As the Sun Rose: The Light of the Temple

We have talked about the three purposes of Relief Society:

Increase faith and personal righteousness.

All three of these things can be accomplished simultaneously, (talk about multi tasking sisters) As we go to the temple.

I remember Elder Eyring saying once that We better give heed unto the word of the Lord especially when it gets repeated several times.

1. April Conference we heard three talks on the power of temple worship

2. In May we received our conference Ensign where we could really study

3. In June our Joseph Smith lessons were

a. Redemption for the Dead

b. Receiving the Ordinances and Blessings of the Temple

4. In July the VT message is

Qualify for and Partake of Temple Worship

5. In July our stake is having a Stake temple day

6. On August 23^rd our Church services will be replaced by a Temple Dedication.

In the impoverished days of the early church, as the apostles were trying to decide how to allocate the Church’s meager resources, Joseph Smith said” “We need the temple more than anything else.”

Today, as we live in a spiritually & temporally impoverished world, our leaders are saying once again: “We need the Temple more then anything else”

President Benson said “Many parents, in and out of the Church, are concerned about protection against a cascading avalanche of wickedness, which threatens to engulf the world. There is a power associated with the ordinances of heaven, even the power of godliness, which can and will thwart the forces of evil, if we will but be worthy of those sacred covenants made in the temple of the Lord. Our families will be protected, our children will be safeguarded as we live the gospel, visit the temple, and live close to the Lord.

There is a moment in almost every couple’s life that is very profound, very powerful, and that is the moment after much travail that we bare a child into this world. The feelings are unexplainable. Russell M Nelson said: When a woman bares and care for a child she glorifies God. That’s why that moment is so powerful. You are glorifying God.

When My children were finally placed in my arms, and I knew they were safe, and I am finally free from pain, we were together at last, happiness, love and the spirit of the Lord filled the room. And I said can it get any better then this?

But then as I was raising my kids, I experienced other moments. One of my favorite moments ever, was watching them all play together outside in the dirt, Pretending to build huts and roads or whatever and I could see them all, they were together. They were safe, they were free, content, and happy, and I was filled with love and the spirit of the Lord. It can’t get any better then this..

But then they grew up: We experienced More ultimate moments as we watched three of our children be sealed in the house of the Lord: We were safe, we were free, we were together, content, and happy. Love and the spirit of the Lord was thick. I’ve never loved my family more. It can’t get any better then this. We are anxiously waiting for the day the other two will be with us in the temple. It may take more travail and more labor to get one of them there, but labor we will until that day..

But in the mean time the grandchildren have started coming: It’s worth being parents just to have grandchildren. Last week end we had 3 of them and their parents at the house, and at 4:30 in the morning little Gracie was ready to get up and play. “Hello Mommy, she happily said.:, mommy wasn’t quit so happy. But Grandma and Grandpa were. So when it got light enough Grandpa and I took her outside. There she was floating through our yard chasing butterflies. And then I was picking my green beans and there she was sprawled out beside me in the dirt on her belly , barefoot and in her pajamas pretending who knows what. But She was safe, she was free, content, happy and I was filled with love and the spirit of the lord. Can it get any better then this?

Tomorrow I head out to Alabama to help to bare another special spirit into this world. I am anxiously waiting for the moment that she will, after much travail, be placed in her mothers arms. She will be safe, Mom will be free from pain, happiness , love, and the spirit of the Lord will fill the room once again. And so it keeps going.

Well, there is another very similar but even more profound and powerful moment that we all should be preparing for and that is the moment, after much travail, that we bare our families back in to the presence of our Father. That is the day we will truly glorify God, There we will be safe, we will be free, together, content and filled with a fullness of love and joy and a fullness of the spirit. and there is no other way to reach that moment then through the Holy Temples and the sealing power of the Priesthood. It won’t get any better then that, will it?

That is why I go to the temple. So I can be taught what it is I need to do so I can have that ultimate experience with my famiiy.

We invite everyone to do something to bring the temple closer to you. As we touch the temple, the temple will touch us. Pres Monson.

And on July 29^th , our stake temple day, everyone of us can do something that will bring the temple closer.

Family History or Indexing - Enrichment

Read one of the articles on the temples in the Ensign

Set a goal, that day, to do something to make yourself more temple worthy

Come to the Temple. Spend the day and live the experience.