Sunday, December 25, 2016
Christmas in Guatemala
I am sure that every land has its special traditions for Christmas. Here in Guatemala as families gather on Christmas eve, they eat traditional tamales and drink a fruit punch, ponche. As the night of celebration progresses, you begin to hear and see fire works all around town. It grows in a crescendo until at midnight it breaks forth in the most spectacular display of fireworks imaginable, a 360 degree explosive show of lights. It seems strange to us missionaries from North America gathered on our rooftop to watch the spectacular display, but then this is the land where there was no darkness in the night of his birth, and somehow lighting the night sky with a multitude of fireworks seems an appropriate celebration of His birth. After another half hour or so of magnificent fireworks, families gather to open their gifts in the middle of the night, celebrating the giving of the greatest gift of all, the gift of the Son of God.
Sunday, December 4, 2016
Kekchi at the Temple
During my Thursday shift at the temple this week a large group of the Kekchi (or Q'eqchi) Maya came in from Senahú. A dozen young men received their own endowment in preparation for a mission or wedding. I had the privilege of officiating in some of that. These beautiful people from the Alta Verapaz and Baja Verapaz departments in northern Guatemala speak their native language, although most of the men speak at least a little Spanish. They are able to receive their endowment in their native Mayan tongue. I was so impressed with the spirit of these young men. It is remarkable how many in their native communities have embraced the Restored Gospel. They are truly the Lord's people.
Friday, December 2, 2016
Our Christmas Devotional and Party
This morning I attended the annual Christmas Devotional, luncheon, and party for all the Church employees and Senior Missionaries in the Area Office. All three members of the Area Presidency and their wives spoke to us, the Senior Missionaries sang, and we watched the video associated with the Church's Christmas program, Light the World. We then had a wonderful Christmas dinner while listening to a local bells choir play Christmas music. The party was held in the huge recreation room at the Montúfar chapel not far from here. It is the first chapel built in Central America and a grand old building. It was a wonderful Christmas party in a beautifully decorated hall, and the Christmas Spirit was awesome. Even though we will be alone this Christmas, we will rejoice in the Gift of the Father's Only Begotten Son, and we will strive to be like Him to the best of our ability.
Monday, November 21, 2016
The Miracle of the Lord´s Latter-day Work
This morning in the devotional with which we begin a new week of work in the Area Offices, José Ruano shared a moving testimony. He told of gowing up in a Lutheran family and of attending the Lutheran church each week with his grandmother. One Sunday when he was 8 years old, the pastor recounted the story of Jesus' baptism in his sermon and of how Jesus said that he was baptized to "fulfill all righteousness." Brother Ruano recounted that after the meeting, he told his grandmother he wanted to be baptized like Jesus. She told him to go talk to the Pastor. He went to speak to the Pastor who was talking to a group of members. He approached the Pastor and tugged on his robe. The Pastor asked him what he wanted, and he told him that he wanted to be baptized. The Pastor told him he could be baptized when he was 30 years old. Brother Ruano said that he remembers crying all the way home from his disappointment that he would have to wait for what seemed like an eternity to an eight year old boy before he could be baptized. He then explained that two weeks after this incident, there was a knock at their door. When his grandmother answered the door, there were two missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints standing there. She invited them in and sat his two older brothers and him down and told them to listen. She then left the room. The missionaries taught them of the apostasy and the restoration. When they were finished, his grandmother came in and told him to ask them his question. So he turned to the missionaries and asked them if he could be baptized. He said the missionaries looked quite surprised, but they told him yes he could. He was excited and told them there was a font nearby and asked them if they could go now. They explained that there was a process, that he would need to attend church and receive the missionary lessons first. He asked them how long that would take, and they said probably three weeks. He was so relieved and agreed to do what they asked. Three weeks later he and his brothers were baptized and became members of the Church.
Brother Ruano recounted how he then wanted to serve a mission and as an eight year old boy he would accompany the missionaries in their work. When he was of age, he served a mission, and as a missionary had a similar experience where he was invited into a home and left by the parents to teach a young boy. He recounted how the boy and his family were eventually baptized and how he received a message from the boy through Facebook thanking him for coming to their home to share the Restored Gospel with them. The boy expressed his desire to be a missionary. Brother Ruano responded to the boy that he his thanks belonged to the young men who had come to his home years earlier to share the Gospel with him and his family.
This moving testimony caused me to remember a similar experience I had as a young missionary in Armenia, Colombia, when after sincere fasting and prayer, we were led to a young boy of 8 or 9 years of age who became the means for his family and eventually several other families in his neighborhood receiving the ordinance of baptism at our hands and joining the Church.
This is the miracle of this work. The Lord prepares his children one by one to receive the message of the Restored Gospel, and He inspires his servants and leads them to those he has prepared, many times even through a child, and they receive his glorious message one by one.
Brother Ruano recounted how he then wanted to serve a mission and as an eight year old boy he would accompany the missionaries in their work. When he was of age, he served a mission, and as a missionary had a similar experience where he was invited into a home and left by the parents to teach a young boy. He recounted how the boy and his family were eventually baptized and how he received a message from the boy through Facebook thanking him for coming to their home to share the Restored Gospel with them. The boy expressed his desire to be a missionary. Brother Ruano responded to the boy that he his thanks belonged to the young men who had come to his home years earlier to share the Gospel with him and his family.
This moving testimony caused me to remember a similar experience I had as a young missionary in Armenia, Colombia, when after sincere fasting and prayer, we were led to a young boy of 8 or 9 years of age who became the means for his family and eventually several other families in his neighborhood receiving the ordinance of baptism at our hands and joining the Church.
This is the miracle of this work. The Lord prepares his children one by one to receive the message of the Restored Gospel, and He inspires his servants and leads them to those he has prepared, many times even through a child, and they receive his glorious message one by one.
Monday, November 14, 2016
Haz la Obra
I had the privilege of giving the devotional message this morning for the employees and missionaries here in the Area Office. I drew on the talk Elder Duncan gave at our Stake Conference about the third son. Here is the message in Spanish.
HAZ LA OBRA
Hermanos y Hermanas, me complace mucho estar aquí con ustedes y tener la oportunidad de compartir con ustedes este pequeño mensaje. Estamos enfocándonos en este mes en el tema de “Haz la Obra” y hablando de este tema, quiero empezar con la parábola del Salvador que compartió después de la entrada triunfal en Jerusalén que se encuentra en el libro de Mateo, capítulo 21, versículos 28-31, que dice:
28 Mas, ¿qué os parece? Un hombre tenía dos hijos, y acercándose al primero, le dijo: Hijo, ve hoy a trabajar en mi viña.
29 Y respondiendo él, dijo: No quiero; pero después, arrepentido, fue.
30 Y acercándose al otro, le dijo de la misma manera; y respondiendo él, dijo: Sí, señor, voy. Pero no fue.
31 ¿Cuál de los dos hizo la voluntad de su padre? Dijeron ellos: El primero.
Un punto de esta parábola es que lo que hacemos es más importante que los que decimos--es más importante hacer el trabajo que decir que lo haremos. Los otros pasos del modelo de liderazgo, el definir dirección, deliberar en consejo, desarrollar capacidades y organizar la labor no valen de nada si no hacemos la obra.
Recientemente Elder Duncan presidió la conferencia de estaca en la estaca Molino en la Zona 6 donde nosotros asistimos. Él contó esta parábola y entonces la cambió para que hubiera un tercer hijo. Y el hombre dijo al tercer hijo, ve hoy a trabajar en mi viña. Y el tercer hijo respondió, Sí, Señor, voy. Y fue y trabajó con toda su fuerza y con todo su corazón. Elder Duncan nos animó que seamos como el tercer hijo, pronto para aceptar una asignación y fiel para cumplirla.
Pensando en la parábola como revisada por el Elder Duncan, me di cuenta de que este tercer hijo realmente es Jesucristo. Fue él que dijo, “Heme aquí; envíame.” Y después vino e hizo siempre lo que a su Padre le agrada. Y cuando estuvo abrumado de la agonía de la expiación, dijo, “Padre mío, si es posible, pase de mí esta copa; pero no sea como yo quiero, sino como tú.” Realmente Elder Duncan estaba invitándonos a llegar a ser como Cristo.
Jesucristo dijo, “No todo el que me dice: Señor, Señor, entrará en el reino de los cielos, sino el que hace la voluntad de mi Padre que está en los cielos,” otra vez enseñándonos que lo que hacemos cuenta más que lo que decimos.
Para mí, un gran ejemple del valor de hacer la obra es el profeta Nefi. Cuando su padre le dio una tarea muy difícil, dijo “Iré y haré lo que el Señor ha mandado, porque sé que él nunca da mandamientos a los hijos de los hombres sin prepararles una vía para que cumplan lo que les ha mandado.” 1 Nefi 3:7
Cuando él y sus hermanos mayores llegaron a Jerusalén para obtener las planchas de bronce de Labán, él trató de matarlos y robó sus bienes. Sus hermanos desanimaron, lo maltrataron y quisieron volver a la tienda de su padre sin las planchas de bronce. Pero Nefi les dijo:
“Así como el Señor vive, y como nosotros vivimos, no descenderemos hasta nuestro padre en el desierto hasta que hayamos cumplido lo que el Señor nos ha mandado. … Subamos de nuevo a Jerusalén, y seamos fieles en guardar los mandamientos del Señor, pues he aquí, él es más poderoso que toda la tierra.” 1 Nefi 3:15; 4:1
Como sabemos volvieron a Jerusalén y dejando a sus hermanos fuera de la ciudad, Nefi entró de nuevo y volvió a la casa de Labán y fue “guiado por el Espíritu, sin saber de antemano lo que tendría que hacer.” Y cuando encontró a Labán ebrio de vino, el Espíritu le constriñó a que matara a Labán, cosa que era muy difícil para Nefi. Y sucedió que otra vez le dijo el Espíritu: Mátalo, porque el Señor lo ha puesto en tus manos. Entonces obedeciendo la voz del Espíritu y cogiendo a Labán por los cabellos, le cortó la cabeza con su propia espada. Después Nefi obtuvo las planchas de bronce y él, sus hermanos y siervo de Labán volvieron a la tienda de su padre.
Aun cuando encontramos desafíos y obstáculos en el camino de lograr nuestro trabajo, si oramos con fe como hizo El Salvador en Getsemaní y seguimos el Espíritu como lo hizo Nefi en Jerusalén, podremos sobrevenir todos estos desafíos y obstáculos y lograr un buen trabajo para El Señor.
Yo les invito que sean como el tercer hijo, siempre dispuestos a aceptar una asignación y leal y fiel en llevarla acabo.
Testimonio.
HAZ LA OBRA
Hermanos y Hermanas, me complace mucho estar aquí con ustedes y tener la oportunidad de compartir con ustedes este pequeño mensaje. Estamos enfocándonos en este mes en el tema de “Haz la Obra” y hablando de este tema, quiero empezar con la parábola del Salvador que compartió después de la entrada triunfal en Jerusalén que se encuentra en el libro de Mateo, capítulo 21, versículos 28-31, que dice:
28 Mas, ¿qué os parece? Un hombre tenía dos hijos, y acercándose al primero, le dijo: Hijo, ve hoy a trabajar en mi viña.
