I have the wonderful opportunity to serve in the Chicago Illinois Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints twice a month. I love working anywhere in the Temple but one of my favorites is the Baptistry. Here baptism is performed, by proxy, for those who have passed on before. I especially love it when a youth group comes to do the baptisms. This past weekend we served with two different youth groups from local wards. The first was smaller and they were baptized for Temple names. Names given to them by the Temple. It was a sweet experience. The next group was larger and they had brought family names with them. Everyone had at least 9 names that they got to do. The spirit was so strong. One of the sisters that had come with the group to assist them had brought her grandmother's name to be done. She quietly asked if she could be the proxy for the confirmation if it wasn't a problem. She didn't want to cause any trouble. Trouble? How could the opportunity for you to do your grandmother's work cause trouble. Of course we will make that happen. So after all the other work was done she was escorted into the confirmation room where she started the work on her grandmother. In time this beautiful family will be sealed for time and eternity. Eternity. Forever together. How awesome is that? Another time during the day I was walking in the hall and noticed a young man all dressed in white walking towards the sealing room with the temple workers. He too was going to be sealed to his family for all eternity. It really hit me that temples are all about families - eternal families. And I am truly grateful for mine!
Monday, March 7, 2016
The Temple is all about Families - Eternal Families...
I have the wonderful opportunity to serve in the Chicago Illinois Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints twice a month. I love working anywhere in the Temple but one of my favorites is the Baptistry. Here baptism is performed, by proxy, for those who have passed on before. I especially love it when a youth group comes to do the baptisms. This past weekend we served with two different youth groups from local wards. The first was smaller and they were baptized for Temple names. Names given to them by the Temple. It was a sweet experience. The next group was larger and they had brought family names with them. Everyone had at least 9 names that they got to do. The spirit was so strong. One of the sisters that had come with the group to assist them had brought her grandmother's name to be done. She quietly asked if she could be the proxy for the confirmation if it wasn't a problem. She didn't want to cause any trouble. Trouble? How could the opportunity for you to do your grandmother's work cause trouble. Of course we will make that happen. So after all the other work was done she was escorted into the confirmation room where she started the work on her grandmother. In time this beautiful family will be sealed for time and eternity. Eternity. Forever together. How awesome is that? Another time during the day I was walking in the hall and noticed a young man all dressed in white walking towards the sealing room with the temple workers. He too was going to be sealed to his family for all eternity. It really hit me that temples are all about families - eternal families. And I am truly grateful for mine!
Friday, March 4, 2016
Can't Believe It's Been Two Weeks Already!
Other than not updating the blog last week the past two weeks have been awesome. Don't get me wrong, every time I picked up the phone I would go to click Facebook and then I would remember don't do it. The biggest thing that I have noticed over the past two weeks is that I am happier. I haven't read anti-stuff. I haven't read ugly comments. I haven't been bombarded with politics. And not one person has asked me to play a game or help them win stuff. It's actually been quite heavenly. While at work yesterday I actually noticed that I was carrying on a very nice conversation with one of my co-workers. What a novel idea. I am hoping to keep this going. I think I can live without knowing everything about everyone. I can live without the meme's, although many are very clever. I can live without the negativity. But one thing I can't live without - pictures of the grandkids. So, for now, I will not be deleting Instagram. One step at a time, right?
Sunday, February 21, 2016
How will I ever make it without Facebook?
Today was the first day of the Provident Living #4 - Media Management. I set a goal to not look at Facebook for 2 weeks. It has been about 24 hours since I set that goal and it has been harder than expected. In the last 24 hours I have realized how many times I look at Facebook on my phone. This is quite often BTW. I have decided to delete the app from my phone because every time there is a comment or post related to our Facebook I get a notice on my phone and I am tempted to check it out. Several years ago my husband taught a Dale Carnegie class. One of the human relations principles taught was Don't Criticize, Condemn or Complain. This left a lot of time on your hands so you were suppose to replace it with something good. So now I have more time on my hands by not looking at Facebook so what shall I replace it with? What if I read the scriptures on my phone instead? How far would I get? What if I read general conference talks instead? How uplifted would I be? What if I didn't pick up my phone at all and carried on a conversation with a co-worker? How much missionary work could be accomplished? What if I called one of my children to tell them of my love? How much joy would that bring to both of us? What if I wrote a letter of thanks or called a friend in need? What a novel idea! What if I sent a text to my young women to let them know I was thinking of them? How much closer could we become! All of these will be great replacements and bring much good to me but the greatest blessing that will come from not looking at Facebook will be peace and happiness. Why? Because I will not be reading angry comments, anti-Mormon posts from old friends, or scary news reports. I will not be wasting time on game invites or silly surveys. I will be less frustrated with politics and more in tune with the spirit. All in all I have to say this may be the hardest but most rewarding 2 weeks in a long time. I will keep you posted on how it goes!
