Kelley Barrow Miles shared a link.
Day 25:
"yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things."
Alma 26:12 #LentChallenge2014 #40daysoftruth
https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/alma/26.12?lang=eng
"yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things."
Alma 26:12 #LentChallenge2014 #40daysoftruth
https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/alma/26.12?lang=eng
Day 24&25: If I've learned one thing during this challenge is that Fridays are the hardest days for me to post! I missed yesterday, but today's post is exciting enough that it can make up for that.
I have a good excuse for yesterday though...
Yesterday James took the day off and we celebrated the first day of spring break hiking up Antelope Island. It was a little more than a 6 mile hike, 2,000 ft up to the peak. It was a blast and the kids did really well. Ben hung out happily in the backpack- we only needed to bribe him a couple of times with gummy bears, Miles walked most of the way up then hitched a ride on shoulders after that- but for little legs, he did awesome, Hailey kept our pace going with aunt Kellilyn (I recommend always brining and aunt with you on hikes! They're very helpful.), and Thomas hung out somewhere in the middle the whole way. It was a beautiful hike. When we got to the top we could see all of Davis County, Weber County, and most of the SLC area. The openness is one of the things I love most about the West.
The landmark that is always funnest for us to find is the temple. We saw the Bountiful Temple, we knew the Salt Lake Temple was somewhere in that city scape, and I think we saw the Ogden Temple as well.
I can not spend a week talking about families without mentioning our LDS temples.
Families are wonderful in every sense, and in every religion. This is who we learn from, and draw strength from. If you are raising (or have raised) a family, kudos to you, because it is hard.
Temples is what makes LDS families different. We still have problems ranging from dinner time arguments to divorce and broken families, I'm afraid no one is immune to problems. But, what happens in the temples helps strengthen our desire to make our families top priority.
Inside the temple we learn more about God's plan for us. We better understand our potential. We learn who we are in a better sense.
We make covenants with God- promising to do His will and in return receive blessings. God does not let us down when he promises us blessings.
But the ultimate blessing of the temple is what is called the sealing. Inside the temple we have the opportunity to be sealed for time and eternity with our families and with our Heavenly family. Traditionally this is done through a marriage ceremony. The words "till death do us part" do not appear in the temple marriage ceremony. We are married for "time and eternity." We know we live beyond the grave, and our family relationships do too. Children who are then born to that couple are "born under the covenant" and automatically become sealed to Heavenly Father's family.
But, (and this is what I love most about His plan) even if you weren't married in the temple, but have decided to become a member of The Church of Jesus Christ, you too can enter the temple and partake of the blessings there.
There is no place that can bring you more peace than inside one of these beautiful buildings. They are the most sacred place you could find yourself in.
I've been attending the temple since I was 12, but most regularly the past 10 years after I was married. I have visited temples in Washington DC; Raleigh, NC; Rexburg, ID; Idaho Falls, ID; Logan, Ut; Brigham City, UT; Ogden, UT; Bountiful, UT; SLC, UT; and Jordan River, UT. There are temples all around the world and every single one has the same blessings found in them- because God is consistent in how he teaches His children.
This has ended up being a really long post. I try to make these things short and sweet. I could go on for a whole week about why I love temples. If you get a chance to visit the grounds of one of the LDS temples, sit down and take a minute to see what and how you feel. Temples are blessing millions of people. It is my favorite part of the gospel of Christ.
I have never seen anyone leave the temple sad. That is the biggest testimony to me. Ann #40daysoftruth #LentChallenge2014
I have a good excuse for yesterday though...
Yesterday James took the day off and we celebrated the first day of spring break hiking up Antelope Island. It was a little more than a 6 mile hike, 2,000 ft up to the peak. It was a blast and the kids did really well. Ben hung out happily in the backpack- we only needed to bribe him a couple of times with gummy bears, Miles walked most of the way up then hitched a ride on shoulders after that- but for little legs, he did awesome, Hailey kept our pace going with aunt Kellilyn (I recommend always brining and aunt with you on hikes! They're very helpful.), and Thomas hung out somewhere in the middle the whole way. It was a beautiful hike. When we got to the top we could see all of Davis County, Weber County, and most of the SLC area. The openness is one of the things I love most about the West.
The landmark that is always funnest for us to find is the temple. We saw the Bountiful Temple, we knew the Salt Lake Temple was somewhere in that city scape, and I think we saw the Ogden Temple as well.
I can not spend a week talking about families without mentioning our LDS temples.
Families are wonderful in every sense, and in every religion. This is who we learn from, and draw strength from. If you are raising (or have raised) a family, kudos to you, because it is hard.
Temples is what makes LDS families different. We still have problems ranging from dinner time arguments to divorce and broken families, I'm afraid no one is immune to problems. But, what happens in the temples helps strengthen our desire to make our families top priority.
Inside the temple we learn more about God's plan for us. We better understand our potential. We learn who we are in a better sense.
We make covenants with God- promising to do His will and in return receive blessings. God does not let us down when he promises us blessings.
But the ultimate blessing of the temple is what is called the sealing. Inside the temple we have the opportunity to be sealed for time and eternity with our families and with our Heavenly family. Traditionally this is done through a marriage ceremony. The words "till death do us part" do not appear in the temple marriage ceremony. We are married for "time and eternity." We know we live beyond the grave, and our family relationships do too. Children who are then born to that couple are "born under the covenant" and automatically become sealed to Heavenly Father's family.
