He taught, so too in
the temple the Savior teaches us symbolically so that when we are ready to see
and hear with our spiritual eyes and ears, we are able to receive the eternal
truths and the word of God taught there.
In
parable form, Ezekiel likened the word of God like unto water issuing forth
from the temple. He taught us that for
some walking in the water, the water coming out of the temple was only ankle
deep, but as we continue to go to the temple the water becomes knee deep, and as
we make regular temple attendance a habit, the water, or the word of God comes
up to our hips. And when we sacrifice to go to the temple the water becomes so
deep that we have to swim in it. Some
came away from the temple like as walking only ankle deep in water, or hearing
and understanding the word of God.
Others come away immersed in the word of God like they were swimming in
it.
Symbolism
can also be found outside the temples also.
All temples have a water feature of one kind or another somewhere around
it perimeter. Pointing to Christ, a type and a shadow as the scriptures often
refer to Christ as the Living Waters, and as the angel interpreted Lehi’s
dream, he referred to the Tree of Life as the fountain of Living Waters
Frequent
and faithful temple attendance will increase the capacity of the Saints to have
the truths contained in the Temple and in the temple Endowment revealed to them.
On
the word revelation, the Bible dictionary explains:
Bible Dictionary Joseph
Smith said, “The Holy Ghost is a revelator, and no man can receive the Holy
Ghost without receiving revelations” (HC 6:58).
Continuous revelation from God to his saints, through the
Holy Ghost…makes possible daily guidance along true paths and leads the
faithful soul to complete and eternal salvation in the celestial kingdom. The principle of gaining knowledge by
revelation is the principle of salvation”.
The order of Heaven is such that the last
holder of keys in one dispensation is the one called and assigned by the Lord
to restore the keys to the next dispensation.
Thus is was that Elijah the prophet, the last prophet to hold the keys
of the sealing power of the Melchizedek Priesthood before the coming of Christ,
was the prophet that appeared with Moses on the Mount of Transfiguration and
conferred the keys to Peter, James, and John, and again appeared with Moses to
Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery and conferred these same sealing keys. His coming was foretold by Malachi to the
Israelites, by Jesus Christ, to the Nephites, and by the Angel Moroni to Joseph
Smith. And to the Jewish people he is
still an invited guest at the Passover, for whom a vacant seat is reserved and
the door is opened. In one of the great
ironies in the history of this earth, Elijah appeared to Joseph and Oliver in
the Kirtland Temple, April 3rd, 1836, Easter Sunday and the Jewish
Passover, and conferred these sealing keys, the very day of the Passover when
the Jews were waiting for Elijah in their homes all around the world, and had
been doing so for thousands of years.
Thus it is that the sealing power of the Melchizedek Priesthood is
restored and these keys are now operative on the earth once again and are used
in performing all the saving ordinances of the gospel for the living and
dead. (Bible Dictionary)
D&C 2:1-3 “Behold, I will reveal unto you the
Priesthood, by the hand of Elijah the prophet, before the coming of the great
and dreadful day of the Lord.
“And he shall plant in the hearts of the
children the promises made to the fathers, and the hearts of the children shall
turn to their fathers.
“If it were not so, the whole earth would
be utterly wasted at his coming”.
This prophecy was so important that it was
recorded in the Old Testament, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants,
and the Pearl of Great Price.
The Kirtland Temple is by far the smallest
of the six pioneer temples. Both in location,
size, and function the Kirtland Temple stands relatively obscure. No endowments
were performed there, nor indeed could be.
But its significance as far as impacting this last dispensation was
eternity-shaping. For years the purpose
of the church has been stated as threefold, perfecting the Saints, proclaiming
the Gospel, and redeeming the dead. The
keys for performing this work were restored in the Kirtland Temple, only one
week after the Kirtland Temple dedication
“First, Moses appeared and committed the
keys of the gathering of Israel from the four parts of the earth, which is
missionary work”.