29 Y respondiendo él, dijo: No quiero; pero después, arrepentido, fue.
30 Y acercándose al otro, le dijo de la misma manera; y respondiendo él, dijo: Sí, señor, voy. Pero no fue.
31 ¿Cuál de los dos hizo la voluntad de su padre? Dijeron ellos: El primero.
Un punto de esta parábola es que lo que hacemos es más importante que los que decimos--es más importante hacer el trabajo que decir que lo haremos. Los otros pasos del modelo de liderazgo, el definir dirección, deliberar en consejo, desarrollar capacidades y organizar la labor no valen de nada si no hacemos la obra.
Recientemente Elder Duncan presidió la conferencia de estaca en la estaca Molino en la Zona 6 donde nosotros asistimos. Él contó esta parábola y entonces la cambió para que hubiera un tercer hijo. Y el hombre dijo al tercer hijo, ve hoy a trabajar en mi viña. Y el tercer hijo respondió, Sí, Señor, voy. Y fue y trabajó con toda su fuerza y con todo su corazón. Elder Duncan nos animó que seamos como el tercer hijo, pronto para aceptar una asignación y fiel para cumplirla.
Pensando en la parábola como revisada por el Elder Duncan, me di cuenta de que este tercer hijo realmente es Jesucristo. Fue él que dijo, “Heme aquí; envíame.” Y después vino e hizo siempre lo que a su Padre le agrada. Y cuando estuvo abrumado de la agonía de la expiación, dijo, “Padre mío, si es posible, pase de mí esta copa; pero no sea como yo quiero, sino como tú.” Realmente Elder Duncan estaba invitándonos a llegar a ser como Cristo.
Jesucristo dijo, “No todo el que me dice: Señor, Señor, entrará en el reino de los cielos, sino el que hace la voluntad de mi Padre que está en los cielos,” otra vez enseñándonos que lo que hacemos cuenta más que lo que decimos.
Para mí, un gran ejemple del valor de hacer la obra es el profeta Nefi. Cuando su padre le dio una tarea muy difícil, dijo “Iré y haré lo que el Señor ha mandado, porque sé que él nunca da mandamientos a los hijos de los hombres sin prepararles una vía para que cumplan lo que les ha mandado.” 1 Nefi 3:7
Cuando él y sus hermanos mayores llegaron a Jerusalén para obtener las planchas de bronce de Labán, él trató de matarlos y robó sus bienes. Sus hermanos desanimaron, lo maltrataron y quisieron volver a la tienda de su padre sin las planchas de bronce. Pero Nefi les dijo:
“Así como el Señor vive, y como nosotros vivimos, no descenderemos hasta nuestro padre en el desierto hasta que hayamos cumplido lo que el Señor nos ha mandado. … Subamos de nuevo a Jerusalén, y seamos fieles en guardar los mandamientos del Señor, pues he aquí, él es más poderoso que toda la tierra.” 1 Nefi 3:15; 4:1
Como sabemos volvieron a Jerusalén y dejando a sus hermanos fuera de la ciudad, Nefi entró de nuevo y volvió a la casa de Labán y fue “guiado por el Espíritu, sin saber de antemano lo que tendría que hacer.” Y cuando encontró a Labán ebrio de vino, el Espíritu le constriñó a que matara a Labán, cosa que era muy difícil para Nefi. Y sucedió que otra vez le dijo el Espíritu: Mátalo, porque el Señor lo ha puesto en tus manos. Entonces obedeciendo la voz del Espíritu y cogiendo a Labán por los cabellos, le cortó la cabeza con su propia espada. Después Nefi obtuvo las planchas de bronce y él, sus hermanos y siervo de Labán volvieron a la tienda de su padre.
Aun cuando encontramos desafíos y obstáculos en el camino de lograr nuestro trabajo, si oramos con fe como hizo El Salvador en Getsemaní y seguimos el Espíritu como lo hizo Nefi en Jerusalén, podremos sobrevenir todos estos desafíos y obstáculos y lograr un buen trabajo para El Señor.
Yo les invito que sean como el tercer hijo, siempre dispuestos a aceptar una asignación y leal y fiel en llevarla acabo.
Testimonio.
Sunday, November 6, 2016
The Third Son
Early this morning I received a message from Angie Morrill, a client of mine from years ago in Richfield. This is what she said:
"I just came home home from a wonderful adult session of adult stake conference about missionary work, and I had to write you a quick thank you note.... many years ago I tagged along with you and Karla to lunch at the Pastry Pub after a training and you shared a story about living in Germany and taking your young family a significant distance to attend stake conference and you spoke about the many blessings you received from doing that.....anyway I had grown up in a completely inactive somewhat anti Mormon home and my husband grew up with a very faithful mother and a father who is an ambvilant but supportive regarding church..Brandon served a mission and we were married in the temple, but stake conference Sunday was always a "day off" until that conversation many years ago with you in the Pastry Pub.....anyway you really made an impact on my life that day...and I haven't thought about for years until tonight....thanks...."
"I came home and Brandon and I talked about your story and the example we wanted to set for our kids and since that day 10 plus years ago I think we have missed 1 stake conference."
I was moved by her story, and this was my response:
"Thanks for sharing that, Angie. Just yesterday we also had stake conference here in the Molino Stake where we are assigned to attend. It is clear across the city in a very poor area, and the wards in that stake really struggle. Yesterday there were meetings scheduled for all adults beginning at 3:00 pm and continuing until 7:30 pm. The BYU football game began at 1:30 pm, and we had three other missionary couples, good friends of ours, gathered in our apartment to watch the game. They all planned to go out to dinner after the game as well. Mary Ann can't speak the language and doesn't understand anything in these meetings, so sitting through 4 and a half hours of unintelligible talking would be very difficult for her. I have to confess that I was sorely tempted to skip these Saturday meetings and enjoy the time with our missionary friends. Nonetheless, we decided to do our duty and attend the meetings to set a good example for the struggling members of our assigned ward. So we left our friends watching the game in our apartment and headed across town to our stake conference. It was hard for Mary Ann, but as always, we were spiritually blessed for our efforts. Elder Kevin Duncan, our area president presided, and he taught us for a good part of the meeting. He told us the parable of the two sons, the one who said he would go and did not and the other who said he would not go, but then went. He then changed the parable to add a third son who said he would go and went with full purpose of heart. He asked us all to raise our hands and commit to always be the third son or daughter. How grateful I was for having made the right choice to fulfill my duty yesterday. There were very few members of that struggling stake in attendance, and the streets around the chapel were filled with people and vendors as some big celebration and concert was going on "in the world." I know that when we do as we have covenanted to do, we are always blessed, even if in ways we don't recognize. May God bless you for your righteous desires and choices."
I concluded the convesation with this final thought:
"As I have thought about Elder Duncan's parable of the Third Son this morning, I have realized that the third son in the parable is Jesus Christ. He was the son who said, "Here am I, send me." An then He came and did always that which pleases His Father. And even when faced with the overwhelming agony of the suffering He was called to bear, which caused Him to cry out saying, "Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me," He said, "Nevertheless, not my will but thine be done." Elder Duncan was really asking each of us to covenant to be like Him."
May we all be the Third Son--always willing to go and do the will of Our Father, and always keeping the covenants we make with Him.
"I just came home home from a wonderful adult session of adult stake conference about missionary work, and I had to write you a quick thank you note.... many years ago I tagged along with you and Karla to lunch at the Pastry Pub after a training and you shared a story about living in Germany and taking your young family a significant distance to attend stake conference and you spoke about the many blessings you received from doing that.....anyway I had grown up in a completely inactive somewhat anti Mormon home and my husband grew up with a very faithful mother and a father who is an ambvilant but supportive regarding church..Brandon served a mission and we were married in the temple, but stake conference Sunday was always a "day off" until that conversation many years ago with you in the Pastry Pub.....anyway you really made an impact on my life that day...and I haven't thought about for years until tonight....thanks...."
"I came home and Brandon and I talked about your story and the example we wanted to set for our kids and since that day 10 plus years ago I think we have missed 1 stake conference."
I was moved by her story, and this was my response:
"Thanks for sharing that, Angie. Just yesterday we also had stake conference here in the Molino Stake where we are assigned to attend. It is clear across the city in a very poor area, and the wards in that stake really struggle. Yesterday there were meetings scheduled for all adults beginning at 3:00 pm and continuing until 7:30 pm. The BYU football game began at 1:30 pm, and we had three other missionary couples, good friends of ours, gathered in our apartment to watch the game. They all planned to go out to dinner after the game as well. Mary Ann can't speak the language and doesn't understand anything in these meetings, so sitting through 4 and a half hours of unintelligible talking would be very difficult for her. I have to confess that I was sorely tempted to skip these Saturday meetings and enjoy the time with our missionary friends. Nonetheless, we decided to do our duty and attend the meetings to set a good example for the struggling members of our assigned ward. So we left our friends watching the game in our apartment and headed across town to our stake conference. It was hard for Mary Ann, but as always, we were spiritually blessed for our efforts. Elder Kevin Duncan, our area president presided, and he taught us for a good part of the meeting. He told us the parable of the two sons, the one who said he would go and did not and the other who said he would not go, but then went. He then changed the parable to add a third son who said he would go and went with full purpose of heart. He asked us all to raise our hands and commit to always be the third son or daughter. How grateful I was for having made the right choice to fulfill my duty yesterday. There were very few members of that struggling stake in attendance, and the streets around the chapel were filled with people and vendors as some big celebration and concert was going on "in the world." I know that when we do as we have covenanted to do, we are always blessed, even if in ways we don't recognize. May God bless you for your righteous desires and choices."
I concluded the convesation with this final thought:
"As I have thought about Elder Duncan's parable of the Third Son this morning, I have realized that the third son in the parable is Jesus Christ. He was the son who said, "Here am I, send me." An then He came and did always that which pleases His Father. And even when faced with the overwhelming agony of the suffering He was called to bear, which caused Him to cry out saying, "Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me," He said, "Nevertheless, not my will but thine be done." Elder Duncan was really asking each of us to covenant to be like Him."
May we all be the Third Son--always willing to go and do the will of Our Father, and always keeping the covenants we make with Him.
Thursday, October 27, 2016
The House of the Lord
Tonight during my shift at the temple, I had the wonderful opportunity to officiate in an endowment session when a beautiful young woman received her own endowment in preparation for serving a mission in Nicaragua. The session was full of beautiful and humble Guatemalan Saints supporting this future missionary. I prayed the Lord would pour out his spirit upon those gathered in the session, and that prayer was answered in a powerful and moving way. I know this beautiful young woman received a witness of the temple ordinances, as I did the first time I attended the temple in preparation for my own mission. That was one of the most powerful spiritual experiences of my life. I am a witness that the ordinances of the temple are true and that the power of God is present in the temple inder the direction of priesthood keys, and it can truly seal a family together for all eternity. Going to the temple is like going to the top of a mountain; it is a place of peace and a place where the veil seems thin and one may commune with God in a way he cannot in other places. I am so grateful for the opportunity I have here to serve in the temple each week. It is a place of holiness where we can learn to be holy.
Tuesday, October 18, 2016
What Manner of Men?
