The last training day

     Today is the middle of April but it sure hasn't looked like it here in Utah. Fortunately for us (unlike the missionary couple headed to Hawaii) we are prepared for winter so we had coats and, thanks to friends in Sun City, a nice big umbrella. Russ and I were actually delighted to see and walk in snow! We haven't done that very much in the past 4+ years we have lived in Sun City, Arizona! We much prefer snow to 120 degrees. My only disappointment was that I didn't have my gloves with me because I really had the urge to build a snowman- or something akin to it.

Early this morning, we trudged on over to the Salt Lake temple from our hotel and had a heavenly day.
     Have you ever lingered someplace when you didn't want "the moment" to end? That happened for 16 temple missionaries today. This was our 3rd and final day of training before we all go our separate ways. We are all headed to temples, which will certainly be wonderful, but the sweet, peaceful feeling we had in the Salt Lake temple was about to fade with each step out into the world. I mentioned yesterday that there were temple missionaries in about half of the LDS temples in the world. Today the significance of that deepened for me. I guess the ultimate goal for the Church is for each temple (about 144 so far) to be fully supported by "local" people, staff and patrons. But for now there are areas where the population is insufficient (like Palmyra NY and Nauvoo IL- both historical site temples in sparsely populated towns), or the Church membership is small and lacking experience (Kiev Ukraine) or poor (Cebu Phillipines) enough that the Church sends older couples for support to keep the temples available. We were all dressed in nearly identical white clothing. There was no way to determine where people were from or how much money they make or what they do for a living or how big their families are. We were just a quiet, humble army preparing to serve. Our trainers were formerly president and matron of this temple and have served there for many years as well as serving as mission president and matron in England. Among our group there were two children of President Hinckley, the prophet who died not long ago and is/was beloved by millions of people, including Russ and me. Aside from the family physical resemblance of the son, you would not have known who they are. They are both humble, simple people who don't expect any special treatment or act superior in any way. They are every bit as likable as their father. Our little group of missionaries was treated like we are important. We were taught, counseled, given a tour of the temple from top to bottom (Russ's eyes lit up when we went down to the basement to see the real workings of the building- all spotlessly clean) and loved like family by everyone around us. I imagine it will be similar when we enter the presence of our Savior and His Father, whenever that happens.

