What can we learn from the scriptures about this?
Matthew 11:28–30; Christ promises us that if we "come unto" Him, he will give us rest by sharing our burden. He also offers to let us take his yoke upon us so that we might find "rest unto [our] souls." We know that his yoke, or work, is to bring about the "immortality and eternal life of man," so if we embark with the same yoke, or work, we are also promised rest. I don't think he means physical rest, but rather an inner peace.
Philippians 4:13; This is true. Christ can give us the strength to do all things.
1 Nephi 17:3; The promise that if we're obedient to God, he will nourish and strengthen us so that we can accomplish everything we need to do.
Helaman 5:12; We need to build our "foundations" upon Christ. He is the solid rock that will keep us safe and steady during hard times. It isn't "if" but "when" hard times come that we will need to have our Savior's help to make it through. And if we've built our foundation on Christ we "cannot fail."
D&C 68:6; We should not fear for we have Jesus Christ with us at our side.
Mosiah 24:8–17; When Alma and his people were in bondage, they had great trials as slaves to the wicked Lamanites and in particular Amulon. They poured out their hearts to God for relief and he responded. He promised to deliver them out of bondage, and in the meantime, he "eased their burdens" so that they "could not feel them." After their burdens were made light, they submitted cheerfully to the will of the Lord and continued in their trials. Because of "their faith and their patience" the Lord caused a miracle to occur so that they could escape from bondage. This can apply to us in so many ways - from tough trials beyond our control to the bondage of sin (which is also a tough trial, though self-inflicted). Regardless of the cause of our trials, we can turn to the Lord and through his atonement be helped so that our burdens may be lighter.
Alma 7:11–13 ; the "power of his deliverance" comes from the atonement where Jesus Christ suffered "pains, afflictions and temptations of every kind" and took upon him the "pains and sicknesses of his people" so that "his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities." He suffered everything so that he could understand our trials, fears, temptations, pains, sins, sicknesses, etc so that he can help us with everything we go through. (See also Isaiah 53:3-5 and D&C 19:16-19)
Friday, March 29, 2013
Saturday, March 16, 2013
Forever Families
Just some notes from the talk I gave last Sunday:
Stories of Sacrifice
1. Many years ago I read of a group of over a hundred members who left Manaus, located in the heart of the Amazon rain forest, to travel to what was then the closest temple, located in São Paulo, Brazil—nearly 2,500 miles (4,000 km) from Manaus. Those faithful Saints journeyed by boat for four days on the Amazon River and its tributaries. After completing this journey by water, they boarded buses for another three days of travel—over bumpy roads, with very little to eat, and with nowhere comfortable to sleep. After seven days and nights, they arrived at the temple in São Paulo, where ordinances eternal in nature were performed. Of course their return journey was just as difficult. However, they had received the ordinances and blessings of the temple, and although their purses were empty, they themselves were filled with the spirit of the temple and with gratitude for the blessings they had received.2. May I share with you the account of Tihi (Moo Tam) Mou Tham, his wife and their 10 children. The entire family except for one daughter joined the Church in the early 1960s, when missionaries came to their island, located about 100 miles (160 km) south of Tahiti. Soon they began to desire the blessings of an eternal family sealing in the temple.
At that time the nearest temple to the Mou Tham family was the Hamilton New Zealand Temple, more than 2,500 miles (4,000 km) to the southwest, accessible only by expensive airplane travel. The large Mou Tham family, which eked out a meager living on a small plantation, had no money for airplane fare, nor was there any opportunity for employment on their Pacific island. So Brother Mou Tham and his son Gérard made the difficult decision to travel 3,000 miles (4,800 km) to work in New Caledonia, where another son was already employed.
The three Mou Tham men labored for four years. Brother Mou Tham alone returned home only once during that time, for the marriage of a daughter. After four years, Brother Mou Tham and his sons had saved enough money to take the family to the New Zealand Temple. All who were members went except for one daughter, who was expecting a baby. They were sealed for time and eternity, an indescribable and joyful experience. Brother Mou Tham returned from the temple directly to New Caledonia, where he worked for two more years to pay for the passage of the one daughter who had not been at the temple with them—a married daughter and her child and husband.
