Monday, December 15, 2008

New Temple in Peru

A new temple will be built in Trujillo, Peru. To me, this is so exciting! That the work of God continues forward and His temples continue to be built around the world is so beautiful! What a blessing for those people to be able to enjoy the promises and blessings of the temple in their lives when these temples are built closer. Here is the first paragraph of the story:

"Plans to build a new temple in Trujillo, Peru, were announced Saturday by the First Presidency — the highest governing body of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This will bring the total number of temples worldwide to 146 already in operation or in the planning and construction phases."

"First Presidency Announces New Temple in Peru" by LDS Living

What a remarkable blessing to have temples! Some may ask why temples are so important to me and other Mormons. Another paragraph from the article describes it well:
"To members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, temples are the 'house of the Lord,' the most sacred place on earth. Temple services bind families together forever, teach the purpose of life and explain God’s plan of salvation. Temple attendance strengthens Latter-day Saints’ commitment to living Christian principles, emphasizes personal spiritual growth and increases devotion to family. . . . Latter-day Saint temples differ from the tens of thousands of meetinghouses where members typically meet for Sunday worship services and midweek social activities and where visitors are always welcome. Temples are used solely for the performance of sacred ordinances and religious instruction aimed at strengthening members’ relationships with God and their fellow man. They are closed to the public after they are dedicated."
These are special blessings and as members of the Mormon (Latter-day Saint) church, we consider temples to be the most sacred of all buildings and a blessing to have them near us.

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Weekly Article

I apologize that I have not posted as faithfully as I should on a weekly article. But here is this weeks:

Jesus Christ Is the Light, Life, and Hope of the World

This is actually the visiting teaching message for the month of December. It is short and to the point but still so very powerful and reassuring. I always knew that Jesus Christ was the Light, Life and Hope of the world, but this message explains how Christ fills those roles for us. This is a profound message and I hope you all enjoy it as much as I have for this Christmas season!

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Joseph B. Wirthlin, Oldest Apostle, Dies, Age 91

I just noticed that the church has announced that Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin passed away last night in his sleep.

Joseph B. Wirthlin, Oldest Apostle, Dies, Age 91

He is an amazing man and served the Lord faithfully. I always loved hearing his talks in conference and I have learned a lot from his peaceful and loving demeanor. I know he will be missed.

Yet, the work of God goes forward and He will call another apostle to fill the vacancy; God's work will not stop moving onward!

Saturday, November 8, 2008

Proposition 8 news

As everyone knows by now, Proposition 8 was recently passed in California. When I awoke on the 5th, the first thing I checked was not the presidential election (I had already decided that there was almost no way McCain could win after he lost Ohio) but the decision on Proposition 8. I was grateful to see that the majority voted yes in this crucial issue. I understand that some people will disagree with me, but I am more comfortable with the traditional definition of marriage, namely between a man and a woman, than I would be if the states' constitution said otherwise. This was a vitally important and historical question. In some ways, I imagine that this election in California was more heated than the presidential campaign. There were even riots performed by anti-prop 8 groups after the election and rumors that people already wanted to appeal the recently voted yes.

I just wanted to share some articles and information I have found from the church and others in response to the recent passing of Proposition 8.

Church Issues Statement on Proposition 8 Protest: http://newsroom.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/eng/news-releases-stories/church-issues-statement-on-proposition-8-protest

Catholic Bishop Decries Religious Bigotry Against Mormons: http://newsroom.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/eng/news-releases-stories/catholic-bishop-decries-religious-bigotry-against-mormons

I thought this statement was particularly moving, that this Bishop made sure to state that people who were pro-prop 8 were not only members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but people from all races, ethnicities, and backgrounds voted yes.

LDS official lauds work for California's Prop. 8: http://deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,705260852,00.html?pg=1

This article talks a lot about how the church viewed this issue as a moral one and not necessarily a political one. I appreciate how Elder Clayton emphasizes that a differing opinion is not grounds for harrassment or any other improper treatment of other people. We still need to show love and understanding, even if others don't agree. I also appreciated that he pointed out the implications in religious freedoms that could have been questioned if this proposition had not passed. A great article.

Sunday, October 26, 2008

This week's article

The article for this week comes from the April 2008 General Conference, during the Sunday Morning session. It is titled "The Twelve" and was given by President Boyd K. Packer.

