This Above All: To Thine Own Self Be True
The Odgen Temple was dedicated today. Well, re-dedicated. It was a beautiful experience, and I'm so glad I get to live in Utah and experience so many temple dedications.
I was reminded of how blessed I was to have my parents with me when I went through the temple the first time. I knew it was bad timing for most of my family- I mean, my sister had just had a baby, my brother had just moved into a new place and started working, Emma and Richard were in the middle of school, most of my extended family lives in Arizona, so I only had a few close friends and family there, and I am so grateful I was able to have them. My Mom, Dad, Aunt Cindy, Uncle Joe, Racheal, Chelsea, my Bishop... I am so glad they were able to be there with me, but most importantly I was grateful that my parents were able to be there. The temple is the best decision I have ever made. I feel like I went through years ago, as these past almost 4 months have flown by. It seems weird to see my life prior to May 31st, without those extra covenants and promises. I am so glad I was able to go through the temple. I'm so grateful I live in Utah where there are so many temples, and where I can easily get to the temple by bus, since I don't have a car.
I was also really touched by the final song, "The Spirit of God." The line "We'll sing and we'll shout with the armies of heaven, Hosana!, Hosana!, to God and the Lamb!" The armies of heaven. I love that thought. All singing praise to God. Isn't music beautiful? We sang "Be Still My Soul" last week at the CES fireside with Elder Christofferson and he pointed out the line "The winds and waves still know His voice who ruled them while He dwelt below." The winds and waves still know His voice. Isn't that so hopeful? All the elements are ruled by a loving God and His son, Jesus Christ. They are in control.
"Oh it is wonderful to know that our Heavenly Father loves us- even with all our flaws! His love is such that even should we give up on ourselves, He never will. We see ourselves in terms of yesterday and today. Our Heavenly Father sees us in terms of forever. Although we might settle for less, Heavenly Father won't, for He sees us as the glorious beings we are capable of becoming." ~ Joseph B. Wirthlin, 2007.
This is one of my favorite quotes, and I know I share it all the time, but it has taken on an even bigger meaning that ever. I think so often we miss the important fact that trials are for our good. I've struggled a lot this summer with my dad being really sick with MS... it's gotten really bad, and it flat out scares me. I'm worried my children won't get to ever know the great man I was raised by, and I've really struggled as to why this had to happen to him. He's such an amazing person, and he's raised some really awesome kids, if I do say so myself, but most importantly he married my mom, in the temple, and has always treated her like a queen. I keep thinking that maybe if I have enough faith, I can heal him, but.... I finally realized why he was given this trial. God "sees us in terms of forever." "We'll sing and... shout with the armies of heaven, Hosana!... to God and the Lamb!" "The winds and waves still know His voice." How can we, as mere mortals, think we know more than God, who rules the world? He controls the winds and waves. The armies of heaven shout Hosana's to His name! He sees our potential, and will not let us settle for less! His work and glory is to "bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of men." Why would a loving, just God leave us in trials that cut us to the core? Because He loves us. He knows we can never become like Him unless we know the good from the evil, the bad days from the good days, the sick days and the healthy days. We need to experience those so as to reach our eternal potential. How could a loving God send us down here and never give us trials? What if we came to this earth and never learned? What would be the point of being here? That would make Him a mean God... but, God is not mean- He loves us! He knows what we can become and he gives us trials to help get us there. BUT, he also gave us Christ, because He knew we couldn't do it alone!
I am taking an Old Testament class (the first half) and a New Testament class (the second half) this semester, and am amazed by how much love God truly has for us. Don't ever forget that. I know life gets hard, and trials come along, and maybe we aren't where we thought we would be (I mean, I'm 24, single, living in Utah, and working at the U.... so not how I pictured my life at 24), or maybe we feel totally inadequate in all we do (I'm an Assistant Registrar for Student Systems and Technology.... and I have bachelor's degree in History. Think I'm not intimidated?) but if we keep the commandments and follow the guidance God presents us, we can never go wrong.
Also, I love Elder Holland. "God loves us. He is good. He is our Father. And he expects us to pray, and trust, and be believing, and not give up, and not panic, and not retreat, and not jump ship when something doesn't seem to be going just right. We stay in, we keep working, we keep believing, keep trusting, following that same path, and we will live to fall in his arms and feel his embrace and hear him say 'I told you it would be okay. I told you it would be alright.'"
