Washington D.C. Temple Closure

Discourse given on March 12th at a Sacrament meeting of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints:

"Recently, in church, we discussed Elder Dallin H. Oaks talk The Challenge to Become in which he teaches that the gospel of Jesus Christ challenges us to become something not merely do something.

As I’ve gotten older, I’ve caught myself innumerable times contemplating how I compare to my previous expectations, my previous desires and if I am truly becoming the person the Savior would have me become.

"When I received my patriarchal blessing the patriarch asked me to contact him in 5 years to give him a report of my status in life. 5 years have come; over 10 years have passed. To this day, I have not contact brother Mayo to give him a report of my activities in the years passed. Partially I am restrained wondering if he’ll remember me, partially afraid that I have not lived up to his expectations nor to my full potential. Oft, I wonder if I am living up to my potential or, as President Uchtdorf put it, my ‘privilege.’

"In his address to the priesthood brethren in April 2011 entitled Your Potential, Your Privilege, President Uchtdorf recounts a story of a cruise ship passenger who, after saving up for the voyage, packed and lived off of his own food unknowledgeable that the cruise was all inclusive. Only on the last day, the passenger became aware that his ticket - for the most part - included the entertainment, the food, and the activities. 'Too late the man realized that he had been living far beneath his privileges.' President Uchtdorf further asks, 'Are we as priesthood holders living below our privileges when it comes to the sacred power, gifts, and blessings that are our opportunity and right as bearers of God’s priesthood?'

"With the permission of the audience, I would like to extend this question adopted for this setting. ‘Are we, as members of the Church of Jesus Christ, living below our privileges when it comes to the sacred powers, gifts, and blessings the Lord has provided?’

"The Doctrine and Covenants, in section 43 verse 16, teaches us of one such gift and blessing in our lives. 'Sanctify yourselves and ye shall be endowed with power.' In the house of the Lord, we are endowed with power.

"Elder David A. Bednar said 'the temple is a point of intersection between heaven and earth. In this sacred place, holy work will be performed through selfless service and love. The temple reminds me of all that is good and beautiful in the world.' Today, the members of the temple committee, myself included, will be sharing our thoughts and testimonies on the temple. We as a committee would like to use this quote, 'a point of intersection between heaven and earth,' as a symbol of our commitment to temple service this coming year.

"We invite you to personally ponder, not only the importance of the temple in your lives, but also this quote. What does 'a point of intersection between heaven and earth' mean to you individually? I believe that temple service will bring us closer to our eternal potential and our earthly privileges.

In speaking of living to our potential, Elder M. Russell Ballard said 'I am so thoroughly convinced that if we don’t set goals in our life and learn how to master the techniques of living to reach our goals, we can reach a ripe old age [or in my case, even 10 years later] and look back on our life only to see that we reached but a small part of our full potential.'

"Sister Dalton encouraged us to ‘never allow the goal of the temple to be out of our sight.’ 'Walk in His presence in purity and virtue, and receive His blessings—even all that he hath.'

"In the past few weeks it was announced that the Washington DC temple will be undergoing extensive renovations starting March of 2018. It will open with its rededicated in 2020. Before closing for two years, we as a temple committee have made the goal to go to the temple 12 times within the next 12 months. We extend this invitation to come to the temple to all (even those outside our ward). We encourage each of you to make the personal commitment to attend the temple 12 times in the next 12 months. Be it endowments, sealings, the baptistery, the visitor’s center, or the lawn outside, there is a place for you at the temple. A place here on earth where you can come nearer to heaven, reach your eternal potential, receive your privilege as a son or daughter of God.

"We discussed having a name for this challenge '12 for 12,' 'the temple 12,' 'the big 12' but ultimately, we want each of you to make your own commitment to attending the temple. To help you, we will be facilitating temple trips. The stake has a monthly opportunity to participate in endowments. The ward organizing monthly trips to participate in the different ordinances of the temple. This Saturday the 18^th, we will be performing sealing and initiatories at 10am. We will be carpooling from here (chapel) at 9am.

"Richard G. Scott gave us a suggestion saying 'When a temple is conveniently nearby, small things may interrupt your plans to go to the temple. Set specific goals, considering you circumstances, of when you can and will participate in temple ordinances. Then do not allow anything to interfere with that plan.' Whether your goal is to attend the stake temple night, to go before work for the 6am session on Fridays, or to come for the ward trips, make a goal considering your circumstances and stick to it.

"Continuing his thoughts on goals, Elder Ballard promises, 'When one learns to master the principles of setting a goal, he will then be able to make a great difference in the results he attains in this life.'