Proclaiming the Gospel
“Second, Elias appeared and committed the
keys of the dispensation of the gospel of Abraham, which includes the
restoration of the Abrahamic covenant.
President Russell M. Nelson has taught that the purpose of the covenant
keys is to prepare members for the kingdom of God…
Perfecting the Saints
“Third, Elijah appeared and committed the
keys of the sealing power in this dispensation, which is family history work
and temple ordinances enabling salvation for the living and the dead” Elder
Quentin L. Cook, Ensign May 2018, page 115.
Redeeming the Dead
Today, these three functions of the church
are overseen and administered by key holders: Stake Presidents, Mission
Presidents, and Temple Presidents.
The prophet Joseph Smith prayed, in the
dedicatory prayer of the Kirtland Temple the angels would go with those who
issued forth from the temple.
D&C 109:22 “And we ask thee, Holy Father, that
thy servants may go forth from this house armed with thy power, and that thy
name may be upon them, and thy glory be round about them, and thine angels have
charge over them:”
And in the dedicatory prayer of the
Fortaleza temple offered just three and half months ago, Elder Ulisses Soares prayed:
Dedicatory Prayer, Fortaleza Brazil Temple, Sunday, June 2, 2019
Elder Ulisses Soares
“Father, we are grateful for Thy gospel restored
in this dispensation through our beloved Prophet, Joseph Smith. We are grateful for the restoration of all of
the priesthood keys that permit temples to be erected to Thee and provide means
so that Thy children may be blessed with eternal promises of living in Thy
presence and in the presence of Thy Son, Jesus Christ, for all eternity,
according to their faithfulness to the ordinances and covenants made with Thee
in this holy house”.
In our
day, the Lord has promised great blessing for those Saints who go to the temple
frequently and regularly:
Elder Dale G. Renlund:
“…As we
participate in family history and temple work today, we also lay claim to
“healing” blessings promised by prophets and apostles.6 These blessings are
also breathtakingly amazing because of their scope, specificity, and
consequence in mortality. This long list includes these blessings:
· Increased
understanding of the Savior and His atoning sacrifice;
· Increased
faith, so that conversion to the Savior becomes deep and abiding;
· Increased
ability and motivation to learn and repent8because
of an understanding of who we are, where we come from, and a clearer vision of
where we are going;
· Increased
refining, sanctifying, and moderating influences in our hearts;
· Increased
joy through an increased ability to feel the love of the Lord;
· Increased
family blessings, no matter our current, past, or future family situation or
how imperfect our family tree may be;
· Increased
love and appreciation for ancestors and living relatives, so we no longer feel
alone;
· Increased
power to discern that which needs healing and thus, with the Lord’s help, serve
others;
· Increased
protection from temptations and the intensifying influence of the adversary;
and
If you have prayed for any of these
blessings, participate in family history and temple work. As you do so, your
prayers will be answered. When ordinances are performed on behalf of the
deceased, God’s children on earth are healed.
Elder Neil L. Andersen November 2018 Ensign p 85
“The peace of the temple is a
soothing balm to the wounded soul.
Return to the Lord’s house with your wounded heart and your family names
as frequently as possible. The temple
projects our brief moment in mortality onto the wide screen of eternity”.
President Russell M. Nelson November 2018 Ensign p 70
“…establish a pattern of regular
temple attendance. This may require a
little more sacrifice in your life. More
regular time in the temple will allow the Lord to teach you how to draw upon
His priesthood power with which you have been endowed in His temple”.
Last Sunday the temple we will be serving in, the Lisbon
Portugal temple, was dedicated. In
reference to temple construction and dedication President Nelson said:
President Russell M. Nelson May 2018 Ensign p. 119
“My dear brothers
and sisters, construction of these temples may not change your life, but your
time in the temple surely will. In that
spirit, I bless you to identify those things you can set aside so you can spend
more time in the temple”.
