Magnify Callings Covenants

I spoke in church today.  Here is the talk I wrote out, though after I practiced at home I realized it was too long so I cut some out for church...and I never just read it word for word so there were definitely some differences in what I exactly said and what I wrote.  Nevertheless, these are my thoughts on Keeping our covenant by magnifying callings: 

 
When we are baptized, we make covenants to take upon us the name of Christ, always remember Him and keep His commandments as well as to mourn with those who mourn and comfort those who stand in need of comfort. In other words, we promise that we will love and help those around us...go to their rescue...and that we will try to act as Christ would...to live as disciples of Christ. 

 
When we enter the temple, we make additional covenants with our Father in Heaven.  Included in these covenants, we promise to sacrifice and to consecrate our time and talents and all that we have to build up the kingdom of God...to help bring others to Christ, to go to the rescue, to live as disciples of Christ. In the days of Joseph Smith, the Saints were often asked to leave their homes, give up connections with family and friends, even sacrifice their lives. Today our sacrifices and opportunities to consecrate are typically a bit different. We don’t have to walk for hours and cross a river to get to church or save for years to go to the temple once or leave our homes to cross the plains. We still sacrifice our money as we pay tithes and offerings but a lot of our opportunities to consecrate our time and talents comes as we serve in the church.  I believe a big part of our living our covenants made at baptism and in the temple is accepting and magnifying our callings. 

I’m going to take a quick detour...but I promise I will connect it back.   This week I read a wonderful nonfiction book called All Thirteen.  Many of you will remember that in June of 2018, 12 young boys and their coach were stranded in a cave in Thailand when the cave flooded.  It took a couple of weeks and many, many people to rescue these boys safely.  When people realized what had happened, volunteers came from all over the world to help rescue these boys.  There were world famous cave divers.  There were US Navy Seals and Thai SEALS.  There were experts on this particular cave.  There were people who came and cooked for the volunteers and set up stations with supplies, medical care, etc.  Hundreds of people were involved in the rescue, and as I read about it, I saw that each person played a vital role.  Some had medical knowledge that was put to use to help the boys when they were found and to give them anesthesia so they could sleep while divers rescued them so they wouldn’t panic.  Oil workers and others used pumps to pump water out of the cave.  Multiple people cooked so that workers would have nutrition and energy.  The cook couldn’t do the job that the anesthesiologist did; but their job was critical nonetheless.  I’m not certain that the rescue could have been successful without “all hands on deck”. 

What does this successful cave rescue have to do with our covenants or with serving in callings?  I believe it has EVERYTHING to do with it.  These men and women volunteered because they were needed, because they wanted to help and because the job couldn’t get done without their expertise.  They knew that they were needed for the rescue of these precious children who were in grave danger.   All around us, we have precious children of God who are also in grave danger.  Listen to the news for even a few minutes and I think you can see that there are many people who are hurting, lost, confused or at risk.  And we have made COVENANTS to rescue them.  They are our brothers and our sisters, and we’ve promised God that we will do our best to look out for them and to go to the rescue.  And I want to add that so much good is done by good people from all walks of life...not just by members of our church.  But we have a responsibility to do our part.  That is done as we develop friendships, minister to our neighbors, serve in the community, strengthen our families, serve missions, and do countless other acts to bless lives.  AND it is done every single day as we serve in callings.  We each have specific skills, talents, areas of expertise and gifts and as we work together, we are able to strengthen each member of our ward and stake and also do so much good in our wider communities.  Our ward and our stake cannot be successful in doing the Lord’s work without “all hands on deck”.  Each person’s gifts and talents and skills are needed!  Each person’s expertise and experience contributes to the mission of rescuing or gathering or loving. 

Elder Uchtdorf said, ““What is the most important calling in the Church? It is the one you currently have. No matter how humble or prominent it may seem to be, the calling you have right now is the one that will allow you not only to lift others but also to become the man [or woman] of God you were created to be.  My dear friends..., lift where you stand!” 

 

There are probably many reasons that may be given for not choosing to serve or for not serving faithfully.  We are all busy.  We have so many responsibilities.  We may be facing doubts or very real and difficult circumstances.  Often we feel inadequate.  I spoke with several friends about callings this week, and several expressed feelings of inadequacy in past or current callings.   We are not alone in those feelings.  Moses felt inadequate and in Exodus 4:10 we read:   

“And Moses said unto the Lord, O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of aspeech, and of a bslow tongue.” 

The Lord then gave him Aaron as a support and to be his spokesman. 

This week, in Come Follow Me, we read of Enoch. 

The Lord said to Enoch: 
“And he heard a avoice from heaven, saying: bEnoch, my son, cprophesy unto this people, and say unto them—Repent, for thus saith the Lord: I am dangry with this people, and my fierce anger is kindled against them; for their hearts have waxed ehard, and their fears are dull of hearing, and their eyes gcannot see afar off;”  (Moses 6: 27) 

In verse 31, we read Enoch’s response to this call:  “31 And when Enoch had heard these words, he abowed himself to the earth, before the Lord, and spake before the Lord, saying: bWhy is it that I have found favor in thy sight, and am but a lad, and all the people chate me; for I am dslow of speech; wherefore am I thy servant?” 

