Readings Oct 27-31

"Every Member a Missionary"

Tues, Oct 27: Doctrine and Covenants 1:4–5, 30; 65;
Wed, Oct 28: 109:72–74; 123:12;
Thurs, Oct 29: Our Heritage,pages 116–17, 124–25

Enjoying the Temple

Reading through Elder Hales' article in the ensign, "Blessings of the Temple" gave me a few things to think about. I have heard before the definition of "endowment" is "gift." But when I read that in this article, I thought about it for a while. It seems that the current definition for gift is something that we give ourselves or others to please them or to pamper them. So, when Elder Hales says that "The [endowment] consists of a series of instructions on how we should live and covenants we make to live righteously by following out Savior," and that that is a gift, I have to think in spiritual terms to understand it, not social terms. Because why would a series of instructions on how I should live and promises I make pamper me? Here's how (per Elder Hales):

1- I will know who I am. I enjoy the temple because it's at least an hour of reminder of that basic truth which contributes to my core happiness. Making a few promises to help me keep a hold of that basic truth helps me enjoy me. That is a gift.

2 - Knowing the doctrine of saving ordinances gives me purpose and all my fellow being purpose and I should treat them as people with a common purpose whether they know what their purpose is or not. That is a gift to me and to them.

3- Temple attendance reminds me that things are just things and generally have nothing to do with my happiness in an eternal perspective.

4- Elder Hales refers to couples as knowing that they have each other for eternity and courting is over. For me this is a wonderful blessing. But I have many friends who have not found their someone or have lost their someone or their someone has left them or vice versa. I do not know why this is so, but I hope that the same gift of the endowment, instructions and covenants, provide comfort and joy, each in our own situation.

5 - Elder Hales says that because of the covenants we make, we learn to be unselfish, either in a couples relationship, or I think in any relationship or circumstance in life. While the world teaches that achieving things independently brings happiness, the Lord teaches that as we are dependent on Him and we are dependent on others and they are dependent on us, we experience joy.

These are the basic tenets of joy we can receive from the temple. There are many ways to go about achieving this joy because we are all different. But if we make sure, in our different ways, that we do the things directed by the spirit to receive these basic tenets, we will have joy.

Readings Oct 19-22

"Finding Joy in Temple and Family History Work" (emphasis on joy)

Malachi 3:16–18 Moses 6:5–8, 46 D&C 85:9 Abraham 1:31 D&C 128:7

There are not many assigned scriptures this week, so I will refer you to the Ensign for this month. There are four articles in the October Ensign that talk about temples or family history work. Here are links:

A Temple Going People

Blessings of the Temple

Temple Worship

In Search of My Dad - Online

Turning Hearts

I've always wondered about that phrase. . hearts of the father turning to the children and the hearts of the children turning to the fathers. It's always linked with family history because there literally needs to be a sealing link between families so that we can all receive the blessings Heavenly Father has in store for us. In order to do that, we need to offer baptism and other saving ordinaces to all, those who are alive and those who are dead. In order to do that, we need to research for families and names in our family lines. So turning the hearts is definately a literal meaning. The temple ordinance work just needs to be done

I think it is also a statement of spiritual unity, or at least the hope of spiritual unity. It is a realization of universal purpose. Having the hearts of the children turned to the fathers and the fathers to the children, says to me that we will have similar if not the same beliefs. At the very least that everyone will understand that Jesus in the Savior. Can you imagine what that would be like? I mean, we talk about having peace and 'can't everyone just get along' and being one, but really, can you imagine everyone working under the same purpose? It seems too ideal and far from the world and people I know. I know opposition in this world. The knowledge we have in life has largely come from opposition, either personally or indirectly. Opposition that comes from just working to overcome our human tendancies or opposition because of experietial trials. But then, maybe this is how we will become united, because we will all understand that we've been through this refining process of overcoming opposition and at some individual point we realize that we need a Savior. When we realize that we need a Savior, we realize that our children and our fathers need a Savior, our heart become knit in unity as we strive to help others get to that point of accepting a Savior.

I think I just talked myself in a circle. But that's what turning is, right?

Turning our hearts is more than computer work and research, it's the reason we do the computer work and research. Our hearts are turned to each other, to offer knowledge of the Savior and all the ordinances it takes to be with Him and the Father.

Readings Oct 12-16

"The Heart of the Children Shall Turn to Their Fathers"

Mon, Oct 12: Doctrine and Covenants 2; 110:13–16;
Tues, Oct 13: 138;
Wed, Oct 14: Joseph Smith—History 1:37–39; Our Heritage,pages 98–99, 101–2, 105–7.

Prepare with a good foundation

"In Mine Own Way" is a great title for the Sunday School lesson. It is about being prepared spiritually and physically and then sharing what you've prepared, both spiritually and physically. I thought about just writing about being prepared spriritally, but both go hand in hand and I just can't see discussing one without the other.

Last May, my husband was layed off from the job that brought us to Utah. This was a complete surprise to us and was quite a blow, as these things tend to be. In the few days after we learned the news, a huge rush of gratitude came as we realized that we had been prompted to prepare physically throughout the previous year. We had felt and acted upon promptings to eradicate credit card debt, increase food storage, decrease unneccessary spending and put what we could into savings. When the news of the layoff came, we were shocked, but there was also some peace of mind that our financial and physical responsibilities were those of basic needs and not extravagance. We also had peace of mind spiritually, which maintained our sanity and hope through emotional and personal highs and lows and self-doubt. There are of course things that we could've have done to have even more peace of mind and we went through (and still do) every course of self-doubt regarding every choice we've made in the last ten years trying to figure out how we couldn've prevented this misfortune. But, the overall feeling was, we would be taken care of. That though we may have made some poor financial choices and even poor spiritual choices at times, on the whole we have experienced faith in the "Lord's Way" and know that it works and have confidence that it will work again.

Now, I know that there are people who are much more faithful that I am who are in the same situation of job loss or other misfortune and I do not know why things worked out so quickly for us. I hardly feel it's just or fair for me to even relate this, except that I feel to give all credit to Heavenly Father for knowing what I do not know and giving what I do not understand that I need. I pray that I will allow that what He has given and does give, will always be stronger than what men can give:

30 I tell you these things because of your prayers; wherefore, treasure up wisdom in your bosoms, lest the wickedness of men reveal these things unto you by their wickedness, in a manner which shall speak in your ears with a voice louder than that which shall shake the earth; but if ye are prepared ye shall not fear.

124 Cease to be idle; cease to be unclean; cease to find fault one with another; cease to sleep longer than is needful; retire to thy bed early, that ye may not be weary; arise early, that your bodies and your minds may be invigorated.

125 And above all things, clothe yourselves with the bond of charity, as with a mantle, which is the bond of perfectness and peace.