Record keeping!

 The saints during the early days had to go through many trials throughout their lives. They lost children, spouses, land, homes, etc. They sacrificed what they had to help Heavenly Father establish the Gospel on the earth. The saints went through much persecution. The lord commanded them to record that information.  In the D & C manual it said that, “This gathering of information was not to be confined to the deeds committed in Missouri, but should reach out to embrace the wickedness, falsehoods and deeds of those who fought the truth throughout all time.” By keeping those records Heavenly Father has proof of all the wrong doings that individuals have committed to the church and the saints.I think that by keeping the records the saints were able to grow spiritually. Also by them having those records the future generation is able to learn about what they have to go through and sacrifice, so we could have the gospel in our lives. In chapter 123 verse 11 says, “ And also it is an imperative duty that we owe to all the rising generation...”

    The church collects all the records pertaining to its members. They have birth dates, death dates, patriarchal blessings, callings, baptism, marriage, sealing, confirmations dates, etc. They also keep church history, personal history from members, world history, and many other things. I think that it is important for all of us to keep records. We need to be able to learn from where we come from. Heavenly Father Knows everything. But I believe that it is more beneficial for us. We tend to forget many things that happen during our lives. By having our personal records we are able to go back and read what we have written.

    I keep a personal journal and a family blog. In the journal I’m able to write more personal thoughts. But lately I haven’t done very good. I haven’t writing on it in a long time. I used to write everything from boys that I liked, to their nicknames to the birth from my nieces and nephews. As I go back and read it sometimes I laugh at what I’ve said. In some of my post I’m so honest that it embarrassing, but it the truth. I’ve keep that journal since I was eight. As I read those pages, I’m able to see how I’ve grown.  When I read it I think of what my grandchildren are going to think of me. It might be a weird thought, but I want to make sure that I share my experiences, thoughts and beliefs with them through something that I’ve written.In my family blog I’m able to share with family and friends that things that we do. I’m able to share the growth of my daughter. It is so fun to put pictures there and record our experiences. My family loves when I post. They call me every time and tell me how much they miss us and how happy they are for us. I love keeping personal records. Lately I’ve also being keeping records of the growth of my daughter. My parents never recorded my growth. I wished they had, but now I’m doing it for my daughter so she can see when she gets older how different she is. I can't wait to do that with my other children when they come!!!

If you want to view my family blog you can go to:

http://franciscaandjason.blogspot.com/

Our Worthiness to Serve the Lord

Task:Why do we need to continually work on being worthy to fulfill church callings and to help build Zion?  What happens to even the very elect if we withhold our time, talents, and resources?

We need to continually work on being worthy to fulfill church callings because we are always making mistakes. We are not perfect. To help build Zion we need to be and become pure with a contrite spirit. Zion needs people that are clean and pure in heart. As members of the Church, we are example to others. We always need to make sure that we are making the right choices and that we are repenting for those choices that haven’t been good for our lives. Although it is hard to be worthy all the time, the atonement is always there for us. Heavenly Father doesn’t expect us to be perfect, but expects us to follow his council and commandment. If we are not worthy members then we aren’t going to be able to build up Zion. It is hard for people to convert to the church when they see individuals ( members of the church) not doing the things that they preach. It is very hard for people to convert to the Gospel when we aren’t worthy. We need to make sure that we are in tune always with the spirit. And that we do the little things that will bring us closer to our Heavenly Father. As we do this, when bigger things are commanded of us it will be easier for us to follow.

Being worthy when we are fulfilling calling is so important. We are showing our Heavenly Father how much we love Him by being worthy. Worthiness is hard to achieve, but not impossible. One of my friends said this quote the other day and I loved it. “Man is nothing compared to God, yet we mean everything to God.”

As we withhold our time, talents, and resources we become selfish and unwilling to give to others. By being that way we become sour individuals. We have no light. Heavenly Father gave us those gift do we can share them with others. As we cultivate the talents that Heavenly Father gives us, He will be willing to gives us more. If we withhold our time, talents and resources our Heavenly Father is not going to be willing to gives us more. We are not fulfilling our purpose when we do this. I like this quote by President Monson. It says, “ Every woman has been endowed by God with distinctive characteristics, gifts, and talents in order that she may fulfill a specific mission in the eternal plan”. This quote also rates to all of God’s children. We are given talents to fulfill the eternal plan. If we don’t do it than we are not helping Heavenly Father.

Temple

My husband and I on our wedding day

Task: "I invite the Latter-day Saints to look to the temple of the Lord as the great symbol of your membership. Let us be a temple-attending people." (Howard W. Hunter, Nov. '94, p. 7)
What meaning does the dedicatory prayer invite a Latter-day saint to associate with the structure and worship experiences of a temple?

