I don't mean to repeat myself BUT.........

     I know I have mentioned it before but I wanted to re-emphasize that the Lord is hastening His work. I'm not saying Jesus will return tomorrow. I'm just saying that after thousands of years, the earth is being prepared for His return. Prophets have foretold this event for so long that many people now doubt or disbelieve. I'm not going to go ranting and raving through the streets about it. I totally respect every person's agency to make their own choices about what or who to believe. Jesus said, according to Luke: "And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through. Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not." As Jesus so often did, He told this parable for the benefit of those who would choose to listen whereas it is only a story/fable for those who don't have ears to listen- or a heart to want to hear. Prophets have given us plenty of signs to look for if we are interested. There have been wars and rumors of wars, bizarre weather, and the hearts of men going cold over and over throughout history. However, there is certainly an increase of all of the cataclysmic events described by prophets. But for me, the clincher is what I'm seeing as it pertains to work for our kindred dead. In LDS temples, those who did not have the opportunity to be baptized (a requirement covenant for entering the Lord's kingdom) can be baptized by proxy even though they no longer have a physical body to do so. Those who want to be sealed to their spouse and parents and children for eternity but did not have the opportunity while living, can choose to accept the proxy work done for them in LDS temples. (By the way, if you doubt whether there is life beyond what you see and hear and touch every day, there are plenty of witnesses who could tell you about the fact that we all have spirits which will go on long after our bodies have quit and are buried or cremated or whatever.)
     I mentioned before that I see names of people from all over the world being recorded in the temple every day. The most exciting are the names from former Communist bloc countries, China, India, and Africa. The work has been spreading in South America for quite awhile now and has been helped along by the building of more temples making them more easily accessible to more LDS members willing to do the proxy work. When several years ago I first heard of all this I thought to myself that there were so many people who have lived throughout the history of this planet, how could we ever manage to do work for so many billions? I had decided that it would be a primary activity during the Millenium, after the Lord returns and the graves are opened. Prophets have said that we don't need to worry about hastening this work because the Lord will do it. He is. Within my lifetime I have seen genealogy go from a dark, dusty pastime for strange people interested in digging through old books to an interest for millions of people anxious to discover their roots. I remember watching and reading "Roots", about the ancestry of an American black. Then came computerized communication with places that keep records so you no longer had to search for hours on microfilms that you ordered months before. There have been a couple of tv programs involving the search for ancestors of various entertainment stars. Ancestry.com has now come out of obscurity to be a major website. (I wish I had bought stock in them early on!) The LDS Church sponsors a program called indexing. This involves, first, people (usually senior missionaries) going to various town halls, church record storage closets or basements, and other community places where records are kept then photographing page after page of records. These are then downloaded and made available on the internet so volunteers can spend hours trying to decipher and transcribe into the computer all of the most important information. This information is then organized to be available to anyone who is searching for their ancestors by name, place, birthdate, and any other fact that can help link families together. Then once they have sufficient  accurate information, LDS members request to do temple work for these deceased family members. Last year in the Nauvoo temple alone there were 25,000 baptisms performed in one month. There are nearly 150 temples throughout the world and they are recording thousands of names and ordinances in each one every day. It's mind-boggling! I think the most fascinating thing for me is to see the interest blooming in young people. I had no interest to speak of in my ancestors when I was only a teenager or younger. I don't think I even cared that much in my 20's. Now every day I see 12 year olds eager to have even one card printed off so they can be baptized for someone in their family. We have lines of young missionaries eagerly entering the temple doors to do work for their kindred dead. The work is definitely hastening!

Pictures- FINALLY!

Our family has come and gone quite awhile ago but I'm just getting around to posting photos here on the blog. We have a lovely apartment here- for 2 people. It got a little crowded with 18 in the first batch and 5 in the second batch added to the two of us. The pictures are probably not as good as they might have been had I used a conventional camera. Phones tend to be more readily available. The pictures reflect the various activities our clan was involved in while here.  Food is always a major attraction. After a barbeque at the park across the road, we gathered to sing happy birthday to one of the kids and enjoy ice cream cake.                                            

                           

 After the cake, Grandpa helped the birthday boy figure out how to use the gift the whole family had pitched in to give him. It wasn't battery or any other power operated! Aaron (the one in the colorful shirt) is interested in astronomy so we gave him a telescope to explore the universe- or at least whatever he can manage to see of it.