3. The Kirtland temple – Elder Heber C Kimball described the scene as “poverty, tribulation and distress.” Not long after completing it, the persecution forced them out.
The Nauvoo Temple – The sames similarly sacrificed, worked 24/7 doing ordinances once it was complete. The prophet was murdered and the saints were forced out again at the hand of the mob
The SLC Temple – 40 years of sacrifice and labor to construct
Monson – “My brothers and sisters, temples are more than stone and mortar. They are filled with faith and fasting. They are built of trials and testimonies. They are sanctified by sacrifice and service…Some degree of sacrifice has ever been associated with temple building and with temple attendance. Countless are those who have labored and struggled in order to obtain for themselves and for their families the blessings which are found in the temples of God.”
Why? For What?
To answer the question “why?” listen to God’s mouthpiece, his chosen prophet on the earth today:
“Why are so many willing to give so much in order to receive the blessings of the temple? Those who understand the eternal blessings which come from the temple know that no sacrifice is too great, no price too heavy, no struggle too difficult in order to receive those blessings. There are never too many miles to travel, too many obstacles to overcome, or too much discomfort to endure. They understand that the saving ordinances received in the temple that permit us to someday return to our Heavenly Father in an eternal family relationship and to be endowed with blessings and power from on high are worth every sacrifice and every effort.”
Exaltation and Eternal Life mean the same thing – living eternally in the presence of God with our families – and includes the blessing of eternal increase and all that the Father hath.
“From the moment of birth into mortality to the time we are married in the temple, everything we have in the whole gospel system is to prepare and qualify us to enter that holy order of matrimony which makes us husband and wife in this life and in the world to come. Then from the moment we are sealed together by the power and authority of the holy priesthood … everything connected with revealed religion is designed to help us keep the terms and conditions of our marriage covenant, so that this covenant will have efficacy, virtue, and force in the life to come. Thus celestial marriage is the crowning ordinance of the gospel. … Thus the family unit is the most important organization in time or in eternity. And thus we should have more interest in and concern for our families than for anything else in life. … There is nothing in this world as important as the creation and perfection of family units” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1970, 27).
Elder Robert D. Hales taught:
"While our individual salvation is based on our individual obedience, it is equally important that we understand that we are each an important and integral part of a family and the highest blessings can be received only within an eternal family. When families are functioning as designed by God, the relationships found therein are the most valued of mortality. The plan of the Father is that family love and companionship will continue into the eternities."
President Henry B. Eyring taught:
“There is nothing that has come or will come into your family as important as the sealing blessings. There is nothing more important than honoring the marriage and family covenants you have made or will make in the temples of God. The way to do that is clear. The Holy Spirit of Promise, through our obedience and sacrifice, must seal our temple covenants in order to be realized in the world to come.”
Our Sacrifice
Unlike the Brazilian families living in the heart of the Amazon rain forest, or Tihi Mou Tham and his family, or our ancestors, the early saints in Kirtland, Nauvoo and the Salt Lake Valley, we do not have to suffer great hardships in order to attend the temple. We have one about 30 minutes away from here, and our biggest hardship is the 1604 traffic.
For current temple recommend holders
Our living prophet, President Monson says:
“If you have been to the temple for yourselves and if you live within relatively close proximity to a temple, your sacrifice could be setting aside the time in your busy lives to visit the temple regularly.”
For those who have not yet gone to the temple or do not have current
recommend
President Monson says:
“If you have not yet been to the temple or if you have been but currently do not qualify for a recommend, there is no more important goal for you to work toward than being worthy to go to the temple. Your sacrifice may be bringing your life into compliance with what is required to receive a recommend, perhaps by forsaking long-held habits which disqualify you. It may be having the faith and the discipline to pay your tithing. Whatever it is, qualify to enter the temple of God. Secure a temple recommend and regard it as a precious possession, for such it is.”