"It is my prayer that we can all reach our potential and receive our privilege is. That we may utilize the blessings and gifts of the temple to help us find that sweet intersection between heaven and earth. I bear my testimony of the importance of the temple, in it families are sealed for time and eternity. I love this promise and this gospel.

"I share this with you in the Lord’s name, Jesus Christ. Amen"

The Spirituality of Service

A couple weeks ago, I was asked to speak at church for 8-10 minutes during the main sermon portion. Despite getting nervous to speak in front of large crowds, I've gained a great appreciation for the opportunities I have received. I feel a large sense of accomplishment when speaking in church not only because I get the opportunity to study a gospel topic but also because I get the chance to overcome this small fear of public speaking. I've come to regard speaking in church as an opportunity to share my life experiences and my own thoughts, a story telling of sorts.

Generally, I'm quite pleased with my performances but I felt especially proud of this most recent speech. Not only did the audience appear attentive, laugh at my jokes, and provide positive feedback later, Spirit of the Lord felt tangible throughout the crowd. Throughout the whole week, I read about service and was able to follow the promptings of the Spirit to replace a large portion of my talk with my own thoughts.

Due to the overall success - which I measure in attentiveness and impressions of the Spirit - I would like to share my speech here. First I would like to preface my talk with the fact that the congregational choir sang a beautiful hymn beforehand. In order to be seen by the whole choir, the music conductor, Katelyn, pulled out the stand which resides directly in front of the pulpit (the stand is generally used for children when they're sharing their testimonies). Afterwards, the meeting conductor, Brother S. went to the pulpit, pushed in the stand, and announced that I would be the next speaker. I paraphrase my talk from here on out:

"I noticed Katelyn pulled out the stand for me, unfortunately Brother S. pushed it back in [note I'm between 5'4" and 5'5" which is in fact the average height but only for girls, which I am not] so I apologies if you cannot see me. [There was a good amount of awkward giggles which demonstrated that the audience was caught off-guard, yet enjoyed the joke].

"Recently, I discussed faith with a close friend. Being brought up in a faith centered home, she never questioned her faith in the Savior nor in the teaching of the prophets as found in the Bible. Although her faith in a Supreme Being, even a Heavenly Father, has never wavered, questions regarding the Atonement, the Holy Scriptures, the power of Baptism, began to creep into her life.

"Oft times, we question our faith and looked for answer to our questions and doubts. I am remind of the words of President Uchtdorf, who encouraged us to doubt first our doubts and to build upon those truths which we hold dear and evident. However, as I grow older, I notice more and more friends questioning their faith, seeking for enlightenment.

"When I was in high school, I drove a red jeep. It was not difficult for friends to persuade me to go off-roading, or mud-bugging. I recall one particular night at a Buffalo Wild Wings. We heard of a group off-roading not too far away. We showed up at what appeared to be an automobile graveyard. There were several cars trudging through a muddy trail with ruts 3-4 feet deep on either side. Even the best equip trucks were no match for the danger which lied ahead. Long story short, the ruts on either side of the trail were too deep for almost every single vehicle. As the trucks and jeeps went through, the bottom of the car would be lifted up by the land between the ruts, high-centering each car. For those of you who haven’t been high-centered - and I assure you, I've been high-centered enough times for everyone in this room - it’s extremely frustrating. Regardless of how hard you push the gas, regardless of how solid the ground is, you cannot gain any traction.

"I recall countless times off-roading when we were stuck, high centered, literally spinning our tires for traction. I have felt similar feelings in my spiritual pursuit. Despite my best efforts to obtain spiritual confirmations, through basic gospel teachings – prayer, scripture study, temple attendance – I have felt that I, figuratively, am spinning my wheels in pursuit of the spiritual strength.

"Please do not misunderstand, each of those aspects are important to my spiritual testimony and my personal beliefs in the gospel of Jesus Christ but sometimes I feel that I am missing an important piece towards truly becoming Christlike as opposed to just understanding the teaching of Christianity.

"Whether like my friend or me, you have struggled with your testimony, if like us, you desire to gain a more sure footing in the eternal gospel of Jesus Christ, Elder Derek A. Cuthbert in his 1990 general conference talk instructs us on 'how [to] become more spiritual?' He says, simply, 'You need to give more service.'

"As I pondered these words, I wondered why service is so essential to our spirituality. Elder Cuthbert outlines 10 ways in which service increases our spirituality which were previously mentioned by Michael [the orator before me quoted the 10 bullet point items] but I'd also like to remember, that we as Christians, or at least I personally, define spirituality as our nearing ourselves to Christ’s example, to live a perfect life, a Christ-centered life.