Sunday, February 14, 2016
Family!
There is nothing that brings more joy than family! I am blessed with a wonderful family. It seems that this family started out with just the two of us a few years ago and has grown to 18 in no time flat. These are 7 of the 8 incredible blessings in my life. You can tell by the looks of things that they were done with having pictures taken. The oldest will be baptized next summer. I am grateful for their parents that are raising them in the gospel. That are teaching them correct principles and preparing them to make and keep sacred covenants that they will someday make in the Temple. I am grateful that their parents made those sacred covenants with each other and strive daily to keep them. When I look at this picture I am reminded of my Heavenly Father's plan and His love for me. I can't wait to be with these guys forever!
Covenants
This week in class we studied Gospel Ordinances and Covenants. I was reminded of the importance of these in my life. I am grateful for the Temple and the covenants I have made with the Lord. I was especially grateful for the covenant of marriage and that Chad and I can be married for not only time but for eternity.
Friday as I was driving to work I was listening to my favorite radio station. It was a couple of days before Valentine's and they had put together a "No-Budget" wedding. It was 7:30 in the morning and a couple was getting married at the radio station. Their family was there to enjoy the morning. They had only learned a week before that they had won this prize. As I listened to this wedding being performed on the radio it was fun to hear the mothers cry, the groomsmen joke, the bridesmaids cheer, and the couple make vows with one another. I was grateful that in our crazy world that people still felt it necessary to make these vows with one another. It made my heart happy. The radio DJ mentioned that she is getting married again and her mother is upset that it is not in the Catholic church. She explained that in order to do that she would need to get her first marriage annulled. She was not willing to do that. She did not want to say that her first marriage never happened. Her first marriage was a big part of her life and she had wonderful children because of it. I was saddened that her first marriage ended in divorce but grateful that is was a good memory.
These two stories made me contemplate the things I had learned in class this week. Marriage is ordained of God. It is between a man and a women. The covenant that we make with one another is for eternity. We can be together forever if we live up to that covenant. I will be eternally grateful for this wonderful blessing in my life. I am grateful for four children that have chosen to enter into this covenant of marriage. Here is a picture of our last one - in the Gilbert AZ Temple - where there were no empty seats!
Friday as I was driving to work I was listening to my favorite radio station. It was a couple of days before Valentine's and they had put together a "No-Budget" wedding. It was 7:30 in the morning and a couple was getting married at the radio station. Their family was there to enjoy the morning. They had only learned a week before that they had won this prize. As I listened to this wedding being performed on the radio it was fun to hear the mothers cry, the groomsmen joke, the bridesmaids cheer, and the couple make vows with one another. I was grateful that in our crazy world that people still felt it necessary to make these vows with one another. It made my heart happy. The radio DJ mentioned that she is getting married again and her mother is upset that it is not in the Catholic church. She explained that in order to do that she would need to get her first marriage annulled. She was not willing to do that. She did not want to say that her first marriage never happened. Her first marriage was a big part of her life and she had wonderful children because of it. I was saddened that her first marriage ended in divorce but grateful that is was a good memory.
These two stories made me contemplate the things I had learned in class this week. Marriage is ordained of God. It is between a man and a women. The covenant that we make with one another is for eternity. We can be together forever if we live up to that covenant. I will be eternally grateful for this wonderful blessing in my life. I am grateful for four children that have chosen to enter into this covenant of marriage. Here is a picture of our last one - in the Gilbert AZ Temple - where there were no empty seats!