Our Heavenly Father sent us to this beautiful earth so that we might become like Him by receiving and gaining dominion over a body and by learning from our own experience to choose good and reject evil. To make our perfection possible, He sent His Son to atone for our sins and Adam's transgression, teach us the truth, and show us by His perfect example the way back to Our Father. Jesus said to the Nephites and Lamanites gathered at the temple in Bountiful: "Therefore I would that ye should be perfect even as I, or your Father who is in heaven is perfect." 3 Nehpi 12:48. He subsequently asked their leaders rhetorically, "what manner of men ought ye to be"? And then He answered, "Verily I say unto you, even as I am." Jesus is our perfect example, and He invites us to come and follow Him. "And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me." Luke 9:23.
One day a rich young man came to Jesus seeking counsel. He was like many of us. He kept the commandments and did his best to please God. In our way of thinking, he attended church, said his prayers, paid his tithing and fast offerings, did his home teaching. He was faithful in holding family home evening, family prayer and scripture study. He attended the temple regularly and in short kept all the commandments. Mark tells us the story this way:
"And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? And Jesus said unto him, why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God. Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother. And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth. Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, one thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me. And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions." Mark 10:17-22
One day a rich young man came to Jesus seeking counsel. He was like many of us. He kept the commandments and did his best to please God. In our way of thinking, he attended church, said his prayers, paid his tithing and fast offerings, did his home teaching. He was faithful in holding family home evening, family prayer and scripture study. He attended the temple regularly and in short kept all the commandments. Mark tells us the story this way:
"And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? And Jesus said unto him, why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God. Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother. And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth. Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, one thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me. And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions." Mark 10:17-22
Like the rich young man, each of us needs to ask what we must do to inherit eternal life; what lack we yet? If we ask with a sincere heart and real intent (i.e. the intent to do what He tells us), He will show us what He would have us do. He may show us that we need to change certain desires or thoughts or that we must change the way we speak, the words we say. He may show us things we must stop doing or things we must begin to do or do better. He will help us follow Him and become like Him.
One of the great blessings of serving a mission is having the opportunity to turn our hearts more fully to Him and become more like Him. I pray that we will not be as the rich young man, but that we will be willing to do all that the Lord asks of us. May we strive each day to follow Him and become more like Him in the desires of our hearts, our thoughts, our words, and all that we do.
For those who want help in identifying areas to improve, I recommend the study of Chapter 6 in Preach My Gospel and the completion of the Attribute Activity at the end of the chapter.
Monday, September 26, 2016
Keep the Commandments
Why are our happiness and keeping God's commandments inextricably intertwined?
Humans desire happiness and are driven to seek it in many ways. Some seek it in pleasures or possessions, others in exhilaration and extreme sports. Some believe they will find it in money, power, or fame. Some seek it in learning some new or strange thing. And the list might go on and on.
Our Heavenly Father has created us that we might be happy and provided us all that we need to find happiness. He knows and loves us best, and knows what will make us truly happy. He teaches us that without righteousness there can be no happiness and that wickedness never was happiness. (See 2 Nephi 2:13; Alma 41:10) He has given us His commandments that we might be happy.
Among the many reasons this is true, two stand out to me. First, his commandments lead to happiness, because he has decreed that it be so; He has conditioned many of His choicest blessings upon obedience to His commandments.
"There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated— [a]nd when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated." D&C 130:20-21.
"And moreover, I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold outfaithful to the end they are received into heaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of never-ending happiness. O remember, remember that these things are true; for the Lord God hath spoken it." Mosiah 2:41
Those who seek happiness by violating God's commandments seek that which can never be obtained, because it runs contrary to the law of God.
But a second and related reason that happiness is found in keeping the commandments of God, is that the commandments themselves are designed by a loving Heavenly Father to make us happy, to make us like Him.
Joseph Smith taught:
Happiness is the object and design of our existence; and will be the end thereof, if we pursue the path that leads to it; and this path is virtue, uprightness, faithfulness, holiness, and keeping all the commandments of God. [Teachings, 255–56]
God's commandments are not capricious or random in nature, but their very object and design is our eternal happiness. Even when we don't see how that can be the case, or we think we know better what will make me happy, we should lay aside our own wisdom and trust in our loving Heavenly Father, for He knows best what will make us happy.
My favorite scripture is the following:
"But behold, all things have been done in the wisdom of him who knoweth all things. Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy." 2 Nephi 2:24-25
To the degree that we keep the commandments of God, to that degree and no greater shall we find happiness in this life and in the world to come.
Humans desire happiness and are driven to seek it in many ways. Some seek it in pleasures or possessions, others in exhilaration and extreme sports. Some believe they will find it in money, power, or fame. Some seek it in learning some new or strange thing. And the list might go on and on.
Our Heavenly Father has created us that we might be happy and provided us all that we need to find happiness. He knows and loves us best, and knows what will make us truly happy. He teaches us that without righteousness there can be no happiness and that wickedness never was happiness. (See 2 Nephi 2:13; Alma 41:10) He has given us His commandments that we might be happy.
Among the many reasons this is true, two stand out to me. First, his commandments lead to happiness, because he has decreed that it be so; He has conditioned many of His choicest blessings upon obedience to His commandments.
"There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated— [a]nd when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated." D&C 130:20-21.
"And moreover, I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold outfaithful to the end they are received into heaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of never-ending happiness. O remember, remember that these things are true; for the Lord God hath spoken it." Mosiah 2:41
Those who seek happiness by violating God's commandments seek that which can never be obtained, because it runs contrary to the law of God.
But a second and related reason that happiness is found in keeping the commandments of God, is that the commandments themselves are designed by a loving Heavenly Father to make us happy, to make us like Him.
Joseph Smith taught:
Happiness is the object and design of our existence; and will be the end thereof, if we pursue the path that leads to it; and this path is virtue, uprightness, faithfulness, holiness, and keeping all the commandments of God. [Teachings, 255–56]
God's commandments are not capricious or random in nature, but their very object and design is our eternal happiness. Even when we don't see how that can be the case, or we think we know better what will make me happy, we should lay aside our own wisdom and trust in our loving Heavenly Father, for He knows best what will make us happy.
My favorite scripture is the following:
"But behold, all things have been done in the wisdom of him who knoweth all things. Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy." 2 Nephi 2:24-25
To the degree that we keep the commandments of God, to that degree and no greater shall we find happiness in this life and in the world to come.
Thursday, September 22, 2016
Guatemala--Land of Natural Wonders
Guatemala is not a vacationers' paradise. On neither its Pacific nor Atlantic coast does it have a single destination resort or world class hotel. Visiting the beach is a third world experience. With the exception of parts of Guatemala City, the country lacks the kind of amenities one expects in the developed world. But what Guatemala lacks in modern development it makes up for in spades in natural wonders and beauty.
This past weekend, we had the opportunity to visit the city of Coban in Alta Verapaz to the north of Guatemala City. You begin at nearly 5,000 feet in Guatemala City and within a few short miles descend to the Motagua River basin at less than 1,000 feet, and then within another few miles ascend to Coban at 4,350 feet, passing through beautiful pine forests and a natural reserve for the Quetzal bird. Alta Verapaz is a beautiful part of Guatemala. We stayed in a fairly nice hotel for Guatemala standards in the small community of Santa Cruz south of Coban.
Coban is a fairly traditional Mayan city. Most of the women dress in their traditional Mayan dress with long pleated skirts, some with beautiful embroidery, and their distinctive lacy Huipiles over a chemise like undergarment. Coban is small city, but it had a nice mall in the city center. We arrived on Independence Day and enjoyed a Marimba band in the main plaza with the performers being two young and very talented boys with their father or grandfather. En route to Coban we stopped in the small village of Union Barrios and watched the Independence day parade where all the children, and there were lots of them for such a small town, grouped in their school classes marched and danced along the highway through town.
The next day we made a trip to a famous nature site in Guatemala--Semuc Champey. The last few miles of the road was a rough dirt road descending from the highway high on the mountainside to the Cahabón River and then up to Semuc Champey, which is a National Park. This is really a natural wonder of the world! The raging Cahabón River crashes down a canyon and at the top of the site is funneled into a natural underground tunnel that goes under the pools of Semuc Champey for some 300 meters and then emerges again in a torrent of white water surrounded by waterfalls from the sides of the canyon and from the crystal pools above. The pools are beautiful natural pools that cascade down to the point where the river reemerges. It is incredibly beautiful. We took some pictures which we will try to add to this blog, but they just can´t do the site justice.
After spending a few hours swimming in the pools and enjoying the beauty of Semuc Champey, we headed back to Coban, but missing a left turn early on we spent several hours on a wild goose chase down the canyon along the Cahabón River on very rough dirt roads. The amazing thing was passing buses and big trucks traversing these back woods trails to get to various points in the river valley. It was a pretty rough ride.
We rested on Saturday and enjoyed the city. Sunday we attended Church in the small town of Valparaíso where up from the dirt road into town we found a beautiful chapel where probably 100 to 125 local Mayan members gathered for Church. Not a single car, other than ours was in the parking lot (well really basketball court) in front of the building. The valley was beautiful and the faith and warmth of the Saints in this tiny town was inspiring. It is really a testimony to the truth of the Restored Gospel to see these faithful Saints who have so little of the things of this world, but are true disciples of the Lord, Jesus Christ. We returned to Guatemala City inspired by the beauty of this country and its humble people.
This past weekend, we had the opportunity to visit the city of Coban in Alta Verapaz to the north of Guatemala City. You begin at nearly 5,000 feet in Guatemala City and within a few short miles descend to the Motagua River basin at less than 1,000 feet, and then within another few miles ascend to Coban at 4,350 feet, passing through beautiful pine forests and a natural reserve for the Quetzal bird. Alta Verapaz is a beautiful part of Guatemala. We stayed in a fairly nice hotel for Guatemala standards in the small community of Santa Cruz south of Coban.
Coban is a fairly traditional Mayan city. Most of the women dress in their traditional Mayan dress with long pleated skirts, some with beautiful embroidery, and their distinctive lacy Huipiles over a chemise like undergarment. Coban is small city, but it had a nice mall in the city center. We arrived on Independence Day and enjoyed a Marimba band in the main plaza with the performers being two young and very talented boys with their father or grandfather. En route to Coban we stopped in the small village of Union Barrios and watched the Independence day parade where all the children, and there were lots of them for such a small town, grouped in their school classes marched and danced along the highway through town.
The next day we made a trip to a famous nature site in Guatemala--Semuc Champey. The last few miles of the road was a rough dirt road descending from the highway high on the mountainside to the Cahabón River and then up to Semuc Champey, which is a National Park. This is really a natural wonder of the world! The raging Cahabón River crashes down a canyon and at the top of the site is funneled into a natural underground tunnel that goes under the pools of Semuc Champey for some 300 meters and then emerges again in a torrent of white water surrounded by waterfalls from the sides of the canyon and from the crystal pools above. The pools are beautiful natural pools that cascade down to the point where the river reemerges. It is incredibly beautiful. We took some pictures which we will try to add to this blog, but they just can´t do the site justice.