Can’t you imagine Enoch’s feelings? Probably you have had some similar feelings yourself!  I”m too young or too immature or don’t know enough.  I am not a good speaker.  I’m too shy.  I don’t have the right skills.  Someone else could do this so much better than I can.  I don’t have good people skills.  Surely there’s someone else that could do this better!   I know when I was called as RS President, I had many of these feelings!  But in Real Talk Come Follow Me this week, Ganel-lyn Condie and John Fossum say “Sometimes God consecrates and sometimes God compensates.”  He either sends an Aaron to help you with your call or he grants you the skills to serve in the way He needs you to at that time.  And  I think that is SUCH a great blessing and promise! 

When I was called as RS President, my kids were still pretty young.  And I was working full time and felt pretty overwhelmed.  In fact, in the 4 months prior to my call, I had been praying and praying to know what I could give up because I felt discouraged and overwhelmed by my responsibilities.  When I was extended the call, I not only felt inadequate, I genuinely didn’t know how I could fit it in with my other responsibilities.  But I quickly saw God magnify MY time and capabilities. None of my previous responsibilities went away.  But suddenly I had time and energy to do what I was being asked to do and the two years I served in that calling blessed my life in ways I can’t even begin to articulate.  I'm not the same person I was before I served in that calling.  

President Monson said, “It is the Lord’s work and when we are on the Lord’s errand, we are entitled to the Lord’s help.  Remember that whom the Lord calls, the Lord qualifies."  Elder Neal A. Maxwell said, "God does not begin by asking us about our ability, but only about our availability, and if we then prove our dependability, he will increase our capability."

I am so grateful for the experiences I have had where I have felt inadequate or unprepared--and I probably was!--but the Lord has strengthened me and enabled me to do more and be more than I was on my own.  I have had that experience over and over.

There are countless blessings that come from serving and magnifying our callings.  When I asked friends about their callings, a common response was to talk about the love that they developed for those they served with and those they served.  It is definitely one of my favorite things about serving in a calling.  Some of my dearest friendships have formed or been strengthened exponentially by serving together in callings.  One friend talked about what a blessing it was to serve as stake Primary president and how the love she felt for the children of the stake continues to bless her life.  Another spoke of how loving those she serves comes so easily to her and is a special part of any calling.  I can remember as I served in RS, there were days when I would look around at the women in our ward, and suddenly my eyes would be swimming with tears and my heart would be full...full of love.  For just a moment, I felt like I could see you women as God sees you and while I can’t adequately put that feeling into words, I know it is real and didn’t just come from me.  I had the same experience as a YW leader.  I would sometimes feel frustrated because I knew my words lacked the power to convey what I truly felt for the YW.  The depth of love I feel for them or the goodness I see in them.  They are incredible!  It’s a great blessing to feel a portion of the love that God has for another person and for a moment to have the veil lifted and see them more clearly.  To me, that is probably the greatest gift of serving in callings. 

Elder Uchtdorf (in a talk entitled The Greatest Among Us) said, ““In God’s kingdom, greatness and leadership means seeing others as they truly are—as God sees them—and then reaching out and ministering to them. It means rejoicing with those who are happy, weeping with those who grieve, lifting up those in distress, and loving our neighbor as Christ loves us.” 

 

*Teaching Sunday School…felt so nervous until a couple of minutes in and then looked around at faces and felt love and relaxed and just enjoyed the conversation. 

 

 

2.  Another great blessing is that serving in callings allows us to develop Christlike attributes.  We become more humble, patient, forgiving, less judgmental, kinder, more diligent, and so on.  It helps us become a little more like our Savior.  Our whole purpose for being here on Earth is to BECOME, and serving in callings is one of the ways the Lord provides us with opportunities to develop these Christlike attributes. 

Elder Uchtdorf said, “ If we approach our callings as opportunities to serve God and minister to others with faith and humility, every act of service will be a step on the path of discipleship. In this way, God not only builds up His Church but also builds up His servants. The Church is designed to help us become true and faithful disciples of Christ, good and noble sons and daughters of God. This happens not just when we go to meetings and listen to talks but also when we get outside ourselves and serve. This is how we become “great” in the kingdom of God.” 

 

I’ll share a humorous example of how one calling allowed me to work on being more humble and hopefully a tiny bit more like Christ.  It’s also an example of why we need “all hands on deck.”  I have a few talents, but singing and dancing aren’t among them.  A few months ago, Woodledge Ward hosted a “Masked Singer” event and I was asked to be one of the Masked Singers.  Now had it been for almost ANYTHING else, I would have politely declined.  No one really wants to hear me sing anyway—I promise!  But I love the youth and I would do VIRTUALLY ANYTHING for the youth of our stake.  So I said okay even though it filled me with dread.  I got a costume—the Grinch—and practiced and showed up, filled with nerves.  Now I think Heavenly Father has a sense of humor and maybe He realized that the simple act of standing on the stage was pretty humbling...but the mic/sound really didn’t work for me and so most of my singing couldn’t be heard...though it worked for everyone else.  Probably a big blessing in disguise for all of us.  All joking aside though, callings have given me opportunities to do things that are WAY outside of my comfort zone and while it’s not always a raging success, that process of doing hard things and feeling the Lord magnify my efforts and continually working to be a little bit better HAS helped me to become a little more like my Savior.  Even the Savior learned “grace by grace” and “grew in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man”.  As we serve in callings, we have a multitude of opportunities to follow in His footsteps. 

