The Christmas Spirit

Tuesday of this week Elder Walker and I where in our apartment preparing our dinner for the evening when we had an unexpected knock at the door. Elder Walker opened the door to see the smiling face of our next door neighbor holding a small brown box with no label. She asked him if we planned on putting up a Christmas tree, to which he responded that we weren't. She then looked at him and said, " Well then, this is for you two." She handed him the box and inside was a small pre-lit Christmas Tree. We smiled back, thanked her for her hospitality, and wished her a Merry Christmas as she turned towards her door and went into her apartment. 

Immediately after we closed the door, Elder Walker grabbed a knife from the kitchen drawer and opened the box. He was overwhelmed with glee as he pulled the small tree from the box, put the batteries in the bottom of the tree for the lights, and turned it on. Not more then 5 min. after putting the small Christmas tree on our couch side table, there was another knock at the door. Our same generous and cheerful neighbor stood at the door with another box in her hands. She said," Now you can both have one, and when you go home and start your own families, these will be your first Christmas trees." We were grateful and speechless. She handed us the other box and went back into her apartment with a smile on her face. We opened the second box, added the batteries and put it up on the dresser in the bedroom. 

I  tell you this story in hopes that your heart was touched and softened as much as mine was from the generous and selfless gift to two missionaries away from home. I hope that it brings into your mind the true meaning of Christmas. Love is what is really important in the Christmas season. Giving something to another out of charity, or the "Pure LOVE of CHRIST" is what really keeps us the spirit of the season.  I want to think back in your mind to the origin of Christmas, the first Christmas. Do you know the story?

"1 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Cæsar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed...

3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.

4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judæa, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem;...

5 To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.

6 And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.

7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." - Luke 2:1-14

This is the true Spirit of Christmas. The birth of our Savior is the greatest gift that the world has ever seen. It was the first "Christmas gift" if you will. He came from our Father in Heaven's presence. A gift given as an example of the perfect love of a perfect Father. It is my prayer that we can all remember the true meaning of Christmas. I hope that we can all give gifts in the real Spirit that our Father in Heaven and our Savior intend. I hope that we can remember Charity and Love this Christmas, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Temples

"What is the relationship between the ancient temple in Jerusalem and modern temples?" This was another question posed by a reader of one of  my past blogs which gave the invitation for ideas to write.

There are a lot of things to write about temples. I could talk about the time, effort, and sacrifice that goes into the building of such beautiful buildings for the Lord. I could write about how many LDS temples there are functioning around the world at this time, which is about  135. Or I could talk about how difficult it can be to erect one of these beautiful buildings, that will be dedicated to the Lord, in some parts of the world where people are unsure of their purpose.

Although if I were to write about those things, then I would not be answering the question that was posed by the reader. So here we go. How do modern LDS temples compare to Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem? Well first lets identify the purposes of a temple of the Lord as defined by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

"In the temple we are taught, we make covenants, and we are promised blessings. We receive ordinances that enable us to live in the presence of God.

One ordinance we receive in the temple is the endowment. The word endowment means “gift” or “bestowal.” As part of this ordinance, we are taught about the purpose of life, the mission and Atonement of Jesus Christ, and Heavenly Father’s plan for His children. We gain a glimpse of what it will be like to live in His presence as we feel the peaceful atmosphere of the temple.

Another temple ordinance is the sealing ordinance, in which husbands and wives are sealed to each other and children are sealed to their parents in eternal families. This means that if we are faithful to our covenants, our family relationships will continue for eternity.

In addition to receiving these ordinances for ourselves, we can receive them for our deceased ancestors. In this way, people who died without receiving essential ordinances such as baptism and confirmation, the endowment, and sealing have the opportunity to accept these ordinances." - temples.lds.org

Another example of how modern LDS temples are the same as King Solomon's Temple in the Old Testament can be found scriptures taken from both the Holy Bible and the Doctrine and Covenants:

"3 And the Lord said unto him, I have heard thy prayer and thy supplication, that thou hast made before me: I have hallowed this house, which thou hast built, to put my name there for ever; and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually."- (1 Kings 9:3)

"1 The veil was taken from our minds, and the eyes of our understanding were opened.
2 We saw the Lord standing upon the breastwork of the pulpit, before us...
3 ...his voice was as the sound of the rushing of great waters, even the voice of Jehovah, saying:...
6 Let the hearts of your brethren rejoice, and let the hearts of all my people rejoice, who have, with their might, built this house to my name.
7 For behold, I have accepted this house, and my name shall be here; and I will manifest myself to my people in mercy in this house."- (Doctrine and Covenants 110:1-7)

The Lord came to both King Solomon and Joseph Smith within the walls of the temples that were built in His name. He accepted the "House" which King Solomon and the Israelites had built for Him. He likewise accepted the "House" which was built on His behalf, and by His commandment, by the early Latter-day Saints.


