Service = Eternal Happiness

This last Saturday I went to the Temple and when I got there I realized that I forgot my recommend. I decided to park in the back of the parking lot and pray instead of going home and getting my recommend. Next to the Mt. Tipanogus Temple is an LDS Church and so I parked my car there facing the Temple. I prayed and felt to create a plan to improve and to help me not be so selfish. So I pulled out my iPaq (hand held computer) and started to plan my strategy. Here are some of the things that I decided to work on:

Putting the Lord First
Wife and family

• Change all diapers at home
  
• This was a hard one to decide to do.
  
• Keep kitchen clean / 15 mins in house
  
• I decided to take the kitchen as my baby and keep it clean and take pride in it.
  
• Pray for patience before coming home
  
• I am not a very patient person by nature and so I have to work really hard at being patient.
  
• Eliminate opportunities to be selfish
• No screaming at anyone
  
• I don't really scream but I talk loud sometimes and my girls and wife think I need to work on how I talk.
  

Focus on my Savior

• Read for 30 Mins (Scriptures)
• Read for 15 Mins (Spiritual Book)
• Always Remember Him
  
• Pray continually
• Build my relationship with my Savior
  
• This will require truly communicating on a daily basis and learning about him through books but most importantly divinely.
  
• Pray earnestly morning and night
• Pray specifically for others
• Identify one person to pray for specifically each week
• Write in Journal each day
• Focus on spiritual barometer
  
• Magnify my calling
• 100% Home Teaching
• Get to Know each family and identify at least one thing to do special for each family.
• Be strict on Weight Watchers
• Fast every Sunday with a purpose
• Obey the Spirit
• Forget myself in his service

Well I have been doing these things and it is amazing the added strength and power that is given to me as I strive to truly come unto Him. I have made it my focus to serve my wive with all my energy, because if I can ease her burden than she can be happier. I also am focusing on serving my girls and making an added effort to play with them. Today has been a hard day and yet one of the happiest I have had in a long time. I remember an other occasion when I served Kiera in every way I could possibly think of for an entire week and that was the best week of my life and Kiera's too. I can bear testimony that through service we can be happier and not just happy but eternally happy. Service is the love language of heaven.

Throw up all over my jacket

Kiera and I were called as Nursery Leader's and today was our first Sunday. Kiera got off easy to some extent because she was called about a month ago to teach Relief Society and so she was only in there for a few minutes. One of the girls in our nursery is Alexa and Lacie's friend, Eden, who is also our neighbor. Well Eden loves me and so she was getting tired and so she wanted me to hold her or she wanted her mom. To me it looked like she was not feeling well but I was not sure. Anyway, she ended up falling asleep in my arms and so I wrapped her in my suit jacket and laid her on the floor in the corner. She became quite interesting to some of the other kids and they would try to go over and wake her up, but I stopped them it was tricky but I was able to do it. :-) Then all the sudden she started throwing up and it got on my jacket and a ton everywhere else. It is amazing she could throw up so much. One of the other workers went and got Jessica, her mom, and I volunteered to take her husband home after church. It was a very eventful first day in nursery.

Lacie bore her testimony for the fist time

Last week our ward split and so both wards decided not to have fast and testimony meeting that week but this week instead. So we had a great testimony meeting today because Lacie bore her testimony for the first time ever in sacrament meeting all by herself and she is only 4 (turns 5 in 9 days). She asked Kiera if she could bare her testimony and Kiera said that she could if she could do it all by herself. Lacie said that she might do it next time, and then shortly after said that she wanted to do it today. She asked me if I would take her and I said I would. Alexa was not very happy about me leaving her and when I stood to go up to the stand she cried, "No, Daddy." It made me feel good and so I took her with me (I have always wanted to take on of my kids up with me and today I had that chance). Lacie went first and the Bishop got the stepping stool out and Lacie bore a great testimony. She said, "I want to bear my testimony, I know that the Church is true and I know that the pioneers are true and the prophets. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen. I was so proud of her. I bore my testimony after her.