Elder Uchtdorf said, “Each time we give of ourselves to others, we take a step closer to becoming good and true disciples of the One who gave His all for us: our Savior.” 

 

 

And this also brings me back to the rescue of the boys in Thailand.  I DON’T sing well.  That’s not a gift that I was given, but I am so very grateful for those of you that do and that share that talent with the rest of us.  I can’t do everything—none of us can—and your unique talents and gifts bless my life immensely!  Your gifts are needed. 

 
 

3. Greater knowledge…we learn the most when we teach or speak 

One friend said that when she received a calling that felt overwhelming, she developed a better pattern of prayer, and scripture study became more of a priority.  She said, “I gained more knowledge about the fundamentals of the gospel and came to really realize the beautiful simplicity of the plan of happiness.  I gained a more powerful testimony of Jesus Christ, and HIs individual love for each of us.” 

I LOVE to teach or speak in church because I always gain even more from that experience than I am able to share.  Even just spending this past week reflecting on the blessings of serving in a calling has brought experiences to mind and helped me recognize more fully how grateful I am for opportunities to serve! 

 

4.  It has the potential to change lives.  Our own and those of the people we serve. 

Elder Uchtdorf said, “Our service—whether great or small—refines our spirits, opens the windows of heaven, and releases God’s blessings not only upon those we serve but upon us as well. When we reach out to others, we can know with humble confidence that God acknowledges our service with approval and approbation. He smiles upon us as we offer these heartfelt acts of compassion, especially acts that are unseen and unnoticed by others.” 

So much of the service we give really is unseen.  While people see the results of an activity that has been well planned or a lesson that is well delivered, they don’t see the time and effort put in in advance.  Much of the one on one service given in callings—as RS President or Bishop or as a Primary teacher or as a ministering brother or sister—is seen only by the individual being served.  The hours of prayer and fasting and so on are known only to God.  But they do refine us.  And often the service we render changes the lives of those we serve.  Sometimes we know of the impact we have had, but often we don’t know.  I have thought a lot in the past year or two about my seminary teacher and my young women leaders that I had as a teen and the impact that they had on my life.  I feel certain that without their influence (as well as the influence of my wonderful parents), I would have made very different decisions as a teen, decisions that may have led to a much different life.  I don’t know that all of my leaders know what a difference they made, but my gratitude is profound.  I can think of others along my journey that have blessed my life as they magnified their callings and reached out in love. 

 
 
 
 

5. Feel JOY. Always hoped if I was going to have a bad day that it would be Tuesday because I knew YW would bring joy.  I feel joy as I serve others.  I feel joy as I strengthen relationships.  I feel joy as I draw closer to Christ.  In fact, Christ is the source of our joy.   

 
 

7. Have experiences…speak. Participate in temple work, camps, and develop new talents.  Learn to better receive revelation. 

 
 

Become closer to Christ!!!!!!! 

 
 

I began by talking about the covenants we have made with God...to take His name upon us, to bear one another’s burdens, to sacrifice, to consecrate.  I want to end by reviewing what God has promised. 

President Eyring said, “The promise is that we may have all he has by our giving all we have. The almost unimaginable imbalance of that exchange, all we have for all he has, is a measure of his love for us.” 

 

Yes, it takes time and effort and sacrifice to magnify callings.  But in my experience the rewards ALWAYS outweigh the effort and sacrifice.  And ultimately, the reward will be SO great that it really will be completely one sided---Christ giving US EVERYTHING after we have given so little, practically nothing.  I am SO grateful that callings have allowed me to become a little bit more like Him and have allowed me to receive countless blessings, far beyond what I deserve.  I am forever indebted to Him and I’m so grateful. 
 

 
 

 A couple of additional thoughts that I didn't share but that have been on my mind.
 

Elder Uchtdorf: The Greatest Among You 

 
 

 

“To be effective Church leaders, we must learn this critical lesson: leadership in the Church is not so much about directing others as it is about our willingness to be directed by God. 
 

 I thought a lot about how serving in the church gives us opportunities to learn how God speaks to us and to

be directed by God. We need His help.

I have also been thinking a lot about these verses:

D&C 58:26-27. 

"For behold, it is not meet that I should command in all things; for he that is compelled in all things, the same is a slothful and not a wise servant; wherefore he receiveth no reward. 