 The blur in this picture is one of the youngest of the grandchildren. She tends to be very active in case you couldn't tell. I tried to get a picture a couple of times without her blur in the forefront but this is the best I could manage. On the table you can see remnants of a Scrabble game. Playing board games is another family favorite activity.

We spotted this Lego knock-off kit when we were in Salt Lake City for training but it was a bit pricey for our taste. Here in Nauvoo, the temple matron was able to order kits at a  bulk price for all of us missionary grandparents who have Lego-loving families. The kids were good about sharing the construction  but it didn't take them long to complete it! Hand-held electronics are a favorite, especially of the boys and nearly as much as building with Legos, even if it means just watching their cousins play.

 The younger girls spent quite a bit of time on our electric piano that fortunately made it through our trailer rollover on the way to our mission. All of the kids like it but the girls spent the most time on it. They played around more than actually played anything. It makes all kids of interesting sounds including drumbeats.

Our last group wasn't able to work out family schedule to be here with the rest, which was actually nice. We were able to spend more time with them. All the kids went to the sites here but we weren't able to go with them. We were able to go with the last family group. Here is Grandpa watching over a grandson helping in the print shop. Having our family come to Nauvoo has made us feel loved and appreciated. We are so grateful they all made the effort to come!

Celebrities I admire

     We have had a number of LDS "celebrities" here in Nauvoo in the past month. Today I had the wife of one of those celebrities in an ordinance I worked in. We have had church leaders, from an apostle to several other well-known and emeritus leaders. We have had authors, tour guides, historians and scholars. I was thinking about one author who also does tours and is very popular with the youth. I wondered, he is so excellent at cheering up and cheering on- who cheers him up or on? Then I thought about Elder Holland's visit and talk to all of us missionaries and his response when a young woman asked how to deal with discouragement or a feeling of being overwhelmed with responsibility. In so many words he reminded her that there are many who have a much heavier burden of responsibility, including him! He wasn't rude or unsympathetic. It was just a tiny insight into how hard it must be to have greater responsibilities over much larger issues. So I wonder, who does a prophet or apostle or other leader go to for advice or encouragement? I love going to BYU Education Week and to institute classes. Who teaches these awesome teachers? I remember as a Relief Society President talking to women about visiting teaching and having them comment that they were reluctant to go when they were assigned to someone they thought was somehow "superior" to them. Even the prophet has home teachers and the General Relief Society President has visiting teachers and I'm sure they're grateful for them!
     We all need to remember that every single person on the earth eats, sleeps, breathes, gets older, gets discouraged, feels happiness, and wants to be loved. There isn't any "superior" or "inferior". Most people who have greater responsibilities have greater burdens. Maybe in the corporate world or realm of royalty there are those who can lean on underlings without feeling a great weight on themselves. But in general, everyone can use cheering on and cheering up once in awhile. I think about my children and their amazing accomplishments. My firstborn son has worked all his life to be responsible and careful and willing to work. He is where he is because he worked hard to get there. My older daughter appears to be superwoman. She can do almost anything and helps every person she can with any task no matter how difficult or unpleasant. She has always been generous to a fault. My younger daughter smiles readily and is loving and helpful to all those around her. But I know each and every one of these people benefits from friends who lend a sympathetic ear or sturdy shoulder or helpful hand. Truly good people don't need envy or adoration. They just need sincere appreciation. The gift of a compliment or giving of yourself in some way is the best you could offer.

