Temples

Task: Choice #5 (sections 88:119):

The Lord governs by law and order; through them he is able to save and sanctify us. Take some time to thoughtfully study verse 119 and its footnotes. Then answer the following questions:

• What is the Lord wanting his people to establish for him?
• What do each of the adjectives listed tell us about the Lord's house; why are they important in accomplishing the Lord's plan for mankind?
• Why is such a house important to you personally?

I remember when I was little I had to give a little talk in primary about this scripture. My mom and I made a poster and pasted pictures of temples around the world. I remember loving doing that talk and I also got memorize that scripture. When I was little a viewed that scripture differently than I do now. At that time of my life I didn’t understand all the things that happened in the house of the Lord. I just thought that it was a beautiful place and that one day I will like to get married there. I also knew that you didn’t wear street clothes inside the Temple. I remember my mom telling me that when we got sealed together that I was wearing a beautiful white dress. I was a baby so I didn’t remember. Now my view and knowledge of the Temple has increased. Now that I’m married, am able to see beyond what I was able to see before. I understand the Covenants made there and the promises of those covenants. When I went through the Temple for the first time, I wasn’t expecting it to be the way it is. But now, I understand why certain things are preformed and why.

In this scripture the Lords wants us to establish a house for Him. The Temple. This is a place where His Spirit will dwell. I always remember my mom say that our home needs to be like a Temple when it was messy. She said that it will be embarrassing if the Lord were to come today and our house would be the way that it was. This scripture definitely agrees with what my mom used to say. The Temple is a house of order and so do our houses need to be. Moreover our homes, like the Temple, needs to be a place of prayer, fasting, faith, and learning. These adjectives are important for Heavenly Father’s plan because it tells us by the Standards that we need to live by.  The Temple is the closest place to Heaven. If we want to live with Heavenly Father we need to live by these adjectives. The Temple to me is a very special place. Sometimes I find myself noticing that I don’t but it as a priority. I know I should. The ordinances of the Temple are essential for our eternal salvation. We need to go often. Also the promises made there are so beautiful that anyone that takes part of those covenants wouldn’t want to do anything to lose the promises made by the Lord.

Doctrine and Covenants: missionary opportunity

Prompt: 

(sections 78-81):
Several sections of the Doctrine and Covenants call particular people to missionary service. In section 80, Stephen Burnett is called upon to “declare the things which ye have heard, and verily believe, and know to be true” (v. 4) and told “Wherefore, go ye and preach my gospel, whether to the north or to the south, to the east or to the west, it mattereth not, for ye cannot go amiss” (v. 3).
Why do you think the Lord would say it didn’t matter where Stephen Burnett went to preach? Could it be that so many people were hungry for the gospel that Brother Burnett would find someone wherever he went? Or could it be that, at that time, the Lord was more focused on Stephen Burnett and how he would be changed through testifying of the gospel? (Or maybe there is another reason entirely?)
What experiences have you had with missionary work? Who has the greatest change wrought upon them? Why? What is the importance of declaring “the things which ye have heard, and verily believe, and know to be true” in coming to know something? How might what you have observed effect your efforts to teach one another in this course?

In section 80 of the Doctrine and Covenants, Stephen Burnett is called to preach the Gospel wherever he goes. I think that the Lord wanted him to grow as a person and also to nourished those without the gospel. That’s why the Lord didn’t care where he went. All of us in some ways are called like Stephen Burnett. We may have not been called to a specific place to preach the gospel, but we should do it wherever we go. In this case I think  that for all the saints it was important to preach the gospel to all because the restoration of the church was just starting. The Lord wanted everyone to hear the word. Also as the saints became converted to the gospel, they still needed nourishment. I think that by brother Burnett preaching the gospel, it made it easier for him to grow as an individual and also get to know his testimony of the restored gospel.

I love missionary work. My parents are converts to the church. My mom and siblings got baptized a few months after meeting with the missionaries. In the other hand, it took my dad nine years to joined the church. They had missionaries over all the time!! The Lord works in miraculous ways, He knows all of us too well.  By my parents becoming members it changed not only them, but those around them as well. People respected their beliefs and why they were changing their ways. I think that both the missionaries and the person becoming converted have the greatest change wrought upon them. I know that converting to the gospel brings so much joy and peace. My husband served his mission in Argentina and I know that as he served the Lord he changed too.

The importance of declaring what we know is essential for our personal growth. If the gospel brings us happiness then we should share it with all of those whom we know and love. Teaching what we know not only applies to the gospel. It applies to all the fields of study. If we learn something knew, we should be encourage to teach it to others. If somethings brings us joy, it might bring joy to others as well. Although we might be scared to teach the things we know, we need to. It is not going to only help those who we teach, but it will also help us become who we are meant to be. Heavenly Father doesn’t want us to be scared of sharing the things we know. He wants us to preach his word.

In the October issue of the Ensign they talk a lot about the Book of Mormon. President Monson mentions many beautiful things about the Book of Mormon and the importance that we have as members to preach those teachings in it to those we have temporally lost their ways. It will bring them to the Gospel. The book of Mormon will establish a steppingstone for those that are learning about our religion. There are many other ways in which we can preach the gospel. A simple one is just by being a good example. The Lord needs faithful women and men to help individuals bring them to the light of truth.