Saturday, February 6, 2016
The Family: A Proclamation to the World
This semester I am taking an online class entitled The Eternal Family. The purpose of this course is to help deepen our understanding of the plan of salvation and the doctrines and principles found in the Family proclamation. Another purpose is to help our desire to strengthen our marriages, nurture our children and create a healthy, supportive and righteous family environment. And lastly, to work on provident living skills that will help our marriage and family.
The first provident living skill we worked on was scripture study. I made a goal to read the scriptures for the Sunday School lesson daily, with my husband. This has been a great blessing. Although we are not as consistent as we should be at the daily part, we have been successful in reading the assignment. It has been very helpful when we go to class to understand and participate. I have enjoyed the discussion I have had with Chad about what we are reading and how we can apply them to become better people.
As we have read the first book of Nephi I have been amazed the lessons taught about the eternal family. We see the desire of Lehi for his family to partake of the fruit and have the ability to be together forever. How hard must it have been for Nephi to see the future, to see his brother's posterity fighting with his posterity and the devastation to come. He knew that the possibility of eternal family was gone because of the choices his brothers would make. But he continued on, being a great example, and worked hard for the promise of his own family being eternal.
As we read, study, ponder and apply the scriptures in our lives we can be uplifted, edified, and taught by the spirit the things that we need to do to ensure that our families are eternal.
The first provident living skill we worked on was scripture study. I made a goal to read the scriptures for the Sunday School lesson daily, with my husband. This has been a great blessing. Although we are not as consistent as we should be at the daily part, we have been successful in reading the assignment. It has been very helpful when we go to class to understand and participate. I have enjoyed the discussion I have had with Chad about what we are reading and how we can apply them to become better people.
As we have read the first book of Nephi I have been amazed the lessons taught about the eternal family. We see the desire of Lehi for his family to partake of the fruit and have the ability to be together forever. How hard must it have been for Nephi to see the future, to see his brother's posterity fighting with his posterity and the devastation to come. He knew that the possibility of eternal family was gone because of the choices his brothers would make. But he continued on, being a great example, and worked hard for the promise of his own family being eternal.
As we read, study, ponder and apply the scriptures in our lives we can be uplifted, edified, and taught by the spirit the things that we need to do to ensure that our families are eternal.
Friday, July 10, 2015
"The Atonement is not just for sinners"
-Elder Bruce C Hafen of the Seventy
One of my favorite scriptures in the Book of Mormon is Alma 7:11-12. In Chapter 7, Alma is speaking to the people in Gideon. In verse 7 he teaches "there is one thing which is of more importance than they all - for behold, the time is not far distant that the Redeemer liveth and cometh among his people. This was 83 years before the coming of Jesus Christ to the earth. Alma then teaches the people what the Savior will do while upon the earth:
Alma 7:11-13
11 And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.12 And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.
13 Now the Spirit knoweth all things; nevertheless the Son of God suffereth according to the flesh that he might take upon him the sins of his people, that he might blot out their transgressions according to the power of his deliverance; and now behold, this is the testimony which is in me.
In the margins next to this scripture I wrote...the Lord has 1st hand knowledge. How comforting to me to know that He has experienced what I am experiencing and He knows how to succor me and you. How comforting to know that the Atonement was not just for sin but that Jesus Christ suffered to save us from death too and to help us through the challenges of mortality.
"This reliance upon the merciful nature of God is at the very center of the gospel Christ taught. I testify that the Savior's Atonement lifts from us not only the burden of our sins but also the burden of our disappointments and sorrows, our heartaches and our despair. From the beginning, trust in such help was to give us both a reason and a way to improve, an incentive to lay down our burdens and take up our salvation". -Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
Do you agree with Alma that the coming of the Savior is the most important event of all time? I bear testimony that this truly is the most important event of all time. I am grateful for His willingness to come to earth and fulfill His part in the Father's plan. That He was willing to suffer in the garden and then lay down His life for us, making it possible for us to repent and return to our Father in Heaven. To be resurrected and live again. I am grateful for the knowledge of the Atonement and although I am just beginning to understand all it covers I am grateful that it is not just for sinners. That Jesus Christ is there for me during my challenges and will take those burdens from me if I will let Him. I pray everyday that I can repent and become more like Him. Of these things I testify.
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