Doing my part

     For those who just like "light" reading with lots of pictures, this blog doesn't usually fit the bill. I hope there is someone somewhere who is able to learn something from my rambling on. I just want to share what I am learning. Recently in the temple I was reading Jeremiah. I don't usually read Jeremiah much because he tends to be one of the more depressing books in all the scriptures. However, as I read chapter 17, verses 5-8, his warning/instructions seemed quite relevant to this day and time. He says "Thus saith the Lord" which tells you that he's not just observing or crying repentance on his own; he is truly acting as the mouthpiece of God. Then he goes on to explain that men (meaning people in general) who trust in other people (arm of the flesh) are cursed. In verse 6 you can see that God isn't saying that HE will put a curse, like a witch's curse, on anyone. Those who trust in people and "whose heart departeth from the Lord" will not see "when good cometh". If you are focusing with worldly eyes on solutions to problems offered by the world, you will miss the wonderful blessings that God is bestowing. Far more than previous generations, we tend to believe we can fix things ourselves. We obviously have greater scientific understanding and advanced technology when compared with previous inhabitants of our planet. As a result, we have begun to expect that diseases will be cured through medical research and society's ills will be cured through the philosophy of men. We look to rulers to take care of us, whether political leaders like senators and presidents presidents, or kings, or prime ministers. We expect diplomats to smooth out differences between countries or armies to win wars when diplomacy doesn't work. We expect scientists to give us forewarning of disasters but are often skeptical that they are just being "Chicken Littles" telling us the sky is falling. We promote environmentalists who warn of global warming hoping to avert widespread flooding or drought or the end of the planet as we know it (even though the scriptures clearly prophesy that is exactly what we should expect). We expect the Supreme Court or other legal "professionals" to ensure things are fair for each of us (even though Jesus himself didn't think much of lawyers- they don't have a good reputation in the Book of Mormon either).
     So, do we throw up our hands in despair and give up trying? Not exactly- I don't know if the Lord ever actually said that He helps those who help themselves but that's His general preference. However, as Jeremiah reports continuing on to verses 7 and 8, those who trust and hope in the Lord will be blessed. Why? It's not because the Lord will specifically do favors for those who are his chosen pets. He causes it to rain on the just as well as the unjust. He loves ALL of His children. The greatest blessing we receive is peace that passeth all understanding because we know everything is going to turn out okay even if we can't predict exactly how that is going to happen. Even if our house is blown away in a tornado, we lose a loved one to cancer, or are innocent victims of war crimes- if we turn to the Lord, He will help us. I'm not going to try to list them all but I'm sure you have heard countless stories about people who survived horrific accidents, wars, diseases, operations, and prison camps and bear testimony that God loves them and they feel at peace. I want to give just two small examples in my life very recently. Russ and I drove to a town about an hour away to watch a documentary on our church's history. We opted not to use the GPS because we didn't have an exact address anyway. Besides, we were planning to go to whatever grocery store we could find and stop somewhere for dinner. As we approached the town, we continued on for awhile after the sign which told us we would be there in 3 miles. We were wondering how far we might have to go before turning around to find our way back when Russ felt strongly impressed to turn left in the direction we felt the town was in. We drove through an older section of the town and when we came to a main street, lo and behold, there was the community center where the movie would be showing dead ahead! We took a guess about which way to turn to find groceries and dinner and managed to find both without going out of our way or having to back-track.
     The other story may take a little longer but it's so wonderful- to me, anyway. I told part of it to some of my kids and grandkids but more has happened since then. A couple of weeks ago, I was recording baptisms (you must be baptized to enter the kingdom of God- so how is that done if someone doesn't have an opportunity?- Paul talked about baptisms for the dead in the New Testament and I could tell you more if you're interested)- anyway, so I was recording in the computer the names of deceased people who were being baptized by proxy and there were whole lists of names of people from Eastern Europe. I thought- Wow!- these people were behind an Iron Curtain the whole time I was growing up. It's wonderful that we finally have access to teach Christianity to these people who get to choose whether to believe in the atonement of Jesus Christ for themselves just as anyone else. As I was thinking about how amazing it was to have these Eastern European names in the temple, I was clearly "told" by the Spirit that the Lord is hastening His work. Recently it has been said by one of the Apostles that we don't have to worry about hastening the Lord's work. He will do it because He said He would. We just each have to do our part, whatever that might be. So I was recording the names in the temple- that was my part. So I bore testimony in church the following Sunday about how I could see the Lord hastening His work and at the end, I said, "But we still have all of India and China to do so there's still plenty of work." I really didn't intend to be flippant about it; I was only trying to cheer us all on in the "work of the Lord". The next time I worked in the office, the first lists of names I recorded were from India! Shortly after that, a group came into the little Nauvoo temple in the Midwest of the United States from China! Then within a couple more days, two separate people came to the temple for the first time and THEY WERE CHINESE!! The Lord was surely reassuring me that He is capable of hastening His own work. I just need to keep doing my part.