After spending a few hours swimming in the pools and enjoying the beauty of Semuc Champey, we headed back to Coban, but missing a left turn early on we spent several hours on a wild goose chase down the canyon along the Cahabón River on very rough dirt roads. The amazing thing was passing buses and big trucks traversing these back woods trails to get to various points in the river valley. It was a pretty rough ride.
We rested on Saturday and enjoyed the city. Sunday we attended Church in the small town of Valparaíso where up from the dirt road into town we found a beautiful chapel where probably 100 to 125 local Mayan members gathered for Church. Not a single car, other than ours was in the parking lot (well really basketball court) in front of the building. The valley was beautiful and the faith and warmth of the Saints in this tiny town was inspiring. It is really a testimony to the truth of the Restored Gospel to see these faithful Saints who have so little of the things of this world, but are true disciples of the Lord, Jesus Christ. We returned to Guatemala City inspired by the beauty of this country and its humble people.
Wednesday, September 14, 2016
Guatemalan Independence Day
Today and tommorrow my beloved Guatemalans will celebrate their independence. Today they travel in caravans from all over the country to come to the Obelisco, a monument to their independence that is perhaps a hundred yards from where I sit in the Area Offices. They come as groups from schools and colleges, churches, civic organizations, or communities and at the Obelisco they will light a torch that they will then carry as they run back to their point of origin, even if it is clear across the country (they will run in a relay). I walked over to the Obelisco this morning and watched the groups of students coming with their head bands saying 100% Chapin and other messages. Most carried Guatemalan flags, had face painted messages, and were blowing whistles and horns. They love their country and celebrate her birthday in grand style. I didn´t see anyone protesting their flag here.
Friday, September 2, 2016
Why I Love the Book of Mormon
I have been thinking lately about the many reasons that I love the Book of Mormon. Surely my undeniable witness of its truth has been an anchor to my soul against the vicissitudes and vagaries of life. But its influence in my daily life is its surest testament. In the depths of my soul, I find its words resonating with the deepest desires of my heart.
1. When life is difficult and understanding fails me, I hear these words:
1. When life is difficult and understanding fails me, I hear these words:
"But behold, all things have been done in the wisdom of him who knoweth all things. Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy." 2 Nephi 2:24-25.
2. When I feel the weight of my own weakness and sins, I find myself praying for faith to put off the natural man and deny myself of all ungodliness:
"For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father."
Mosiah 3:19
Mosiah 3:19
"Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God. And again, if ye by the grace of God are perfect in Christ, and deny not his power, then are ye sanctified in Christ by the grace of God, through the shedding of the blood of Christ, which is in the covenant of the Father unto the remission of your sins, that ye become holy, without spot." Moroni 10:32-33
3. At times I find myself pleading as does Nephi:
Nevertheless, notwithstanding the great goodness of the Lord, in showing me his great and marvelous works, my heart exclaimeth: O wretched man that I am! Yea, my heart sorroweth because of my flesh; my soul grieveth because of mine iniquities. I am encompassed about, because of the temptations and the sins which do so easily beset me. And when I desire to rejoice, my heart groaneth because of my sins; nevertheless, I know in whom I have trusted. 2 Nephi 4:17-19
4. When others' words or deeds try my patience, I plead for charity, that I might be long suffering, patient, and kind, and put aside my own interests:
"And charity suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things." Moroni 7:45
5. And again, in my strivings to follow the Savior and become like Him, I find myself pleading that my heart and mind and soul will be filled with His pure and perfect love as Moroni explains:
"But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure. Amen." Moroni 7:47-48
6. When I feel my strength slacken and my determination wane, I remember the words of Nephi:
"Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life." 2 Nephi 31:20
And the words of Helaman:
"And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall." Helaman 5:12
And this could go on and on. No other book has had such a profound influence for good in my life as has the Book of Mormon. It truly is a marvelous work and a wonder.
Saturday, August 27, 2016
Our Trip to Costa Rica
Earlier this month they closed the dental clinic for a week, because of a holiday celebration that blocks the road to the clinic. So we took advantage of the break and took a trip to Costa Rica with Elder Jeffrey and Sister Ellen Clason and Elder Ross and Sister Kari Sanford. Elder Clason is the new AALC working with us in the legal department and Elder Sanford is a dentist. The six of us flew to Costa Rica and stayed in the Barcelo Hotel in San Jose. We toured the city and took a trip to Volcan Poas and a privately owned park with a butterfly nursery, zoo, and beautiful waterfalls. We attended the San Jose temple and had a relaxing Sunday with the Saints in the inner city. The Sanfords and we spent a day white water rafting on the Pacuare River through the rain forrest. It was incredibly beautiful. All of us took a trip to Tortuga Island off the Nicoya Penninsula where we saw sea turtles breeding and a humpback whale with her calf, did some snorkeling, and enjoyed the beach. We also spent a day riding the ziplines through the rain forrest canopy. It was a fun week and a nice mid-mission break. We developed deeper friendships with our fellow missionaries and enjoyed Costa Rica very much.
Wednesday, August 3, 2016
Our Guatemalan Summer
This is the season of the year they call "invierno" (winter) in Guatemala. But for us it has been an incredibly beautiful summer. We have had sunny cool days (70´s or low 80's) and overnight rains all through June and July. Everything has been so green and fresh. When I get up at 5:00 a.m. it is often still cloudy from the night´s rain, but in short order it clears up and is very nice throughout the day. They say the time is coming when we will have steady rains for several days, like it was last September when we arrived here, but in the meantime, we have enjoyed just about perfect weather all summer long.
Sunday, July 31, 2016
My Deacons Quorum
I am enjoying so much my calling as the Deacons Quorum advisor. Today I taught the boys about the baptismal covenant. They need so much for the fundamental doctrines of the Gospel to be taught to them in plainess. They lack the depth of Gospel knowledge that our children had, but they are eager to learn. I see so much potential in them to become great missionaries, faithful priesthood leaders, and good fathers. I thank the Lord for the opportunity to teach them. The spirit in our quorum this morning was so powerful and moving; it is a testament to the love Our Heavenly Father has for these young men.
Monday, July 25, 2016
Monday Devotional
One of the wonderful experiences I have here in Guatemala is meeting every Monday morning with the employees of the Church in the Area Office in a devotional to begin the week´s work. This morning we had the privilege of listening to Elder José Alonso of the Area Presidency. He spoke of the important role of women in the counsels of the Church and family in helping open the windows of heaven and ensure that the power of Godliness is manifest in our lives. He testified of the importance for those holding the Holy Priesthood of listening intently and receiving counsel from the sisters.
Elder Alonso shared an experience in his life when he was a young father and medical doctor working very long hours at the hospital including on Sundays and late in the evening. His only day off was on Thursday. On one occasion his young son asked him why he never went with the family to Church. He explained to the boy that he had to work very hard at the hospital, but that he did it all for him and the family. Later when he and his wife were discussing this concern of their son, his wife told him that he did not work that way for the benefit of the family, but did it because he wanted to. She counseled him that if he worked for the family, he would be with the family for Church. Elder Alonso testified that his wife´s counsel changed his life. He resolved that he would make the changes necessary in his job so that he could be with his family in these important times. The next day he asked to meet with his supervising doctor at the hospital, and the man asked him to wait for a few minutes as he had an appointment to talk with another doctor in the hospital at that time. After the other doctor departed, Elder Alonso went in to talk with his boss. The boss said before he heard what Elder Alonso wanted to discuss, he needed to ask him for some help. He explained that the other doctor had come to see him about a personal problem that made it difficult for him to work his Saturday shift, and he wanted to rearrange his schedule so that he worked on Sunday instead of Saturday. The boss asked Elder Alonso if he would be willing to rearrange his schedule so that he took his day off on Sunday. Elder Alonso said he would be glad to, of course. When his boss asked him what he had come to talk to him about, Elder Alonso just said he had come to invite him to lunch. He testified that when he listened to the counsel of his wife and determined to follow her counsel, the Lord opened the windows of heaven and made it possible for him to do His will.
I so enjoy rubbing shoulders with these wonderful latter-day saints in the area office. Each is temple worthy and faithful in the Church and the spirit in the Area Office is strong. These special devotionals every Monday morning are a great way to start the week.
Elder Alonso shared an experience in his life when he was a young father and medical doctor working very long hours at the hospital including on Sundays and late in the evening. His only day off was on Thursday. On one occasion his young son asked him why he never went with the family to Church. He explained to the boy that he had to work very hard at the hospital, but that he did it all for him and the family. Later when he and his wife were discussing this concern of their son, his wife told him that he did not work that way for the benefit of the family, but did it because he wanted to. She counseled him that if he worked for the family, he would be with the family for Church. Elder Alonso testified that his wife´s counsel changed his life. He resolved that he would make the changes necessary in his job so that he could be with his family in these important times. The next day he asked to meet with his supervising doctor at the hospital, and the man asked him to wait for a few minutes as he had an appointment to talk with another doctor in the hospital at that time. After the other doctor departed, Elder Alonso went in to talk with his boss. The boss said before he heard what Elder Alonso wanted to discuss, he needed to ask him for some help. He explained that the other doctor had come to see him about a personal problem that made it difficult for him to work his Saturday shift, and he wanted to rearrange his schedule so that he worked on Sunday instead of Saturday. The boss asked Elder Alonso if he would be willing to rearrange his schedule so that he took his day off on Sunday. Elder Alonso said he would be glad to, of course. When his boss asked him what he had come to talk to him about, Elder Alonso just said he had come to invite him to lunch. He testified that when he listened to the counsel of his wife and determined to follow her counsel, the Lord opened the windows of heaven and made it possible for him to do His will.
I so enjoy rubbing shoulders with these wonderful latter-day saints in the area office. Each is temple worthy and faithful in the Church and the spirit in the Area Office is strong. These special devotionals every Monday morning are a great way to start the week.
Tuesday, July 19, 2016
Funval
One of the most enjoyable assignments I have here in Guatemala is teaching Institute classes in a nearby educational institution called Funval. Returned missionaries get training there in English and many other disciplines to help them obtain good jobs. They are wonderful young saints with solid testimonies, and I love sharing the truths of the Book of Mormon with them. As part of my lesson for this evening, we will be discussing how Our Heavenly Father always prepares the way for us so that we may keep the commandments that He gives us. He loves us and wants us to be happy, and His commandments are designed to help us take advantage of the plan of redemption and find happiness in this life and in eternity. He wants us to succeed, and thus He carefully prepares the way for us, so that we may keep His commandments if we will trust in Him and give our best effort. I know this to be true, as I have experienced it again and again throughout my life. When we have God on our side preparing our way, nothing is impossible.
Saturday, July 2, 2016
Our 4th of July Celebration on July 1st, 2016, Guatemala Army Day.
Yesterday we had a day off for a Guatemalan holiday called Army Day. So Sister Kari Sanford organized a picnic for the Senior Missionaries at the wonderful Church owned camp near Chimaltenango called Las Colinas. It is a spectacular property with first class facilities that beat anything I have seen in the States. We drove over with Elder and Sister Tony and Margo Reyna. Elder Reyna served with me in Colombia over 40 years ago. We also picked up Carol Mancilla who we knew from our days of serving as inner-city missionaries in Barrio Lucero in Salt Lake City. Her husband, Oscar, is a counselor in the bishopric in Barrio Lucero. She is here with her daughter visiting her home country of Guatemala for the summer (well, actually the winter here).