I was reminded of how blessed I was to have my parents with me when I went through the temple the first time. I knew it was bad timing for most of my family- I mean, my sister had just had a baby, my brother had just moved into a new place and started working, Emma and Richard were in the middle of school, most of my extended family lives in Arizona, so I only had a few close friends and family there, and I am so grateful I was able to have them. My Mom, Dad, Aunt Cindy, Uncle Joe, Racheal, Chelsea, my Bishop... I am so glad they were able to be there with me, but most importantly I was grateful that my parents were able to be there. The temple is the best decision I have ever made. I feel like I went through years ago, as these past almost 4 months have flown by. It seems weird to see my life prior to May 31st, without those extra covenants and promises. I am so glad I was able to go through the temple. I'm so grateful I live in Utah where there are so many temples, and where I can easily get to the temple by bus, since I don't have a car.
I was also really touched by the final song, "The Spirit of God." The line "We'll sing and we'll shout with the armies of heaven, Hosana!, Hosana!, to God and the Lamb!" The armies of heaven. I love that thought. All singing praise to God. Isn't music beautiful? We sang "Be Still My Soul" last week at the CES fireside with Elder Christofferson and he pointed out the line "The winds and waves still know His voice who ruled them while He dwelt below." The winds and waves still know His voice. Isn't that so hopeful? All the elements are ruled by a loving God and His son, Jesus Christ. They are in control.
"Oh it is wonderful to know that our Heavenly Father loves us- even with all our flaws! His love is such that even should we give up on ourselves, He never will. We see ourselves in terms of yesterday and today. Our Heavenly Father sees us in terms of forever. Although we might settle for less, Heavenly Father won't, for He sees us as the glorious beings we are capable of becoming." ~ Joseph B. Wirthlin, 2007.
This is one of my favorite quotes, and I know I share it all the time, but it has taken on an even bigger meaning that ever. I think so often we miss the important fact that trials are for our good. I've struggled a lot this summer with my dad being really sick with MS... it's gotten really bad, and it flat out scares me. I'm worried my children won't get to ever know the great man I was raised by, and I've really struggled as to why this had to happen to him. He's such an amazing person, and he's raised some really awesome kids, if I do say so myself, but most importantly he married my mom, in the temple, and has always treated her like a queen. I keep thinking that maybe if I have enough faith, I can heal him, but.... I finally realized why he was given this trial. God "sees us in terms of forever." "We'll sing and... shout with the armies of heaven, Hosana!... to God and the Lamb!" "The winds and waves still know His voice." How can we, as mere mortals, think we know more than God, who rules the world? He controls the winds and waves. The armies of heaven shout Hosana's to His name! He sees our potential, and will not let us settle for less! His work and glory is to "bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of men." Why would a loving, just God leave us in trials that cut us to the core? Because He loves us. He knows we can never become like Him unless we know the good from the evil, the bad days from the good days, the sick days and the healthy days. We need to experience those so as to reach our eternal potential. How could a loving God send us down here and never give us trials? What if we came to this earth and never learned? What would be the point of being here? That would make Him a mean God... but, God is not mean- He loves us! He knows what we can become and he gives us trials to help get us there. BUT, he also gave us Christ, because He knew we couldn't do it alone!
I am taking an Old Testament class (the first half) and a New Testament class (the second half) this semester, and am amazed by how much love God truly has for us. Don't ever forget that. I know life gets hard, and trials come along, and maybe we aren't where we thought we would be (I mean, I'm 24, single, living in Utah, and working at the U.... so not how I pictured my life at 24), or maybe we feel totally inadequate in all we do (I'm an Assistant Registrar for Student Systems and Technology.... and I have bachelor's degree in History. Think I'm not intimidated?) but if we keep the commandments and follow the guidance God presents us, we can never go wrong.
Also, I love Elder Holland. "God loves us. He is good. He is our Father. And he expects us to pray, and trust, and be believing, and not give up, and not panic, and not retreat, and not jump ship when something doesn't seem to be going just right. We stay in, we keep working, we keep believing, keep trusting, following that same path, and we will live to fall in his arms and feel his embrace and hear him say 'I told you it would be okay. I told you it would be alright.'"
Comments
Post a Comment