Weird, hard, and wonderful

     Working full time in a temple is an experience few people will ever have so I thought I would share some interesting things that have happened or are ongoing here, randomly chosen by me. Some things have been just strange and weird, for instance:
     In temples we have lists of names of people for whom someone has requested special prayers. Every day, every hour, a group of people will pray for those on this list called the "prayer roll". It can be a person having surgery and may include the doctors. It can be a legal issue for adoption proceedings or a messy divorce. Sometimes it can just be a personal struggle. Requests for additions to the prayer roll are written on pieces of paper inside the temple, e-mailed to the temple, or called in on the phone. In the office we take calls for the prayer roll. When we're busy we connect the caller to voice mail then when we have time we type the information directly onto the prayer roll. Some of the strange ones have been just "the judge" when a person doesn't know who will be presiding in court for an adoption or other legal procedure. The strangest one so far was a caller who asked if they could put the name of their dog on the roll. I know pets can be really important to some people. Some even consider their pet a member of their family. However, animals are God's creations, but not His children. The woman calling was kindly and pleasantly told that we don't put pets' names on the temple prayer roll but it would be appropriate for her to say a special prayer for her pet and even ask family members or friends to pray. There was an unexpected call to the temple this week from someone who was calling all churches in the area looking for a used wheelchair accessible van. We also get calls from people asking about the weather in Nauvoo or for recommendations for hotels or restaurants. Once in awhile we will get an inappropriately dressed "tourist" walk into the temple and loudly ask what the charge would be to be given a tour of the temple. The temple is, after all, an historic reproduction of a pioneer era edifice. Yesterday, I found a damp washcloth on a wood railing by the stairs between the 2nd and 3rd floor of the temple. Washcloths are used down in the baptistry or on rare occasions if needed in a dressing room and are laundered down in the laundry. Why was the washcloth there????
     As uplifting as it can be working in the temple, there are some things about it that are really hard. Depending on your assignment, you may have to get up at 3 or 4 am to be in the temple then fill a 6-9 hour shift. It's difficult to have a clear head when you are tired. I realize shift workers in many occupations have to manage it, but it's hard when you're in your 60's, 70's, or even 80's. Also, in the temple we strive to speak softly but most of us are at the point in life when we are losing hearing, many already have hearing aids. It can be a strain to hear people, it's tiring to be making that effort all day, and sometimes it's a temptation to speak louder but that would destroy the quiet, peaceful atmosphere. Also, during this season in Nauvoo, there are literally hundreds of people in the temple every day and things can get hectic when people don't know where to go because they have never been here, or things get lost. As workers, we strive to maintain calm, pleasant countenances even if our minds are racing, we have to run up and down the stairs where you can't be seen or repeatedly tell people that we're working on something so they'll have to wait a few minutes. Everybody is a priority but it's hard to make that work. Some day Heavenly Father will have to teach us all how to make everybody equally important and answer everybody's prayers.
     One of the most wonderful things about the temple is equality. From the first time I entered the Washington, DC temple in 1975, I have loved the fact that everybody dresses in white and excessive jewelry or decoration is discouraged. You can't tell a ditch-digger from a senator from a CEO. Among the temple workers, we rarely know who is wealthy or who is uneducated. And it's not a union shop! You will find any temple officiator down folding towels or clothing in the laundry. Everybody fills in for anybody whenever the need arises. The temple president or matron will humbly sit or stand in a position in the place of a newly trained worker when needed. If not for the name tags, you would have no idea what position they held. Also, because it is the Lord's house, there is revelation or inspiration going on all the time. If we can manage to stay calm and exercise our faith, even trying situations get resolved without our own ability to plan a solution. One small example- I mentioned taking phone calls for the prayer roll. Callers who reach the voice message system are requested to speak clearly and slowly and spell names. It's amazing how many ways names can be spelled! We were having a very busy day and one of many calls came in requesting to put names on the prayer roll. Normally I just sweetly tell them I will transfer them to the prayer roll so I can get back to other things I'm doing, then take time in the quiet moments to listen to messages and type names on the roll. This time I felt impressed to open the prayer roll "page" on the computer and offer to take the names right then. Boy, am I glad I did! The caller was apparently on a cell phone in a crowded room or vehicle. There were lots of loud voices all around all speaking with heavy Spanish accents. She had about half a dozen names to add to the prayer roll and I had to ask her to repeat herself several times. I even had to have her repeat spellings! And I had to apologize that I couldn't get anything she was saying because of all the background noise, several times during the call. It took longer than usual but if I had been trying to get the information from a voice message, it would have been impossible. I certainly didn't know that from her first opening request for the prayer roll. Also, I got a phone call from someone on their way driving back out of state after visiting Nauvoo. They had left scriptures on the base of a statue across the street from the temple and were calling on the chance that someone had found them. It seemed a miracle to the scriptures' owner and wife and to me that they were sitting in the temple office because someone had found them (before they were soaked with the frequent and plentiful rains here) and, not having any idea whose they were, placed them on the steps of the temple. Someone entering the temple brought them inside and they were put in the office. Now they will be mailed to the person who called and gave me her husband's name and address. There are other wonderful things and I plan to do a blog tomorrow because it will be a longer story.