 
 

27 Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness;"

 
 

I have had pretty demanding callings for the past 9 consecutive years. Now I am teaching gospel doctrine once

a month which is much less demanding. I've helped in Primary the past two weeks and I've let my Bishop know

that I'm happy with gospel doctrine but that if I'm needed in other ways, I can do more. I'm fine with the calling I have but

I'm willing to help in more ways if needed. I will serve as faithfully as I can in whatever calling I receive. But these verses

have been ringing in my head. Because I don't think the Lord wants me to only do the things I'm "commanded" or

compelled to do via an official calling. I think He wants me to seek for additional ways to serve. So I'm praying to

know how to help others around me. I started my little monthly study group at my home to discuss the gospel and the temple

and to strengthen our spiritual foundation. I continue to run a Facebook group that studies in response to President

Nelson's invitations in conference. For about 8 months, I have been posting a weekly Personal History Question for my

ward on social media, and when I was released, I asked if ward council wanted me to continue to do that and they said yes. But also

I am really trying to pay attention to what I see happening around me and try to find ways to be anxiously engaged in good causes. Writing

uplifting notes to ward members. Dropping off a treat or small gift when it seems like someone might need it. Taking treats to work

tomorrow because after a week of being online, I think all the teachers deserve a little pick-me-up. It's not much, but

I truly believe if we each do our part, we have "all hands on deck" then we have power to change the world with our united efforts.

 
 

 
 

 
 

Ballard Miracles Rain

  I am reading the biography of tElder Ballard. I have to admit that I don't know much about his life. I am learning so much & growing to love him. I love this story. In the 1980's there was a famine in Ethiopia. The church held a fast and all of the money donated was to help alleviate the suffering in that country. Elder Ballard and Glenn Pace flew there to distribute the funds.  When they arrived they wanted to find the only member of the church in the country. They asked a couple of people at the airport to see if by any chance someone knew him...and he worked at the airport!  They  met with him and invited him to join them for sacrament meeting on Sunday and he was so happy because he hadn't had the sacrament for several months.  

On Sunday the three met for sacrament meeting and Elder Ballard prayed that the heavens would be open and rain would fall. No rain has fallen in the country for over a year. And that afternoon they met with two charitable organizations so they could begin to partner with them to help people who were suffering. When they returned to their hotel and shortly after arriving there was a crack of thunder and rain began to pour down. They said a prayer of thanksgiving. People  ran into the street and began to celebrate. And everywhere they went in Ethiopia the rain came with them.

Another miracle happened in Ethiopia. Ethiopia was under communist rule and traveling from state to state required many permits. They were told it would be at least 10 days before they could get a permit to travel to one of the camps to see the situation and deliver supplies. They Prayed for a miracle. Three days later they were on a plane filled with supplies with permits in hand.  Reading about the situation--which I somewhat remember from my childhood--had me in tears.  I really should never complain about my life again and should do far more to help others.  Elder Ballard said it changed him.

Another  story.  Elder Ballard went to a conference in South America.  A man arrived with half of his shirt discolored.  Elder Ballard spoke with the man who had walked many miles and crossed a river (causing the shirt's discoloration/dirtiness) to get to the conference.  Elder Ballard asked if he had eaten or had money and the man said no.  After questioning what led him to sacrifice to come to the conference, the man said they would walk for a week to hear an apostle of the Lord.  I don't know that I would do that.  I think I am not very good at sacrificing and should be better.  

Elder Ballard was close friends with Jon Huntsman.  One year Jon and his wife were out of town when their teenage son was abducted and the abductor said if the police were contacted, the son would be killed.  Jon called the FBI and Elder Ballard.  The police set up in the Ballards home and thankfully the son was safely recovered.  Jon Huntsman said that a true friend is one who when you have a problem, they have a problem too.  Elder Ballard is that type of friend.

End of Year Review for 2021

 Favorite Memories/Parts of 2021:

El Salvador:  lake, meeting family, beach, surfing, ziplining, swing

New York with Gabby:  Sacred Grove, Niagara Falls, Grandin Print Shop, Ice Cream

Glacier National Park:  Pizza Place, boat ride at Two Medicine Lake, seeing a bear (and wolves--Jenny), being with Galata family

Starting college/college football games:  Michelle

Graduation:  Michelle

Accomplishments:

Michelle:  Graduating, passing finals, went skydiving, living at college/cooking/working/surviving on your own, hiked a volcano, helped plan youth conference for the stake and girls camp

Ella: started a job, getting good grades, tennis, hiked a volcano, doing well in US History, read books, went to the temple, saved much of the money she made.  Balanced job and school.  

Gabby: 4 in Rise test in English, staying healthy, on honor roll, made it on Crusader Round Table, on Jazz Attitude, hiked a volcano, sewed a backpack, 

Jenny:  piano lessons, hiked a volcano without dying, served as YW President for just over 3 years.  Taught online for 11 months.  

Family:  Read the Doctrine and Covenants as a family.

Teaching Sunday School

 I taught Gospel Doctrine for the first time today.  I felt really nervous.  Really nervous!  But only before the lesson and the first few minutes and then I relaxed.

Sara sent me this text after church:

“ I wanted to come talk to you right after class, but…. Sunmi.  Anyway, you were so great today Jenny. It was a wonderful lesson and I love the way you teach so much! And you looked so beautiful today.”

(I am so lucky to have a friend like her!!)

