Tuesday, April 12, 2011
The Work of the Lord
On Sunday April 10th we had the missionaries over for dinner. They are the UVU missionaries, which happen to be a friend from back home; Elder Bitton, and our cousin Elder Beihl! I guess as missionaries over a college you don't get very many invitations to dinner. So we decided that every couple of months we are going to invite the UVU missionaries over for dinner. It was such a wonderful experience hearing about them preaching the gospel, and the reception that the gospel has here in a state that you would presume is mainly Mormon. It is so wonderful to see how a mission changes a person, how the person you knew back home, is not really the same person on the mission. They are so invested in the work, and they care so much about the people. They truly learn to love the people they teach
Missionary Moments
We need to strive to be constant missionaries.
We need to support the missionaries.
This is a way for us to track our missionary efforts. To document our interactions with non-members, and our preaching of the gospel. When we talk to people about our beliefs, we are strengthening our own testimonies, and hopefully spreading the good word of the Lord.
Monday, April 11, 2011
Temple Blessings
Blessings of the Temple
“I think there is no place in the world where I feel closer to the Lord than in one of His holy temples.” President Thomas S. Monson
On December 20th 2008 Patrick and I were sealed for time and eternity in the House of the Lord. The blessings the Temple brings into my life are evident every day. The temple is a place where we are taught, make covenents, and receive ordinences that enable us to live in the presence of God. Patrick and I try to attend the Temple as much as we can. The purpose of this section is to record our feelings and promptings that we have received in the temple.
I have a testimony that the ordinences done in the temple are eternal in nature, that through these ordinences, we can be together as a family forever.
What is done in the temple?
Here is information on what happens in the temple, this information is found off of LDS.org
Endowment
One ordinance we receive in the temple is the endowment. The word endowment means “gift” or “bestowal.” As part of this ordinance, we are taught about the purpose of life, the mission and Atonement of Jesus Christ, and Heavenly Father’s plan for His children. We gain a glimpse of what it will be like to live in His presence as we feel the peaceful atmosphere of the temple.Sealing
Another temple ordinance is the sealing ordinance, in which husbands and wives are sealed to each other and children are sealed to their parents in eternal families. This means that if we are faithful to our covenants, our family relationships will continue for eternity. People sometimes also refer to this ordinance as “temple marriage” or “eternal marriage.”Ordinances for the Deceased
In addition to receiving these ordinances for ourselves, we can receive them for our deceased ancestors. In this way, people who died without receiving essential ordinances such as baptism and confirmation, the endowment, and sealing have the opportunity to accept these ordinances.(lds.org)
Genealogy
Genealogy is a very important aspect of Temple work. In the Temple we can do work for the dead; meaning that we are able to do ordinences that are necessary for salvation for those who are dead.
Jesus Christ taught that baptism is essential to the salvation of all who have lived on earth (see John 3:5 ). Many people, however, have died without being baptized. Others were baptized without proper authority . Because God is merciful, He has prepared a way for all people to receive the blessings of baptism. By performing proxy baptisms in behalf of those who have died, Church members offer these blessings to deceased ancestors. Individuals can then choose to accept or reject what has been done in their behalf.
Patrick's family has done almost all of the Genealogy work for their family already, but my grandparents on both my mother's and my father's side are converts, so we have a lot of people who are waiting for their work to be done.
We will be trying to do the temple work for at least one member of the family per month.
Tithing
Tithing is a tenth part of a person’s annual increase given to the Lord through the Church. Tithing funds are used to build churches and temples, to sustain missionary work, and to build the kingdom of God on earth.
When we pay tithing, we are promised blessings. I beleive that the Lord DOES bless us when we follow his commandments. We have been paying tithing; ten percent of our income, to the Church. This is not just a way to give to the Church our finances, but it is a way for us to show our commitment to the Lord. That no matter what we are going through we will honor our promise to God of paying our tithing, and in return he will bless us for our obedience.
The Widows Mite
"And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing. And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury: For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living" (Mark 12: 42-44)
Pioneer Day July 24th
Pioneer day is a day that we celebrate the early pioneers that crossed the plains to escape persecution, and moved west. In Utah this is a holiday where there are fire works, parades, and rodeos.
Our ancestors were not part of the initial pioneers, but in their own respect they were pioneers into the United States, and pioneers for the church. My paternal grandfather came out west looking for work, and ended in Utah in the land of the Mormons, when he had never heard of a Mormon before. He eventually served a mission in Germany, and there met his wife. After his mission she came to the United States a new convert to the LDS faith, and did not speak any English. They were pioneers of this faith and from them came four children, all the men serving missions., from their children they have had four missionaries, 3 temple marriages, and many more to come.
From Patrick's ancestors came the prophet Gordon B. Hinckley, and many many faithful members of the church.
although we are not pioneers that have to walk thousands of miles and push handcarts, we are pioneers in our own day and in our own way.