Kiera said after church that while I was bearing my testimony Alexa would stand and peer over the railing and wave at her. Lacie was trying to ask if she could come down and sit down and Kiera thought that she was just trying to find out what she was saying. She said that it was funny.

Today was a joyous day as a father.

Charles Henry Teal (Temple experience)

Next was an experience that I hope I never forget. I looked at my card and read the name and for some reason i debated with myself whether the first name was just Charles or if I needed to say both names, Charles Henry. I decided to say both to make sure, but when it came to say the name I got "Charles" out and then I felt a force stop mine utterance. At first I thought I just forgot the name so quickly but later realized that it was not me that stopped my utterance. I realized that Charles was with me and that he had stopped me. I felt a sudden closeness to him and for the rest of the session he was with me. I knew that he had accepted the Gospel and that he was eagerly awaiting this day. I even talked to him several times and thanked the Lord for giving me this opportunity to do the work for this man. When the prayer circle came I felt a need to be up there but decided not to unless I was needed. Interestingly enough the Lord wanted me there whether I wanted to me or not. There was a boy going through for the first time and he stood up there alone. a couple came and stood next to him with the sister on the wrong side and so they thought he had a sister next to him. There was also a sister stood by her self and so they said we needed on more brother. I was not about to let this opportunity pass me and so I literally jumped out of my seat and got up there. I had a thought that this could possibly be Charles's further wife or Kiera suggested that maybe she was going through for his wife. Either was it was neat to feel like I was a part in Charles's happiness. After the prayer we were about to got through the veil and I saw Charles's welcoming party and asked to be a part of it, but if not I was satisfied that I just had such an opportunity. I was not able to be apart of it but was happy as could be. His full name is Charles Henry Teal and he lived in 1888 in Texas. I am not sure if there is any relation to the Teals we knew in Illinois and so I will send this portion of my journal to Kevin Gladhill to give to the Teals just in case.

I want to prepare myself that I can be of help like this in the future.

The scriptures are pure light, devout prayer is needed

I had another wonderful learning experience in the Mt. Tipinogus Temple tonight. I was needing answers to why I retrogress instead of progress in my life. So I decided to fast and pray today until I had some answers, I had just eaten breakfast when I decided to do this. I prayed all day long with little spiritual learning. I got home from work, made dinner for my family, and then went to the Temple.

Right off the bat in the chapel I felt the Spirit with me. As I was praying, I had the scriptures open, and I decided to close them while I was praying (I was thanking Heavenly Father for them and was just feeling them). As I closed them I felt a wave of darkness, and so I opened them again and it was like turning on a flashlight and the light just poured out. The more they were open the more light that came out. I was taught that there is great power contained in these pages and that if we choose to close the scriptures in our lives then we will have darkness, but if we choose to open them and have them become a part of us then our lives will be filled with light and truth.

Still praying I started to flip through the pages, just basking in the light they radiated when I felt inspired to turn to a particular page and then I started feeling the verses and again my body was being filled with light, I felt to stop and I opened my eyes and read the verse, which is below:

Abraham 2:18-20
18 And then we passed from Jershon through the land unto the place of Sechem; it was situated in the plains of Moreh, and we had already come into the borders of the land of the ^aCanaanites, and I offered ^bsacrifice there in the plains of Moreh, and called on the Lord devoutly, because we had already come into the land of this idolatrous nation.

19 And the Lord ^aappeared unto me in answer to my prayers, and said unto me: Unto thy seed will I give this ^bland.

20 And I, Abraham, arose from the place of the altar which I had built unto the Lord, and removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of ^aBethel, and pitched my tent there, Bethel on the west, and ^bHai on the east; and there I built another ^caltar unto the Lord, and ^dcalled again upon the name of the Lord.

I was very impressed with the fact that Moses built an alter to offer sacrifices and to call upon the Lord. I thought long and hard about actually building an alter and thought that on our next family trip we are going to set up the tent and then build an alter to communicate with Heavenly Father. I think we will appreciate what it took in the ancient times to offer up sacrifices and to call upon the Lord. I think we will gain a great understanding that we too must build an alter brick by brick by spiritually preparing ourselves to "devoutly call upon the Lord." Moses prayed devoutly, and we too can pray and communicate with our Father in Heaven devoutly. Then the Lord appeared to Moses in answer to his prayers and I think we too can prepare ourselves to someday have a similar experience, but right now we can have the Holy Ghost as our constant companion if we will just live our lives in accordance with His will.