When I told her how nervous I felt beforehand she texted:

“ You never seem nervous. You always seem like you were just born to be teaching the particular topic you are teaching.  And I don’t mean any disrespect to any of the other Sunday school teachers, because I think they are all great…. But I just feel like you have a gift of including and capturing your entire audience more than any other teacher I’ve ever had.  And you are so inviting. You radiate  such positivity and love.”

Most of the time teaching or speaking at church feels pretty easy because I am teaching people that I know and genuinely do love.  I don’t know that I would be a good public speaker for strangers …but that’s why I stopped being nervous today…because I looked around and remembered that I was just talking with friends.  That no one was there hoping I would fail and that we were all just there to learn from each other about this gospel we love.  I wished we could just pull our chairs in a circle and just talk about Moses and Abraham and share our testimonies and experiences.

In testimony meeting I loved one thing that Richard Bennett said.  He talked about the moment before the miracle and how there’s a time of discouragement and doubt or despair or heartbreak or confusion and that his 2021 was a lot of that moment.  But that the miracle does come!  I think we will see a lot of that this year in the OT…both the moment before the miracle and the miracle!

Holy Invitation Sweat

 I just finished reading The Holy Invitation by Anthony Sweat. It's a short book, a quick read.  But I appreciated some of the insights I gained as well as the references at the back so I can do further study.

Here are the things I want to remember:

Joseph Smith:  "I want you all to know God, to be familiar with him.  When we know how to come to him, God begins to unfold the heavens to us and tell us all about it."

Anthony Sweat talks about King Solomon's temple.  The temple was meant to emulate the Garden of Eden with symbolic trees and fruits.  Sweat says, "The message of Solomon's temple was clear:  Here is the presence of God; here is where you come to commune with Him; here is the power that brings people into His presence."

Endowment means capacity, power, or ability.  Gift.  

The temple promises that if we purify and sanctify ourselves we can part the veil and see God.  Some people have actually seen the Savior face to face or have had visions of the Savior and even God in the temple.

Joseph Smith said, "God hath not revealed anything to Joseph, but what he will make known unto the Twelve, and even the least saint may know all things as fast as he is able to bear them, for the day must come when no man need say to his neighbor know ye the Lord, for all shall know him...from the least to the greatest."

Anthony Sweat said, "Although the endowment is a gift of many things, the ultimate definition of the word endowment is the power and capacity to come into the presence of God to receive a fullness of His blessings.  In other words, it is to know Him-truly know Him.  It is to have Him minister to you, or, as Joseph once said, to 'have the personage of Jesus Christ to attend [to you,] or appear unto [you] from time to time, and even he will manifest the Father unto [you].'" (27)

He gives a metaphor of a commoner and a king.  The commoner, Asher, was a stonemason and worked faithfully for the king.   While he could see the palace and he made things for the palace, he had never been inside.  Then one day Asher is invited to the palace.  When he arrives, he is bathed and given new clothes.  He must be clean and pure before seeing the king.  He is taught how to greet the king and all the manners and actions he must take to enter the king's presence.  Each shows reverence, obedience and commitment to the king.  Asher is reminded that he is worthy and prepared to enter the king's presence.  The royal court is far more lovely and breathtaking than Asher had imagined.  Asher was admitted into the royal order and given authority to teach others of the king.  He was given a ring as a sign of initiation and authority to teach others of the king.  Asher was also instructed to come and visit often so he could learn more of the king and the mysteries of the kingdom.  He was told that he was no longer a commoner.  He is now an heir to all that belongs to the king.

Like the commoner, we have been invited to enter the temple and more intimately know God and His ways.  Like Asher we can be purified and washed, anointed, clothed, taught, and endowed with power and knowledge and strength and capacity.

The endowment allows you to receive the same knowledge that prophets have received.  

Brigham Young said, "Your endowment is, to receive all those ordinances in the house of the Lord, which are necessary for you, after you have departed this life, to enable you to walk back to the presence of the Father, passing the angels who stand as sentinels, being enabled to give them the key words, the signs and tokens, pertaining to the holy Priesthood, and gain your eternal exaltation in spite of earth and hell.”

Anthony Sweat shares three things we can do to understand the temple better:  use our minds (know), our heart (feel), and our actions (do).  He calls it a tripod of truth that uses our mind, spirit, and body.  

He gives these questions to ponder as you attend the temple:  What does the Lord want me to know from this experience?   What does the Lord want me to feel from this experience?  What does the Lord want me to do because of this experience?  If you ask these questions humbly, you will gain insights and revelation.

Pray to learn something new about the Lord, His ways, and His kingdom.  The Lord has promised to pour down knowledge.

The temple uses symbolism and ritual to communicate spiritual knowledge.  They require us to not be lazy learners or lax disciples to learn the temples' lessons.

Mystery:  lack of obvious familiarity, foreign to your frame of reference. "Mystery is the revelatory vehicle to help transport your mind and heart to other realms-in this case, the realm of heaven.  If at first you find yourself bewildered about some things, and that causes you to study, think and pray, then the endowment ceremonies are effectively doing their job." (48)

More questions to ask while in the endowment:  Why are we doing this? What does the setting suggest?  What does this room symbolize?  What could this phrase mean?  What might this clothing imply or teach?  How could that symbol be interpreted?  What could this gesture or movement represent?  How is this related to that? What would God have me do based on what I am learning or feeling? What would He have me become?   Ask the questions reverently and with desire to learn.