A word to the Teenagers (and Future Teenagers)
Now for you teenagers that might be thinking "how does this apply to me?" Let me borrow an analogy from speaker and author John Bytheway. You have all heard of the Tour de France, a grueling bicycle race that lasts over 3 weeks to travel more than 2,000 miles. John Bytheway talks about a different race, what he calls the "Tour de Family." This race is much longer than 3 weeks, it lasts our entire lives. It begins when a couple gets married. New seats are added to the tandem bicycle as kids join the family. It is not a race against other bikers or other families, but a race to achieve the finish line with no empty seats. Does this analogy make sense to you? You're on that bike with your family right now.
Have any of you ridden on a tandem bike before? It is much easier when both riders are pedaling. It can be difficult when one of those pedaling stops, or worse applies the brakes. The question that should be asked is, "are you pedaling, coasting, or worse, applying the brakes?" How can you help your family be an eternal family (or a forever family as it's often referred)? Don't hit the brakes while the rest of your family pedals onward; in fact, you might even pedal with them. Achieving a forever family is a family affair. What I mean by that is parents cannot by themselves do everything to have a forever family - each of us have to do our part, including the children.
A Word to the Parents (and Future Parents)
For the parents in this congregation, and I include myself, do our children understand the importance of eternal families? They will never learn how important a forever family is through words. They will only learn how important it is by watching mom and dad pedal on the family bike with all their effort, doing everything possible to arrive at the finish line with no empty seats. As we all know, it is our actions and our example that motivates our children, not our words.
President Harold B Lee, who was one of our latter-day prophets said the following: “Our youth are in danger. Keep your home ties strong ... ‘the greatest of the Lord’s work you brethren will ever do as fathers will be within the walls of your own home.’ Don’t neglect your [spouse] [or] your children. Take time for family home evening. Draw your children around about you. Teach them, guide them, and guard them. There was never a time when we needed so much the strength and the solidarity of the home” This was in 1973.
2. Apostasy
3. Restoration by Elijah the prophet to Joseph Smith in the Kirtland Temple
4. Living Prophet with the same Keys that Peter had – delegated to but a few. President Packer taught: “There are relatively few men who [hold] this sealing power upon the earth at any given time—in each temple are brethren who have been given the sealing power. No one can get it except from the prophet, seer, and revelator and President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.”
Step Back- Plan of Salvation
Before we were born, we lived with God, the Father of our Spirits. In the The Family: A Proclamation to the World, we read, "IN THE PREMORTAL REALM, spirit sons and daughters knew and worshipped God as their Eternal Father and accepted His plan by which His children could obtain a physical body and gain earthly experience to progress toward perfection and ultimately realize their divine destiny as heirs of eternal life."- With a full knowledge of the trials, tests, heartaches, sickness and pain we would face in a mortal lifetime, why would we chose to come to earth?
Exaltation and Eternal Life mean the same thing – living eternally in the presence of God with our families – and includes the blessing of eternal increase and all that the Father hath.
- What do we need to do to receive exaltation?
By the voice of Apostles and Prophets
Elder Bruce R. McConkie taught:“From the moment of birth into mortality to the time we are married in the temple, everything we have in the whole gospel system is to prepare and qualify us to enter that holy order of matrimony which makes us husband and wife in this life and in the world to come. Then from the moment we are sealed together by the power and authority of the holy priesthood … everything connected with revealed religion is designed to help us keep the terms and conditions of our marriage covenant, so that this covenant will have efficacy, virtue, and force in the life to come. Thus celestial marriage is the crowning ordinance of the gospel. … Thus the family unit is the most important organization in time or in eternity. And thus we should have more interest in and concern for our families than for anything else in life. … There is nothing in this world as important as the creation and perfection of family units” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1970, 27).
Elder Robert D. Hales taught:
"While our individual salvation is based on our individual obedience, it is equally important that we understand that we are each an important and integral part of a family and the highest blessings can be received only within an eternal family. When families are functioning as designed by God, the relationships found therein are the most valued of mortality. The plan of the Father is that family love and companionship will continue into the eternities."
