Have you ever attended a temple open house before it was dedicated? Have you ever wondered what people of other faiths feel when they attend temple open houses? Recently, an Episcopal priest visited the Liberty, Missouri temple and wrote about her experience. You can read her article by clicking HERE. Be sure to scroll down and see the 10 photos of the beautiful new temple.
After reading this article, I find myself feeling the Spirit of Elijah and the "Spirit of Enos" (which Brother Nelson referred to as missionary work in his talk yesterday).
What do you think about this article?
Monday, April 30, 2012
ARE WE AND OUR NAMES TEMPLE READY?
In Relief Society we have divided the year into 4 areas of focus, plus an ongoing look at family emergency preparedness. We just focused on service the first quarter, through a spotlight on visiting teaching and “many hands make light work,” with an opportunity to not only serve each other, but our community.
This quarter we will focus on the Temple: "Temple Ready? Heaven Ready?" We just had a lesson on indexing and preparing names the temple by Sister Alford. This Sunday we will have a lesson on Temple Worship by Sister Grant. We will have an opportunity to take an Indexing Class, and a class on making your "Life Timeline"--a scaffolding tool for your Life History.
We will have A DAY AT THE TEMPLE – TUESDAY, JUNE 26, with special endowment and initiatory sessions, together as sisters. We have at least two sisters going through the temple for the first time, with an opportunity to go and support them. We have been given a new Ward Temple Day, the second Friday of the month with two sessions at 4 and 7 p.m. to hopefully aid attendance.
When I was a little girl about 9 years old, my father was Bishop of the Ward. One day I was riding in the car with him, and he said,”you know some people use the Church like a cafeteria or buffet dinner, picking and choosing what they will partake of, and what they will pass up. I want you to get a testimony of Jesus Christ, and partake of the whole buffet that the gospel offers to get you back to your Heavenly Father with your family.”
So many times, I have remembered that analogy by Dad and have surely seen the truth of it. Certainly, when we speak of the banquet that is ours in the Gospel of Jesus Christ –the temple is the dessert table. In the temple, Brother Boyd K Packer teaches, we are taught the “mysteries of godliness” and President Brigham Young said that in the temple we are “taught the signs and tokens that we will need to pass the angels, who stand as sentinels into the Celestial Kingdom.”
How sad if we go to the buffet table of the Lord, and do not see and partake of the magnificent array of desserts that the Lord has set for us in His Temples. Write the date Tuesday June 26th on your calendar! Do we have names Temple Ready? Are we Temple Ready? Are we Heaven Ready?
This quarter we will focus on the Temple: "Temple Ready? Heaven Ready?" We just had a lesson on indexing and preparing names the temple by Sister Alford. This Sunday we will have a lesson on Temple Worship by Sister Grant. We will have an opportunity to take an Indexing Class, and a class on making your "Life Timeline"--a scaffolding tool for your Life History.
We will have A DAY AT THE TEMPLE – TUESDAY, JUNE 26, with special endowment and initiatory sessions, together as sisters. We have at least two sisters going through the temple for the first time, with an opportunity to go and support them. We have been given a new Ward Temple Day, the second Friday of the month with two sessions at 4 and 7 p.m. to hopefully aid attendance.
When I was a little girl about 9 years old, my father was Bishop of the Ward. One day I was riding in the car with him, and he said,”you know some people use the Church like a cafeteria or buffet dinner, picking and choosing what they will partake of, and what they will pass up. I want you to get a testimony of Jesus Christ, and partake of the whole buffet that the gospel offers to get you back to your Heavenly Father with your family.”
So many times, I have remembered that analogy by Dad and have surely seen the truth of it. Certainly, when we speak of the banquet that is ours in the Gospel of Jesus Christ –the temple is the dessert table. In the temple, Brother Boyd K Packer teaches, we are taught the “mysteries of godliness” and President Brigham Young said that in the temple we are “taught the signs and tokens that we will need to pass the angels, who stand as sentinels into the Celestial Kingdom.”
