On a sad note, Brother and Sister Cooper received word their daughter-in-law unexpectedly passed away. She had been ill for some time but no one thought to this point. She passed away in her sleep. They put things together and flew home to Colorado to be with the family for ten days. Our prayers and thoughts have been with them.
Sister Hale has painted us another picture. This is Jane Austen's home in Chawton. She lived here the last eight years of her life and wrote three novels.
We were on the late shift and baptistry coordinators. We did not have sessions every day, but the ones we did have were neat. A Sister Reinlo and Sister Lynn came in to do 9 family file. Sister Lynn was the proxy and one of the names was Sister Reinlo's close friend. She passed away a year ago and had asked that Sister Reinlo do her work for her. Brother Allen came to assist and he had his mother's card, which Sister Lynn was baptized for. It was a tender time for him and Sister Reinlo as the spirit was felt with this sacred work being done for loved ones.
Saturday was busy with two full sessions, one of youth, and the other of YSA, and a new member family. Again, they had family cards and all who participated felt the spirit of the work being done.
During the week, I spent time entering information into FamilyTree, and adding photos, documents, and stories to some of the family. This is exciting and now I know where I can easily share these things with all of the family as well as all of the world. I also practiced music for the upcoming devotional.
Dad and I each had the spiritual thought for one of the weekly preparation meetings. Our study material was chapter 15: We Should Be a Reverent People, in the Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Spencer W. Kimball.
Dad shared the importance of reverence in the temple with keeping noise to a minimum. He likened it to the building of Solomon's temple. 1 Kings 6:7: "And the house, when it was in building, was built of stone made ready before it was brought thither; so that there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building." It is important to make ourselves ready to enter the temple with preparation to reduce the need for noise in any way.
My thought was how in Primary on Sunday, as I played, "Reverently, Quietly," while the children entered, they ended their laughter and conversations when they recognized the tune, and began quietly singing as they made their way to their seats. President Kimball has counseled us to be a reverent people each day in our thoughts and actions, and show the highest level of reverence for His holy house. During the dedicatory prayer for the London temple, President McKay said: "Therefore may all who enter this holy temple come with clean hands and pure hearts that Thy Holy Spirit may ever be present to comfort, to inspire, and to bless." Reverence is more than just quietly sitting; but, quietly sitting can invite a reverent feeling. Reverence is simple; reverence is humble, and reverence is pure.
Jeanna sent us a package of items we had asked her to send and we were so excited when it arrived. It was almost like Christmas and such fun to see things from America. We cannot buy some things here that we are familiar with and the things you can buy are different. The ingredients are not the same. Thank goodness for the mail system!
We called and sang happy birthday twice this week. On the 17th, Henry turned 5 years old. He was bright and happy and all smiles during the conversation and it was fun to see him so happy.
And then, Jared turned 40, on the 22nd. His siblings surprised him with a party.
Bob, Nelson, Tyler, Jared, Juliann, & Katie.
Sunday was busy with picking up Natalie, teaching our class, and then attending the devotional.
You are cordially invited to attend
London Temple Workers Annual Devotional
Crawley Stake Centre, Old Horsham Road, Crawley, West Sussex, RH11 8PD
Sunday 22nd March 2015 at 5pm
Light refreshments will be served following the meeting.
This gathering provides an opportunity to rejoice and reflect on the remarkable privilege to serve in the House of The Lord.
We had been rehearsing the music for weeks and now was the time to perform. We left at 4 p.m. with Sister Smith and the Mulholland's going with us. The choir members met in the Primary room for a run through and then it was time. I started prelude music 15 minutes before it started and the choir was seated on the stand. People began to fill the chapel and it was quiet. Dad thought we were in the winter visitor branch. There were black badge missionary temple workers, missionary temple workers, periodic temple workers, people from the recorder's office, engineers, security, gardeners, kitchen and laundry staff, accommodation/reception staff, and custodians.
The program proceeded as follows:
Opening Hymn: Oh, Holy Words of Truth and Love
Invocation:
President Stuart Crossland
Sister Jan Crossland
Musical Item: Let Us Oft Speak Kind Words
Sister Lyn Irwin
President David Irwin
Intermediate Hymn: How Beautiful They Temples, Lord
Sister Pamela Johnson, Temple Matron
Musical Item: Quartet: The Lord Is My Shepherd
President Kenneth Johnson, Temple President
Closing Hymn: Lord, I Would Follow Thee
The talks were inspirational and motivating to be more attentive to our duties in the temple and to function in a spirit of reverence and respect. The patron is to be the center in all we do that their experience may be one of joy and gladness. Sister Mulholland directed the choir and they did an outstanding job. She also conducted the congregation. The quartet was made up of her, Sister Smith, Brother Craggs, and Brother Mulholland, and they did a wonderful job.