President Henry B. Eyring taught:
“There is nothing that has come or will come into your family as important as the sealing blessings. There is nothing more important than honoring the marriage and family covenants you have made or will make in the temples of God. The way to do that is clear. The Holy Spirit of Promise, through our obedience and sacrifice, must seal our temple covenants in order to be realized in the world to come.”
Our Sacrifice
Unlike the Brazilian families living in the heart of the Amazon rain forest, or Tihi Mou Tham and his family, or our ancestors, the early saints in Kirtland, Nauvoo and the Salt Lake Valley, we do not have to suffer great hardships in order to attend the temple. We have one about 30 minutes away from here, and our biggest hardship is the 1604 traffic.
For current temple recommend holders
Our living prophet, President Monson says:“If you have been to the temple for yourselves and if you live within relatively close proximity to a temple, your sacrifice could be setting aside the time in your busy lives to visit the temple regularly.”
For those who have not yet gone to the temple or do not have current
recommend
President Monson says:“If you have not yet been to the temple or if you have been but currently do not qualify for a recommend, there is no more important goal for you to work toward than being worthy to go to the temple. Your sacrifice may be bringing your life into compliance with what is required to receive a recommend, perhaps by forsaking long-held habits which disqualify you. It may be having the faith and the discipline to pay your tithing. Whatever it is, qualify to enter the temple of God. Secure a temple recommend and regard it as a precious possession, for such it is.”
A word to the Teenagers (and Future Teenagers)
Now for you teenagers that might be thinking "how does this apply to me?" Let me borrow an analogy from speaker and author John Bytheway. You have all heard of the Tour de France, a grueling bicycle race that lasts over 3 weeks to travel more than 2,000 miles. John Bytheway talks about a different race, what he calls the "Tour de Family." This race is much longer than 3 weeks, it lasts our entire lives. It begins when a couple gets married. New seats are added to the tandem bicycle as kids join the family. It is not a race against other bikers or other families, but a race to achieve the finish line with no empty seats. Does this analogy make sense to you? You're on that bike with your family right now.Have any of you ridden on a tandem bike before? It is much easier when both riders are pedaling. It can be difficult when one of those pedaling stops, or worse applies the brakes. The question that should be asked is, "are you pedaling, coasting, or worse, applying the brakes?" How can you help your family be an eternal family (or a forever family as it's often referred)? Don't hit the brakes while the rest of your family pedals onward; in fact, you might even pedal with them. Achieving a forever family is a family affair. What I mean by that is parents cannot by themselves do everything to have a forever family - each of us have to do our part, including the children.
A Word to the Parents (and Future Parents)
For the parents in this congregation, and I include myself, do our children understand the importance of eternal families? They will never learn how important a forever family is through words. They will only learn how important it is by watching mom and dad pedal on the family bike with all their effort, doing everything possible to arrive at the finish line with no empty seats. As we all know, it is our actions and our example that motivates our children, not our words.President Harold B Lee, who was one of our latter-day prophets said the following: “Our youth are in danger. Keep your home ties strong ... ‘the greatest of the Lord’s work you brethren will ever do as fathers will be within the walls of your own home.’ Don’t neglect your [spouse] [or] your children. Take time for family home evening. Draw your children around about you. Teach them, guide them, and guard them. There was never a time when we needed so much the strength and the solidarity of the home” This was in 1973.
Why Is Eternal Families a Unique Doctrine?
1. The Lord gave the sealing power to Peter as recorded in the New Testament: “And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”2. Apostasy
3. Restoration by Elijah the prophet to Joseph Smith in the Kirtland Temple
4. Living Prophet with the same Keys that Peter had – delegated to but a few. President Packer taught: “There are relatively few men who [hold] this sealing power upon the earth at any given time—in each temple are brethren who have been given the sealing power. No one can get it except from the prophet, seer, and revelator and President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.”
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