I Love To See The Temple

I love to see the temple



I'm going there some day



To feel the Holy Spirit



To listen and to pray



For the temple is a house of God



A place of love and beauty



I'll prepare myself while I am young



This is my sacred duty




When I was a little girl this was one of my favorite songs to see.  We have a video recording of me when I was two years old jumping up and down on my moms bed singing this song.

The temple really is a sacred place.  It is the house of God, a place where we go to learn about our Heavenly Father and to strengthen our relationship with Him. 

When I was little I also thought that the blessings of the temple were outside of my reach.  I thought that you had to be extra special or extra good to go inside.  I thought that only the really important people could go in.  What's wonderful about the temple though, is that the requirements to go into the temple are within all of our reach.

In order to be worthy to attend the temple we need to be living the standards of the church.  If we are in good standing with the doctrines of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and we have a testimony we are qualified to enter the temple.  What a blessing that is! 

Temples are a place of peace.  The world is in so much turmoil and it is really easy to get caught up in everything and not be able to see straight.  As we enter the house of the Lord our understanding is clear.  We are reminded of our purpose on earth and we are able to set our priorities straight.

I am so grateful for the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.  One of the greatest blessings of the gospel is the knowledge that we are given in the temple.  My family can be together forever!!  I am so grateful for this knowledge!!  I know that the Priesthood power of God is on the earth today and this is the reason why we have these wonderful blessings of the temple.

I pray that we all can prepare to go to the temple.  If you have already been, go again.  If you have not yet been, prepare to go.  As we live worthy of a temple recommend we are entitled to the blessing and guidance of the Lord. 

To learn more about temples, please go to http://mormon.org/faq/#Temples

Dare to Stand Alone

I don't have a whole lot of time to write today, so I just thought I would share an uplifting message.  I would just like you to know though, that you are NEVER alone.  The Savior, Jesus Christ, has been where you've been.  He knows you and He loves you and if you will turn to Him He will wrap His arms around you.

Why?

President Uchtdorf said this:

“When we understand why our Heavenly Father has given us this pattern for living, when we remember why we committed to making it a foundational part of our lives, the gospel ceases to become a burden and, instead, becomes a joy and a delight. It becomes precious and sweet.”

So I want you to ask yourself why?  Why do you believe in God?  Why do you follow the commandments?  Why do you read the Book of Mormon? (Or if you haven't, why?)  Why do you follow the prophet?  Why do you believe in the Plan of Salvation?

As a teenager I did a lot of babysitting, and I loved it.  One thing that always amused me though was when a three year-old would get on a "why-rant".  They would come up with this never-ending list of "why" questions and expect me to be able to answer all of them.  Often times the questions were ridiculous, but sometimes they were very thought provoking.

It is easy to get annoyed when asked many "why" questions, but I think children have it figured out.  If we don't understand the "why" then it makes the "what" important.  For example.  We read our scriptures every day.  That is the what.  Why?  Because as we read we learn more about Christ and we can be taught by the Spirit the things we must do.

We go to church.  Why?  Because it is a commandment of the Lord.  Let's ask why one more time.  The Lord commands us to go to church to partake of the sacrament.  Why? To renew the covenants we made at baptism.  To be spiritually renewed and to receive strength through the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

What's beautiful about the gospel is that we can come to know and understand the why's?  We don't have to take anything at face value.  There is always an answer.  The answers come through study.  We can study the Book of Mormon, we can ponder things in our heart, we can pray to ask our Heavenly Father.  As we sincerely seek answers to the why we will find them. 

When we understand the why or the gospel, it makes living the what easier.  The why helps us understand our divine potential, our potential to be heirs to the kingdom of God. 

Why Do Bad Things Happen...

One of the questions I am frequently asked is: "If God really does love us, why does He let bad things happen to good people?"  As I watched this video, I began to understand it a little more.

Everyone will have trials in this life, that comes from living in an imperfect world.  Brittany has been given a talent, as the Lord talks about in the New Testament.  He gave ten to one, five to another, and one talent to a third.  They were able to do what they wanted with the talent, but they were to be held accountable for the talent.