"Recall His example, He cured the sick, He healed the blind, He raised the dead, it was He who comforted the widowed, He cleansed the temple, He washed the disciples feet, He did not for His glory, but for the benefit of the His people. Truly, His life was one of service, dedicated to others. Winston Churchill said, 'We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.' The young Christ, may have won his livings as a carpenter, a son of Joseph, but what made His life great was what He gave for us, even by the laying down of His own life for our well-being.

"One of Elder Cuthbert's first points is that 'Through service we establish true values and priorities by distinguishing between the worth of material things that pass, and those things of lasting, even eternal, value.' As a hometeacher in college, my companion and I felt that one individual required special attention. As we visited with her, I was deeply touched by the impression that God loved her as His divine daughter. After this, I was able to project the love God had for her to the rest of His children, myself included.

"Elder Cuthbert also mentioned that 'Service helps us to get to know the Savior, for ‘how knoweth a man the master whom he has not served?' Mosiah 5:13.' I recall John 17:3 which states 'And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.'

"Throughout time, God's people have accomplished some amazing feats. God's people knocked down of the walls of Jericho, they left the UK to cross the Atlantic to learn of the prophet Joseph Smith. God's people sacrificed their farms, their livings, and every possession to cross the plains. The early saints donated their fine China to donate for the building of the temples. The saints - even in this area - built their own meeting house and chapels.

"I often wonder, 'if I lived in one of those periods, what would I sacrifice for the cause of righteousness? Would I leave all I had to serve the Lord, would I donate my time and money to build houses of worship?'

"At this [most recent] great [LDS] conference, there were two talks which prompted the the saints to lift the burdens of those displaced people. This can be the call to which God's people has been called to sacrifice in our days.

"It is my prayer that we pray for opportunities to serve and may we be blessed by the Lord as we do. I feel as Steve Maraboli who remarked 'I don’t want to live my life to be defined by what is etched on a tombstone. I want it to be defined by what is etched in the lives and hearts of those I’ve touched.'

"For those who feel they cannot rise to such a great calling, let us remember the words of Richelle E. Goodrich, 'Service is a smile. It is an acknowledging wave, a reaching handshake, a friendly wink, and a warm hug. It's these simple acts that matter most, because the greatest service to a human soul has always been the kindness of recognition.'

"It is my testimony that through our service, we will not only change the lives of those we serve but also gain a surety of God’s love for His children and for us, near Christ’s perfect example, gain the spiritual traction we desire, and come to comprehend the mysteries of God – including those difficult faith driven questions to which we all seek the answers.

In the name of Jesus Christ, amen."

At the conclude of this Thanksgiving day, November 27th 2014, I am filled with thankfulness for many blessing which have been bestowed upon me. I can not sufficiently articulate the impact of the blessings which have been afforded me through my position in life; I was born in a free country, to wonderful God-fearing parents, with intellectual and beautiful siblings; I have had the privilege to gain an education, travel the world, and obtain gainful employment; I have been blessed with the influence of eclectic friends from varying backgrounds and ideologies. I am unable to describe the joy I have felt at these blessing; however, I would like to acknowledge the Lord's hand as the source of these blessings. For surely "all things which are good cometh from God" (Moroni 7:12).

I urge all to adhere to this nation's first President in his Thanksgiving Proclamation "to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be- That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks-for his kind care and protection of the People of this Country."

Happy Thanksgiving! May God bless us all!

Eternal Progress

It has been said that if we are not progressing, we are regressing. Is there merit to this saying? Is it not a commandment to become perfect even as the Savior is perfect? In that way, is it not a sin not to strive to better ourselves daily; in other words, isn't it a sin to be passive in our aspirations for divine perfection? C.S. Lewis in his book The Screwtape Letters writes "It does not matter how small the sins are provided that their cumulative effect is to edge the man away from the Light and out into the Nothing." He continues "Murder is no better than cards if cards can do the trick. Indeed thesafest road to Hell is the gradual one--the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts." So truthfullythere is some validation in the earlier statement. By way of omission, if we fail to become more christlike, we are essentially paving our way on that subtle road.

So how is it that we can conscientiously become more like Christ? Obviously there is much to gain by studying his words and his actions through the scriptures. In Henry IV Shakespeare writes, "Ignorance is the curse of God, knowledge the wing whereon we fly to heaven." However, I believe there is a fundamental difference between knowledge and wisdom. I agree with Lord Tennyson when he wrote, "Knowledge comes, but wisdom lingers." Knowledge comes to the mind but wisdom lingers in the core, in the heart of our very soul. Knowledge may weigh on our conscience but it is wisdom that transform our actions. So what is it that we need to emulate from the life of the Savior? In short, everything but this is harder to tackle than

theorize.