We had such a nice day at Las Colinas. We got to the camp about an hour ahead of the group, so we took a hike around the property. It turned out to be quite a hike as the terrain along the east side of the property is very steep. There was a nice trail that descended the steep hill to a stream (they call it the River Sidon, as all the features of the camp bear Book of Mormon names). It wound along the stream through the thick forest. It was a very pleasant place to hike. We found an obstacle or confidence course that they have constructed for the youth down in that ravine. We then had to climb back up the steep hill at the north end of the property and work our way back around to the south end where our camp was located. The separate camp sites, and there must have been seven or more spread around the property, have big pavilions with great barbecue facilities and tables. There are shower houses and restroom facilities and a large meeting hall as well. All the camps have large fields for soccer and activities, and the whole property, about 250 acres, is beautifully maintained and landscaped. We had a barbecue with shared sides of all types, a very nice meal. We then played games and visited. It was so nice to get away from the office for a day. We enjoyed our time with Carol and with the missionaries.
We had such a nice day at Las Colinas. We got to the camp about an hour ahead of the group, so we took a hike around the property. It turned out to be quite a hike as the terrain along the east side of the property is very steep. There was a nice trail that descended the steep hill to a stream (they call it the River Sidon, as all the features of the camp bear Book of Mormon names). It wound along the stream through the thick forest. It was a very pleasant place to hike. We found an obstacle or confidence course that they have constructed for the youth down in that ravine. We then had to climb back up the steep hill at the north end of the property and work our way back around to the south end where our camp was located. The separate camp sites, and there must have been seven or more spread around the property, have big pavilions with great barbecue facilities and tables. There are shower houses and restroom facilities and a large meeting hall as well. All the camps have large fields for soccer and activities, and the whole property, about 250 acres, is beautifully maintained and landscaped. We had a barbecue with shared sides of all types, a very nice meal. We then played games and visited. It was so nice to get away from the office for a day. We enjoyed our time with Carol and with the missionaries.
Wednesday, June 22, 2016
MI BELLA GUATEMALA/ Marimba CHAPINLANDIA (German Alcantara)
Just another taste of the Marimba and "Mi Bella Guatemala" (My Beautiful Guatemala).
NOCHE DE LUNA ENTRE RUINAS MARIMBA CHAPINLANDIA
This is the famous Guatemalan Walz, Noche de Luna Entre Ruinas (roughly "Full Moon among the Ruins") by Mariano Valverde. It was written in remembrance of the terrible earthquake of April 18, 1902 in Quetzaltenango, Valverde´s hometown and the so-called "Capital of the Mayans" (although some say it was for the December 1917 earthquakes that rocked Guatemala City and Antigua).
Here it is performed in its traditional method on the Marimba, the beautiful national instrument of Guatemala. One of the things I love most about Guatemala is listening to the beautiful music of the Marimba, it is uplifting. There is a traditional Guatemalan walz performed to this piece.
Friday, June 17, 2016
Cosmopolitan Panama
Last weekend we accompanied two other missionary couples in a weekend visit to Panama City. We stayed in the Wyndham Hotel in the Albrook Mall, the largest mall in Central America and the biggest one I have ever seen. On Saturday we took a tour of Panama City that was very interesting. We visited the Panama Canal and watched some ships go through the Mira Flores locks. We learned a little of the history of this incredible engineering feat. The French first attempted to build the canal in the late 19th Century, but the effort was unsuccessful in part due to disease. Their plan called for building a flat Suez Canal type canal over the isthmus, which would have required the excavation of an incredible amount of rock. Over 20,000 workers died in the first five years of their efforts, and more than 10,000 are buried in a hill in the city. Thankfully the company went bankrupt and the dieing stopped. The United States then took up the effort of building the Canal, but they didn´t want to deal with the Colombian government at the time, so the independent country of Panama was born (without U.S. involvement, of course). I think it was five days later that the U.S. signed the agreement under which the Canal was built. The U.S. plan involved the excavation of a man made lake in the middle of the isthmus with an ingenious lock system to use fresh water from the lake to lift ships up from the the level of the ocean on one side and lower them down to the level of the ocean on the other. The United States military constructed most of the infrastructure that has become Panama City, and it is very nice from Central American standards--a good road system, drinkable water, and beautiful buildings and housing. When I came through Panama in 1973 the Canal Zone was still in the hands of the U.S. military, but now it all belongs to Panama, and it has helped make the country stable and profitable.
We visited Casco Viejo or Casco Antiguo, the old walled city of Panama where most of the gold from the new world passed on its way to Spain. It had fortifications to protect it from pirates, but in about 1671 it was burned to the ground during an attack by the pirate, Captain Morgan. The history books say that Morgan burned the city, but our guide said that the truth is the mayor burned it by accident, as he had ordered that fires be set on the walls as a defensive effort, but the fire burned out of control and burned the entire city. Anyway the city was rebuilt and at the current time is in a period of renovation and restoration that is making it a great place to visit and taste a bit of history.
Since the Canal was transferred to Panamanian control, Panama City has undergone a surge in high-rise construction in the city center, making Panama City the Dubai of Central America. It is financial center with an impressive sky line. The people of Panama are a mix of people from all over the world who came here to build the canal and of the indigenous people. This background gives the place a cosmopolitan feel, and there are goods for sale from all over the world as well. Panama has become a popular expatriate retirement place for North Americans and Europeans because of favorable tax and residence laws and other benefits.
The Panama City Temple is a beautiful and peaceful refuge on a prominent hill in the area once occupied by the U.S. military. Sunday meetings in the chapel next to the Temple were conducted in a mix of English and Spanish, each person speaking in the language with which they were most comfortable and translation services back and forth between the two language being provided. We enjoyed our visit to Panama very much.
We visited Casco Viejo or Casco Antiguo, the old walled city of Panama where most of the gold from the new world passed on its way to Spain. It had fortifications to protect it from pirates, but in about 1671 it was burned to the ground during an attack by the pirate, Captain Morgan. The history books say that Morgan burned the city, but our guide said that the truth is the mayor burned it by accident, as he had ordered that fires be set on the walls as a defensive effort, but the fire burned out of control and burned the entire city. Anyway the city was rebuilt and at the current time is in a period of renovation and restoration that is making it a great place to visit and taste a bit of history.
Since the Canal was transferred to Panamanian control, Panama City has undergone a surge in high-rise construction in the city center, making Panama City the Dubai of Central America. It is financial center with an impressive sky line. The people of Panama are a mix of people from all over the world who came here to build the canal and of the indigenous people. This background gives the place a cosmopolitan feel, and there are goods for sale from all over the world as well. Panama has become a popular expatriate retirement place for North Americans and Europeans because of favorable tax and residence laws and other benefits.
The Panama City Temple is a beautiful and peaceful refuge on a prominent hill in the area once occupied by the U.S. military. Sunday meetings in the chapel next to the Temple were conducted in a mix of English and Spanish, each person speaking in the language with which they were most comfortable and translation services back and forth between the two language being provided. We enjoyed our visit to Panama very much.
Monday, May 30, 2016
The Temple of the Mayas
This weekend we visited Quetzaltenango, the unofficial "captital of the Mayas." It is also known by its Mayan name, Xelajú (meaning "under ten mountains") or simply Xela for short. It sits in a beautiful, agricultural valley high in the mountains (7,600 feet in elevation), surrounded by volcanoes, hills, and mountains. Every inch of it and its surrounding hills is cultivated and produces rich harvests of corn, coffee, and all types of fruits, vegetables, and nuts. The population is predominantly Mayan and traditional Mayan dress is the norm. It is the second largest city in Guatemala, but it is not Americanized like the Capital; it is much more traditional.
We attended the temple on Saturday morning. It really is the temple of the Mayas! I can't describe how beautiful the temple is! It sits atop a hill overlooking the city surrounded by expansive and beautifully manicured grounds. It is built on the theme of the Mayan temples of antiquity both in its architecture and in its appointments. It is such a beautiful and peaceful place! On Saturday it was teaming with Mayas, most in traditional dress, and large youth groups doing baptisms. It was moving to see them in their temple and so filled with the light of Christ! It truly is the Temple of the Mayas.
We visited the beautiful central plaza and other sites in the city and attended church in a vibrant ward near our hotel. On the way home we stopped and visited the impressive property "Las Colinas" which is the stake camp near Chimaltenango where they hold SOY (like EFY) and other youth camps and other church gatherings. It is a most impressive property with first class facilities. I haven't seen anything like it before, even in the States.
We travelled this weekend with our friends here, Ross and Kari Sanford, who serve with Mary Ann in the Dental Clinic. It was a very enjoyable trip.
We attended the temple on Saturday morning. It really is the temple of the Mayas! I can't describe how beautiful the temple is! It sits atop a hill overlooking the city surrounded by expansive and beautifully manicured grounds. It is built on the theme of the Mayan temples of antiquity both in its architecture and in its appointments. It is such a beautiful and peaceful place! On Saturday it was teaming with Mayas, most in traditional dress, and large youth groups doing baptisms. It was moving to see them in their temple and so filled with the light of Christ! It truly is the Temple of the Mayas.
We visited the beautiful central plaza and other sites in the city and attended church in a vibrant ward near our hotel. On the way home we stopped and visited the impressive property "Las Colinas" which is the stake camp near Chimaltenango where they hold SOY (like EFY) and other youth camps and other church gatherings. It is a most impressive property with first class facilities. I haven't seen anything like it before, even in the States.
We travelled this weekend with our friends here, Ross and Kari Sanford, who serve with Mary Ann in the Dental Clinic. It was a very enjoyable trip.
Friday, May 6, 2016
The Pure Love of Christ
I have been thinking much this week about the wonderful spirit of peace, joy, and love we feel here in Guatemala. There is a spirit in this Work that is hard to describe. It hearkens me back to my days as a young missionary in Colombia. There too I felt this same special spirit and experienced the same spiritual growth that we feel here in Guatemala. We feel this special spirit in our work in the Area Office and Dental Clinic, and we especially feel it in our work in the Guatemala City Temple. Last night at the temple, I officiated in a session of the endowment where an elderly couple came to receive their endowment and then be sealed as eternal companions. The spirit in the session was marvelous and moving.
As I have contemplated this topic this past week or so, I have come to realize that the feeling we are experiencing here is the pure love of Christ. It is our love for Christ and for the Father that brings us here to serve as missionaries, but what I mean is that God loves his missionaries and He shares that love with them in a very special way. That love fills our hearts with great peace and joy, with gratitude, and a desire to do always that which pleases our Father. There are many things which we could be doing with our lives right now, but I can´t think of anything that we could be doing that could possibly bring us such love, peace, and joy as serving here.
I hope and pray that each of my grandchildren will gain a personal testimony of the Book of Mormon, the Prophet Joseph Smith and the Restoration, the Church, and our Savior, Jesus Christ, and that each of them will have the experience of tasting his pure love as a missionary. There is nothing sweeter than the love of God.