Pay attention to how you feel and to what is it about the temple experience that leads you to feel this way.

The temple is so beautiful.  We feel similarly in the temple to how we will feel in the presence of God.

Seek to receive the Holy Ghost and the spiritual gifts and knowledge He imparts when you attend the temple.

Some parts of worshipping in the temple may be uncomfortable or confusing.  Growth requires discomfort.   The temple will be edifying and ennobling but not necessarily easy or without confusion.  It helps accelerate our spiritual growth.  

President Monson:  "I think there is no place in the world where I feel closer to the Lord than in one of His holy temples."

Questions to ask related to the covenant of consecration:  How can I better consecrate or dedicate my time to building God's kingdom?  What should I do to more fully consecrate my money to building God's kingdom?  What actions would God have me take to consecrate my talents to building God's kingdom?  How can I become more consecrated to doing God's will?  What can I do to better live my covenants?  What can I act upon today to live this divine law?

The temple is an ideal place to get heavenly help with challenges and questions and needs.  It is a house of revelation. It is a place for us to seek learning, to ask if we lack wisdom.  The temple is a great Urim and Thummim or Liaohona.  It is a physical revelatory tool that can help us understand God's will and purposes and increase our Christlike attributes.

President James E. Faust wrote, "One of the horizons that can profitably be expanded in all of us is spiritual excellence.  I would surmise that all who are members of this great Church have a desire to see the face of the Savior.  This is an available blessing, for He has said, 'It shall come to pass that every soul who forsaketh his sins and cometh unto me, and calleth on my name, and obeyeth my voice, and keepeth my commandments, shall see my face and know that I am  (D&C 93:1)  Too few of us catch sight of this horizon as we fail to avail ourselves of God's promises." 

Anthony Sweat points out that there is more than one way to enjoy the presence of God.  Some will have dreams or visions or heavenly manifestations and will see God or even speak to Him face to face.  ALL of us can feel His influence and come to know Him through the influence of the Holy Ghost.  "As we intentionally seek to know God through study, feel of His influence through receiving the Holy Ghost, and do the actions that demonstrate discipleship, through the grace of Jesus Christ we can experience the glory, majesty, love, power and presence of God always, even if we don't literally see Him until heaven." (61)

The temple helps us to see things with clarity and depth.  

The temple endows us with power which comes through ordinances and covenants.  Pay attention the promised blessings associated with covenants.  Ponder how you live the covenants and how they enrich and bless your life.

From notes Br. Sweat explains that changing clothes is common when meeting royalty.  Before Joseph of Egypt was brought before Pharaoh, he changed (Genesis 41:14) Jacob and his household changed before going to Bethel (Genesis 35:2).  The word endowment comes from Greek enduo which means to put on or to clothe with or invest with clothing (Strong's Concordance).  

Things I want to study:

President Faust wrote "Lost Horizons" in the August 1999 Ensign.  

Monson "The Holy Temple-A Beacon to the World" Ensign, May 2011

Monson "Blessings of the Temple" Ensign, October 2010

Hunter Follow the Son of God, Ensign, November 1994

Hales "Stand Strong in Holy Places" Ensign May 2013

book Ascending the Mountain of the Lord:  Temple, Praise and Worship in the Old Testament

book Opening the Heavens:  Accounts of Divine Manifestations

chapter entitle "Temples" in Adam Miller's book Letters to a Young Mormon

Gospel Doctrine Teacher

 It's been an interesting couple of months and I haven't done a very good job or journaling events or thoughts or feelings.  I was released as YW President at the end of November.  I served just over 3 years, but I had served for almost 4 years as a counselor. So in just over a month after I was released, I would have been in YW for 7 years.  Jackie Simper was called as the new YW President, and she will do a fantastic job.  But I would be lying if I said I wasn't sad.  I love the YW so very much, and YW has been a huge part of my life for a long time, so it was a sad adjustment for me.

I was called to be a Gospel Doctrine Teacher.  Sharon is also a gospel doctrine teacher, so I will teach once a month.  Interestingly, months ago, Sara and I were talking about callings we would love to have and I mentioned that I would love to be Gospel Doctrine Teacher.  So that's fun.  It's been a long time since I taught adults, but I'm excited for the opportunity.  And a tiny bit nervous because it is Old Testament.

I teach for the first time on Sunday.  We are studying Moses 1 and Abraham 3.  Here's my outline for what I plan to cover.

First, introduction to the year and my goals for Old Testament and ask class what they HOPE to learn/accomplish.

*Point out that the Come Follow Me Manual gives the following suggestions for studying the Old Testament:  1. Find personal meaning, 2.  Seek the Savior (the manual says:  "If you seek greater faith in the Savior as you study the Old Testament, you will find it."  I love and WANT/NEED this promise!), 3.  Remember that the Old Testament was divinely preserved.  The manual says, "Maybe God preserved these ancient writings because He knows you and what you are going through."