How sad if we go to the buffet table of the Lord, and do not see and partake of the magnificent array of desserts that the Lord has set for us in His Temples. Write the date Tuesday June 26th on your calendar! Do we have names Temple Ready? Are we Temple Ready? Are we Heaven Ready?
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
The Church and The Gospel
This coming Sunday is the 5th Sunday of the month. That means that the Relief Society will combine with the Elders Quorum and the High Priests Group in our ward during the 3rd hour or church. The lesson will be taken from Elder Hallstrom's April 2012 General Conference talk "Converted to His Gospel through His Church." Under the direction of the First Presidency of the Church, each Bishop chooses the lesson topic for these 5th Sunday meetings. We invite everyone to read Elder Hallstrom's talk and come prepared to participate in the lesson.
Click HERE to read the talk.
Click HERE to read the talk.
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Blessings, Benedictions, and...Salutations
Because our "ward family" is really a geographical area assigned to us by people with the priesthood keys to decide, there are always a number of women moving out and moving in to the Dallas 4th Ward Relief Society..
Sisters moving out over the last several months are:
Margaret Anderson - she has moved to Canada with her family.
Jenni Johnson - she was here for work (about 6 months) and will also be leaving for Canada this week.
Jeny Luna - she and her sons have gone to Honduras to live and see family.
Jennifer Andrade - she has moved to another apartment on Alma/Spring Valley in Plano so will be in a Plano ward.
Vickie Isaac - she and her family have moved to Logan, Utah.
Kimberly Spurgeon - she moved into another apartment more conducive to her medical needs in the Richardson Second Ward boundaries.
Rachael Naegle - she and her husband (and unborn little daughter!!) have moved into the Dallas 6th ward boundaries.
Lisa Salmon - she and her husband, Linton, have moved to the San Francisco Bay area.
Karen Tutor - she has been here to help her aged mother and will return to her home and take care of her there.
Sisters moving in have been:
Julianne Bawden - she and her husband moved here from Arizona for business.
Marianne Stoddard - she simply moved across ward boundaries from a house in Richard Second Ward (recently sold) to a townhouse in our ward! Many of us know her and her family and are so happy to came to us!
Laura Nelson - she just moved from an apartment into a house they have renovated in our ward boundaries - yeah!
Cidra Ann Sharer - (We "found" her!) She and her sons along with husband Eric have been living inour ward for several months.
Maria Fonua & "Lainey"Asoau - they are cousins and share an apartment with Lainie's husband "T" Asoau.
Camille Scott - she is newly married (from the Singles Ward) and lives with her new husband.
AND, the list changes on a weekly basis! (ask poor Alissa!)
I am in Ether in the Book of Mormon and the first thing done in this chapter is to list all the names in
his genealogy. EVERYONE, EVERY name, EVERY person is important and counted by the Lord and by us!
Sisters moving out over the last several months are:
Margaret Anderson - she has moved to Canada with her family.
Jenni Johnson - she was here for work (about 6 months) and will also be leaving for Canada this week.
Jeny Luna - she and her sons have gone to Honduras to live and see family.
Jennifer Andrade - she has moved to another apartment on Alma/Spring Valley in Plano so will be in a Plano ward.
Vickie Isaac - she and her family have moved to Logan, Utah.
Kimberly Spurgeon - she moved into another apartment more conducive to her medical needs in the Richardson Second Ward boundaries.
Rachael Naegle - she and her husband (and unborn little daughter!!) have moved into the Dallas 6th ward boundaries.
Lisa Salmon - she and her husband, Linton, have moved to the San Francisco Bay area.
Karen Tutor - she has been here to help her aged mother and will return to her home and take care of her there.
Sisters moving in have been:
Julianne Bawden - she and her husband moved here from Arizona for business.
Marianne Stoddard - she simply moved across ward boundaries from a house in Richard Second Ward (recently sold) to a townhouse in our ward! Many of us know her and her family and are so happy to came to us!