As I have contemplated this topic this past week or so, I have come to realize that the feeling we are experiencing here is the pure love of Christ. It is our love for Christ and for the Father that brings us here to serve as missionaries, but what I mean is that God loves his missionaries and He shares that love with them in a very special way. That love fills our hearts with great peace and joy, with gratitude, and a desire to do always that which pleases our Father. There are many things which we could be doing with our lives right now, but I can´t think of anything that we could be doing that could possibly bring us such love, peace, and joy as serving here.
I hope and pray that each of my grandchildren will gain a personal testimony of the Book of Mormon, the Prophet Joseph Smith and the Restoration, the Church, and our Savior, Jesus Christ, and that each of them will have the experience of tasting his pure love as a missionary. There is nothing sweeter than the love of God.
Sunday, April 24, 2016
Feeling our age
I got a new responsibility today in our Guatemalan ward to work with the young men. With teaching institute, working in the temple, and my day job in the Legal Office, I feel the load. The past couple of weeks at the end of a long week of service, Mary Ann and I have been pretty worn out. I guess we are showing our age a little. We love the work we are doing here and being a part of building God's kingdom on this earth. We pray for the energy to keep pressing forward with faith. Four new members in a family were confirmed again today in Church--really cute kids. Spanish is getting better and Mary Ann is learning more each day. The Lord cares for his missionaries and we are receiving His blessings here in spades. We love you all and miss you all so much. Every day we pray for you that the Spirit will be with you and you will have the faith to keep your covenants and be true and faithful in this day of sifting.
Sunday, April 17, 2016
The Work of the Lord is a Marvelous Work and a Wonder
Last night we attended a baby shower for a beautiful young woman of our ward here who is soon to have her first child, a girl. There must have been 100 people at the shower and piles of gifts. There were games, food, and celebration for this faithful couple.
Later we attended a baptismal service in the ward where four new converts, a family, entered the waters of baptism and made eternal covenants with God.
This morning the fine young Elder who taught these new converts gave his final testimony and farewell to the ward as he prepares to depart for his home in Peru on Tuesday morning, but not before having three more baptisms on Monday evening, another family.
As I contemplate the events of this weekend and reflect on the wonderful young saints in our own family, I am overwhelmed with gratitude for being part of the miracle that is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This work truly is a marvelous work and a wonder!
Later we attended a baptismal service in the ward where four new converts, a family, entered the waters of baptism and made eternal covenants with God.
This morning the fine young Elder who taught these new converts gave his final testimony and farewell to the ward as he prepares to depart for his home in Peru on Tuesday morning, but not before having three more baptisms on Monday evening, another family.
As I contemplate the events of this weekend and reflect on the wonderful young saints in our own family, I am overwhelmed with gratitude for being part of the miracle that is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This work truly is a marvelous work and a wonder!
Sunday, April 10, 2016
Follow the Prophets and Apostles
This week I had a disturbing esperience. A fine young man, a Latino, in Barrio Lucero in Salt Lake City, who was at the time we were there, the Elders Quorum President, has become disaffected with the Church. He was having difficulty reconciling the long delay in providing Blacks the priesthood and the current Church doctrine and policy toward Gays and Lesbians with His view of a loving God. He thought it unthinkable that God would give a detailed revelation to Joseph Smith with respect to the Nauvoo House, which he saw as in Joseph´s personal interest, and yet be silent on such important topics as these.
As I communicated with this young man, it became apparent that he had become critical of the
Lord´s annointed prophets, finding fault with them, and even speaking evil of them. This is the first and almost universal step on the road to apostasy. It has caused me grief to contemplate the choices this young man is making. I pray for him, that he may humble himself before the Lord and find his way back into the light.
I have been praying this week for my children and grandchildren, pleading that they will not be overcome in this day of tribulation with the sophistries of the adversary and his cunning, but false doctrines. Whenever we cut ourselves off from the Lords annointed servants who hold the keys of the Holy Priesthood, we cut ourselves off from God. If we will follow the prophet and receive his words as if from the Lord´s own mouth, and if we will humble ourselves before God and not trust in our own wisdom or in the arm of flesh, He will teach us His ways, and we will not be overcome by the false doctrines of our day.
"And the arm of the Lord shall be revealed; and the day cometh that they who will not hear the voice of the Lord, neither the voice of his servants, neither give heed to the words of the prophets and apostles, shall be cut off from among the people. For they have strayed from mine ordinances, and have broken mine everlasting covenant; they seek not the Lord to establish his righteousness, but every man walketh in his own way, and after the image of his own god, whose image is in the likeness of the world . . . . What I the Lord have spoken, I have spoken, and I excuse not myself; and though the heavens and the earth pass away, my word shall not pass away, but shall all be fulfilled, whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same." D&C 1:14-16, 38.
As I communicated with this young man, it became apparent that he had become critical of the
Lord´s annointed prophets, finding fault with them, and even speaking evil of them. This is the first and almost universal step on the road to apostasy. It has caused me grief to contemplate the choices this young man is making. I pray for him, that he may humble himself before the Lord and find his way back into the light.
I have been praying this week for my children and grandchildren, pleading that they will not be overcome in this day of tribulation with the sophistries of the adversary and his cunning, but false doctrines. Whenever we cut ourselves off from the Lords annointed servants who hold the keys of the Holy Priesthood, we cut ourselves off from God. If we will follow the prophet and receive his words as if from the Lord´s own mouth, and if we will humble ourselves before God and not trust in our own wisdom or in the arm of flesh, He will teach us His ways, and we will not be overcome by the false doctrines of our day.
"And the arm of the Lord shall be revealed; and the day cometh that they who will not hear the voice of the Lord, neither the voice of his servants, neither give heed to the words of the prophets and apostles, shall be cut off from among the people. For they have strayed from mine ordinances, and have broken mine everlasting covenant; they seek not the Lord to establish his righteousness, but every man walketh in his own way, and after the image of his own god, whose image is in the likeness of the world . . . . What I the Lord have spoken, I have spoken, and I excuse not myself; and though the heavens and the earth pass away, my word shall not pass away, but shall all be fulfilled, whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same." D&C 1:14-16, 38.
Monday, March 14, 2016
The Dentists Remote Site Trip
Time has been racing by, and we haven´t been doing as well as we had hoped at keeping this blog up to date. We have a million pictures to post, but have had difficulty posting them (not tech savvy enough).
Anyway, just wanted to share some comments about our trip to the Petén with the Dentists. We left here on Wednesday, March 3, 2016 in a big and very nice Nissan van carrying 8 adults and all of our luggage plus the dental equipment to do screenings in San Benito. We drove down the road to the Atlantic as they call it, and stopped to see the ruins at Quiriguá. That was an important Mayan city on the Montagua River that was a hub of commerce in Jade and Obsidian. The interesting thing about the site to me was the tall stelai with Mayan images and inscriptions telling about their kings. Amazingly these stones were found still standing upright in the jungle after 1,000 years! That is just incredible to me. We travelled as far as Rio Dulce that day and stayed in the Catamaran Hotel on the Rio Dulce, a hotel comprised of separate huts, some on stilts over the water. The next morning we drove through the Petén to Tikal, the famous ruins that Mary Ann and I visited last November. We stayed in the park in the Jungle Inn. We toured the ruins and enjoyed our time together. The hotel was very nice, but they turn all the electricity in the park off at night, and it was a total blackout, like being in a cave! I had to creep through the hotel room with my hands out in front of me to feel my way to the bathroom--it was a hoot.
The next morning the ladies did some shopping buying handy crafts from the Mayans, and then we drove into Flores, the island city on Lago Petén Itza where we had stayed in November. On Saturday, they did dental screenings for future and serving missionaries at the stake center in San Benito. I helped set up and translate. It was fun getting to visit with the missionaries and with the young people heading out on missions, many of them young women. It is wonderful to see these faithful young people willing to go and serve the Lord as missionaries. They are bright and clean and such just plain inspiring to me.
Later that afternoon, the Sanfords, a couple who has a home in Pine Valley, Utah, and we drove over next to the Belizean border to visit the archaeological site of Yaxha. It was a very interesting place to visit, a beautiful lakeside Mayan city with three sisters cities in the area and more than 200 settlements surrounding them. It was a busy place in its heyday. The highlight is sitting atop the highest temple above the jungle canopy at sunset and watching the sun set over the beautiful lake below. There were very few people in the park, and it was a very peaceful, spiritual place. As always it made me wish I could have walked those streets and plazas in the day of their glory and known the people who built such impressive cities.
Sunday morning we attended Church with the Santa Elena ward and then started the long drive back. We drove to Rio Dulce and again stayed in the Catamaran hotel. On Monday morning before we headed back to Guate, we took a four hour river tour down the Rio Dulce River to Livingston on the Caribbean coast and back. We saw many interesting sights, like Castillo de San Felipe where the early settlers defended the entrance to Lago Izabal from the pirates, the mangrove forests, natural hot springs, and the gorge through which the river carves its way to the ocean. There were homes and sailboats and yachts all along the river, the properties of retired foreigners getting away from it all. But all along the river were also little Mayan villages where the native people live in their houses on stilts and fish the river in their dugout canoes, speaking only their native Mayan tongue. It was another world!
Anyway, just wanted to share some comments about our trip to the Petén with the Dentists. We left here on Wednesday, March 3, 2016 in a big and very nice Nissan van carrying 8 adults and all of our luggage plus the dental equipment to do screenings in San Benito. We drove down the road to the Atlantic as they call it, and stopped to see the ruins at Quiriguá. That was an important Mayan city on the Montagua River that was a hub of commerce in Jade and Obsidian. The interesting thing about the site to me was the tall stelai with Mayan images and inscriptions telling about their kings. Amazingly these stones were found still standing upright in the jungle after 1,000 years! That is just incredible to me. We travelled as far as Rio Dulce that day and stayed in the Catamaran Hotel on the Rio Dulce, a hotel comprised of separate huts, some on stilts over the water. The next morning we drove through the Petén to Tikal, the famous ruins that Mary Ann and I visited last November. We stayed in the park in the Jungle Inn. We toured the ruins and enjoyed our time together. The hotel was very nice, but they turn all the electricity in the park off at night, and it was a total blackout, like being in a cave! I had to creep through the hotel room with my hands out in front of me to feel my way to the bathroom--it was a hoot.
The next morning the ladies did some shopping buying handy crafts from the Mayans, and then we drove into Flores, the island city on Lago Petén Itza where we had stayed in November. On Saturday, they did dental screenings for future and serving missionaries at the stake center in San Benito. I helped set up and translate. It was fun getting to visit with the missionaries and with the young people heading out on missions, many of them young women. It is wonderful to see these faithful young people willing to go and serve the Lord as missionaries. They are bright and clean and such just plain inspiring to me.
Later that afternoon, the Sanfords, a couple who has a home in Pine Valley, Utah, and we drove over next to the Belizean border to visit the archaeological site of Yaxha. It was a very interesting place to visit, a beautiful lakeside Mayan city with three sisters cities in the area and more than 200 settlements surrounding them. It was a busy place in its heyday. The highlight is sitting atop the highest temple above the jungle canopy at sunset and watching the sun set over the beautiful lake below. There were very few people in the park, and it was a very peaceful, spiritual place. As always it made me wish I could have walked those streets and plazas in the day of their glory and known the people who built such impressive cities.