I chose this talk because it strengthened my testimony of the blessing that members of the church have in knowing that we have living apostles upon the earth today and that they act under the authority of Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, through the Priesthood keys that were restored on this earth. What a marvelous blessing! The power that is found in the quorum of the 12 apostles is unmatched and is beautiful! I cannot express enough my love for these men and their wonderful service and to my Heavenly Father for His love in designating these wonderful men to these callings.

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

New Temple in Clay County

Here is an article about a temple being built in Clay County, Kansas City. It is so amazing to me how the Lord furthers His work - this building of temples is so amazing to me! I just love that this is going further and further, that more people are being blessed with the opportunity to attend the temple! What a tremendous blessing!!

http://www.kansascity.com/115/story/848539.html

Thursday, October 9, 2008

Yes to Proposition 8!

As I am sure you have been made fully aware, Proposition 8 is a very popular topic of discussion right now. This is an eternally important topic; one that should not go ignored. I feel that this is a very important issue to educate ourselves about. There is so much to learn about this important cause. Encourage everyone you know to learn about proposition 8. Support in every possible to uphold the sanctity of marriage as we know it to be.

Here are a couple of website detailing important information about this vote and what kind of implications it would mean for our country and church if this proposition is not passed:

http://www.preservingmarriage.org/#current
http://www.protectmarriage.com/
http://mormonsfor8.com/

Here is a video of young adults from California discussing their involvement in perserving traditional marriage. If nothing else -- watch this video!!!!!!


Here is a video from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints:


And here is an article titled "LDS Church woos Californians in Utah to back gay marriage ban"
and one more titled "Church Readies Members on Proposition 8."

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

A Temple for Rome!

It makes me so excited to hear of more temples being built around the world. I wish everyone could be as blessed as I am, having so many temples so close - one just up the road from where I live now. What a blessing! I cannot imagine the sacrifice some members go to just to be able to attend the temple. I'll keep praying and hoping for more temples to be built all around the world so that more people can attend.

To see an article about the temple being built in Italy, as well as learn a little about the history of the chuch there, follow this link.

LDS Man Gives Kidney to Employee

In LDS Living today, one of the articles talks about a restaurant owner in Orem, Utah who donated one of his kidneys to an employee. The first paragraph reads: "Marcus Gilbert gave 16-year-old Juan Delgado a lot more than a job. He gave him the gift of life." (see link) Apparently, Gilbert is also trying to raise funds so his employee can pay for the operation and medicines he will have to take. Read the article for more information about donating to this cause.

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Proposition 8

The church has issued a letter to leaders in California discussing our views regarding marriage. You can view the letter, titled "California and Same-Sex Marriage" here.

I have to say that I hope we can all band together to uphold the sanctity of marriage. Marriage between a man and a woman is sacred, is ordained of God, it is the way God intended. I believe that and I will uphold what is right, even if it isn't popular.

Article revolving around Sunday sessions of General Conference

I found this article that ties several of the talks from the Sunday session of this most recent General Conference together under the title of "LDS general conference: Stand fast, love others: LDS exhorted not to lose sight of what's important." (see link) I think it is a great article. The writer, Joseph M. Dougherty, did a great job of tying all these talks together, using quotes from the talks given and helping the reader to see just how each of the talks given revolves around members of the church being the best they can be.

My favorite quote used in this article was one by Elder M. Russell Ballard. He said, "Instead of angry mobs, we face those who constantly try to defame. Instead of extreme exposure and hardship, we face alcohol and drug abuse, pornography, all kinds of filth and sleaze, greed, dishonesty and spiritual apathy. The Lord isn't asking us to load up a handcart; he's asking us to fortify our faith. He isn't asking us to walk across a continent; he's asking us to walk across the street to visit our neighbors." (italics added). I love this quote because it really shows that who we are as members of the church - what we stand for and the causes that beset us - are just as important as those that overwhelmed the pioneers in the early days of the church. But we can do it. I believe we can walk across the street to our neighbors and we can fortify our faith. I know we can. What a challenge to remember who I am and to stand up for what I believe in. Just wonderful.

Monday, October 6, 2008

First Weekly Article

The first talk/article I'll share here is from Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin, and is the talk where you can find the quote from the above description of this blog. The article title is:
"One Step after Another" and can be found in the November 2001 Ensign (you can also click on the link to see the article).

I've chosen this article because Elder Wirthlin really captures how we can make it. He doesn't tell us we have to be perfect now ... or even tomorrow. But he does tell us to work hard, to keep trying, and we can make it. He tells us to keep reaching for eternity, for exaltation, one step at a time.