In President Nelson’s first message as President of the Church, he
declared: “Your worship in
the temple and your service there for your ancestors will bless you with
increased personal revelation and peace and will fortify your commitment to
stay on the covenant path.”
And in closing, President Nelson closed
last April General Conference by say:
President Russell M. Nelson, May 2019 Ensign page 111,112
“God’s objective
should be our objective. He wants His
children to choose to return to Him, prepared, qualified, endowed, sealed, and
faithful to covenants made in the temple”…
“As we speak of our temples old and new, may each of us
signify by our actions that we are true disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ. May we renovate our lives through our faith
and trust in Him. May we access the
power of His Atonement by our repentance each day. And may we dedicate and rededicate our lives
to serving God and His children-on both sides of the veil”.
TESTAMONY
There is a terrible ailment of pessimism in
the land. It’s almost endemic. We’re constantly fed a steady and sour diet of
character assassination, faultfinding, evil speaking of one another. …
I come … with a plea that we stop seeking
out the storms and enjoy more fully the sunlight. I’m suggesting that we
accentuate the positive. I’m asking that we look a little deeper for the good,
that we still our voices of insult and sarcasm, that we more generously
compliment virtue and effort.
I
am not asking that all criticism be silent. Growth comes with correction.
Strength comes with repentance. Wise is the man or woman who, committing
mistakes pointed out by others, changes his or her course. I am not suggesting
that our conversation be all honey. Clever expression that is sincere and
honest is a skill to be sought and cultivated. What I am suggesting and asking
is that we turn from the negativism that so permeates our society and look for
the remarkable good in the land and times in which we live, that we speak of
one another’s virtues more than we speak of one another’s faults, that optimism
replace pessimism. Let our faith replace our fears.8
President Gordan B. Hinckley, Teachings of the Presidents, page 70
Listen to these amazing
ideas and blessing as put forth by Elder Dale G. Renlund:
“As Church members, we do
have a divinely appointed responsibility to seek out our ancestors and compile
family histories. This is far more than an encouraged hobby, because the
ordinances of salvation are necessary for all of God’s children.4 We are to identify
our own ancestors who died without receiving the ordinances of salvation. We
can perform the ordinances vicariously in temples, and our ancestors may choose
to accept the ordinances [or not].5 We are also
encouraged to help ward and stake members with their family names. It is
breathtakingly amazing that, through family history and temple work, we can
help to redeem the dead.
But as we participate in
family history and temple work today, we also lay claim to “healing” blessings
promised by prophets and apostles.6 These blessings are
also breathtakingly amazing because of their scope, specificity, and
consequence in mortality. This long list includes these blessings:
·
Increased understanding of the Savior and His atoning sacrifice;
·
Increased faith, so that conversion to the Savior becomes deep
and abiding;
·
Increased ability and motivation to learn and repent8because
of an understanding of who we are, where we come from, and a clearer vision of
where we are going;
·
Increased refining, sanctifying, and moderating influences in
our hearts;
·
Increased joy through an increased ability to feel the love of
the Lord;
·
Increased family blessings, no matter our current, past, or
future family situation or how imperfect our family tree may be;
·
Increased love and appreciation for ancestors and living
relatives, so we no longer feel alone;
·
Increased power to discern that which needs healing and thus,
with the Lord’s help, serve others;
·
Increased protection from temptations and the intensifying
influence of the adversary; and
If you have prayed for
any of these blessings, participate in family history and temple work. As you
do so, your prayers will be answered. When ordinances are performed on behalf
of the deceased, God’s children on earth are healed. No wonder President
Russell M. Nelson, in his first message as President of the Church, declared,
“Your worship in the temple and your service there for your ancestors will
bless you with increased personal revelation and peace and will fortify your
commitment to stay on the covenant path.”10
An earlier prophet also
foresaw blessings for both the living and the dead.11 A heavenly
messenger showed Ezekiel a vision of a temple with water gushing out of it.