Second, each time I teach, I want to share a teaching idea...one thing that might help them as they are studying that week's or the next week's scriptures with their families.  And have them share what worked for them that week or any ideas they have.

*My ideas for this first time:  have children make a list of how they are like Mom and how they are like Dad.  Then read a few verses that describe God and see how they ARE like God and also how they can BECOME like God/their Heavenly Parents.

*For the second week, as you are reading about creation, have family make pictures of what happens on each day of creation.  Alternately, you could find photos to represent each day of creation and hang them up.

Launch into the actual lesson.

One of the things that I love about the Old Testament is that it deals with the covenants God made with Israel.  (In fact, the word testament is a synonym for covenant.)  In October 2020, President Nelson gave a beautiful talk entitled Let God Prevail.  He explained that one meaning of the word Israel is to "let God prevail" and so anyone who chooses to let God prevail in their life could be considered part of Israel.  He then issued this challenge:  

"As you study your scriptures during the next six months, I encourage you to make a list of all that the Lord has promised He will do for covenant Israel. I think you will be astounded! Ponder these promises. Talk about them with your family and friends. Then live and watch for these promises to be fulfilled in your own life.

My dear brothers and sisters, as you choose to let God prevail in your lives, you will experience for yourselves that our God is “a God of miracles.”²³ As a people, we are His covenant children, and we will be called by His name." 

While more than a year has passed, one of the things I hope we can continue to do as we study the Old Testament this year is to add to our list (or begin our list!) of these promises and watch for these promises to be fulfilled in our lives.  So I want to start there today.

Promises I noticed in these two chapters:  (Have someone read each of these):

Moses 1:26  "Lo, I am with thee, even unto the end of thy days, for thou shalt deliver my people from bondage, even Israel my chosen."

Moses 1: 35  "all things are numbered unto me, for they are mine and I know them."

Numbered:  counted, known, reckoned, assigned

Abraham 3:14  "I will multiply thee, and thy seed after thee, like unto these; and if thou canst count the number of sands, so shall be the number of thy seeds."

Abraham 3:17   "There is nohting that the Lord thy God shall take in his heart to do but what he will do it."

*Discuss the promises and also ask if anyone has an example of a time they have seen God fulfilling that specific promise in their life.

Then move to the Second half of the Lesson:   What do these two chapters teach us about God?  About ourselves?  About Satan?  (write these 3 on the board and add to the list as we go):  

Moses 1:1-3   What do we learn about God from these verses?  In addition, do these verses help us know anything about ourselves?   ....face to face, talked with Him, glory, Almighty, Endless, Lord God

Abraham 3:  11-12  What do we learn about God from these verses?  About ourselves?  ...talked with God, face to face.  Abraham called his son. Great multitude of creations.

Moses 1:4-8  God/self...workmanship of mine hands, endless words and works, full of grace and truth.  Know all my works.

my son, I have a work for thee.  Thou art in similitude of Only Begotten.

What do you think it meant for Moses to know that he was a son of God?  Why is this knowledge so important for us today?

I just finished reading Elder Edward Dube of the Seventy's book called Beyond the Shade of the Mango Tree.  He tells of his introduction to the church.  After attending church and seeing the people there, he felt intimidated.  He was young, spoke little English, and felt like he had little to contribute and was out of place.  But then he heard Primary children singing "I Am a Child of God" and he was touched by the words.  

Elder Edward Dube writes, "As I looked at the faces of those children and listened to them sing, I felt the words of their song lift me above the dust of the world.  I realized for the first time that I was a son of God and He had a plan for me.  This song gave me courage to progress toward baptism.  Why did a little Primary song have such a profound impact on me?  Because it helped me see what God saw in me.  He saw me as His child, endowed with the great potential to become like Him....I had been worried whether I belonged with the members of the branch.  This song helped me connect with them, but it did more than that.  It inspired me to connect with my Father in Heaven, to begin to see what He saw in me."

President Dallin H. Oaks said, "Consider the power of the idea taught in our beloved song "I am a Child of God"...Here is the answer to one of life's great questions.  'Who am I?' I am a child of God with a spirit lineage to heavenly parents.  That parentage defines our eternal potential.  That powerful idea is a potent antidepressant.  It can strengthen each of us to make righteous choices and to seek the best that is within us.  Establish in the mind of a young person the powerful idea that he or she is a child of God and you have given self-respect and motivation to move against the problems of life."

Abraham 3:  22-25  What do we learn about ourselves and about God from these verses?

Moses 1:10-12... Moses is exhausted after visit with God.  (*Discuss divine investiture of authority.)  Then Satan comes tempting him.  Vs. 12 he calls him a son of man.  What do we learn about God, ourselves and Satan in these verses?

*Charlie Chaplin entered a Charlie Chaplin look alike contest in Cleveland, Ohio.  He figured he'd be a shoo-in and that it would be funny.  He placed 20th.  Now, obviously, NO ONE is a better Charlie Chaplin than Charlie Chaplin.  But in the words of Come Follow Me Daily, "If we let the world judge who we are, they will get it wrong....Satan attacks worth first.  Because if we doubt it, we are crippled.  And when we understand it, we can do anything."