But, (and this is what I love most about His plan) even if you weren't married in the temple, but have decided to become a member of The Church of Jesus Christ, you too can enter the temple and partake of the blessings there.
There is no place that can bring you more peace than inside one of these beautiful buildings. They are the most sacred place you could find yourself in.
I've been attending the temple since I was 12, but most regularly the past 10 years after I was married. I have visited temples in Washington DC; Raleigh, NC; Rexburg, ID; Idaho Falls, ID; Logan, Ut; Brigham City, UT; Ogden, UT; Bountiful, UT; SLC, UT; and Jordan River, UT. There are temples all around the world and every single one has the same blessings found in them- because God is consistent in how he teaches His children.
This has ended up being a really long post. I try to make these things short and sweet. I could go on for a whole week about why I love temples. If you get a chance to visit the grounds of one of the LDS temples, sit down and take a minute to see what and how you feel. Temples are blessing millions of people. It is my favorite part of the gospel of Christ.
I have never seen anyone leave the temple sad. That is the biggest testimony to me. Ann #40daysoftruth #LentChallenge2014
Day 25: God uses the organization of a church to bless His children and to teach them how to return to Him.
Some people choose to not associate with a church. They do not see it as a necessary part of their spirituality. I respect that. I believe you can be very spiritual with out organized religion.
But I do spend a lot of time wondering why God does use organized religion to teach His children. Part of this is just a personal interest in organizational design and behavior, but I also have considered why a church organization is the tool God uses to teach truth.
I believe the church is the scaffolding in place to protect and support the family. God's organizational structure is actually the family.
But since agency (or personal choice) exists, and there is more to our existence than just living on earth, not every family can provide all of the necessary elements God's children need to return back to their Heavenly Father.
Not every person values seeking after truth. Not every family is stable, some people die, some people are too sick, some families do not have all of the resources they need to teach truth and to receive saving ordinances. Because of this, God created the organization of church.
Within a church organization an individual can choose to come and partake of the blessings God has to offer, with or without their family. Of course it is always better with your family, but God will not infringe on another person's freedom to choose. So He will not tie an individual's salvation to another individual's choice.
Within God's church you can access saving ordinances, such as baptism. You have opportunities to make covenants with God. Plus you have the opportunity to serve, fellowship, learn, and commune with others.
When Jesus Christ was on the earth, He established a church so those who accepted Him as their Savior after He left the earth would still be able to access His power, authority, and to make covenants with God. He gave His authority to the twelve apostles. This authority is called the Holy Priesthood.
After time this line of priesthood authority was lost and the church became influenced by political and social agendas.
In 1830 God restored His church on the earth again in preparation for His return to the earth. He restored the church through a prophet, Joseph Smith. (I am going to talk about Joseph Smith in my last ten days...so if you don't know who he is just wait :)) The major part of this restoration was the return of priesthood authority to the earth. (Tomorrow I am going to talk more about priesthood.)
For tonight I just want to say, God uses the organization of the church so all of God's children can have access to saving ordinances; not just certain families. By joining with Christ's church, you become part of Christ's family, and you receive all of the blessings that Christ has received from His Father.
The organization of His Church is a merciful act of God. It is how He blesses all of His children while still respecting their agency. I believe the organization of church is a very good thing.
#40daysoftruth #LentChallenge2014
Some people choose to not associate with a church. They do not see it as a necessary part of their spirituality. I respect that. I believe you can be very spiritual with out organized religion.
But I do spend a lot of time wondering why God does use organized religion to teach His children. Part of this is just a personal interest in organizational design and behavior, but I also have considered why a church organization is the tool God uses to teach truth.
I believe the church is the scaffolding in place to protect and support the family. God's organizational structure is actually the family.
But since agency (or personal choice) exists, and there is more to our existence than just living on earth, not every family can provide all of the necessary elements God's children need to return back to their Heavenly Father.
Not every person values seeking after truth. Not every family is stable, some people die, some people are too sick, some families do not have all of the resources they need to teach truth and to receive saving ordinances. Because of this, God created the organization of church.
Within a church organization an individual can choose to come and partake of the blessings God has to offer, with or without their family. Of course it is always better with your family, but God will not infringe on another person's freedom to choose. So He will not tie an individual's salvation to another individual's choice.
Within God's church you can access saving ordinances, such as baptism. You have opportunities to make covenants with God. Plus you have the opportunity to serve, fellowship, learn, and commune with others.
When Jesus Christ was on the earth, He established a church so those who accepted Him as their Savior after He left the earth would still be able to access His power, authority, and to make covenants with God. He gave His authority to the twelve apostles. This authority is called the Holy Priesthood.
After time this line of priesthood authority was lost and the church became influenced by political and social agendas.
In 1830 God restored His church on the earth again in preparation for His return to the earth. He restored the church through a prophet, Joseph Smith. (I am going to talk about Joseph Smith in my last ten days...so if you don't know who he is just wait :)) The major part of this restoration was the return of priesthood authority to the earth. (Tomorrow I am going to talk more about priesthood.)
For tonight I just want to say, God uses the organization of the church so all of God's children can have access to saving ordinances; not just certain families. By joining with Christ's church, you become part of Christ's family, and you receive all of the blessings that Christ has received from His Father.
The organization of His Church is a merciful act of God. It is how He blesses all of His children while still respecting their agency. I believe the organization of church is a very good thing.
#40daysoftruth #LentChallenge2014
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