Laura Nelson - she just moved from an apartment into a house they have renovated in our ward boundaries - yeah!
Cidra Ann Sharer - (We "found" her!) She and her sons along with husband Eric have been living inour ward for several months.
Maria Fonua & "Lainey"Asoau - they are cousins and share an apartment with Lainie's husband "T" Asoau.
Camille Scott - she is newly married (from the Singles Ward) and lives with her new husband.
AND, the list changes on a weekly basis! (ask poor Alissa!)
I am in Ether in the Book of Mormon and the first thing done in this chapter is to list all the names in
his genealogy. EVERYONE, EVERY name, EVERY person is important and counted by the Lord and by us!
Saturday, April 21, 2012
Sunday's Lesson
Our lesson in Relief Society tomorrow will be focused on Elder Bednar's talk entitled, "The Hearts of the Children Shall Turn" given during the October 2011 General Conference. We hope you will all be able to read it and come prepared to discuss his message.
Click here to go to the talk
Click here to go to the talk
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Water Finale!
Well Sisters, we are coming to the end of our big push to "get our acts together" with water storage. You have done a wonderful job, and I have enjoyed working with you.
THIS TUESDAY, APRIL 24th at 7:00 p.m., we will meet at my home for the "final act." We will cut wood 2x4's for you to take home and set your 55 gallon water drums on. We can cut smaller wood for the 5 gallon containers, also. We'll have the wood available that night, just bring a little money ($1-$5) to cover the cost of wood that you may need. Feel free to come and go as you please. If you can't make it, but would like to have wood cut for you, just me know what you need.
You'll be able to pick up the rest of your water-related items that have arrived at my home. I will also be answering any other questions related to water, and how to get your containers all set up/filled up. Feel free to bring husbands if you like. We'll have a fantastic time as usual!
SEE YOU THERE!
THIS TUESDAY, APRIL 24th at 7:00 p.m., we will meet at my home for the "final act." We will cut wood 2x4's for you to take home and set your 55 gallon water drums on. We can cut smaller wood for the 5 gallon containers, also. We'll have the wood available that night, just bring a little money ($1-$5) to cover the cost of wood that you may need. Feel free to come and go as you please. If you can't make it, but would like to have wood cut for you, just me know what you need.
You'll be able to pick up the rest of your water-related items that have arrived at my home. I will also be answering any other questions related to water, and how to get your containers all set up/filled up. Feel free to bring husbands if you like. We'll have a fantastic time as usual!
SEE YOU THERE!
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Are we HEAVEN ...Ready?
I am on NewFamilySearch getting some family names ready to take to the temple. It has flashed through my mind that I wonder if these individuals are ready to hear and accept the covenants that I will preform for them vicariously. Then, of course, I reflect on my own attitude and testimony.
I am getting these names "TEMPLE READY". But I wonder if I appreciate that the temple is to make me "HEAVEN READY".
Here are the questions I ask myself:
1. Am I making temple attendance a priority? I do not have any children at home and can go whenever I want - so - when do I go?
2. Do I know the temple schedule? For instance, the temple will be closed on April 23 and not reopen till May 10 - am I going to make temple worship this week a MAJOR priority?
3. Do I actively seek to find the names of those in my family who have gone on before me? I know THEY know I live 5 minutes from a temple. I know THEY know I understand somewhat the nature of the "post-mortal" world and that they went before me so I could come now and do this work for them.
4. Do I fully appreciate that my actions now speak VOLUMES about my desire to live with my Father in Heaven and my Elder Brother Jesus Christ?
I want to be temple worthy...Temple Ready...AND HEAVEN SENT!
I am getting these names "TEMPLE READY". But I wonder if I appreciate that the temple is to make me "HEAVEN READY".
Here are the questions I ask myself:
1. Am I making temple attendance a priority? I do not have any children at home and can go whenever I want - so - when do I go?
2. Do I know the temple schedule? For instance, the temple will be closed on April 23 and not reopen till May 10 - am I going to make temple worship this week a MAJOR priority?