Moses 1: 13-16  What do we learn?

In October 2019, Elder Peter M. Johnson of the Seventy gave a talk about 3 tools that Satan uses:  distraction, deception and discouragement.  The talk is wonderful and I encourage all of you to review it.  In the section on deception, Elder Johnson recounts this story of Moses and he says, "The adversary was relentless in his attempts to deceive Moses, but Moses resisted, saying, “Depart from me, Satan, for this one God only will I worship, which is the God of glory.”⁶ Moses remembered who he was—a son of God.

The Lord’s words to Moses apply to you and to me. We are created in God’s own image, and He has a work for us to do. The adversary attempts to deceive by having us forget who we truly are. If we do not understand who we are, then it is difficult to recognize who we can become."

In the same conference, October 2019, TWO other talks spoke about the tactics of the adversary.  It seems like this is something our leaders want us to understand...and perhaps even something that is crucial for our spiritual survival!

One of the talks was by Elder Gary E. Stevenson.  He began by telling two humorous stories of his children...his son tried to paint the dog with black spots so it would be a dalmation. And his children, while visiting a relative, seeing a "cat" that was black with a white stripe down it's back.

The Great Deceiver

These stories about innocent children discovering something about life and reality may make each of us smile, but they also illustrate a more profound concept.

In the first story, our young son had a beautiful dog as a pet; notwithstanding, he grabbed a gallon of paint and, with paintbrush in hand, determined to create his own imagined reality.

In the second account, the boys were blissfully unaware of the unsavory threat they faced from a skunk. Unable to properly identify what they had actually encountered, they ran the risk of suffering some unfortunate consequences. These are stories of mistaken identity—presuming the real thing to be something else. In each case, the consequences were minor.

However, many today grapple with these same issues on a much larger scale. They are either unable to see things as they truly are or are unsatisfied with truth. Moreover, there are forces at play today designed to deliberately lead us away from absolute truth. These deceptions and lies go far beyond innocent mistaken identity and often have dire, not minor, consequences.

Satan, the father of lies and the great deceiver, would have us question things as they really are and either ignore eternal truths or replace them with something that appears more pleasing. “He maketh war with the saints of God”² and has spent millennia calculating and practicing the ability to persuade God’s children to believe that good is evil and evil is good.

He has made a reputation for himself convincing mortals that skunks are just kittens or that, with an application of paint, you can turn a Labrador into a Dalmatian!

Elder Stevenson then turns to this account in Moses and shows how Satan tries to persuade Moses that HE is a dalmation, rather than a labrador.  Or in Moses' case...a son of man rather than a son of God.

In other words, Moses said: “You cannot deceive me, for I know who I am. I was created in the image of God. You don’t have His light and glory. So why should I worship you or fall prey to your deception?”

Now pay attention to how Moses further responds. He declares, “Get thee hence, Satan; deceive me not.”⁷

There is much we can learn from Moses’s mighty response to temptation from the adversary. I invite you to respond the same way when you feel influenced by temptation. Command the enemy of your soul by saying: “Go away! You have no glory. Do not tempt or lie to me! For I know I am a child of God. And I will always call upon my God for His help.”

The adversary, however, does not easily abandon his destructive motives to deceive and demean us. He certainly did not do so with Moses, instead desiring to cause Moses to forget who he was eternally.

As if he were throwing a childish tantrum, “Satan cried with a loud voice, and ranted upon the earth, and commanded, saying: I am the Only Begotten, worship me.”⁸

Let’s review. Did you hear what he just said? “I am the Only Begotten. Worship me!”

The great deceiver said, in effect, “Don’t worry; I won’t harm you—I’m not a skunk; I am just an innocent black-and-white kitty cat.”

So what can we do when Satan tries to tempt and deceive us?   

Moses 1:16-20

Moses 1:21-22

**If time, move to Moses 1:  35-39

Kerry Muhlestein said he thinks verse 39 is one of the MOST important verses in all of scripture.  It explains WHY Earth was created and gives context for EVERYTHING else God has created and commanded and said and done.  

**If time, share Kerry Muhlestein's 4 keys to understanding the Old Testament:

1.  The Old Testament records warts and all.  Not everyone or everything you read about is meant to be admired or followed.  It records the good, the bad, and the ugly.

2.  Their culture was based around symbolism, including symbolic ACTION.  So for example, if you are upset and feel heartbroken, you rend your clothes as an outward symbol or sign of your inner emotions.  Some of the things that today we perceive as God being vengeful are just Him teaching these people through symbolic action in THEIR language and to THEIR understanding.

3.  Look at the whole story and you'll see God's love and mercy.  He is patient and forgiving and GOOD.  Things are often messy or difficult in the middle of stories, but if you look at the whole story, you will see how He keeps forgiving and keeps gathering and keeps restoring and keeps helping.

4.  Recognize the importance of the Abrahamic covenant or the new and everlasting covenant.   Much of the imagery and the experiences recorded relate to the covenant.