Sunday morning we attended Church with the Santa Elena ward and then started the long drive back. We drove to Rio Dulce and again stayed in the Catamaran hotel. On Monday morning before we headed back to Guate, we took a four hour river tour down the Rio Dulce River to Livingston on the Caribbean coast and back. We saw many interesting sights, like Castillo de San Felipe where the early settlers defended the entrance to Lago Izabal from the pirates, the mangrove forests, natural hot springs, and the gorge through which the river carves its way to the ocean. There were homes and sailboats and yachts all along the river, the properties of retired foreigners getting away from it all. But all along the river were also little Mayan villages where the native people live in their houses on stilts and fish the river in their dugout canoes, speaking only their native Mayan tongue. It was another world!
Monday, February 29, 2016
The Gadianton Robbers
One of the very saddest parts of our service here in Guatemala is reading about the murders and robberies in the newspaper every morning. Violence in these Central American countries is widespread, and most of it comes form organized crime, gangs who extort money from shopkeepers, bus drivers, and merchants of all types. It is a scourge in this country, and it reminds me so much of the accounts of the Gadianton Robbers in the Book of Mormon who destroyed the Nephite society. I read about a criminal gang a little south of here in Esquintla who would kidnap people and keep them bound in pits in the wilderness on the Volcán de Fuego while making ransom demands. It is very sad that the government is unable to get control of these criminal gangs. Part of the problem is the people won´t report them for fear of retribution. Any opposition to them often leads to death. The other day a man and his son were taking a pickup load of goods to a market in another city to sell their goods, when a gang induced them to stop their truck, telling them their load was falling. Once they stopped, the gang attempted to steal their truck with all of their goods, and when they resisted, both were shot dead in the street. When I see all the opposition to law enforcement back home, I wonder if we are not on a road to more lawlessness and violence as well. Living in a well ordered society where the rule of law is respected and enforced is a great blessing. That is not the case for many of our brothers and sisters here.
Sunday, February 21, 2016
Valentine's Day
For Valentine's Day weekend we took a little trip down to San Salvador in El Salvador. We stayed in the Intercontinental Hotel in San Salvador which was very nice. San Salvador is a beautiful city with a good network of freeways, something we don't see here in Guatemala City. Saturday we drove down to the Costa del Sol to go to the beach. It was such a beautiful wide flat beach with nice tan sand and very gentle rolling waves in the warm Pacific waters. We walked along the beach and amazingly had the whole beach to ourselves! We found hundreds of sand dollars burying themselves in the sand as the water receded from each wave. We had never seen sand dollars alive before. There are private estates all along the Costa del Sol, which I guess explains in part why we were the only ones on the beach. It was such a nice day and we enjoyed the beautiful beach so much. Sunday we attended Church with the Campestre Ward, a very large and vibrant ward that meets in the Stake Center next to the San Salvador temple. We got to see the beautiful temple and its grounds--just a serene and beautiful place to be. That afternoon we drove home along the Pacific coast, kind of the El Salvador version of Highway 1 in California. We stopped along the way to see the beaches which got progressively darker colors of chocolate as we went. The last beach we stopped to see was Dorada Beach, another wide beautiful beach with gentle waves and milk chocolate colored sand. It was an interesting and enjoyable get away for Valentine's Day. I am going to try to add some photos of our trip to the mission pictures page if I can.
Friday, February 19, 2016
Serving in the House of the Lord
For the past three weeks on Thursday afternoons, I have been leaving my office at the Area Legal Office and going with Hermana Smith to serve at the Guatemala City Temple. It has been a baptism by fire there, learning the ordinances in Spanish, and the coordinator has thrown me into the thick of things so quickly, because they are always short of male workers. I have enjoyed the wonderful Spirit of the Lord's House and learned so much about the work we do there. I am deeply grateful for the restoration of these sacred ordinances, and it is a wonderful blessing being able to help administer them to the Guatemalan Saints. My trainer is Elder Allred, a wonderful man, who has worked in five temples now. He is a temple missionary here and serves in the temple five days a week. He has shared many wonderful insights into the meaning of what we do in the temple. It is my great hope that all my children and grandchildren will live their lives so as to always be worthy of a temple recommend. It is there that we learn how to prepare to meet God.
Monday, February 8, 2016
Hermana Smith's Moving Testimony
I'm not sure Mary Ann will write about her experience yesterday sharing her testimony in Spanish for the very first time, so I will tell you about it from my perspective. It has been very difficult for her not being able to communicate with the members of our ward or share her testimony. She has worked with her Spanish tutor from the Provo MTC for a couple of months now, writing her testimony down in English and having him translate it for her into Spanish. Then she practiced for many hours reading it in Spanish so that she would be able to share it with the members of the ward. She has worked so hard and been so diligent in preparing to do that. Then yesterday, a surprise to me, she went to the pulpit and shared her testimony. It was difficult for her and she was terrified, but she did so well! The members of the ward were deeply touched by her testimony and almost all of them came up to her or me to express how wonderful her testimony was. They felt her sure witness of the truth and her great love for them. I was so proud of her and her great efforts to let them know what she knows in her heart. You inspire me, Hermana Smith!
Sunday, January 31, 2016
Kaminaljuyu
Yesterday we visited the archeological park of Kaminaljuyu and the Miraflores Museum here in the city. Kaminaljuyu was an ancient Mayan city over the ruins of which the modern City of Guatemala is built. When we walk the streets of Gustemala City beneath our feet lie the buried buildings and bones of these ancient Mayans. The archelogical park and museum were most interesting, and the museum has many well preserved ancient Mayan artifacts. Kaminaljuyu was built around a beautiful lake called Miraflores that no longer exists. In its time the city must have been a beautiful and vibrant city, crossroads of that ancient empire. It was also a city of eternal spring.
Not to charge into the controversies surrounding Book of Mormon geography or take a position on the competing theories, it is nonetheless interesting to contemplate what life was like here back then. If Dr. John Sorenson is correct, this ancient city was the City of Nephi, the city Nephi founded and in which his descendants lived for hundreds of years until the time of King Mosiah. Interesting to imagine. It would have been a land of incredible bounty, rich in the production of foods of all kinds, a paradise in the Land of Promise. Thus it remained until modern man covered the whole high plain with concrete. Not far to the south was the land of Shilom according to Dr. Sorenson. I have wondered how the tower in Shilom could really help you see your enemies coming from "all the land round about." We read in Mosiah Chapter 11:
"And it came to pass that he built a tower near the temple; yea, a very high tower, even so high that he could stand upon the top thereof and overlook the land of Shilom, and also the land of Shemlon, which was possessed by the Lamanites; and he could even look over all the land round about. And it came to pass that he caused many buildings to be built in the land Shilom; and he caused a great tower to be built on the hill north of the land Shilom, which had been a resort for the children of Nephi at the time they fled out of the land; and thus he did do with the riches which he obtained by the taxation of his people." (Mosiah 11:12-13)
What is interesting is that from a tower on a hill south of Guatemala City you could see all the way to the Pacific Coast where, according to Dr. Sorenson, the Nephites landed and built their first settlement, the City of Lehi. From that tower you could see an army of Lamanites approaching the land of Shilom from a very long way away indeed.
Not to charge into the controversies surrounding Book of Mormon geography or take a position on the competing theories, it is nonetheless interesting to contemplate what life was like here back then. If Dr. John Sorenson is correct, this ancient city was the City of Nephi, the city Nephi founded and in which his descendants lived for hundreds of years until the time of King Mosiah. Interesting to imagine. It would have been a land of incredible bounty, rich in the production of foods of all kinds, a paradise in the Land of Promise. Thus it remained until modern man covered the whole high plain with concrete. Not far to the south was the land of Shilom according to Dr. Sorenson. I have wondered how the tower in Shilom could really help you see your enemies coming from "all the land round about." We read in Mosiah Chapter 11:
"And it came to pass that he built a tower near the temple; yea, a very high tower, even so high that he could stand upon the top thereof and overlook the land of Shilom, and also the land of Shemlon, which was possessed by the Lamanites; and he could even look over all the land round about. And it came to pass that he caused many buildings to be built in the land Shilom; and he caused a great tower to be built on the hill north of the land Shilom, which had been a resort for the children of Nephi at the time they fled out of the land; and thus he did do with the riches which he obtained by the taxation of his people." (Mosiah 11:12-13)
What is interesting is that from a tower on a hill south of Guatemala City you could see all the way to the Pacific Coast where, according to Dr. Sorenson, the Nephites landed and built their first settlement, the City of Lehi. From that tower you could see an army of Lamanites approaching the land of Shilom from a very long way away indeed.
Friday, January 29, 2016
The Adversary at Work
"And many shall be converted, insomuch that ye shall obtain power to organize yourselves according to the laws of man; That your enemies may not have power over you; that you may be preserved in all things; that you may be enabled to keep my laws; that every bond may be broken wherewith the enemy seeketh to destroy my people." (D&C 44:4-5)
These two versus are in effect the mission statement of OGC (Office of the General Counsel). This week among a host of other things, I have been working on writing a request for First Presidency approval to bring a lawsuit against an individual in Nicaragua who is seeking to extort money from the Church using false deeds and other falsified documents. The whole experience of researching this case has once again brought to my attention just how hard the adversary works to thwart the work of the Lord. This special site in Nicaragua was purchased by the Church as a future temple site in Nicaragua when the Church decides to build a temple in that country. But the property has been embroiled in litigation for years against several unscrupulous people trying to profit by fraudulent means. Our cause has been further complicated by widespread corruption in the government of Nicaragua, even in the judiciary. The adversary always opposes the construction of temples, even before they are announced!
These two versus are in effect the mission statement of OGC (Office of the General Counsel). This week among a host of other things, I have been working on writing a request for First Presidency approval to bring a lawsuit against an individual in Nicaragua who is seeking to extort money from the Church using false deeds and other falsified documents. The whole experience of researching this case has once again brought to my attention just how hard the adversary works to thwart the work of the Lord. This special site in Nicaragua was purchased by the Church as a future temple site in Nicaragua when the Church decides to build a temple in that country. But the property has been embroiled in litigation for years against several unscrupulous people trying to profit by fraudulent means. Our cause has been further complicated by widespread corruption in the government of Nicaragua, even in the judiciary. The adversary always opposes the construction of temples, even before they are announced!