3. Do I actively seek to find the names of those in my family who have gone on before me? I know THEY know I live 5 minutes from a temple. I know THEY know I understand somewhat the nature of the "post-mortal" world and that they went before me so I could come now and do this work for them.
4. Do I fully appreciate that my actions now speak VOLUMES about my desire to live with my Father in Heaven and my Elder Brother Jesus Christ?
I want to be temple worthy...Temple Ready...AND HEAVEN SENT!
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
"I CAN SEE THE WORLD IN MY OWN GARDEN"
I have been working in some flower beds in my back yard, and just pondering how Heavenly Father gives us so much symmetry in all his creations. I love perennial flowers - they come back every year, generally stronger and more beautiful than the year before. I can depend on them, their roots are deep and strong and they are always ready to contribute - I love people like that as well. I know they will be committed and perform, and their "testimony roots" grow stronger every year.
I can compare the noxious weeds as I struggle to pull and clean them out, as the persistent trials and struggles and miserable developing habits, we deal with everyday. I know that if I don't clean out every bit of the root, they will be right back.
Every year I buy a few annual flowers - they are beautiful and make a big splash and then they are gone, until I spend more money to replace the following year. I have met people like that as well - Very showy, but with little staying power. Fortunately, I don't have much money for annuals.
I love the trees in my yard, tall, strong, deep rooted. Some even produce a product like pears or pecans. They remind me of the Priesthood in my life, my late husband, my father, the Bishop and my home teacher. They are there for me stable and dependable.
I love the "volunteers" in my garden, they just find a place and volunteer to fill that spot. They remind me of the great friends I have in the Dallas 4th Ward, who are always volunteering to help and love, or give time.
I love "knockout" roses, and I buy one every year. They "magnify their callling" as roses. They bloom several times a year - contantly contributing to my joy! They are like the gospel in my life, because the blessing of the Gospel in my life is endless.
Finally I love my blackberry bushes - they were the love of my husband's garden, and I have merely tended them for him since his death. They have mean thorns that protect their delicate delicious fruit, and I have a healthy respect for them - even the birds don't go near them. But when I get to harvest them with a gloved hand, they remind me of Alma's seeds of faith, they are delicious to my soul....
I can compare the noxious weeds as I struggle to pull and clean them out, as the persistent trials and struggles and miserable developing habits, we deal with everyday. I know that if I don't clean out every bit of the root, they will be right back.
Every year I buy a few annual flowers - they are beautiful and make a big splash and then they are gone, until I spend more money to replace the following year. I have met people like that as well - Very showy, but with little staying power. Fortunately, I don't have much money for annuals.
I love the trees in my yard, tall, strong, deep rooted. Some even produce a product like pears or pecans. They remind me of the Priesthood in my life, my late husband, my father, the Bishop and my home teacher. They are there for me stable and dependable.
I love the "volunteers" in my garden, they just find a place and volunteer to fill that spot. They remind me of the great friends I have in the Dallas 4th Ward, who are always volunteering to help and love, or give time.
I love "knockout" roses, and I buy one every year. They "magnify their callling" as roses. They bloom several times a year - contantly contributing to my joy! They are like the gospel in my life, because the blessing of the Gospel in my life is endless.
Finally I love my blackberry bushes - they were the love of my husband's garden, and I have merely tended them for him since his death. They have mean thorns that protect their delicate delicious fruit, and I have a healthy respect for them - even the birds don't go near them. But when I get to harvest them with a gloved hand, they remind me of Alma's seeds of faith, they are delicious to my soul....
Immortality of the Soul
Hello my friends and sisters,
On Sunday April 15th we will share our thoughts and feelings about chapter 7 "The Immortality of the Soul" from the Teachings of George Albert Smith. Our Soul is the combination of our spirit and our body. Immortality is about us being eternal beings. Our mortal life is between our premortal life (living with our Father in Heaven as spirit children) and our next life where we will hopefully live with God again (our body and spirit reunited). I love the way President Smith reminds us we are now in the middle of our eternal life.