Consecration

     Yesterday when Russ and I went to the church's huge conference center to see if we could get up to the roof, we had a young man offer to be our guide. We never got his exact age but I would guess he is in his 30's. We know he is married and has children, the oldest of which is 8. He says he "retired" recently, which shocked us. He apparently started a really successful business of some sort then decided to sell it, making him a rich young man. He now uses his time to mostly serve. He works in the temple a couple of days a week and serves as a church tour guide a couple of days a week, then spends time with his family. He doesn't seem to be interested in just acquiring and playing with all the "toys" you might expect a male of his age to be fascinated with.
     There are lots of people that choose to have faith to the extent that they want to "give their life to the Lord." In the Old Testament, you can read the story of Hannah who gave her son Samuel to the Lord. Most people have heard of Mother Teresa, a humble woman who spent her life serving poor people and never having an interest in accumulating worldly goods. In the temple, I (and many other people) have  chosen to make a covenant with the Lord that I would do all I could to serve Him and His children. We call it "consecration." Some could see it as fanatical and conjure up visions of drinking poisonous kool-aid or beheading people who believe differently or separating self from the world in general to live a life akin to the description of John the Baptist in the New Testament. There are lots of people who believe in God, in one form or another, but not so many who choose to offer their lives to Him. It's a little scary actually. I remember years ago talking to a "born-again" Christian and asking how to just let someone else make major life decisions for you. What if you don't like what He chooses? What if you have your own preferences?
     As we toured the huge Conference Center, I was awed by the building. But as I looked over at the smaller, older Salt Lake Temple, I was even more awed. It was built over a period of 40 years without the aid of any of the special equipment used to build the Conference Center. It incorporates countless hours of labor for countless people, some more skilled than others, but all consecrated volunteers. (For the picky historians who might read this, I admit there may have been some people who worked on the structure that maybe weren't even LDS, but most certainly were.) The precise carving in the stone on the outside along with the massive weight of the stones that were piled (NO MORTAR!) to form the famous structure, and the stunning wooden doors and beautiful stained glass windows- all in perfect symmetry and accuracy. But then when you go inside- WOW! Having done some plaster work myself (you can see work we did restoring a 100-year old brick Victorian house if you go back far enough in old posts on this blog spot) and knowing a little about the fine work my daughter Angela has done with stained glass, I just couldn't stop staring at the intricate handwork all through this old treasure. Okay, it's not as old as some of the cathedrals in Europe, but it was built with the same kind of tools used in cathedrals built many hundreds of years ago. The delicate many-colored painting (I'm sure there's an official term for it) on the formed and carved plaster decorations is breathtaking. There is none of the ostentatious gaudiness found in old cathedrals. It is just painstaking, intricate work done over long hours by consecrated hands. Money cannot buy the beauty seen in the Salt Lake Temple.
     After doing some temple work today, we went to the family history center. Here there is evidence of other consecrated work. Millions of people have spent countless hours searching through, photographing, recording, and deciphering old civil records to find connections to family members- sometimes not even their own family but somebody's family. There are genealogists who earn money doing what they do, but most of the people who have accumulated the records now available are simply good people- some old, some young- who gave of their time and energy to do what they could to gather information so families through the generations could be linked.
     Every time a new temple is dedicated, the youth of the region participate in a "cultural celebration". Again, nobody is paid. Hundreds of teenagers sing and dance in costumes made by volunteers in a program written by volunteers with lighting and staging done by volunteers. The youth celebrate the culture and history of their country or region thus being educated about their history. There is a greater appreciation for those who lived before them and suffered living conditions they only read about in history books.
     The Tabernacle Choir is well known and accompanied these days by the Orchestra at Temple Square- all consecrated, unpaid volunteers who spend hours and hours perfecting their skills to produce lovely music. During the 2002 Winter Olympics, it was widely reported by amazed media that nearly ALL the hundreds of participants in the extravagant musical productions here in Salt Lake City were local volunteers. They didn't have to go outside the area or hire professionals, even for the complex skating demonstrations. Also, rumor has it that there are more pianos per household in Utah than any other state and more harps than any other state. Children in the LDS Church starting at age 3 speak in public giving short "talks" then grow up to give longer talks in front of larger groups.
Talents, all talents in general, are gifts from the Lord. We can choose to use them, improve them, and share them- or not. In the LDS Church, they are encouraged and it shows. I have long ago lost the singing voice I once thought might offer me a career of fame and fortune. I have long ago lost the supple physique that I loved to use to dance. Over the years, I have gained some skill playing the piano(not nearly a Vladimir Horowitz!) and am more confident at public speaking and organizing and managing groups of people. I will never be a name on everyone's lips or recorded in any books, but I am grateful for what talents the Lord has given me and I have consecrated all I have or will have to Him. I am not looking for applause- only a smile and a "Well done my good and faithful servant" from my Savior when I meet Him.

Day 1 of training

     So I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed. Most of the couples we are training with have served for many years in temples and for several of them, this is their second or more time serving a mission. There are couples going to Brazil, Hong Kong, Costa Rica, Palmyra NY, Hawaii, along with one other couple going to Nauvoo. We are learning more about how temple work should be done and having wonderful question and answer sessions. The most striking thing emphasized so far is that our main goal as temple workers should be loving kindness. We should make every patron's visit as pleasant as possible. I love it that our purpose is to show love. I can do that! I may not be the most knowledgeable or serene or expert temple worker- but I can love the people who enter the temple! I found out that only about half of the over 140 temples in the world have fulltime missionaries serving in them. Every LDS member we meet is excited when we tell them we are going to the Nauvoo temple. It seems like everybody knows someone who is there, has been there, or wishes they could go there. Everybody tells us we are just going to LOVE serving there. As all the couple introduced themselves, we each told how many children and grandchildren we have and, all 16 couple added up, we had a combined total of several hundred loved ones we are "leaving behind." I didn't mention that we are looking forward to the incredible blessing of having our family all visit us! I am looking forward to serving the Lord but I am also really excited to see my children and grandchildren in Nauvoo in July.
     After our time in the training session, Russ and I walked around admiring the lovely flowers on Temple Square then watched some short church videos in one of the visitor centers then walked over to the food court at City Creek Center which is like a mega-outside-mall of downtown Salt Lake City. It's beautiful but we can't help but wonder how all the stores manage to stay in business. Then again, we wonder that every time we walk around a mall of any kind. It's a good thing nobody is dependent on Russ and me to make a profit! We never buy anything but food! So, I ended up with a gyro plate including lemon rice and salad which always reminds me of Lisa who used to go with me to buy Greek food because she loved it, too. Russ chose a steak sandwich and fries. The weather was beautiful today but I understand it's supposed to snow tomorrow. The missionary couple going to Hawaii isn't happy about having to walk a couple of blocks from the hotel to the temple because they don't have any warm clothes with them! We're just happy not to be enduring the 90 degrees it's up to in Sun City already.
     One thing I have been pondering on quite a bit the past few days is that obedience is essential to our growth and development. It's connected to trust in the Lord. Faith is trust. If we don't have faith, we have doubts and we don't trust the Lord then we're not obedient. Then we pull away from the Lord as we try to determine on our own what to do. The result is more sin and less light and knowledge and happiness. God would have an immense number of opportunities to say the parental "I told you so" if He was like that. We ought to spend more time finding out more about Him and trying to gain some of His knowledge and wisdom.