I love how in section 109 verse 13 of the Doctrine and Covenants says, “And that all people who shall enter upon the threshold of the Lord’s house may feel thy power, and feel constrained to acknowledge that thou hast sanctified it, and that it is thy house, a place of thy holiness.” When I read this verse, I pondered what the power that they are talking about was. Many answers came to mind. The first,  was the Spirit. I know that as I enter the doors of the temple, I always find myself calm and worry less. When I enter His house I don’t think about what’s going on out side those doors. I feel very peaceful and calm. I love that feeling and I always get it when I go to the temple. I know that in the Celestial room I feel that power stronger. There I’m able to ponder and know what they Lord wants of me and of my family. My husband and I are able to share that experience together and it is amazing feeling that power as you enter the temple.

I think that as members of the church we need to understand that as we pass through that threshold we come to the Lord’s house. The place that it is closest to Him. He is there and we can feel his spirit. We can feel his love and concern. As we cross that threshold, for me at least, I feel cleaner and more pure doing the Lord’s work. I’m so happy that I can share those experiences with my husband.

I really like how in the dedicatory prayer it talks about “that no unclean things shall be permitted to come into thy house to pollute it”. It is so important that we keep ourselves clean to enter the house of the lord. I think that with that we also need to work on our physical appearance. When we enter into the house of the Lord we need to be clean physically and mentally. We need to make sure that we wouldn’t be stretching our appearance or the clothes we were to the temple. It is also the same with our thought. We need to be pure in heart and always have the best of feeling. 

The Priesthood

Task: Choice #3 (sections 107):
The priesthood is a power that governs the Lord’s church (the Relief Society is also organized under that power), and priesthood callings call one to perform specific responsibilities of service. How can having the priesthood operating on the earth today magnify your ability and works of service towards others?

The Power of the Priesthood allow us to have the Gospel of Jesus Christ on this Earth. Through the priesthood, worthy men are able to hold callings that help us know the way of how to return to our Heavenly Father. The Priesthood is on this earth to help others. You can’t use it for selfish reasons. Worthy men are able to service others by giving blessings of comfort and to the sick. Also only through the priesthood, we are able to partake of Covenants. That is a huge serve for all of us. It helps us live a more righteous life, so we can return to our Heavenly Father. 

The priesthood allows all of us to hold certain callings. When we are called to a position in the church, we are willing to give it all for others. Through the Priesthood we are divinely called to perform certain callings that allows us to serve one another. By doing this we learn about who we are and who we are meant to become.
There is a quote By Elder Russell M. Ballard, it says “We need to understand the reason for offices within the Melchizedek Priesthood. Priesthood offices are not status symbols but opportunities for service. High priests and elders are equally responsible to serve faithfully in the offices to which they have been called. All priesthood holders assist our Heavenly Father in accomplishing His divine purpose: ‘to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.’” This is why the priesthood is here on this Earth to help bring God’s children unto him, so they can have eternal life.  Elder Ballard continues by saying, “ The priesthood itself cannot be magnified nor diminished. However, one who worthily uses his priesthood in service to others can magnify his calling in the priesthood. All who hold the priesthood of God are joined together in a common bond of service...Each man or boy who holds the priesthood, regardless of his priesthood or his ordained office, is a fellow servant in the work of the Lord Jesus Christ.” This is important to realize. We are all fellow servants in the Lord’s work. The Priesthood allows us to serve others. Moreover, as men hold the priesthood worthy in service they will magnify their callings and will be blessed because of it. 

I really like what Elder Ballard said. “From the time one is first ordained to any office in the priesthood, he should be committed to a lifetime of service in the kingdom of God. Young men should be taught by loving and sensitive fathers, bishops, and priesthood advisers that priesthood means service. One of the most meaningful service opportunities you young men will have will be to serve as a full-time missionary.” I love this quote because it teaches me as a wife and mother to make sure that my sons know that the priesthood is a lifetimes of service. When they are ordained immediately they begin that service for the rest of their lives.
 

Zion

Task: Search www.lds.org and find a quote from a modern prophet or apostle concerning Zion or the redemption of Zion. How does this quote help you better understand what the Lord is teaching in these revelations to his Saints? What are the implications for Latter-day Saints today?

“His work includes the building up of Zion in the last days. He has commissioned us to do that work for him. The foundations of Zion have already been laid in North America, in South America, in Europe, in Asia, in the South Pacific, and in every place where there are stakes of Zion. But Zion is not yet perfected in any of these places. When she is perfected, it will be as it was with Zion of old—The Lord will come and dwell with his people.
Our tenth Article of Faith says, “We believe in the literal gathering of Israel.” This gathering occurs when the lost sheep of Israel come into the Church. It occurs when their sins are washed away in the waters of baptism so that once again they have power to become pure in heart; and Zion is the pure in heart.”
- Elder Bruce R. McConkie
This quote helps me understand that we all have a part in the building up of Zion. Sometimes personally I forget that I am commissioned to do that work for. I know that sometimes I feel embarrassed to share what I know, and that is not fulfilling what I’m supposed to be doing. I like How Elder Bruce R. McConkie mention that the foundation of Zion has already been establish. Now it is up to us to try to become perfects as Jesus Christ. It is so conforming to hear that as Zion becomes perfect, the Lord will come to dwell with us.

