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.
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