I know we are loved!

We are now checked in our hotel for our stay while training at the Salt Lake City temple for our mission. We spent the last two nights at the home of this couple, Mike and Rebecca Allen. Mike baptized me when I joined the Church of Jesus Christ in November of 1974 and has continued to be a dear friend, along with his sweet wife. Last night we went out to a restaurant with them for dinner and met another couple, long time friends of theirs with whom they visited Israel not long ago. The woman of the couple was originally from New York state and was born just a month before I was. It was an exciting evening making new friends, even though we may never see them again. This morning we went to the broadcast of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square, Music and the Spoken Word. It was so pleasant being in a familiar place we have not been in for a long time. The music was uplifting. I always prefer musical performance live when possible, as opposed to recorded in any form. There is something especially nourishing to the soul about being able to watch the faces of performers. I was touched by the enraptured faces of the orchestra and choir members whose only pay is blessings from the Lord and the satisfaction they are serving Him as they share their testimonies through music. I also had a bit of nostalgia observing the face of one of the violinists who looked remarkably similar to my Aunt Susie. 

      As we entered the tabernacle which was fairly crowded an usher suggested we go down to the front where there were some open seats. We ended up on the very front row. Shortly after sitting down, while the performers were having a short break before the actual start of the broadcast, we spoke to the couple seated next to us. To our pleasant surprise, they are going to be attending training with us starting tomorrow then will be working with us at the Nauvoo Temple! We had a lively, if somewhat brief, conversation, making more new friends.

     I know that there is a God in heaven and He knows every one of His billions of children, including Russ and me. Every day He offers us small, tender mercies to let us know He is aware of us. We often take them for granted, if we even notice them at all. Like  the perfect, loving parent that He is, He continues to love and bless us. We all have opportunities to feel His love through others and we each have the opportunity to let others feel His love through us- if we choose.

Straining to learn

     Any kind of growth can be tiring, discouraging, and daunting. Spiritual growth is included. There are some scriptures that allude to faith as a "gift" from God. I may be one who was given that gift. I can't really remember a time when I didn't believe in the existence of God. It has taken my whole life to try to understand exactly who He is and what He expects of me, but I continue to work at it. I like a quote from Saint Augustine, "Faith is to believe what you do not yet see; the reward for this faith is to see what you believe." I have heard others say similar things like, "Faith precedes the miracle."
Probably one of the hardest things about spiritual growth is gaining the understanding that NOT receiving what you want can be a greater indication of God's love than getting what you anxiously pray for, at times. I have formulated a saying of my own- "Love is NOT a cookie." It has struck me as I watch doting parents give kids all kinds of junk food because they beg for it. There is more concern for obesity among children these days than among adults- for the first time in history! The constant diet of pizza, chips, soda, and candy is NOT a way to show love. In fact, it's almost the opposite. Giving the kids stuff they want that causes problems for them that will take a lifetime to overcome is more a surrender to the parents' desperation to have the child love them than a sincere offering of love from the parent to the child. Most of us haven't figured that out yet. But that is the kind of wisdom God possesses. He really knows what would be best for each of us and sometimes that means suffering- as least that's the way we look at it. We need to learn patience so we can be patient with others and avoid being spoiled, miserable, demanding children. So He waits a bit before giving us what we so earnestly beg for. Sometimes He even has something better in mind for us so He doesn't give us what we want when we want it then later gives us something really wonderful. If He gives us everything we want when we want it, we become like the whining, obese child with a room full of toys. That might seem like the way to "buy" our affection but in the long run, it destroys our physical, emotional, and spiritual health. We need to understand self-control, self-denial, and how to avoid focusing on the treasures of the earth where "moth and rust" corrupt. Most of the things we want are fleeting, temporary wants rather than needs. The bumper sticker "He who dies with the most toys wins" is only a little bit funny because too many people really believe it's true rather than a joke. So, next time your child begs for the latest video game or electronic device, or next time you beg God for something to "consume it upon your lust", say to yourself, "Love is NOT a cookie."