Ezekiel was told:
“These
waters issue out … and go down into the desert, and go into the [dead] sea … ,
[and] the waters shall be healed.
“And it shall come to
pass, that every thing that liveth, which moveth, whithersoever the rivers
shall come, shall live: … for they shall be healed; and every thing shall live
whither the river cometh.”12
Two
characteristics of the water are noteworthy. First, though the small stream had
no tributaries, it grew into a mighty river, becoming wider and deeper the
farther it flowed. Something similar happens with the blessings that flow from
the temple as individuals are sealed as families. Meaningful growth occurs
going backward and forward through the generations as sealing ordinances weld
families together.
Second,
the river renewed everything that it touched. The blessings of the temple
likewise have a stunning capacity to heal. Temple blessings can heal hearts and
lives and families”. {close quote}
Elder Dale G. RenlundApril 2018 Ensign p 47
Following are some miracles promises and blessings given by
our Apostles and Prophet just in the last two years:
“Elijah appeared and committed the keys of the sealing power
in this dispensation, which is family history work and temple ordinances
enabling salvation for the living and the dead”.
Elder Quentin L. Cook May 2018 Ensign p 115
“My dear brothers and sisters, construction of these temples
may not change your life, but your time in the temple surely will. In that spirit, I bless you to identify those
things you can set aside so you can spend more time in the temple”.
President Russell M. Nelson May 2018 Ensign p. 119
“Beginning with the end in mind, temple covenants and family
history service are becoming a purposeful part of the covenant path”.
Elder Quentin L. Cook November 2018 Ensign p. 10
“…stand in holy places.
When we stand in holy places-our righteous homes, our dedicated chapels,
the consecrated temples-we feel the Spirit of the Lord with us. We find answers to questions that trouble us
or the peace to simply set them aside”.
Elder Ronald A. Rasband November 2018 Ensign p 19
“You remember that last June, Sister Nelson and I spoke to
the youth of the Church. We invited them
to enlist in the Lord’s youth battalion to help gather Israel on both sides of
the veil. This gathering is “the
greatest challenge, the greatest cause, and the greatest work on the earth
today”
President Russell M. Nelson November 2018 Ensign p 69
“…establish
a pattern of regular temple attendance.
This may require a little more sacrifice in your life. More regular time in the temple will allow
the Lord to teach you how to draw upon His priesthood power with which you have
been endowed in His temple”.
President
Russell M. Nelson November 2018 Ensign p 70
“The
peace of the temple is a soothing balm to the wounded soul. Return to the Lord’s house with your wounded
heart and your family names as frequently as possible. The temple projects our brief moment in
mortality onto the wide screen of eternity”.
Elder
Neil L. Andersen November 2018 Ensign p 85
Now let’s turn to the topic of temples. We know that our time in the temple is criticial
to our salvation and exaltation and to that of our families.
After we receive our own temple ordinances and make sacred
covenants with God, each one of us needs the ongoing spiritual strengthening
and tutoring that is possible only in the house of the Lord. And our ancestors need us to serve as proxy
for them.
Consider the great mercy and fairness of God, who, before
the foundation of the world, provided a way to give temple blessings to those
who died without a knowledge of the gospel.
These sacred temple rites are ancient.
To me that antiquity is thrilling and another evidence of their
authenticity.
……
President Russell M. Nelson November 2018 Ensign p 114
“Father, we are grateful for Thy gospel restored in this
dispensation through our beloved Prophet, Joseph Smith. We are grateful for the restoration of all of
the priesthood keys that permit temples to be erected to Thee and provide means
so that Thy children may be blessed with eternal promises of living in Thy
presence and in the presence of Thy Son, Jesus Christ, for all eternity,
according to their faithfulness to the ordinances and covenants made with Thee
in this holy house”.
