Edmonton, Alberta
67th operating temple
Dedicated: 11 Dec 1999
By: Gordon B. Hinckley
Book of Mormon
3 Nephi 15
Come Follow Me
3 Nephi 12:1-2; 15:23-24; 16:1-6
Blessed are those who believe without seeing.
October General Conference
"This Is My Gospel - This Is My Church" Elder Dale G. Renlund
James and I talked about some ideas about fixing up the backyard for the wedding. An edge and then cinders to fill in the bear spots. Also he is going to chop down the dead sunflowers, etc. on the other side of the yard. Today James worked on filling in the holes in the grass where Apollo walks. Yes, he still gets in the backyard.
Kacey sent me a message today and the link to a devotional. Here is the message she sent:
From far away I saw the tree,
And trasped the iron rod,
And pressing forward through the mist,
The narrow path I trod.
But faltering along the path,
I must have dropped my gaze,
From shining light I turned and saw
A building through the haze.
It towered high above the ground,
And people fine and proud,
From ev'ry doorway beckoned me
To come and join the crowd
It seemed both great and wonderful,
Yet filled my heart with dread.
I turned away and fixed my view
On path and tree ahead.
But ever as my feet moved on,
My thoughts dwelt on the crowd,
Which mocked my struggle down below,
In voices harsh and loud.
The mist pressed close around me now,
I felt its tender strands,
That pulled so softly at my feet,
So gently at my hands.
One strand sang sweetly in my ear,
A soothing melody:
"Why walk this path so long & hard?
Come with us and be free!"
Relaxing grip upon the rd,
And view upon the tree,
I slowed my pace and looked around,
Intrigued by what I'd see.
The fog obscured the distant scene
That I could not resist.
I soon had left the pathway and
Was walking in the mist.
The threads of shadow pulled me on,
My facer and skin felt cold.
Yet warmed I was by thick'ning cords
That now took greater hold.
And now and then from distant tree,
A beam of light would shine,
And I perceived these gentle cords
Were chains of dark design.
Before the beams the chains gave way,
Defeated by the light.
But fearing now to lose their touch,
I turned into the night.
I stumbled down my unseen path,
Uncertain and confused.
O'er rocks and pits I fell until
My hands and knees were bruised.
The cords that led so gently once,
Now pulled me to a race,
And tripping down one final slope,
I fell upon my face.
Then glancing up my eyes beheld
A river dark and deep,
And kneeling on that sandy shore,
I soon began to weep.
I shuddered at my bitter fate,
Afraid and lost, alone.
Why had I wandered from the path,
And left the truth I'd known?
I stood once more on weary feet,
And summoned all my will,
Determined to retrace my steps
Back up the treach'rous hill.
But though I tried to climb the bank,
The cords would give no slack,
And whipping at my arms and legs,
They roughly pulled me back.
Then wrapping 'round my chest and waist,
And strengthening their hold,
they dragged me down the sandy bank,
Into the water cold.
These chains, not soft but sharp and hard,
Now muffled out my scream,
And laughing in my ears they pulled me
'neath the murky stream.
Then sinking down into the depths,
My mind caught on the tree,
And straightway from my heart I cried,
"Dear Savior, rescue me!"
Then suddenly a light appeared
Above me on the sand,
And Jesus, kneeling on the shore,
Reached down and took my hand.
And as he made to raise me up,
My heart was filled with peace,
But still the heavy chains would not
Their rightful prize release.
I wondered then "what could He do?"
I knew the law's demand,
But reaching down he grabbed a chain
With his almighty hand.
The razor edges cut Him,
But the chain broke with a crack,
And lashing back in fury left
A gash upon His back.
He reached again and broke once more
A heavy chain of sin,
It too recoiled, biting deep
Into His precious skin.
And each strong cord that He undid
Spring back with all its might,
And threw upon His arms and back
The fullness of its spite.
When I could bear no more I cried
"I don't deserve such grace!
It is not fair that you should, bleed
And suffer in my place."
With no response, He carried on.
I heard one final crack.
He lifted me, from bonds set free,
And placed me on His back.
Then slowly climbed back to the path -
His blood mixed with my tears.
Somehow His love had conquered sin,
And banished all my fears.
I hoped that He would take me
To the tree with no delay.
Instead He put me on the path
Where first my feet did stray.
Then very gently placed my hand
Back on the iron rod,
And for a while walked with me
The pathway home to God.
And someday when I've reached the tree,
I'll fall down at the feet
Of Him who drank the bitter cup,
And made this fruit so sweet.
Long, but so good!
The talk can be found on YouTube. It is titled:
The Doctrine of the Body (How Our Bodies Connect Us to Deity)// Lexi Walbeck Devotional.
This devotional is so interesting and doctrinally sound. It makes you really stop and think whose we really are and why we are here.
Kim and Brian had planned on coming up this weekend for General Conference but when I texted Kim today to see if she was coming she texted back and said no. They have some friends coming in to town that they want to see.
The Hoose family headed for Florida this week for a family reunion at Disney World. Christina showed a picture of some of them in the airplane. We are a little worried about them, in fact, Rebecca sent out a text asking everyone to pray for them. Hurricane Milton is heading directly for Florida and is supposed to make landfall by next Wednesday.
Apollo is still able to get in the back yard and it's driving James crazy! He's going to have to put barbed wire around the back yard.
This evening I watched the new Hannah Swensen episode, "A Sprinkle of Deceit." I usually really like the Hannah series but this one was a little silly, James walked and listened to "To Win a Lady's Heart".
Notes & Quotes
"This is the Savior's gospel, and this is His Church (see 3 Nephi 27:21; Mosiah 26:22; 27;13). The combination of the two is powerful and transformative."
- Dale G. Renlund
' This Is My Gospel - This Is My Church'
Our friends, Karen & Lance Schneider
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