The second part of this quote reminds me of D&C section 101 verses 17 and 18. They say, “ Zion shall not be moved out of her place, notwithstanding her children are scattered. They that remain, and are pure in heart, shall return, and come to their inheritances, they and their children, with songs of everlasting joy, to build up the waste places of Zion”  I know that I have seen in my life the gathering of Israel. In my family we are all converts to the church. We were lost sheep, but we have come to the knowledge. In my Patriarchal Blessing, it talks about how I’m going to witness the gathering of Israel and that I’ll have the privilege of helping to bring this to pass. I can already see this happening around me and I can’t wait until the Lord comes. In the quote and scriptures talk about how it is so important that we become pure in heart because Zion is pure in heart. We need to be faithful to the covenants and promises that we have made. We need to be clean inside and out so we can help those return and also their prosperity.

Role of the United States

Choice #4 (section 98)
If you are not a citizen of the United States and the member of the United States, or if you are a citizen of the United States, but have lived in another country for a period of time, how do the citizens of other countries feel about the United States role in the restoration of the Gospel? Describe their feelings, and how they relate to section 98.

I was born in Chile and lived there until I was ten. Being a little kid I never really payed attention  to the role that the United States had on the restoration of the Gospel. As I convert to the church I only knew the basics. After my family and I moved to the United States my knowledge of the Restoration increased. I was able to see as I studied the scriptures and the constitution of the United States the role that this country had for restoring of the Gospel to occur.

My dad was called six years ago to be a Spanish Branch President here in the United  States. There, I was able to meet many individuals from around the world and I was able to learn their thoughts and feelings of the Unites States role in the restoration of the Gospel. Many of them view the United States as a place of rescue. They know that this land was where the Gospel needed to be restored. They know that this land is a place of liberty and justice. Those were some things that the land of where the Gospel needed to be restored had to had.
members of the Church from various countries around the world are be grateful for this country and for the opportunity that has brought them to come to the knowledge of this Gospel. Members know that the Unites States provides the liberty to practice religion. In many of their origin countries this doesn’t happen. This testifies to them that the United States was truly chosen from Heavenly Father.

I truly think that their thoughts of the Unites States is so positive because they live here. I know as a little child people in my national country used to joke around that if all the countries of South America combined forces they would take over the United States. I think that many members of other countries don’t know about the United States’ constitution and their history. That changes many people’s perspective and feelings about the people and the laws of the United States.

many are called, but few are Chosen

Task:  choice #4
The Lord says that many have been called and ordained, but few have been chosen. What does it mean to be called and not chosen? After studying the footnotes, what other scriptures can you find that help to explain this principle (e.g. Alma 13)? What do we need to do that we might be chosen of the Lord?

I’ve always wondered about this scripture. I’ve always heard various people’s explanations about it and I have also heard and seen many people that fall away because they have read this scripture and couldn’t understand its meaning. As I was reading the Doctrine and Covenants Manual, I found a great explanation concerning this scripture. . It says, “It is one thing to be called to labor in the vineyard and another to be faithful in the performance of that work. Only those who faithfully fill their callings are chosen by the Lord for exaltation in the kingdom of God. Those who are called but not chosen “have sinned a very grievous sin, in that they are walking in darkness at noon-day” (D&C 95:6), for they do not respond to the light of the restored gospel that surrounds them (see also D&C 121:34–40).
  I believe that this is very powerful. Many of us have had various callings from the Heavenly Father, but we haven’t perform our duties the ways that we should had. I think that not performing our duties to the fullest has become a huge issue now days. Many of us don’t have enough time to fully fulfill our duties in the Church. Sometime we get too caught up with school and work rather than spending time at church fulfilling our callings. It is important that we remember to be faithful to the Callings that Heavenly Father has given us. He knows that we can do. That is why He have it to us.
  I really like what it is found in Alma chapter 13 verse three. It says, “ And this is the manner after they which they were ordained- being called and prepared from the foundation of the world according to the foreknowledge of God...” For me this scripture was a reminder that I already knew what my callings were in the preexistence and that Heavenly Father had already prepared me for them. It is so comforting to know that.
  As members of the church we have many advantages compared to others concerning the topic of being chosen from the Lord. I think that what we can do to make sure that we are chosen is to listen to the counsel of the spirit and of the Prophet. I also think that as we are called to various positions we need to always perform our best to our ability. We need to trust Heavenly Father and be in tune with his Spirit. Lastly, I think that praying and reading the Scriptures will bring us closer to him. That will help us become more aware of our duties as member of His church.