Sapporo, Japan
151st operating temple
Dedicated: 21 Aug 2016
By: Russell M. Nelson
Jesus Christ, Glory of
Moses 1:18
And again Moses said: I will not cease to call upon God, I have other things to inquire of him: for his glory has been upon me, wherefore I can judge between him and thee. Depart hence, Satan.
Book of Mormon
Helaman 11:21-38
New Testament: Galatians: "Walk in the Spirit"
Galatians 6
General Conference
Prepared to Obtain Every Needful Thing
Elder David A. Bednar
"As we strive to walk in the meekness of the Lord's Spirit, we will be blessed to understand and achieve in our homes the necessary balance between what is and what is not appropriate to discuss about sacred temple ordinances and covenants."
Today the Brimhall's did our training in preparation meeting. I love them. James served with President Brimhall on the Show Low high council. He worked at the Benson Institute at BYU. Sister Brimhall is quite humorous and she makes little comments about things that he says. She actually told me about a sister who stepped on her dress going down the stairs and fell all the way down. She said she was a younger sister who was overweight and her "padding" saved her from getting hurt. I said that her age probably saved her too.
We had a sister working today who knew Analee when she lived in Joseph City. She said, I worked with her at the Pacific Cafe in Joe City. This sisters name was Carol Baldwin.
This is my last day to be the veil director according to our coordinator, Sister Elmer. We had two own endowment patrons but they were both brothers. There was one live sealing of a child to a parent and some guests came for that. The first endowment session was packed to capacity with 27 brothers and 27 sisters. After that things really slowed down. Today is the last day the temple will be open for two weeks so I thought we would be much busier.
I was able to do some initiatory names today. The temple rule is workers can do names if they live an hour or so away. Sister Reidhead pleaded my case by saying that I live in a different county. Sister Jones went and asked Sister Brimhall and told her I lived in Vernon. She gave her permission and said if there was a problem she would take the blame. Another reason I like Sister Brimhall.
We hurried over to the Distribution Center before it closed at 1:00 to return some dresses I had checked out and forgot I had. I tried them on and didn't want them. They have been hanging in my closet for several months now.
I sold three books today while working in the temple.
We went home and heated up our pot pie. It needed some more liquid so I added some cream and chicken stock. It was good except that the biscuits were soggy.
After eating I laid down to rest and I am afraid I missed stake leadership meeting. I was just so tired. James got me up around 4:30 and we got ready to go to the evening session of stake conference. I thought it started at 6:00 and we arrived a little before 6 to find out it doesn't start until 7. We hurried down to Burger King for a Whopper Jr., which to me is an oxymoron, before going in to the adult session of the White Mountain Stake Conference.
We sat on the back row of the chapel with several other people from Vernon.
The program went something like this:
President Wright spoke about the brother of Jared in the book of Ether. He actually read from the scriptures and discussed several aspects of the brother of Jared's experience building the barges and providing light for them. He read Ether 3:23 and said: "This was the birth of the Urimm and Thummim." Somehow that just struck me as something I hadn't known before. He ended by saying: "Faith and obedience allowed the brother of Jared to see the Lord."
President Wright then invited us to read chapter 6 in Preach My Gospel on Christ-like attributes and take the test at the end of the chapter to see how we are doing.
To my pleasant surprise, Sister Brimhall from the temple was the next speaker.
Lapreal Brimhall is from Ontario, Oregon. When she grew up she always wanted a "genealogy book." Now she has on a flash drive more names than all of the old genealogy books put together.
She quoted Malachi 4:5; DC 128:24... where it talks about an "Offering unto the Lord in righteousness." She said this was a book of the record of our dead which should include everyone who has ever lived on the earth.
President Rick Brimhall of the Snowflake temple presidency:
Hearts of the Fathers turned to the children. He quoted from Elder Bednar's talk that we listened to this morning on the way to the temple regarding the guidelines of what we can share with our children regarding the temple.
He told the story that we have heard before but is still impressive, about George and Millie from Ghana who were the poorest of the poor and how through obedience and dedication they served missions. George came to study at BYU and became an engineer and they were married in the Salt Lake temple. He then quoted 1 Nephi 3:7.
Camrie Hunsaker Beard of the Vernon ward - I always love hearing Camrie speak because she has such a strong testimony and she speaks from the heart. When her baby was five days old she found out that her husband had been unfaithful so she left him. She is now living near her parents, the Hunsaker's in our ward, raising her three small children. Here are some notes that I took:
The title of Camrie's talk was, "Keeping My Covenants Through the Good and the Bad." Stay worthy of your priesthood. I saw my dad and my uncle Kip give my grandmother a blessing as she lay gasping for breath in a hospital bed in Flagstaff. They blessed her that she would be able to pass in peace. We saw her take her last breath. Camrie has this scripture on her refrigerator: DC 121:7-8:
My son (daughter), peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment; And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy foes. Camrie says she has spent hours studying the Atonement of Jesus Christ and she feels she has a greater understanding of it. Find you "why." My "why" is my children. Put your struggles in the Lord's hands. Your focus should be riveted on the Savior. DC 132:4; Seek your "why" to keep you on the strait and narrow path. She bore testimony of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, the power of the priesthood and prayer.