Really temples are a thing of beauty and sacredness. They are a light and a beacon to the world of the importance of the Lord, and of the importance of the sacred ordinances that go on within their walls. For so many of us temples are such a blessing. They are truly a "Heaven on Earth".

This short video gives more explanations of temples and their purposes.

"2 And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.

3 And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem "- ( Isiah 2:2-3)

Personal Revelation: Where is it coming from?

First and foremost I would like to apologize for answering this particular question so late. I know that the individual who asked this did so about 2 1/2 weeks ago.  In the end though, I guess that I will just stand by the procrastinators classic phrase in saying, "better late then never!"

In contemplating the question: " how do we know if revelation is from the Spirit of the Lord, or another source?" I have had a few scriptures come to my mind. First I would like to share the "Fruits of the Spirit" as described in the New Testament of the Holy Bible.

"22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law." - (Galatians 5:22-23)

So what can we take away from the scripture that is above? Well if we are questioning where the revelation is coming from, all we have to do is simply think about how we feel when we received it. You see there is this thing about God. God is good. He would not have the Holy Ghost tell us to do something that is bad in our lives. If we doubt whether or not we are receiving revelation from the Holy Ghost, all we have to ask ourselves is, "does this prompting make me want to do something that is good, and will help me grow closer to my Father in Heaven?" Just to give evidence of that point, let's look at another scripture. 

"11 Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that doeth good is of God: but he that doeth evil hath not seen God." - (3 John 1:11)

So really the best way to answer this question is to make it personal to each and every one of us. The Lord talks to each of us in our own unique way through the Spirit. Just as was recorded in The Book of Mormon by the Prophet Nephi;
"3...For the Lord God giveth light unto the understanding; for he speaketh unto men according to their language, unto their understanding..." - (2 Nephi 31:3)

So we read even today in modern revelation given to the World through the Prophet Joseph Smith;
 "1 ...even so surely shall you receive a knowledge of whatsoever things you shall ask in faith, with an honest heart, believing that you shall receive a knowledge...

2 Yea, behold, I will tell you in your mind and in your heart, by the Holy Ghost, which shall come upon you and which shall dwell in your heart." - ( Doctrine and Covenants 8:1-2)

"12 And now, verily, verily, I say unto thee, put your trust in that Spirit which leadeth to do good—yea, to do justly, to walk humbly, to judge righteously; and this is my Spirit." - (Doctrine and Covenants 11:12)

So whenever in doubt about the source of revelation, just kneel in prayer to your Heavenly Father and listen to your heart and your mind. If you have enough faith, you will always receive an answer. If you listen carefully, you will have the Heavens opened unto you.

How to be Worthy of the Holy Ghost

So in response to my first question posted in the comments, I will be addressing what I believe is a righteous desire of someone's heart: How can we have the Spirit always with us?

Let's start with words that are wiser then my own. We read in Doctrine and Covenants (revelations given to the Prophet Joseph Smith) chapter 42 verse 14: 

"14 And the Spirit shall be given unto you by the prayer of faith;..." 

So to start off, I would say that the first and foremost effective way to have the presence of the Spirit with you more, is to pray and ask your Heavenly Father for it. The power and influence of the Holy Ghost is felt most when we are doing things in our lives that are in accordance with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

We read more about the requirements of having the Spirit again in the Doctrine and Covenants: 

  45 Let thy bowels also be full of charity towards all men, and to the household of faith, and let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then...

 46 The Holy Ghost shall be thy constant companion, and thy scepter an unchanging scepter of righteousness and truth; and thy dominion shall be an everlasting dominion, and without compulsory means it shall flow unto thee forever and ever." - (D&C 121: 45-46)

The simplest way I can think of  in order to invite the Spirit in our lives is to do the "Small and Simple" things that are asked of us. As we remain faithful in reading our scriptures, saying our prayers, attending our Church meetings, and serving and "love[ing] [our] neighbour[s] as [ourselves] " - (Matthew 22:39). Then we can rest assured in our hearts that our Father in Heaven will bless us with the Spirit to guide, teach, and comfort us in all that we endure. Just as the Savior promised His disciples:  

" 26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. "- ( John 14: 26-27)

What to write?

Does this look familiar? For some it should. We're having another go at the question and answer period of Elder Owen's blog. I have one blog that I am working on, but I would like to have some ideas from my readers that would be of most benefit to you. So, please write your comments and lets have some more fun with blogging the Gospel!

So it's been a while since I posted a new blog. I was wondering what to post, and I haven't been able to think of anything. So in light of my current predicament, I have decided  to ask my readers, who are probably few and far in between, but I love; what I should write about.

So here is the chance for anyone and everyone to give their input. I will be waiting for suggestions for about 3 or 4 days. If you have any ideas, or would like to know anything about me, missionary work, or the Gospel of Jesus Christ, then now is your chance.  Just leave a comment on this blog about the topic of your choice, and I will do my best to answer and write about all the comments that I get. I'm hoping to get at least 1, so if you really do have any ideas or questions, just let them out. The more the merrier.