Brittany has been given a talent in her love of others, in her artistic skills and her willingness to give, but I also think another talent she has been given is her sickness.  Because Brittany is sick, she is blessed with a more acute awareness of the trials of others.  Her heart has been changed and she has chosen to reach out and help others.  She knows what it's like, as the Savior does, and she is able to give comfort to others.  Why did this "bad" thing happen to Brittany?  I can't be sure, but I know that she is blessing hundreds of people through her example of love and service.

Sometimes bad things happen to good people because the Lord knows that those people are strong.  He knows that their example through their trial will touch the lives of the children of men and that many will be grow from her example and seek to make the world a better place.

In Alma 14 the missionary companionship of Alma and Amulek are forced to watch their people burn.

"10 And when Amulek saw the pains of the women and children who were consuming in the fire, he also was pained; and he said unto Alma: How can we witness this awful scene? Therefore let us stretch forth our hands, and exercise the ^apower of God which is in us, and save them from the flames.
11 But Alma said unto him: The Spirit constraineth me that I must not stretch forth mine hand; for behold the Lord receiveth them up unto himself, in ^aglory; and he doth suffer that they may do this thing, or that the people may do this thing unto them, according to the hardness of their hearts, that the ^bjudgments which he shall exercise upon them in his wrath may be just; and the ^cblood of the ^dinnocent shall stand as a witness against them, yea, and cry mightily against them at the last day."

The Lord is not going to take away our agency, and He is not going to take away the agency of those who choose to do bad.  Of course He does not want to see us suffer, but when we understand the Plan of Happiness we know that all will be made right.  Everyone will be held accountable and this life is just a temporary state.

As we develop faith in the Lord Jesus Christ we will not be relieved of our trials.  In fact, Satan will probably work extra hard on us to keep us from turning to the Savior.  The wonderful thing is that as we do develop faith, we are able to clearly see that there is a plan.  The Lord is aware of us and if we turn to Him, we will be strengthened through our trials and we will grow closer to Him.

If you would like to learn more about the Plan of Happiness, or you know someone who would like to learn more, please check out http://mormon.org/plan-of-happiness/

I know the Lord loves us.  Sometimes bad things happen, but it's not because God doesn't care.  If we turn to Him through the bad times we will be strengthened and we can know for a surety that He is indeed there.  I know this to be true.  I am so grateful for Brittany and her sweet example to the world that though she has been dealt a difficult talent, she can multiply it and allow it bless all the world.

What Thinks Christ of Me?

The Lord really does know each of us, and He loves us more than we can even imagine.

"Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God;" DC 18:10

This last week we got our monthly newsletter.  In it contained "missionary moment" where one of the missionaries shares an experience they had.  This particular experience was shared by the sisters who are now in the area I last served in.  They shared about a couple who they are teaching.  The husband had not really been interested in the gospel or the Book of Mormon, but he would sit in on lessons.  The sisters asked him if he would just try reading the Book of Mormon.  He said he was just too busy.  The sisters were prompted to tell him that if he made time for God, God would make time for him.  They challenged him to read one verse a day and think about it for a few minutes.  They checked in with him a few weeks later and he was so excited to report that he had been blessed with a new job that required less hours of him, thereby allowing him more time to spend with his daughter.

What a neat experience?  They really were prompted by the spirit and they all saw the blessings of being obedient.  This experience though had special meaning to me for a different reason.  I have been struggling the last couple of weeks feeling like I am enough, or that I am doing enough.  I sometimes wonder if I am wasting my time being here because I don't feel like I am doing any good.  What's neat about this experience though, is that I found this couple mentioned above.  We had knocked on their door weekly for three months trying to contact them and the last week I was there they were finally home.

What if I had given up on them?  What if I hadn't decided to come on my mission?  Their souls are worth enough to Heavenly Father that He sent hard-headed me to an area where I would knock a door until it was opened.  He loves that family and He wants them to have the gospel.

The worth of my soul is great to Heavenly Father too.  He loves me enough that He inspired the sisters to share this story with the mission office so I could know that I am making a difference.

The Lord loves each of us, and wants us to be happy.  He really does know us, and if we will take a second each day to recognize His hand in our life, we will come to realize that He is there, He knows us, and He is trying so hard to reach us so we can feel of His love.

This movie is just another example of God showing His love for "one of the least of these." I watched this earlier today and was reminded the worth of souls, every soul, is so great.

Don't give up, don't let the adversary let you think otherwise.  God loves you!!!  He knows you, and He you are worth it to Him.