Seventeenth Week

I've changed the settings on this blog, so that only the most recent post is on this page.  Please look over to the right and click on the links to older posts, to see what else we've been doing.

 I apologize that I am posting all this on May 7th, but Lane and I have had a hard couple of weeks, with Lane coming down with an influenza-like illness that was almost as bad as any he's had.  Some symptoms are still lingering.  I, too, have had my own health challenges, related to the hereditary blood-vessel disorder I have.  We know that many of you have been praying for us, and we can't express how grateful we are for those prayers; we know that things would not be going as well for us, with all that we have to deal with, without the strength those prayers bring to us.  We can feel the Lord's power in our lives, when we are willing to sacrifice all for Him.  It is more and more clear to us that we are all in this together; that what each of us does affects everyone else, to one degree or another.

Sunday, May 06, 2012

Our new High Council representative visited us today:  Brother Schade (pronounced “Sha-da”), from the LaPine ward.  We’re happy to have him, and look forward to his support and participation in the future.  Most of you know him, because he’s been in the Burns ward to speak before this.  Regarding his call to represent Christmas Valley, replacing Bro. Simons, our Bro. Savage pondered, “So . . . the Stake Presidency was mad at you?”

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Fast-and-Testimony Meeting

The testimonies today were much appreciated, and we had a few more people there than usual, because not everyone had time to give a testimony.  One of the testimonies, in particular, regarded how important it is to remain faithful in the gospel, no matter what--that we should never let hurt feelings keep us from doing our duty in the Church.  When someone becomes inactive and stops keeping the commandments because of hurt feelings, or anything else, they cut off not only themselves, but generations.  I think most families see this pattern today.  A haunting sentence spoken today was, “It breaks my heart that people can give up so much for the gospel [speaking of the sacrifices pioneers made for the restored gospel of Jesus Christ], just to have others throw it away.”

It was reiterated how important it is to keep visiting those who are not attending church, to keep in contact with them, and to try to heal hurt feelings.

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Elder Marlin K. Jensen of the Seventy spoke at a Church Educational System Devotional this evening at 6:00.  This can be watched here:  http://www.lds.org/broadcasts/watch/ces-devotionals/2012/05?lang=eng&pid=738917358001&pkey=AQ~~,AAAAmBrDwtE~,_58lK-P1xvJ5WTHbRnmdONkYkAiPKoal

~ If you want to skip the preliminaries and introductions, Elder Jensen’s speech begins at about 14:03 on the player slider.

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Lane and I had good visits this weekend, and were welcomed by a part-member family whose daughter had been going to another church’s youth group, but was offended at their telling her Mormons are not Christians.  The minister there preached such dark things that she came home upset and confused about God.  This concerned her parents; therefore, she and her parents want to become more active in the Church.

We also visited our newest branch member, who has not been attending church, to our concern.  In talking to her, we felt that she still retains a strong testimony, but has a very busy life and has not put church as a top priority as yet.

Other visits were less fruitful; frequently, in Christmas Valley, there is an address we simply cannot find, whether due to the address number being wrong, or there being none, or other barriers.  We don’t know how these things occur.  More than once, we’ve been on a search for an address, and find the road, but can’t see any house in sight.  The road dwindles into a track that couldn’t possibly have a house at the end of it, so we turn around and go back.  It’s always interesting.

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There was a discussion today about an item in the news recently, where influences are attempting to draw young Amish children and youth away from their culture and introduce them into the modern world, and whether this is good or bad.  When more information was given about “who” is trying to draw them away, it turns out that these are outside sources, and that the parents and the Amish community are against this.  True, the children may learn to deal with technology that they could need in the future, but, at the same time, there is a great deal of evil they are being exposed to, and they are falling victim to it.  If the parents and families of these children are against it, how can it be good?  Too much authority is being taken away from parents today and, in my experience, there is nobody and nothing in the world that adequately replaces the love and care and concern and nurture that parents give to their children.  The quickest way to destroy a family is to take authority away from parents to decide what is best for their children.

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Sixteenth Week--High Council

I apologize that I am posting all this on May 7th, but Lane and I have had a hard couple of weeks, with Lane coming down with an influenza-like illness that was almost as bad as any he's had.  Some symptoms are still lingering.  I, too, have had my own health challenges, related to the hereditary blood-vessel disorder I have.  We know that many of you have been praying for us, and we can't express how grateful we are for those prayers; we know that things would not be going as well for us, with all that we have to deal with, without the strength those prayers bring to us.  We can feel the Lord's power in our lives, when we are willing to sacrifice all for Him.  It is more and more clear to us that we are all in this together; that what each of us does affects everyone else, to one degree or another.

April 30, 2012 Monday

It’s getting hot in Christmas Valley.  The alkaline and sand of the soil seem to contribute to this feeling, possibly because water drains away or evaporates faster.

