Bogota, Columbia
57th operating temple
Dedicated: 24 April 1999
By: Gordon B. Hinckley
Helaman 8:11-28
*How can knowing of the Savior's mission help us to resist evil?
- Mosiah 7:33 - But if ye will turn to the Lord with full purpose of heart, and put your trust in him, and serve him with all diligence of mind, if ye do this, he will, according to his own will and pleasure, deliver you out of bondage, (or evil).
*Why is it so imperative to have a contrite spirit when we look unto the Savior?
-So that we might live, even unto that life which is eternal. When my spirit is contrite I am teachable. I am able to change and grow. I am filled with gratitude as I realize all the Savior has done for me and how dependent I am upon Him. I am sad when I add to His suffering. He is my Rock and my Redeemer. Nephi's use of the story of the brazen serpent emphasizes that we should look upon the Son of God with faith and live. Through the atoning sacrifice of Christ, that poisonous venom of Satan was overcome for all who would repent.
DC 138:11-25
*How is the absence of the spirit from the body a bondage?
- The Prophet Joseph Smith taught about the importance of mortal bodies: "We came to this earth that we might have a body and present it pure before God in the Celestial Kingdom. The great principle of happiness consists in having a body. The devil has no body and herein is his punishment. All beings who have bodies have power over those who have not."
Since disembodied spirits cannot obtain a fulness of joy until they are resurrected (See DC 93:33-34, they consider their sojourn in the world of spirits, awaiting the reunion of body and spirit a bondage.
Elder Bruce R. McConkie said that: "Obtaining exaltation consists in gaining a fulness of joy; it is to enter into the joy of the Lord. (DC 51:19)....a fulness of joy is found only among resurrected exalted beings. (DC 93:33). (See also Mormon Doctrine, p. 397).
General Conference
Whatsoever He Saith Unto You, Do It!
Elder L. Whitney Clayton
"Everyday, consciously or otherwise, we all choose 'whom we will serve.' We demonstrate our determination to serve the Lord by faithfully engaging in daily acts of devotion. The Lord promises to direct our paths, but for Him to do that, we have to walk, trusting that He knows the way because He is 'the way.' We must fill our own waterpots up to the brim. When we trust and follow Him, our lives, like water to wine, are transformed. We become something more and better than we ever otherwise could be. Trust in the Lord, and whatsoever he saith unto you do it.'"
I was up by 4:15 this morning. I had some breakfast, said my prayers, and then got ready for my day at the temple.
There was no rain in Vernon this morning but we could see cloudy skies ahead as we approached Show Low. By the time we got to the Y it started raining and rained all the way to Snowflake. We arrived and went straight to the kitchen to put our egg salad sandwiches in the frig and then on to the dressing rooms to get dressed.
I love my schedule! After prayer meeting I get to go to the 8 a.m. endowment session. I am sorry but this is the first time in a long time that I have not had a family name to do. After my session I got down to the kitchen for lunch and a break. I sat by Sister Browning from Holbrook. She used to live in Joseph City and knows the Hunsaker's.
Also in the break room were my friend from Chandler, Sister Vance and Sister Scott whose husband is a counselor in the temple presidency. Sister Scott said there last day is November 1st and then they will go on to their new assignment. Their daughter who lives in Mesa is going to be having triplets. She already has two young children so she will be needing lots of help.
Our new temple president will be President Palmer from Flagstaff. He is our friend Analee Hunsaker's cousin. Its a small world in the church and especially in Snowflake.
After my break I was scheduled to do initiatories as a patron but the sister in charge said I wasn't needed. Next time I am going to insist so I can learn what I will have to do when I am called to work in initiatory. I got a copy of the initiatory ordinances and went in the closet, one of the designated areas, to study. After my 30 minutes of studying I was assigned to be in the Celestial room. Someone always has to be in the Celestial room and the sisters are assigned when no one else is there. I was there when the next session came through and saw my dear sweet Trenda and her husband Emery. James was in this session too and he said they were the witness couple. They came to Show Low to be with Emery's dad who is celebrating his birthday. They live in Flagstaff.
For the next two hours James and I were both assigned to do sealings. We were able to finish up those family sealings Jared had given us. Sometimes things work out the way you want them to!
My last 30 minutes I was assigned to study but the study guides had already been sent back to the office so I called it a day and went downstairs and got ready to go. I was happy to see that all of our egg salad sandwiches disappeared. When James came out, which was about 30 minutes later, he said he had not had a break and was starving. While waiting for James I met Sister Wenhardt's daughter and her children. We had a nice visit. I also saw Brother Freeman who lived in Vernon but who now lives in Taylor. He was waiting for his wife and daughter. It was extremely windy so since we already have a windy selfie we decided to skip todays. Here is one taken when Jared and Kacey were here last year.
James and I stopped at Walmart to pick up a few items and when we were leaving James and the car behind us backed in to each other. Oh dear, our perfect day now has a blemish.
To cheer us up we went to LaCasita for some lunch. James is hungry no more. The last time we were here we saw our waitress friend Charlotte. She wasn't here today. She only works on Wednesdays and Thursdays. The other days of the week she works at Sal and Teresa's a mexican restaurant by Cal-Ranch.