President Crossland: The temple is high profile for the church. It is the highest level of worship we as members can participate in and is seen and visited by the community. It requires all who work therein and on the outside to perform at their highest level that the temple may always be in keeping with what the Lord would expect.
Sister Crossland: She related our focus on the temple to the time of King Benjamin in the Book of Mormon, when the members came as families and erected their tents with the door facing the temple. Are we facing the temple and are we focused on the saving ordinances therein, or do our minds wonder. She challenged us to be attentive when watching/listening to General Conference in two weeks. When we view it with interest and thought, the spirit has the opportunity to impress us to make changes where changes are needed.
Sister Irwin: Serving in the temple can bring change to our lives, especially if we have come for long periods of time. Just as Brigham Young and Heber C Kimball left families and the cares of the world to come to England on missions, so do we leave families and cares of the world behind to come serve in the temple. President Utchdorf has said that when serving as we are, is a sacred time of change. We are to do our part that each patron experience in the temple is sacred and holy in their lives.
President Irwin: In Plymouth, there are steps where the pilgrims set sail on the Mayflower in 1620. They were headed into a new adventure, seeking a better way. As disciples of Jesus Christ, we are seeking a better way as we come to serve in the temple. As a young boy attending school, each morning we sang a song to begin our day of studies.
President Irwin: In Plymouth, there are steps where the pilgrims set sail on the Mayflower in 1620. They were headed into a new adventure, seeking a better way. As disciples of Jesus Christ, we are seeking a better way as we come to serve in the temple. As a young boy attending school, each morning we sang a song to begin our day of studies.
To Be A Pilgrim
He who would valiant be
'Gainst all disaster
Let him in constancy
Follow the Master.
There's no discouragement
Shall make him once relent
His first avowed intent
To be a pilgrim.
To be a pilgrim, valiant, would be as Nephi said: to "...press forward with a steadfastness in Christ..." Endure to the end by being a strength to others. Our determination to follow the Master requires our obedience to his ordinances as stated in D&C 52:15-16: "Wherefore he that prayeth, whose spirit is contrite, the same is accepted of me if he obey mine ordinances. He that speaketh, whose spirit is contrite, whose language is meek and edifieth, the same is of God if he obey mine ordinances." Elder Holland says obedience is the first law of everything. We can cleanse the inner vessel by eliminating pride.
We need not allow the adversary to cause us to be discouraged. We can change our attitude and serving in the temple is the perfect antidote to discouragement.
Sister Johnson: The temple is holy. It is where the blessings are. How do I enter the temple? Psalm 24:3-5: "Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, note sworn deceitfully. He shall receive the blessing from the Lord..."
She said that as a child, even before the London temple was dedicated, her parents taught her and her siblings the following hymn and to live worthy to marry in the temple one day:
The hymn if from the 1908 hymnal Songs of Zion, by George Manwaring.
In the dedicatory prayer of the rededication of the London Temple, President Hinckley asked that those who work in this holy house will always speak and act with reverence. Sister Johnson attended both the first dedication in 1958 and the rededication in 1992.
President Johnson: Service is the key to happiness, as it was with Ammon in his missionary work: "Now the joy of Ammon was so great even that he was full; yea, he was swallowed up in the joy of his God...." (Alma 27:17)
He told the story of a man and his companion who had to hike across the mountains of Tibet. The weather was very cold, windy, and deep in snow. Slowly they began their journey and as the hours passed, it became evident they would have to keep moving to keep from collapsing and freezing to death. The air was so cold it burned their lungs as they breather it in. They came upon a figure in the snow and as they neared it they could tell it was a man. They checked for a pulse and he was alive. The first man lifted him up and placed him upon his back and continued their journey. His companion chided him for picking up the man as it would take all of his energy to just get himself down the mountain. On they trudged and soon the companion said he was going on ahead and get to warmth and comfort as soon as he could.
The man continued his journey, slowly taking one step after another until he could see the village in sight and knew he was almost there. Before he knew it though, there was another figure face down in the snow. He stopped to check for a pulse and when he rolled the body over, he saw it was him companion and he was dead. His heart was broken as he stared into the cold motionless face of his dear friend.
The man continued on the path and arrived in the village safe and the injured man received care and recovered. The man had been saved by serving another. The warmth of the two bodies together kept them warm and provided the energy needed to complete the task.
So it is with us - when we are serving others we will have the strength to complete the task. Service is where we find true joy, lasting joy, and enduring joy.
Our neighbors, the Rogers.
President & Sister Johnson. The note came with Cadbury chocolate! Yum!
Barbara thank you for your wonderful inspiring words each week, glad you and Bob are well.
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