President Miles of the White Mountain, Arizona Stake
He spoke about not sweating the unimportant details and then turned around and said really, what details should we sweat? He spoke about the Family Proclamation and the sanctity of marriage and temple sealings. Moses 3:18-24 regarding a man leaving his father and mother and cleaving unto his wife. He talked about the fountain of divine eternal love. He admonished us to attend the temple often to remember our covenants.
President Beeler, Stake President of the White Mountain Stake
President Beeler started out by asking if we believe in miracles. An assistant proceeded to put up a rainfall map of the state of Arizona. The entire state was in browns and yellows except for a circle of green, and blue in the White Mountain area. He said the rainfall from June 13th - August 11th 2019 was nearly 60% below normal except for our area. He said that this is because of our fasting and praying and increasing our temple and family history work. It is a direct answer to our prayers, and it is a miracle.
He compared his mom to Camrie and said that maybe someday one of her sons would be speaking in a stake conference like he was.
He then said that there were 613 Mosiac laws and more of them were negative than positive.
He urged us to stay on the Covenant Path because our covenants bind us to Christ who offers us His full Atonement. The Atonement redeems us and prepares us for Eternal Life where we receive all that the Father has. He said to toss trash and gather gifts along the Covenant Path. He encouraged us to develop Christ-like attributes as President Wright did. He asked, "Why is it so easy to develop bad habits and difficult to develop good ones?" We must carry the cross daily.
He noted the new initiatives we have received recently in the Church. He said don't confuse simplify with spiritual casualness.
Wickedness never was happiness but neither is lukewarmness happiness.
Continue as we commenced. Endurance isn't just about survival. We must endure well on the Covenant Path and put first things first: Faith, repentance, and "Come Follow Me." The Lord has a customized plan of happiness for each one of us.
Korihor principle: "You do you." His son used to say that to him, "Dad, you do you." He doesn't do that anymore.
Some of the hands that hang down once grasped the Iron Rod. As we learn to love God and others, our circle expands. "A mission is such a unique time to prepare for life as we learn to care more for others than ourselves. It means everything."
As we submit ourselves and our will to God's will, that's when we follow the deep footprints along the Covenant Path. Broken hearts and minds are changed by Christ.
I loved President Beeler's talk and I couldn't write fast enough to get it all down. He is a young man, probably in his middle 30's, but so very spiritually wise. I love him.
"Lead Me Into Life Eternal" was the closing song.
On the way home James and I discussed the things we loved about this session of stake conference. One important thing I forgot to mention. I sat by the other counselor in the Vernon ward Relief Society, Kerri. She said the leadership session was about teaching and suggested that I read from Handbook 2, 5.5 The Work of Salvation in the Ward and Stake, Teaching the Gospel. I began reading and realized I need to do more with my Relief Society teachers. I need to make sure they both have a "Teaching in the Savior's Way" manual. I should also encourage my teachers to set goals according to the article titled "Making a Plan to Improve Your Teaching on pages 24-27 in "Teaching, No Greater Call."
I was able to do some initiatory names today. The temple rule is workers can do names if they live an hour or so away. Sister Reidhead pleaded my case by saying that I live in a different county. Sister Jones went and asked Sister Brimhall and told her I lived in Vernon. She gave her permission and said if there was a problem she would take the blame. Another reason I like Sister Brimhall.
We hurried over to the Distribution Center before it closed at 1:00 to return some dresses I had checked out and forgot I had. I tried them on and didn't want them. They have been hanging in my closet for several months now.
I sold three books today while working in the temple.
We went home and heated up our pot pie. It needed some more liquid so I added some cream and chicken stock. It was good except that the biscuits were soggy.
After eating I laid down to rest and I am afraid I missed stake leadership meeting. I was just so tired. James got me up around 4:30 and we got ready to go to the evening session of stake conference. I thought it started at 6:00 and we arrived a little before 6 to find out it doesn't start until 7. We hurried down to Burger King for a Whopper Jr., which to me is an oxymoron, before going in to the adult session of the White Mountain Stake Conference.
We sat on the back row of the chapel with several other people from Vernon.
The program went something like this:
President Wright spoke about the brother of Jared in the book of Ether. He actually read from the scriptures and discussed several aspects of the brother of Jared's experience building the barges and providing light for them. He read Ether 3:23 and said: "This was the birth of the Urimm and Thummim." Somehow that just struck me as something I hadn't known before. He ended by saying: "Faith and obedience allowed the brother of Jared to see the Lord."
President Wright then invited us to read chapter 6 in Preach My Gospel on Christ-like attributes and take the test at the end of the chapter to see how we are doing.
To my pleasant surprise, Sister Brimhall from the temple was the next speaker.
Lapreal Brimhall is from Ontario, Oregon. When she grew up she always wanted a "genealogy book." Now she has on a flash drive more names than all of the old genealogy books put together.