So, think about how you may want to live your life if you are in the middle, not the beginning of your life or the end of your life. It is said that "time stops for no man."
See you Sunday!
With love,
Shirlee
On Sunday April 15th we will share our thoughts and feelings about chapter 7 "The Immortality of the Soul" from the Teachings of George Albert Smith. Our Soul is the combination of our spirit and our body. Immortality is about us being eternal beings. Our mortal life is between our premortal life (living with our Father in Heaven as spirit children) and our next life where we will hopefully live with God again (our body and spirit reunited). I love the way President Smith reminds us we are now in the middle of our eternal life.
So, think about how you may want to live your life if you are in the middle, not the beginning of your life or the end of your life. It is said that "time stops for no man."
See you Sunday!
With love,
Shirlee
Monday, April 9, 2012
Never too much candy...or too much fun!
I had a HUGE Easter weekend. I loved every minute of it! I do not believe one can ever have enough quality candy (which means chocolate - which means LINDOR or Ghirardelli). I also feel that way about FUN.
In the Dallas 4th Ward, with all the cares and needs of church life, Bishop Monroe felt we needed to have some more fun together - and I agree.
Without a specific position of an Activities Chairman on the roster of ward callings, the Bishop decided to have an "impromptu" Ward Picnic at the Campbell Green Park (Park Hill & Campbell) at 6PM to 7PM - TODAY.
This is the PERFECT time to have food, candy, friends, and fun!
In the Dallas 4th Ward, with all the cares and needs of church life, Bishop Monroe felt we needed to have some more fun together - and I agree.
Without a specific position of an Activities Chairman on the roster of ward callings, the Bishop decided to have an "impromptu" Ward Picnic at the Campbell Green Park (Park Hill & Campbell) at 6PM to 7PM - TODAY.
This is the PERFECT time to have food, candy, friends, and fun!
Friday, April 6, 2012
So Many Hands!!
Monday, April 2, 2012
"Robes for Rags"
I received so much personal revelation during the 182nd Annual General Conference, that I find it difficult to find one favorite inspirational thought or talk. HOWEVER, one phrase, as related by our now former General Relief Society President Julie B. Beck, stood out as most appropriate for the coming months.
Our goal for the next three months, as the Dallas 4th Relief Society, is to encourage every worthy sister to exchange "ROBES FOR RAGS".
One of the quotes Sister Beck used was by modern day prophets where they hoped that the women of the Relief Society would discard their "Spiritual Rags" and truly desire the "Glorious Robes" the Lord would have us wear instead. We know they are referring to the temple and the blessings found therein.
In the coming weeks, we will be emphasizing the blessings and responsibilities of female discipleship as it applies to the saving ordinances of the TEMPLE.
For the last two days, I have felt the SPIRITUAL PULL of the Lord for me to want MORE for myself and all those around me.
I want NO WOMAN in our Relief Society to have only rags to wear when we have, right in our own ward boundary, access to GLORIOUS BEAUTIFUL DIVINE ROBES found in the TEMPLE.
Wardrobe change starts......NOW!
Our goal for the next three months, as the Dallas 4th Relief Society, is to encourage every worthy sister to exchange "ROBES FOR RAGS".
One of the quotes Sister Beck used was by modern day prophets where they hoped that the women of the Relief Society would discard their "Spiritual Rags" and truly desire the "Glorious Robes" the Lord would have us wear instead. We know they are referring to the temple and the blessings found therein.
In the coming weeks, we will be emphasizing the blessings and responsibilities of female discipleship as it applies to the saving ordinances of the TEMPLE.
For the last two days, I have felt the SPIRITUAL PULL of the Lord for me to want MORE for myself and all those around me.
I want NO WOMAN in our Relief Society to have only rags to wear when we have, right in our own ward boundary, access to GLORIOUS BEAUTIFUL DIVINE ROBES found in the TEMPLE.
Wardrobe change starts......NOW!
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