Saturday, January 16, 2016
How I Came to Know The Book of Mormon is the Word of God
I grew up in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I had good parents who, although subject to weakness as we all are, strived to teach us the truth. As an adolescent I had a thousand unanswered questions about life, our purpose on this earth, and about the faith of my parents. I was painfully aware that I did not know the truth for myself. When I was 17 I left home in Las Vegas, Nevada, and enrolled for the summer semester at Brigham Young University (BYU). It was 1969. I lived in the college dorms (Deseret Towers) that are no longer there. That summer I took a Book of Mormon class as part of my curriculum. I had never read The Book of Mormon for myself, I am ashamed to admit. I had started it many times, but never followed through. But that summer at BYU away from home, I decided that I needed to know for myself if the things I had been taught by my parents and church leaders was true. I needed to know what I was going to do with my life. There is a remarkable promise in the last book in The Book of Mormon. It says:
"And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost. (Moroni 10:4)
For the first time in my life, I decided to put that promise to the test. I settled down in my dorm room and began to read The Book of Mormon and pray. Unlike in the past, I found myself captivated by The Book of Mormon, it was delicious to me. I read and I read. I did not stop for meals or for classes. I read the book from beginning to end. When I finished, I knelt in my dorm room in Deseret Towers and asked God, Our Heavenly Father, if the book is true. In response I was overcome by the most moving and powerful influence I had ever felt. I felt filled with light, love, peace, and joy. My heart burned within me. The feeling of love I felt was something I had never before experienced, and I cannot fairly describe it in words alone. This powerful feeling lingered with me for some time and when it subsided, its influence continued with me still. The remarkable thing to me is that when this feeling subsided, I knew in a way I cannot explain and with a certainty beyond anything mortal or intellectual that The Book of Mormon is in fact the Word of God, that Joseph Smith is the prophet of the restoration who translated the book as he said by the gift and power of God, that Jesus Christ of whom the book testifies is in fact the Son of God and the Savior of the world, and that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is God´s true and living church on the earth, By the same means, my thousand doubts and questions had been swept away in a brilliant burst of light. In some way I knew with the same certainty the answers to my questions, or they seemed foolish indeed. I had found out for myself that The Book of Mormon is true, and it changed me and my life forever.
"And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost. (Moroni 10:4)
For the first time in my life, I decided to put that promise to the test. I settled down in my dorm room and began to read The Book of Mormon and pray. Unlike in the past, I found myself captivated by The Book of Mormon, it was delicious to me. I read and I read. I did not stop for meals or for classes. I read the book from beginning to end. When I finished, I knelt in my dorm room in Deseret Towers and asked God, Our Heavenly Father, if the book is true. In response I was overcome by the most moving and powerful influence I had ever felt. I felt filled with light, love, peace, and joy. My heart burned within me. The feeling of love I felt was something I had never before experienced, and I cannot fairly describe it in words alone. This powerful feeling lingered with me for some time and when it subsided, its influence continued with me still. The remarkable thing to me is that when this feeling subsided, I knew in a way I cannot explain and with a certainty beyond anything mortal or intellectual that The Book of Mormon is in fact the Word of God, that Joseph Smith is the prophet of the restoration who translated the book as he said by the gift and power of God, that Jesus Christ of whom the book testifies is in fact the Son of God and the Savior of the world, and that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is God´s true and living church on the earth, By the same means, my thousand doubts and questions had been swept away in a brilliant burst of light. In some way I knew with the same certainty the answers to my questions, or they seemed foolish indeed. I had found out for myself that The Book of Mormon is true, and it changed me and my life forever.
The Burden of Sin
It was an incredibly busy week that sped by in a blur. I had so many balls in the air at a time this week that I felt like a juggler in a circus act. I feel so blessed to be in the service of our God. One thing I had to deal with this week caused me great sorrow for the sins of the world. Even God weeps because of this kind of sorrow. I dealt with the case of a young missionary sent home from his mission for sins he committed before his mission and kept secret from his priesthood leaders. He had sexually abused some of his young female cousins before he entered the mission field, but he did not confess these sins to his bishop or stake president. He learned the hard way that you can't hide your sins from the Lord and if you try to hide your sins from his servants, you can´t have the Spirit and you can´t do His work.
To my grandchildren, I want you to know that I love you with all my heart. You are a chosen generation reserved for this most wonderful and difficult period in the earth´s appointed time. You have been sent into the world foreordained to perform a great mission on this earth. That mission is the preparation of your brothers and sisters for the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ and His millennial reign. It is a work of salvation. It is the most important work on the planet. It is God´s work to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of His sons and daughters.
Now I want to give you a warning. You cannot do this work in the bonds of sin. Satan wants to prevent you from fulfilling your foreordained mission. He will seek to do that by enticing you to commit sin, because he knows that when you do, you will be under his power, and you will not be able to fulfill your appointed mission. We cannot do the work of God under the burden of sin. And the sad thing is that none of us will succeed in avoiding all of Satan´s enticements. We all fall into sin no matter how hard we try not to, no matter how much we want to do good.
But there is good news, the greatest news of all time. Jesus Christ the Son of God came to earth and paid the price of all our sins. He suffered and died for us that we need not suffer if we will exercise faith in Him, repent of our sins, be baptized, and receive the Holy Ghost. He will then take all our sins upon himself and put His righteousness upon us. We will then and only then be able to do the Father´s work and fulfill our destiny.
So what is my warning? NEVER hide your sins! When you make mistakes, and you all will make mistakes, admit your mistakes and seek forgiveness from your Heavenly Father through the atonement of Christ. For some sins, especially sexual sins, we must confess our sins to our bishop and receive his help in our repentance. When the day comes that you are interviewed to serve a mission, DON´T HIDE YOUR SINS. You will never be able to do the work required of you in the mission field if there are skeletons in your closet--unrepentant sins in your past. Make a full and unvarnished confession of your sins and let the atonement of Christ make you clean and spotless before God. Then you will have power over the adversary and power to do God´s work, because of Christ.
I know each of you has an important mission to perform on this earth. Through the atonement of Christ you will be able to perform that mission if you will humble yourself, confess your sins, and repent. I pray that none of you will find yourselves in the place of this young missionary who tried to hide his sins and was sent home in dishonor.
To my grandchildren, I want you to know that I love you with all my heart. You are a chosen generation reserved for this most wonderful and difficult period in the earth´s appointed time. You have been sent into the world foreordained to perform a great mission on this earth. That mission is the preparation of your brothers and sisters for the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ and His millennial reign. It is a work of salvation. It is the most important work on the planet. It is God´s work to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of His sons and daughters.
Now I want to give you a warning. You cannot do this work in the bonds of sin. Satan wants to prevent you from fulfilling your foreordained mission. He will seek to do that by enticing you to commit sin, because he knows that when you do, you will be under his power, and you will not be able to fulfill your appointed mission. We cannot do the work of God under the burden of sin. And the sad thing is that none of us will succeed in avoiding all of Satan´s enticements. We all fall into sin no matter how hard we try not to, no matter how much we want to do good.
But there is good news, the greatest news of all time. Jesus Christ the Son of God came to earth and paid the price of all our sins. He suffered and died for us that we need not suffer if we will exercise faith in Him, repent of our sins, be baptized, and receive the Holy Ghost. He will then take all our sins upon himself and put His righteousness upon us. We will then and only then be able to do the Father´s work and fulfill our destiny.
So what is my warning? NEVER hide your sins! When you make mistakes, and you all will make mistakes, admit your mistakes and seek forgiveness from your Heavenly Father through the atonement of Christ. For some sins, especially sexual sins, we must confess our sins to our bishop and receive his help in our repentance. When the day comes that you are interviewed to serve a mission, DON´T HIDE YOUR SINS. You will never be able to do the work required of you in the mission field if there are skeletons in your closet--unrepentant sins in your past. Make a full and unvarnished confession of your sins and let the atonement of Christ make you clean and spotless before God. Then you will have power over the adversary and power to do God´s work, because of Christ.
I know each of you has an important mission to perform on this earth. Through the atonement of Christ you will be able to perform that mission if you will humble yourself, confess your sins, and repent. I pray that none of you will find yourselves in the place of this young missionary who tried to hide his sins and was sent home in dishonor.
Sunday, January 10, 2016
The Year of The Book of Mormon
I am so grateful that we will be studying the Book of Mormon this year. It is the book of books, the preeminent witness of Christ in our day. I will also have the privilege of teaching a Book of Mormon institute class to return missionaries. I am excited about that opportunity. Today our Stake President where we attend church, President Gustavo Adolfo Mendez Aguirre bore a powerful testimony of The Book of Mormon. He also quoted this passage from the Doctrine and Covenants that President Benson emphasized so much:
And your minds in times past have been darkened because of unbelief, and because you have treated lightly the things you have received--Which vanity and unbelief have brought the whole church under condemnation. And this condemnation resteth upon the children of Zion, even all. And they shall remain under this condemnation until they repent and remember the new covenant, even the Book of Mormon and the former commandments which I have given them, not only to say, but to do according to that which I have written--That they may bring forth fruit meet for their Father’s kingdom; otherwise there remaineth a scourge and judgment to be poured out upon the children of Zion. (D&C 84:54-58)
He then taught that to treat the Book of Mormon lightly is to fail to read it every day the rest of our lives. He testified that reading the Book of Mormon every day and abiding by its precepts will chase darkness from our minds and fill our soul with light. I pray that we may all be more diligent this year in reading the Book of Mormon and delving deeply into its doctrine and that we will strive with greater commitment to live by its teachings. Let us memorize key passages from the book that inspire us. Let us seek a testimony of it if have not yet received one or share our testimony of this great book often if we have. This book truly is the keystone of our religion and will bring us nearer to God than will any other book.
And your minds in times past have been darkened because of unbelief, and because you have treated lightly the things you have received--Which vanity and unbelief have brought the whole church under condemnation. And this condemnation resteth upon the children of Zion, even all. And they shall remain under this condemnation until they repent and remember the new covenant, even the Book of Mormon and the former commandments which I have given them, not only to say, but to do according to that which I have written--That they may bring forth fruit meet for their Father’s kingdom; otherwise there remaineth a scourge and judgment to be poured out upon the children of Zion. (D&C 84:54-58)
He then taught that to treat the Book of Mormon lightly is to fail to read it every day the rest of our lives. He testified that reading the Book of Mormon every day and abiding by its precepts will chase darkness from our minds and fill our soul with light. I pray that we may all be more diligent this year in reading the Book of Mormon and delving deeply into its doctrine and that we will strive with greater commitment to live by its teachings. Let us memorize key passages from the book that inspire us. Let us seek a testimony of it if have not yet received one or share our testimony of this great book often if we have. This book truly is the keystone of our religion and will bring us nearer to God than will any other book.
Monday, January 4, 2016
Rob and Brooklyn and Family Visit
Rob and Brooklyn and the children came to visit for Christmas! They arrived on the 22nd and stayed until the 31st. We had a lot of fun visiting sites in Guatemala together. We visited Antigua, climbed the Volcan de Pacaya, experienced the Mayan market at Solalá, chartered a small launch on Lake Atitlán and visited a local swimming hole for the kids, went to the beach at Monterrico to enjoy the classic black beaches of the Pacific coast of Guatemala, spent a night in a nice hotel in Xela (Guetzaltenango) and quite another experience in a hotel called the Boca del Mar, and had two fun filled days at Irtra visiting the theme park of Xetalul and the water park of Xocomil. There were no crowds or lines at the theme park or the water park and we got to ride the rides as much as we wanted to. The water park was simply amazing, the best water park I have every been to. Considering that the cost for two days for a the children was only $15, it was an incredible deal. Brooklyn bought Christmas gifts for two families in our Ward of Santa Luisa and for the children of a local orphanage. We had a good time delivering the gifts to a needy family in our ward on Christmas Eve, and they were so grateful. We had the typical rounds of stomach viruses and ran ourselves ragged, but it was a great time with family. We wish Rob and Brooklyn success in their new adventure in Valladolid, Mexico.
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