She quoted Malachi 4:5; DC 128:24... where it talks about an "Offering unto the Lord in righteousness." She said this was a book of the record of our dead which should include everyone who has ever lived on the earth.
President Rick Brimhall of the Snowflake temple presidency:
Hearts of the Fathers turned to the children. He quoted from Elder Bednar's talk that we listened to this morning on the way to the temple regarding the guidelines of what we can share with our children regarding the temple.
He told the story that we have heard before but is still impressive, about George and Millie from Ghana who were the poorest of the poor and how through obedience and dedication they served missions. George came to study at BYU and became an engineer and they were married in the Salt Lake temple. He then quoted 1 Nephi 3:7.
Camrie Hunsaker Beard of the Vernon ward - I always love hearing Camrie speak because she has such a strong testimony and she speaks from the heart. When her baby was five days old she found out that her husband had been unfaithful so she left him. She is now living near her parents, the Hunsaker's in our ward, raising her three small children. Here are some notes that I took:
The title of Camrie's talk was, "Keeping My Covenants Through the Good and the Bad." Stay worthy of your priesthood. I saw my dad and my uncle Kip give my grandmother a blessing as she lay gasping for breath in a hospital bed in Flagstaff. They blessed her that she would be able to pass in peace. We saw her take her last breath. Camrie has this scripture on her refrigerator: DC 121:7-8:
My son (daughter), peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment; And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy foes. Camrie says she has spent hours studying the Atonement of Jesus Christ and she feels she has a greater understanding of it. Find you "why." My "why" is my children. Put your struggles in the Lord's hands. Your focus should be riveted on the Savior. DC 132:4; Seek your "why" to keep you on the strait and narrow path. She bore testimony of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, the power of the priesthood and prayer.
President Miles of the White Mountain, Arizona Stake
He spoke about not sweating the unimportant details and then turned around and said really, what details should we sweat? He spoke about the Family Proclamation and the sanctity of marriage and temple sealings. Moses 3:18-24 regarding a man leaving his father and mother and cleaving unto his wife. He talked about the fountain of divine eternal love. He admonished us to attend the temple often to remember our covenants.
President Beeler, Stake President of the White Mountain Stake
President Beeler started out by asking if we believe in miracles. An assistant proceeded to put up a rainfall map of the state of Arizona. The entire state was in browns and yellows except for a circle of green, and blue in the White Mountain area. He said the rainfall from June 13th - August 11th 2019 was nearly 60% below normal except for our area. He said that this is because of our fasting and praying and increasing our temple and family history work. It is a direct answer to our prayers, and it is a miracle.
He compared his mom to Camrie and said that maybe someday one of her sons would be speaking in a stake conference like he was.
He then said that there were 613 Mosiac laws and more of them were negative than positive.
He urged us to stay on the Covenant Path because our covenants bind us to Christ who offers us His full Atonement. The Atonement redeems us and prepares us for Eternal Life where we receive all that the Father has. He said to toss trash and gather gifts along the Covenant Path. He encouraged us to develop Christ-like attributes as President Wright did. He asked, "Why is it so easy to develop bad habits and difficult to develop good ones?" We must carry the cross daily.
He noted the new initiatives we have received recently in the Church. He said don't confuse simplify with spiritual casualness.
Wickedness never was happiness but neither is lukewarmness happiness.
Continue as we commenced. Endurance isn't just about survival. We must endure well on the Covenant Path and put first things first: Faith, repentance, and "Come Follow Me." The Lord has a customized plan of happiness for each one of us.
Korihor principle: "You do you." His son used to say that to him, "Dad, you do you." He doesn't do that anymore.
Some of the hands that hang down once grasped the Iron Rod. As we learn to love God and others, our circle expands. "A mission is such a unique time to prepare for life as we learn to care more for others than ourselves. It means everything."
As we submit ourselves and our will to God's will, that's when we follow the deep footprints along the Covenant Path. Broken hearts and minds are changed by Christ.
I loved President Beeler's talk and I couldn't write fast enough to get it all down. He is a young man, probably in his middle 30's, but so very spiritually wise. I love him.
"Lead Me Into Life Eternal" was the closing song.
On the way home James and I discussed the things we loved about this session of stake conference. One important thing I forgot to mention. I sat by the other counselor in the Vernon ward Relief Society, Kerri. She said the leadership session was about teaching and suggested that I read from Handbook 2, 5.5 The Work of Salvation in the Ward and Stake, Teaching the Gospel. I began reading and realized I need to do more with my Relief Society teachers. I need to make sure they both have a "Teaching in the Savior's Way" manual. I should also encourage my teachers to set goals according to the article titled "Making a Plan to Improve Your Teaching on pages 24-27 in "Teaching, No Greater Call."
These are Camrie's sweet children. Chloe was
just baptized earlier this year.
Another fisherman in the Lambson
family.
Charlotte is still not feeling well.
Preston Johnson, Paul's nephew and
the Johnson's and Gale's grandson,
married Hilary Whalen's sister Whitney.
The Whalen family who were in
our ward in Chandler.
Oops
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