Friday, 7/24/13

gospel thoughts

Last Monday, as we do once a month, we hosted the YSA ward Vic is attached to as the assigned High Councilman. (Provo YSA 138^th Ward, YSA 13^th Stake.) We provide the refreshments, and they provide the games and the lesson. Taylor Ellsworth gave the lesson, talking about his ancestors who were among the first in the handcart companies. He spoke of Moroni 7:37, about miracles being wrought by faith. (Behold I say unto you, Nay; for it is by faith that miracles are wrought; and it is by faith that angels appear and minister unto men; wherefore, if these things have ceased wo be unto the children of men, for it is because of unbelief, and all is vain) and shared this experience of his hand-cart ancestors:

Part of the way into their journey, their only ox sickened and died. (I’m not sure about an ox in the handcart company, but it’s Taylor’s story.) They could not hope to continue without this ox, so they made it a manner of prayer and supplication to the Lord. Not long after, one of them spotted an ox up on the crest of the hill before them. The animal permitted the men to approach him and yoke him, and he pulled their cart into the next town. After un-yoking him, they turned around and he was gone.

This wasn’t part of his lesson, but a little further into the chapter, in verse 44, it talks of, “confess(ing) by the power of the Holy Ghost that Jesus is the Christ…” I thought about that, and could only think that having that kind of testimony, that you would confess it by the power of the Holy Ghost, is a gift of the Spirit. A powerful one. I’ve heard of bearing your testimony with the power of the Holy Ghost, but the phrase about confessing it, BY THE POWER OF THE HOLY GHOST, just caught my attention and gave me some thoughts and food for reflection.

I subbed in the temple last night. I felt that the shift supervisors were a little less than warm and fuzzy; especially one. She just doesn’t appear happy, and tends to cut people off. She’s very abrupt.

Anyway, I was at my first post, which, as luck (or Tender Mercies) would have it, was in the Celestial Room. I was standing, as the Matron is a stickler for NOT sitting), and feeling a little less than warm and fuzzy myself, thinking how “subbing” frequently in the temple had lost its charm; you know, end of the honeymoon, etc. My feet and knees were already hurting, and the shift had just begun!

Then of course, owing I supposed, to the fact that I WAS standing in the Celestial Room, it was almost inevitable that the thought came to me, “Who are you working for here? WHOM are you serving? Do you seek the approval and warm fuzzies from the shift supervisors or other Temple regulars? I thought, I’d better NOT be; I’m serving to benefit my family (ref Elder Eyring’s talk about our service bringing the Lord closer to our families), to honor my descendants, so then some of the Title of Liberty phrases came into my head, but they weren’t really a good fit. So I made up my own.

.In memory of my ancestors, in service to my Savior, for the salvation and exaltation of my family.

So every time I started to become distracted by achy feet/knees, etc, I brought this theme/mantra back to my mind.