Families can be together forever!

     About a week ago, I was pondering the dilemma of how to deal lovingly with someone who feels differently about same-gender attraction, marriage, and family. My deepest desire is to avoid contention yet I also have a desire to be faithful to my Savior. How do I love even my "enemies" when I can't agree with their philosophies? I know a loving mother/grandmother who has a son that is dealing with same-gender attraction. I know a sweet young mother who has separated from her husband/father of her two children, and lives with a man she is not married to. I know lots of really good people who have chosen to have intimate relations outside of marriage. But I know my Heavenly Father has advised, even commanded, that sexual relations should be between a man and a woman who are married to each other. Many people don't know or believe that. How can I stand firm without being accused of bigotry or close-mindedness or prejudice? So, knowing that General Conference was coming up, I decided to pray for guidance- through talks given by general authorities during conference. I knew they would be preparing their talks and I wanted to hear from the Lord with counsel beyond what the Bible and Book of Mormon offer.
     Today conference started and, incredibly enough (oh, ye of little faith!), there were 3 talks primarily about family/marriage/sexual relations. The Lord really does hear us and answers our prayers! So, first was President Boyd K. Packer (president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles) who is getting on in years and not terribly healthy. It was a touching experience listening to and watching this older man speak with great effort about the exquisite joy of passion between a man and woman. He and his wife have been married for nearly 70 years. They aren't what the movies portray as a loving couple! But he didn't emphasize what choices of sexual relationships are wrong, he spoke about how right it is between a man and a woman who have been married to each other. He said it's not just a "part" of God's plan of happiness for His children, it IS the plan of happiness for His children. Whether or not we choose to agree doesn't change that. What we choose to do or believe does not change what is right and wrong. We can choose whatever we want to choose. God would prefer that we choose His way but it was repeated again and again in this session of conference that God will not compel us to choose anything.
     The second talk on the subject came immediately following President Packer's- from Linda K. Burton, President of the Relief Society. She spoke about the importance of husbands/fathers. She mentioned that there is much said these days about the independence of women and the implication that men are not necessary. She likened it to our left and right hand. They are not identical, in fact they are opposite. But they complement each other in a way as to make them more valuable together than either one separately. She didn't say anything about males preferring the company of males or females preferring the company of females. She only talked about how good it is that there is a difference and how important it is that we work together to utilize our differences for the good of ourselves and our families.
     Third was the apostle L. Tom Perry, 90 years young! He recently traveled with some other Church leaders to the colloquium held at the Vatican for religious leaders from all around the world. (Isn't it amazing?! I have trouble with jet lag and traveling and he's half again as old as I am!) The concern for these people, no matter what their religious background or belief, is the deterioration of the family. He said that the most efficient way to raise the next generation of any nation is the family. No one has found a better way. Children are less likely to live in poverty and more likely to gain education and success when raised in a household with a married mother and father. It's a fact- ALL OVER THE WORLD! There are sometimes imperfections in these physical bodies that prevent bearing your own natural children. That does not negate the ideal of a mother and father raising children. Not all adults choose to be high quality parents. That does not negate the ideal of a child having a mother and father who both love him/her and strive to teach all they know which is beneficial for the child's growth and development.
     The bottom line- males and females benefit most from striving to work together. Children derive the most benefit from a male and female parent working together to provide temporal necessities as well as mental and spiritual education. Add to that the fact that we can, if we choose, be a family unit throughout the eternities to go on growing, sharing, and loving each other. We get to choose!

How does He do that???