James diggin in to his green chili Navajo taco.
When we got home James took a nap. I took a short nap and then started my chocolate chip cookies. I promised a batch for Liana, a little girl in my Primary class for finishing her Valiant Newsletter.
I am especially impressed that she did the pedigree chart. I know that parents help with these assignments, but that is expected and desired. I had another child come up and say: "If I do my paper will you make me cookies?" Of course!
I prepared a little for Primary tomorrow and then sat down to watch the women's session of General Conference. It went something like this:
Waiting to get in the conference center
Inside the conference center.
Women's Choir
President Monson's empty chair
Sister Eubanks of the General
Relief Society Presidency and the
head of LDS Charities
Turn On Your Light
"Righteous women have a significant part to play in building the kingdom in the latter days."
Five things women can do to "play our part" in the building of the kingdom on the earth: be righteous, articulate, different, distinct, and happy.
Sister Eubank reminded listeners that there is an energy that comes from happiness and optimism that blesses and builds everyone around them.
"I appeal to each of you to put yourself in a place where you can feel the generous love God has for you," she said. "You cannot put yourself beyond the reach of that love. When you feel His love, when you love Him, you will repent and keep His commandments. When you keep His commandments, He can use you in His work. His work and glory is the exaltation and eternal life of women and men.
"The prophets are calling on us, my sisters. Will you be righteous? Will you articulate your faith? Can you bear being distinct and different? Will your happiness in spite of your trials draw others who are good and noble and who need your friendship? Will you turn on your light? I testify that the Lord Jesus Christ will go before us and be in our midst."
Neill F. Marriott
Second Counselor in the Young Women
General Presidency
Abiding in God and Repairing the Breach
Sister Marriott asked women to continually deepen their knowledge of and obedience to God. "Our relationship with Him is eternal," she said. "We are His beloved children, and that will not change."
Sister Marriott recognized that challenges can pull a person off their "course of happiness," that is, if they allow trials to distract them instead of sending them to their knees.
"A matter of lasting value to the Father is that we learn of Him, humble ourselves, and grow in obedience to Him through earthly experiences," she said. "He wants us to change our selfishness into service, our fears into faith. These lasting matters can test us to our core. It is now, with our mortal limitations, that the Father asks us to love when loving is most difficult, to serve when serving is inconvenient, to forgive when forgiving is soul stretching.
"How? How will we do it? We earnestly reach for Heavenly Father's help, in the name of His Son, and do things His way instead of pridefully asserting our own will."
"This living water will begin to fill us, and brimming with His love, we can tip the pitcher of our soul and share its contents with others who thirst for healing, hope, and belonging. As our inner vessel comes clean, our earthly relationships begin to heal."
Sister Joy D. Jones
Primary General President
Value Beyond Measure
"Let's not be confused about who we are," said Sister Joy D. Jones, Primary General President. "While it is often easier to be spiritually passive than it is to put forth the spiritual effort to remember and embrace our divine identity, we cannot afford that indulgence in these latter days."
When women truly know they are a daughter of God, it will affect every aspect of their life and guide them to service, she said.
Sister Jones said no matter what, God's children always have worth in His eyes.
"If the love we feel for the Savior and what He did for us is greater than the energy we give to weaknesses, self-doubts, or bad habits, then He will help us overcome the things which cause suffering in our lives," said Sister Jones. "He saves us from ourselves."
"May we, as sisters, 'Be faithful in Christ;...may Christ lift us up, and may his sufferings and death,... and his mercy and long-suffering, and the hope of his glory and of eternal life, rest in our minds forever' (Moroni 9:25). As the Savior lifts us to higher ground, we can see more clearly, not only who we are, but that we are closer to Him than we ever imagined."
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf
2nd Counselor in the First Presidency
Three Sisters
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Second Counselor in the First Presidency, encouraged LDS women to find joy.
"I pray that you will choose to lift up your voice and make your life a glorious symphony of praise, rejoicing in what the love of God, the wonders of His Church, and the gospel of Jesus Christ can bring to the world," he said.
"Dear sisters, dear friends, if you find it difficult to hold fast to the iron rod and walk steadfastly toward salvation, if the laughter and ridicule of others who seem so confident cause you to waver, if you are troubled by unanswered questions or doctrines you don't understand yet, if you feel saddened because of disappointments, I urge you to remember Lehi's dream," he said. "Stay on the path! Never let go of the rod of iron - the word of God! And when anyone tries to make you ashamed for partaking of the love of God, ignore them. Never forget, you are a child of God."
President Uchtdorf said the promises of praise and acceptance by the world are unreliable, untrue, and unsatisfying. In contrast, God's promises are sure, true, and joyful.
"My beloved sisters, you can do this," President Uchtdorf said. "I pray with all the affection of my soul that you will make the choice to press o toward the tree of life. I pray that you will choose to lift up your voice and make your life a glorious symphony of praise, rejoicing in what the love of God, the wonders of His Church, and the gospel of Jesus Christ can bring to the world."
It was a wonderful session of General Conference!
Just one more thing before I close.
On September 23rd, 1827, 190 years ago, Joseph Smith received the Golden Plates from the angel Moroni in upstate New York.