-on Pioneer Day we will celebrate our heritage, and look to the ways we can influence the generations to come.
-This is about the half-way point of the year, we will asses our New Year Resolutions, and create new ones, or recommit to the one that might have fallen on the wayside.
Sabbath Day Holy
"And he commanded them that they should observe the Sabbath day , adn keep it holy, and also every day they should give thanks to the Lord their God." Mosiah 18:23
Sunday is a special day that we reserve for the worship of our Lord. On Sundays we go to our church meetings, and we are able to partake of the sacrament.
Sacrament meeting is where we partake of bread and water in rememberence of Christ’s atoning sacrifice. The broken bread represents his broken flesh; the water represents the blood that he shed to atone for our sins (1 Cor. 11:23–25; D&C 27:2). When worthy Church members take the sacrament, they promise to take upon them the name of Christ, to always remember him, and to keep his commandments. Through this ordinance, Church members renew their baptismal covenants.(lds.org)
On Sundays lately we go to church, and when we come home we take off our Sunday clothes, get into sweats and either watch a movie or do homework. It seems that we are not really keep the Sabbath Day as holy as we could. In the Jewish religion the Sabbath is a very sacred day of worship. One of the biggest part of their Shabbat is the meal they partake, and the hymns and lessons they learn. There is also a tradition of giving your children father's blessings.
I feel that they show a very good example of how to keep the Sabbath day Holy.
How we celebrate
- We have begun to have family dinners on Sunday. Getting together to share time with family is a wonderful way to keep the spirit in the home.
- We are going to try to restrict the number of football, and basketball games that are viewed.
- Every sunday we will write about the lessons we learned during our church services.
- We are going to try to get all homework done before Sunday so that it truley will be a day of rest.
- Nature is very calming to us, we are going to try to enjoy nature each sunday, and we have contemplated hiking the Y and having a scripture study at the top of it.
Sunday needs to become a day of worship, a day of rest, a day that is out of the normal routine.
General Conference
General conference is a semiannual gathering of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. During general conference weekend, Church members and others who are interested gather worldwide in a series of two-hour sessions to receive inspiration and instruction from Church leaders. (lds.org)
General Conference is held twice a year, once in April and once in October.
It is a time where the family gets together to watch the words of the prophet.
We always have cinnamin rolls during the Sunday morning Session
and lunch after the afternoon session.
-we take notes of the talks
- we always no matter what, make sure that we are awake for the Prophet's talk.
Easter
At Christmas we celebrate His birth, at Easter we celebrate His life and death, and His conquering of the bonds of death. Because of His sacrifice we are all able to live again. Christ took upon Him all the sins of the world, He offered Himself to be the pure sacrifice, the spotless lamb. No unclean thing can enter into the kingdom of God. We are all unclean; we have all sinned, and because of this we cannot ever be in the presence of our Lord again on our own. Christ sacrificed himself so that we could become spotless again, so that we could be with our Father in Heaven. He took upon him every sin, every suffering that anyone has ever felt and suffered for them. This sacrifice made it possible that we could repent. That we can be cleansed.
I am so grateful for the Atonement, that Christ loved us so much that he offered to be the sacrifice that would allow us the ability to repent.
Walking with Christ
Walking with Christ
Good Friday to Saturday vigil
Events of the Last week of His life before the resurrection
When is it:
The Sunday before Easter
What is it:
Celebrates the triumphant entry of Christ into Jerusalem
To celebrate we will have a feast on the Sunday before easter. Each day that week we will recount the steps that Christ took until the day of his resurrection.
Sunday
Palm sunday
Thursday recalls Jesus’ last meal and his arrest and imprisonment
Good Friday- death of Christ on the cross read the scriptures
Holy Saturday- day of solemn vigil- we will read of his work on the other side of the veil
Easter Sunday celebrates the resurrection of Jesus
Lent
When is it:
46 days before Easter
What is it:
Observed from Ash Wednesday to Easter. Lent is a time to prepare oneself though prayer, repentance, almsgiving, and self denial. It is a preparation to the celebration of the suffering and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Because we cannot fast for forty days as Jesus did, we give up something; in essence fasting from that certain thing. The fasting is broken for Sundays, as those are considered holy days- a day of celebration.
Today, some people give up a vice of theirs, add something that will bring them closer to God, and often give the time or money spent doing that to charitable purposes or organizations
How we celebrate
- Choose one thing that is a weakness that you would like to work on.
o For example give up sweets for forty days.
- Add something that will bring you closer to Christ.
o Reading your scriptures everyday
o Go to the temple once a week during this time
o say personal prayers, try to do morning and night
- Serve others; Plan a service project for example:
o Serve in the MTC
o Cannery
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)