     I'm going to get a bit heavy for a moment. I have been pondering something I want to share. I would welcome anyone who reads this to research scripture references, pray, and ponder for themselves. I am not a prophet nor do I aspire to be so. I only desire to share insights when I have them and encourage others to do the same for me.
     Starting at the beginning: God created all things. In Genesis Moses recorded that God created the heavens and the earth and all things that in them are. We know that God sent His Son into the world that the world through Him might be saved. He must have been someplace before coming here in order to be "sent". In Moses 3 He says, "For I, the Lord God, created all things, of which I have spoken, spiritually, before they were naturally upon the face of the earth." Just as men have ideas and draw plans or blueprints, God created everything spiritually before He created it physically. One of my favorite scriptures is D&C 131:7-8: "There is no such thing as immaterial matter. All spirit is matter, but it is more fine or pure, and can only be discerned by purer eyes; We cannot see it; but when our bodies are purified we shall see that it is all matter." God works within what we call "natural laws"; miracles are only miracles to us because we don't yet understand how God does it. Just as the salad I ate today was not created out of thin air -seeds, nutrients in the soil, molecules in the air, energy from the sun- lots of different existing elements combined to make the spinach and other ingredients. God said, "Man was also in the beginning with God. Intelligence, or the light of truth, was not created or made, neither indeed can be. All truth is independent in that sphere in which God has placed it, to act for itself, as all intelligence also; otherwise there is no existence." (D&C 93:29-30) In summary, you and I and everything around us was not just pulled out of thin air. Everything encompasses previously existing (or eternal) particles which, through stages, were organized to "create" trees, hummingbirds, mountains, and us (from the "dust of the earth").
     Let's go from that principle of how everything is/was made to what we know about Jesus, during His mortal ministry on earth. Remember the story about Jesus' disciples with Him in a ship on the sea and a great storm arose? They were all frightened then Jesus "rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm. But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!" (Matt. 8:26-27) We have stories of Moses parting the waters and many other stories of holy ones who could move mountains or stop the rain. We think of winds, waters, and mountains as being inanimate. How can they "obey"?  Even Mark 1:27 reports, "And they were all amazed, insomuch that they questioned among themselves, saying, What thing is this? what new doctrine is this? for with authority commandeth he even the unclean spirits, and they do obey him?"
     One last principle to consider, then I'll put them all together. God always stresses obedience. Why is it so important? The prophet Samuel told King Saul (1 Samuel 15:22), "Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams." I don't want to make this longer than necessary so I won't type all of Romans 2:5-11, but it has good points in it. Later Paul warns the Romans that we are all servants to whom we obey. Peter also says in 1 Peter 1:14-16, " As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance (those things which occupied you before you chose to be a Christian): But as he (Christ)which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy: for I am holy." The Lord says (D&C 82:10) "I, the Lord, am bound when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise."
     So, everything is made up of spiritual matter, given different forms according to what God has chosen. Everything is obedient or not. As the highest order of all of God's creations, namely His children, we humans are capable of the greatest disobedience (just as teenagers are capable of more serious disobedience toward parents than an infant or toddler). He has given us the agency to make choices. When He placed man on earth he said He wanted to see if we would obey Him. Even things we think of as having no "will" of their own (likes winds, waves, and mountains) are capable of obeying or not obeying. God has given to/allowed only a few mortals the power and authority to have everything obey them as they would obey God or His Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ. Yet He has said that if we do as He says (obey Him), He is bound. We will receive all that He has. We will be made joint heirs with His Son, for we are His children, too. Do you want the power to move mountains? Do you want the authority to stop storms? Those elements will only obey those who are recognized as worthy of the authority to command. Memorizing scriptures, lifting weights, donating to the poor and needy, or praying a lot is not sufficient. We cannot take this power and authority in any way. The only ones worthy are those who obey God to the extent they think like He does, they understand His will, they align themselves with His wisdom. God's ways are not man's ways neither is man's wisdom God's wisdom. Other men may never obey you, just as men choose not to obey almighty God, because we are stubborn, stiff-necked, rebellious, proud, and vain. Other elements on earth such as plants, animals, rocks, water, and air, are not capable of being disobedient. They will obey only God's authority. They will only obey any child of God who is like He is- Godly: patient, long-suffering, just, merciful, wise, kind, unchanging, worthy of all love and respect. As soon as we can be like that, we can stop storms and move mountains.