I also need to follow Moses's advice and pray continually. He built an alter every time they pitched their tents. If Moses can do that I can pray continually by day and night. I feel that I must improve my communication with my Heavenly Father. This will require a change in the way I think and act.

Another thing is that I felt I needed to redouble my efforts with my talk of the month and actually deliver it (film it) and then post it on my blog. I felt that the Lord is teaching and training me and this is something that I need to do. I felt that I needed to get to where I could prepare a talk quickly and be able to deliver it on the spur of the moment.

Home Teaching Template

I was in the shower today and the thought came to me that I should create a template to send out to my companionship's periodically through out the month to further help them go out and visit their families. Once I complete it I will post a copy of it here for anyone to use if they want.

I want the template to have all their families information as well as their companion, so that they can never say they do not have their list of families or that they lost them because they will get them at least twice to three times a month. I also want to include the message whether it is the full text or just links to them, this will make it easy for them to implement the message and hopefully help them read it prior to the day they go out to visit their families. I thought it would be neat that it will allow to inform me when their appointments are and if their companion will be going with them or if I need to go instead. I also may include my thoughts on the message just for an FYI.

I am so excited for this template and think it can be a great contributor to improving Home Teaching in any ward.

Learning in the Temple

I planned to go to the Temple today after work but when I got home I was so tired. I went in and got undressed and grabbed my shorts to put on and had a thought put into my mind to drop the shorts right now and start getting dressed for the Temple or you will not go. I felt that push and luckily obeyed.

I can not tell you about everything that was taught to me while in the session but so much was running through my mind. I will share a few thoughts. First of all I felt in the smallest degree how the prophet Joseph Smith Jr felt when he said,

"It is my meditation all the day & more than my meat & drink to know how I shall make the saints of God to comprehend the visions that roll like an overflowing surge, before my mind" (WJS, p. 196).

For I felt an overwhelming need to record my thoughts for any and all that read but mostly my family can grow from these teachings, and yet I was stuck in a position that I could not record and knew that many of them will be lost from my memory. I am not by any means comparing myself to this great prophet of the restoration which the words and will of God flowed to and through him. I just had the smallest fraction of what that may of felt like.

My mind was drawn to the experience that I had when I was told, "to drop the shorts." I know that I am guilty of not being willing to do what is needed to grow spiritually. It comes in may forms whether it is just being to tired or lazy we as saints of the most High must improve our commitment to our Father in heaven. My mind was brought to think about the Stake Conference or Regional Conference the Saturday session that I had to paint faces (one of my jobs at the time) and decided not to go. One of the speakers explained how everyone has their own personal barriers that are too great to cross. He used that session to explain that those that choose not to attend this session are missing out on many blessings. This is where they should be and yet for some that commitment was too great or unimportant enough to arrange their lives in order to attend. This struck me to the very core and I knew then that we must not allow our own wills to stop us from doing the will of Him that sent us.

Luke 2:49
49 And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? ^awist ye not that I must be about my ^bFather’s business?

John 5:30
30 I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is ^ajust; because I seek not mine own ^bwill, but the ^cwill of the Father which hath sent me.

We also must not strive to do our own will but the will of the Father just like our elder brother, Jesus Christ. I also thought about a Stake President that someone told me once that he said that he does not watch TV or listen to the radio because he can't afford to lose the Spirit. Do we just not care or is that too much to ask of us. What is too much to ask of us. Do we have to be commanded in all things.

D&C 58:26
26 For behold, it is not meet that I should command in all things; for he that is ^acompelled in all things, the same is a ^bslothful and not a wise servant; wherefore he receiveth no reward.

I thought to myself what if I were called to be a Stake President tomorrow, what would I change. Then then thought came, why do I have to wait to change. We are told to carry our cross, I see nowhere in scripture where it says to wait until called to carry your cross.