The other day I heard a young lady speak on the topic of temple worship. She said that being temple worthy is the only worthwhile goal. I sat and contemplated this presumptuous statement. Surely it is an exceptional goal but aren't there other worthwhile goals involving daily pray or meaningful scripture study? Although this is true, I came to realize that all the worthwhile goals I could think of where included in becoming temple worthy. Now someone reading may say, what about goals involving sports, physical fitness, social relationships. Well clearly social relationships are included in temple worthiness. In the temple recommend

interview, we are asked if we are honest in all of our doings with our fellowmen. What about those encompassing physical fitness? We've also been counseled to take care of our physical bodies; in the epistle to the Corinthians in the New Testament, they've even been referred to as temples. So clearly physical appearances, physical fitness should all be included in temple worthiness. Okay fine, but what about goals like becoming a professional athlete or an expert snowboarder? Jesus commands us to magnify our talents, so once again, I believe temple worthiness encompasses these attributes in our lives. As I pondered these questions and responses in my mind, I quickly came to the conclusion that temple worthiness should be one of our all encompassing goals. Since being temple worthy symbolizes our worthiness to enter into the Lord's presence, it is a good indicator of our spiritual commitment and our spiritual progression.

So how do we become temple worthy? Clearly temple worthiness is a continual process that takes work; we must consistently be conscience of our efforts to improve. Sacrificing to go to the temple is a way to help us stay worthy. Reviewing the temple interview questions, becoming more charitable, being honest with our fellowmen, becoming christlike in all we do are all important in our continual efforts for temple worthiness. As we strive to become temple worthy, we will progress in the sight of the Lord. When we are temple worthy, we not only symbolically enter into the presence of the Lord but we are physically and spriritually prepared to return to Him.

Selected Excerpt from my European Diary Part 3: Smoking and Smelling

I'm not sure what the policies and laws are of France but in America (for feeling on Americans calling themselves Americans, make inquiries to author) we have a little thing called freedom of speech. This means that we have the freedom to express our opinion, unless we believe in communism of course. Well in Europe everyone smokes. I'm not sure how an entire nation can be unified in one specific activity like the French are with smoking but if it wasn't for the 1833 revelation called the Word of Wisdom, this people would be nearing Zion in their unity. So everyone takes breaks to go smoke and at every train stop long enough people lean out of the train to get a quick puff. And it reeks. One guy, for example, smelt so bad I got light headed and almost past out. Well I was searching for a way to voice my opinion that they stink and shouldn't be smoking because their stench affects everyone but I don't speech French so I knew I'd have to use something more powerful than words and then it came to me... A bubbling from inside of me urged me to give them a taste of their own medicine. Every moment I thought about it, that thing inside of me got more powerful, more potent. It started to get to much to resist. I eventually voiced my opinion. This voice, although audible, did not come from my vocal cords and oh how it resonated with my audience. I'm not sure what resonated with them more, the resonance of my message or that of my seat. What made my message more powerful than theirs was te ability to affect multiple senses; theirs stung the nostrils but mine could be hears as well as smelt. Whether my opinion was understood or whether my voice made a difference, I decided from then on to frequently voice my opinion. Whenever possible I let those around me know I'm against smoking at the train station. My baguette and croissant diet spotted with kebabs has only propagated my cause. 

Selected Excerpt from my European Diary Part 2: Roads and Cars

Roads are goofy here. There aren't any differentiating lines; they're all just white dashed lines. Sometimes you see solid white lines but rarely and yellow lines don't even exist. It's crazy because looking at the road, you can't tell if it's two ways or just one without seeing street signs. Sometimes you can't even tell if there are multiple lanes but in reality there are a couple but it definitely looks like a one lane road. Also trains seem to go on the left track while cars go in the right lane. Ironic. And the roads are all tiny! I'm talking about Great Falls size and even smaller. I guess it helps that their cars are way tiny but it's not proportional to the reduction in street size. 

Selected Excerpt from my European Diary Part 1: Trains and Bathrooms

One of my most favorite things about trains is that the bathrooms empty straight onto the tracks; they're generally just holes in the train straight down. There's a sense of accomplishment when you poop on the tracks, not to mention the Eco friendly benefits of not adding to local landfills. It's usually pretty enjoyable as well because the holes provide a nice breeze, due to the pressure change in the air, on your posterior that you wouldn't otherwise experience.

While we're on the subject of bathrooms, don't call them that in Europe. When you say that, they envision a bath room, a room for bathing. They'll eye you funny and won't know what to say. They don't understand restroom too well either. Water closet or toilette are the preferred nomenclature and you'd be wise to cut to the point if you're in an emergency to go.