Dedicatory Prayer, Fortaleza Brazil Temple, Sunday, June 2,
2019 Elder Ulisses Soares
“For both parents and children, the temple is the best
opportunity to gain a feeling for and a love of heavenly places. That is especially true when the children are
young. Children are born with the Light
of Christ. Even a baby can feel that a
temple is sacred. Because parents love
their little children, the temple represents for them the hope that they can
have their children to love in their eternal family-forever”.
President Henry B. Eyring, May 2019 Ensign Page 25
“Take the long view.
What is the effect on our future of the decisions we make in the
present? Remember the importance of
getting an education, studying the gospel, renewing our covenants by partaking
of the sacrament, and attending the temple”.
President Dallin H. Oaks, May 2019 Ensign page 61.
“…we will be following President Russell M. Nelson’s counsel
to begin with the end in mind. For us,
the end is always on the covenant path through the temple to eternal life, the
greatest of all the gifts of God”.
President Dallin H. Oaks, May 2019 Ensign page 62.
“Love is also at the center of our temple and family history
effort to gather Israel on the other side of the veil. When we learn of the trials and hardships our
ancestors faced, our love and appreciation for them is magnified. Our temple and family history effort has been
strengthened to a significant degree by the new adjustments in both the Sunday
meeting schedule and the youth advancement in classes and quorums. These changes provide for earlier and more
powerful attention to learning about our ancestors and gathering Israel on the
other side of the veil. Both temple and family history work are greatly
enhanced”.
Elder Quentin L. Cook, May 2019 Ensign Page 78,79
“Come find love, healing, connection, and covenant belonging
in Him, including in God’s holy temple, where sacred ordinances of salvation
can bless all family members, thus gathering Israel on both sides of the veil”.
Elder Gerrit W. Gong, May 2019 Ensign page 98.
“Please consider how the principle of “home centered and
Church support” applies to our individual preparation and worthiness to receive
sacred ordinances and covenants in the house of the Lord. Indeed, temple preparation is most effective
in our homes.
…
“President Russell M. Nelson emphasized the vital balance
between the sacred nature of temple ceremonies and the valuable information
about temples published by the Church that is accurate, appropriate, and available
publicly. He explained: “I recommend that members…read entries in the
Bible Dictionary that are related to the temple, such as ‘Anoint,’ ‘Covenant,’
‘Sacrifices’, and Temple’. One may also
wish to read Exodus, chapters 26-29, and Leviticus, chapter 8. The Old Testament, as well as the books of
Moses and Abraham in the Pearl of Great Price, underscores the antiquity of
temple work and the enduring nature of its ordinances’.
Elder David A. Bednar, May 2019 Ensign page 103,104
“In the temple we can “lay aside the things of this world”
and feel the Lord’s presence and His transcendent peace. We can focus on our ancestors our families,
and eternal life in the presence of the Father”.
Elder Ronald A. Rasband, May 2019, Ensign page 109,110.
“God’s objective should be our objective. He wants His children to choose to return to
Him, prepared, qualified, endowed, sealed, and faithful to covenants made in
the temple”…
“As we speak of our temples old and new, may each of us
signify by our actions that we are true disciples of the Lord Jesus
Christ. May we renovate our lives
through our faith and trust in Him. May
we access the power of His Atonement by our repentance each day. And may we dedicate and rededicate our lives
to serving God and His children-on both sides of the veil”.
President Russell M. Nelson, May 2019 Ensign page 111,112
Please, Father, wilt Thou bless Thy worthy Saints who
come to worship here, that their faith in Thee and in Thy Beloved Son might
grow and flourish. May they receive a
spiritual witness of the eternal purpose of their lives and of the ordinances
they receive, and may they be faithful to the covenants and promises made
before thee and Thine angels.
Dedicatory
prayer offered by Elder Neil L. Andersen
for the dedication of the Lisbon Portugal Temple, Sunday, September 15,
2019, 166 working Temple.
A blessing of moving to Idaho.....we could be here to bid you farewell!! 🤗
ReplyDelete