Matthew 10:38
38 And he that taketh not his ^across, and followeth after me, is not ^bworthy of me.

2 Nephi 9:18
18 But, behold, the ^arighteous, the ^bsaints of the Holy One of Israel, they who have believed in the Holy One of Israel, they who have endured the ^ccrosses of the world, and despised the shame of it, they shall ^dinherit the ^ekingdom of God, which was prepared for them ^ffrom the foundation of the world, and their ^gjoy shall be full ^hforever.

Jacob 1:8
8 Wherefore, we would to God that we could persuade all men ^anot to rebel against God, to ^bprovoke him to anger, but that all men would believe in Christ, and view his death, and suffer his ^ccross and bear the shame of the world...

Alma 34:33, 35

33 And now, as I said unto you before, as ye have had so many ^awitnesses, therefore, I beseech of you that ye do not ^bprocrastinate the day of your ^crepentance until the end; for after this day of life, which is given us to prepare for eternity, behold, if we do not improve our time while in this life, then cometh the ^dnight of ^edarkness wherein there can be no labor performed.

• • •

35 For behold, if ye have procrastinated the day of your repentance even until death, behold, ye have become ^asubjected to the spirit of the devil, and he doth ^bseal you his; therefore, the Spirit of the Lord hath withdrawn from you, and hath no place in you, and the devil hath all power over you; and this is the final state of the wicked.

Begin today with me to carry our cross that we may be called his disciple and numbered among His sheep that hear his voice.

John 10:27
27 My ^asheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they ^bfollow me:

Another thing that I thought about was how on earth Jesus had not a place to lay his head.

Matthew 8:20
20 And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.

Now he has not only over a hundred Temples on earth but He now has dominions, palaces, kingdoms, and in short all that the father hath.

John 16:15
15 All ^athings that the ^bFather hath are mine...

Let me just sum it up by saying I cried a lot and feel closer to my Father in Heaven and yet feel to repent and become better. I feel just as Joseph Smith felt when he proclaimed,

Discourses of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p47
If you wish to go where God is, you must be like God, or possess the principles which God possesses, for if we are not drawing towards God in principle, we are going from him and drawing towards the devil. Yes, I am standing in the midst of all kinds of people.

Search your hearts, and see if you are like God. I have searched mine, and feel to repent of all my sins.

I absolutely love the Temple and love my Savior.

Written by Craig Conover on 1/8/07.

To print click here.

Do we qualify for salvation?

Mosiah 4:4-8
4 And king Benjamin again opened his mouth and began to speak unto them, saying: My friends and my brethren, my kindred and my people, I would again call your attention, that ye may hear and understand the remainder of my words which I shall speak unto you.

5 For behold, if the knowledge of the goodness of God at this time has awakened you to a sense of your ^anothingness, and your worthless and fallen state—

6 I say unto you, if ye have come to a ^aknowledge of the goodness of God, and his matchless power, and his wisdom, and his patience, and his long-suffering towards the children of men; and also, the ^batonement which has been prepared from the ^cfoundation of the world, that thereby salvation might come to him that should put his ^dtrust in the Lord, and should be diligent in keeping his commandments, and continue in the faith even unto the end of his life, I mean the life of the mortal body—

7 I say, that this is the man who receiveth salvation, through the atonement which was prepared from the foundation of the world for all mankind, which ever were since the ^afall of Adam, or who are, or who ever shall be, even unto the end of the world.

8 And this is the means whereby salvation cometh. And there is ^anone other salvation save this which hath been spoken of; neither are there any conditions whereby man can be saved except the conditions which I have told you.

To begin with King Benjamin started by calling them friends. The Savior also used the word "friend" and it had a powerful impact. Then King Benjamin outlined the path of salvation. As I read this all I could think about is that I have a long way to go. I have these great words as well as all the words of the prophets both ancient and recent that detail that path of salvation. I can tell you that I will be making some changes in my life to qualify me for this salvation that King Benjamin outlined. Do not read the words passively, but rather have them become a part of you. If they are a part of you then can the power of the words flow through your veins and salvation will come and along the way we will be servants of our Lord, Jesus Christ.