Today we were happy to receive the High Council speakers, Brother Stacey Davies and Brother Doug Gunderson.  Brother Davies came from Roaring Springs Ranch, where he is a manager, bringing his wife and two of their sons, Scott and Jeff, to visit us.  Brother Gunderson owns and operates a ranch just outside of Burns; he brought his sons Evan and Harlan with him to visit us.  Scott and Evan did us the honor of passing the Sacrament, and our counselor in the branch presidency, Bro. Savage, asked Jeff and Evan to give brief testimonies before their fathers spoke.  We appreciate so much having the High Council members come to speak, and even more so when they bring their families and stay for all three meetings.

Stacey and Elaine Davies, Jeff and Scott behind; Evan and Harlan Gunderson in front, and Doug on the right.

Bro. Davies spoke about how each one of us, in following in our Savior’s footsteps, can be a “savior” or “redeemer” to others at times in our lives.  Many years ago, Elaine had saved him from drowning when they were on a river-rafting trip.  In his job managing the “buckaroos” at Roaring Springs, he has had to bail them out at times when they have gotten too wild and ended up in jail.

What is expected of us as redeemers (or, what characteristics qualify us)?  We must be righteous; we must have a concern for others, or be aware of and help fulfill the needs of others.

He related a story about President Thomas S. Monson, told in “To the Rescue: The Biography of Thomas S. Monson,” by Heidi Swinton.  In this story, President Monson was paying for gasoline.  The young man who approached him from behind the counter had pants which hung low, dreadlocks, piercings, and tattoos.  This did not deter President Monson, who said, “Young man, are you ready to serve a mission?”  He talked a bit about his own mission to Canada, and the wonderful experiences he had had in seeing people’s hearts changed as they accepted the gospel of Jesus Christ.  He then challenged the young man to go home and think about serving a mission, and then pray and ask the Lord if it was the right thing for him to do.

Some time later, President Monson received a letter from this young man, who confessed he hadn’t prayed that night--but a short while later was passing through the living room when his parents were watching General Conference.  He heard the same voice that had told him to pray about going on a mission, so he sat down and listened, and watched the entire conference.  That night he prayed about it, and the answer was yes, that he should serve a mission--which he was preparing to do.

Then Bro. Davies quoted Isaiah 44:22:

"I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee."

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Bro. Gunderson reiterated a question from Elder Dallin H. Oaks’ October 2011 Conference address:  “What think ye of Christ?”  He then discussed what it means to take upon us the name of Christ.

Using an illustration from his own youth, he spoke of how important football was to him in high school, and how hard he worked to become a varsity player and have his own jersey with his name and number.  He felt this was “actually kind of sacred” to him; he “took honor in it,” even feeling like other varsity members were dishonoring the whole idea when they allowed their girlfriends to wear their jerseys.

“Are we contributing enough to the team we’re on?” he asked.  Because of the jersey, he knew he had to perform to his utmost.  When we take upon ourselves the name of Christ, how much more we should perform, or serve Him. 

He talked about both of his grandfathers serving honorably in the military in WWII, and that he named each of his sons after a grandfather, wanting them to do honor to those names.  What are we doing to honor our Savior’s name, to be counted on His team, to contribute to His mission?

Let us ask ourselves this, and ponder if we could do more . . . .

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Teaching--No Greater Call:

Most members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will, at some point, be asked to be a teacher in church.  The Church’s official handbook for teaching in the Church is Teaching--No Greater Call.  It can be found online, and even downloaded to your computer in PDF format:  http://www.lds.org/manual/teaching-no-greater-call-a-resource-guide-for-gospel-teaching?lang=eng

Keeping the Sabbath Day Holy, the 4^th of the Ten Commandments, is very important for our continued happiness and safety, and the Lord’s continuing to bless us.  Part of this is attending church.  It is important to remember that the Sabbath Day is not our day, but is the Lord’s day.  When in church, we are guests in the Lord’s meetinghouse.  He has given us commandments as to what He wants of us on that day.  We attend church to receive gospel teaching--to learn about the Lord and His gospel--as He has commanded us.

Gospel teaching must be a cooperative effort among members of the Lord’s Church.  We must all understand that this is why we are in church.  We are not there to draw attention to ourselves or to air our personal theories or problems or stories, but to be instructed in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  If we all accept this responsibility, then we are careful to ask ourselves, before any comment we may make in classes, whether what we are about to say will reinforce the gospel teaching going on in class at that time, or will it detract from the presence of the Holy Spirit?  Will it deflect the aim the teacher is trying to accomplish, or will it reinforce that aim?  Will it take the focus of the class off the point of the lesson?  If we make the comment, are we taking undue control of class content, and drawing undue attention to ourselves?

The Lord has said that “where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:20).  On the Sabbath Day, let us be good guests of our Lord Jesus Christ.