Another parable

     There was once a couple who lived in a land of confusion and strife. With a yearning for peace and clarity, they at last found a country based on true principles of eternal life with liberty and justice for all. They became citizens and had their first two children naturalized citizens as well so they could all enjoy the benefits of this great nation. Later other children were born becoming citizens by birth. They looked forward to being a happy family sharing the blessings of truth and freedom. One day, one of the younger children, in a desire to establish her own identity, decided to move away and become a citizen of a different country. This other country was the one the parents had left years before. It offered some pleasures but was still full of confusion and strife. The parents mourned for the choice of their child and longed for her return to be with them in the country they had chosen. She was so far away and, though she would write or call occasionally, there was always a distance remaining. The parents never gave up hope that she would return to them and the country of peace, clarity, justice, and freedom.

Parable of the servants

     This is my first attempt at writing a parable. I know it won't be as effective as Jesus's parables but I hope that someone reading this can gain something.
     There were two servants. One was obedient to his master. He went out of his way to become familiar with his master's desires so he could anticipate his requests even before being commanded. He also made an effort to educate himself on his own time so he could benefit his master through his increased knowledge of things in the world. The other servant would only do what his master wanted if he agreed with the master's reasons and he felt like doing it at the time. He challenged and doubted the master in everything. His thinking was that he shouldn't have to do anything that didn't give himself pleasure or benefit him in some way. He was even content to let others serve the master  while he pursued his own interests. With which servant do you think the master was more pleased?
     There are many people on the earth who are more like the second servant than the first- even among those who might identify themselves as being followers of Jesus Christ. They have taken His name upon them and purport to be among His disciples. However, they rarely think about Him much less about what He might want them to do. There is much fear about "losing freedom" by giving up what you as an individual might choose in deference to what the Master might require. Once they hear about the Savior's sacrifice and Atonement, they are happy to just go their merry way expecting they will just be accepted the way they are so their behavior doesn't matter. We have been given great freedom by a loving Father in Heaven. He knows that only by using our agency will we be able to end up where we want to be. Jesus did say that He came not to bring peace but to bring division- even in families and in-laws. Much as we might love our family members, we cannot be with them forever if we make different moral choices than they do. The opportunity to live in a free, pleasant society will only come to those who have chosen self-discipline to be pleasant, obedient people willing to follow righteous laws. The Lord has said that those who make a law unto themselves and cannot abide His laws cannot live with Him. I pray every day that hearts can be softened and stiff necks can be loosened so those who have good intentions can develop a desire to be more obedient to God's laws. We need to be meek, lowly, and trusting. We need to strive harder to hear the whisperings of the Spirit to guide us in our everyday choices even if it means struggling to shut out the shouts of the world. We need to become masters over our physical, mortal bodies by strengthening our spiritsand controlling our appetites. Those who may chafe at the thought of being a servant or having a master clearly have not acquainted themselves with the Master. He wants only the happiness and well-being of all His servants. He can be trusted. Some day we will each get what we want most- whatever that might be.