Thirty Years Ago . . .

This past week, September 3 2011, marked thirty years since I went to the Salt Lake Temple to recieve my own endowments.  This was the day before my sister Amy got married and several weeks before I began my mission to the Colombia Bogota Mission.  I am so very blessed.  I am so very grateful to be living in these days when temples dot the earth, and very grateful for this time in my life when I can go back to the temple often.

 Last month on the day of my own 28th wedding anniversary, it was so wonderful to sit in the Celestial Room with my Hunny and just feel so close to heaven.  It was so peaceful and wonderful.  Sometimes it gets pretty hard for me to leave when it's time to go.  I just want to go out and shout out to people and beat them over the head until they understand what they are missing out on by not going to the temple more often.

I'm so grateful to my parents for making the choices they have and for setting the example for all of their family of the path to happiness.  I love Randall and and am so grateful to him for caring enough for me to take me to the temple, and to live and work towards celestial goals together.  I love my all of my children  so much and am so grateful that they are all a part of my family.  I look forward to a day when we can all be together in the temple, to days when others will join our eternal family, and then to someday when we can all be together in Heaven.  I love you all so much!!

I Know My Father Lives

I Know my Father lives and loves me too. The Spirit whispers this to me and tells me it is true, and tells me it is true.

--Reid N. Nibley

It is a beautiful day.  The sun is shining, the weather is perfect.  A lovely day to enjoy the beauties of the world.  A day made to feel the love of the Lord.
 
Today was CTR B Lesson 20: The Holy Ghost Helps Us Know the Truth
 
I love teaching the 4 and 5 year old primary class.  I love helping them to understand the simple basic truths of the gospel.  I love the knowledge that The Lord loves me, and that throught the Holy Ghost he can help me to know the truth of all things.  If only everyone could and would truly know and act on this truth, I sincerely believe this world truly be a happy place!
 
That's all.  The end
 
 

Light

Behold, I am Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I am the life and the light of the world.
Doctrine and Covenants 11:28

School is out for the summer!  I love summer! I love light!  I think that I love summer so much because I love light.  I dread the cold and dark days of winter here in this northern hemisphere, and look forward to the coming of spring each year.  This spring has had more than the usual share of dark and rainy days, so I have been grateful for the truly bright and sunny ones that have come our way.   One of my favorite writers recently shared her thoughts on light and how we can bring it into our lives on her blog that you can read here.  


Hopefully I can do better at bringing light into my life, and also sharing it with others.  May everyone have a bright and beautiful summer!

Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
Matthew 5:14

Love Your Enemies

And whosover shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. 
Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn thou not away.
And behold it is written also, that thou shalt love thy neighbor and hate thine enemy;
But behold I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them that despitefully use you and persecute you.

3 Nephi 12:41-44

I just realized the other day how blessed I am in that I really have not ever had enemies  . . . at least not that I'm aware of.  I do know that at times I may have offended people, and I have had others tease or taunt me at times, but no one has ever done or said anything that would make me feel that they were an enemy. Hopefully this will always be the case as I am not exactly sure how well I would handle having an enemy.  Hopefully I am able to give to those who ask, and am willing to walk a mile or two with anyone who has the need.  And If I have every hurt or offended you, I am truly sorry, and I hope that you will forgive me, or at least talk to me about it!

I Love the Temple

I Love the Temple!!

I am so grateful to live in a time and place where I can easily take the time to visit the House of the Lord.  I am grateful to all those who have worked and sacrificed and served to bring forth this day when temples litterally cover the earth.

The Temple is a place of peace.

The Temple is a place of comfort.

The Temple is a place of instruction.

The Temple is a place of service.

The Temple is a place of joy.

If you have not been to visit or serve in an LDS Temple lately, please consider making plans to do so soon.  I don't think that you will be disappointed with your visit.

The Prophet Joseph Smith, and my father, Hyrum Smith, Brigham Young, John Taylor, Wilford Woodruff, and other choice spirits who were reserved to come forth in the fulness of times to take part in laying the foundations of the great latter-day work, Including the building of the temples and the performance of ordinances therein for the redemption of the dead, were also in the spirit world. I observed that they were also among the noble and great ones who were chosen in the beginning to be rulers in the Church of God. Even before they were born, they, with many others, received their first lessons in the world of spirits and were prepared to come forth in the due time of the Lord to labor in his vineyard for the salvation of the souls of men.

D&C 138: 53-56

(D&C 138 is a vision given to President Joseph F. Smith in Salt Lake City, Utah, on 3 October 1918. In his opening address at the 89th Semiannual General Conference of the Church, on 4 October 1918, President Smith declared that he had received several divine communications during the previous months. One of these, concerning the Savior’s visit to the spirits of the dead while his body was in the tomb, President Smith had received the previous day. It was written immediately following the close of the conference. On 31 October 1918, it was submitted to the counselors in the First Presidency, the Council of the Twelve, and the Patriarch, and it was unanimously accepted by them.)

Wisdom for Today

And all saints who remember to keep and do these sayings, walking in obedience to the commandments, shall receive health in their navel and marrow to their bones; And shall find wisdom and great treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures; And shall run and not be weary, and shall walk and not faint. And I, the Lord, give unto them a promise, that the destroying angel shall pass by them, as the children of Israel, and not slay them. Amen.

 D&C 89:18-21



Today one of the speakers in the meeting I was attending was commenting on how for the past several years he had made it a goal to write more regularly in his journal, especially noting blessings in his life and the lives of those around him . . .(like my goal that I have not been doing so well in).  He mentioned how he had also been thinking of a scripture that really stood out to him each day, and recording it with his journal entry.  It was not necessarily a scripture that he had read during the day, but one that just fit the day and what he had been dealing with or thinking of during the day.  So . . . . .

Today Marissa taught our CTR class lesson in Primary on the Word of Wisdom.  This is one subject that the 4 and 5 year olds in our class already seem to know quite well.  Their parents have taught them to eat good  healthy foods and to avoid substances that are harmful to them.  It made me glad to know that at this young age they already know these truths.  We talked about how having wisdom means being smart.  They also had A LOT of fun feeding small pictures of healthy foods to our monkey puppet.  It was a good day. 

Today I am grateful for modern revelation and for prophets and parents who have taught us how to care for our bodies and our health.  So . . . eat your fruits & veggies & grains, limit your meats, drink your milk and your juice and water, get plenty of sleep and rise early and excercise.

 And Smile be Happy!



Cease to be idle; cease to be unclean; cease to find fault one with another; cease to sleep longer than is needful; retire to thy bed early, that ye may not be weary; arise early, that your bodies and your minds may be invigorated.  And above all things, clothe yourselves with the bond of charity, as with a mantle, which is the bond of perfectness and peace. Pray always, that ye may not faint, until I come. Behold, and lo, I will come quickly, and receive you unto myself. Amen.


D&C 88:124-126

I Love General Conference

This has been a wonderful weekend!  There is no greater blessing than gathering with my loved ones to listen to the counsel of God's chosen prophet and apostles, and feeling and knowing the messages that were meant for me personally.  The amount of snow was a bit of a surprise, but the love and contentment I have felt for both our church leaders and my family and even myself made for a weekend that I did not want to end.  Thank you to all who were a part of it!  I love all of my family!  I am so grateful for a living prophet and for so many who dedicate so much time and effort to serving their fellow beings here on this earth.