What a Birthday!

We passed a new milestone in our family life last Saturday. We celebrated Patsy's 76th birthday without her for the first time. It was bittersweet, but also joyful. Whenever I asked her what she wanted for her birthday the answer always was, "Let's go to the temple."

So that's what we did. We reserved the largest sealing room at the new Orem Temple, and we did our best to fill it up. I never knew anyone who loved the temple more than Patsy. Her spirit, along with others who are in the spirit world with her now, were no doubt there with us. As we performed this sacred work where we unite families for time and for all eternity under priesthood authority, we were unified and uplifted in our service to them. 

Grand-daughter Lily Bayles took my breath away when she showed up in one of her Grandmother's unique sweaters, inherited in the distribution of her personal clothing. She's standing next to the old white-haired guy in the middle of the photo festooned in hearts. That was a thrill for me. 

If there had been a patent available for use of the heart, Patsy would have been at the front of that line. Her hearts were a symbol for the love she showered on all of us, and will be a forever reminder of her whenever we see one. Even heart-shaped rocks along the shoreline of a beach somewhere in the world are emblematic of her.

I am so grateful for the access we have to temples in these last days. President Russell M. Nelson is doing all he can to make access to temples available to the saints throughout the world. It is a glorious season of temple building, and I feel so blessed to be a witness to this expansion.

I have been studying D&C 109 recently, which is Joseph Smith's dedicatory prayer at the Kirtland Temple, and this morning these verses leaped off the page at me:

Remember all thy church, O Lord, with all their families, and all their immediate connections, with all their sick and afflicted ones, with all the poor and meek of the earth; that the kingdom, which thou hast set up without hands, may become a great mountain and fill the whole earth;

That thy church may come forth out of the wilderness of darkness, and shine forth fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners;

And be adorned as a bride for that day when thou shalt unveil the heavens, and cause the mountains to flow down at thy presence, and the valleys to be exalted, the rough places made smooth; that thy glory may fill the earth;

That when the trump shall sound for the dead, we shall be caught up in the cloud to meet thee, that we may ever be with the Lord;

That our garments may be pure, that we may be clothed upon with robes of righteousness, with palms in our hands, and crowns of glory upon our heads, and reap eternal joy for all our sufferings. (D&C 109:72-76).

Truly, the temples that now dot the earth are an evidence of the fulfillment of this prophetic dedicatory prayer. The year was 1836, making the youthful prophet who uttered these inspired words only 31 years old at the time. Ask yourselves, "How could such a young and inexperienced man be so filled with certainty about what could only have seemed like a very tenuous future?" 

The answer is simple for me. He did not stand alone. His calling was divine. He was on an errand from the Lord to lay the foundation of a great work of Restoration to make the fulness of the Father's blessings available to ALL his children. 

We are truly living in that day when "thy church may come forth out of the wilderness of darkness" and shine. We are witnesses, and we can stand shoulder to shoulder with our brothers and sisters all around the world and rejoice over what we are seeing, feeling and living today.

I am thankful beyond expression for these realities. "How can you be so certain?" one may ask. I would respond with Alma's words as though they are my own:

For I am called to speak after this manner, according to the holy order of God, which is in Christ Jesus; yea, I am commanded to stand and testify unto this people the things which have been spoken by our fathers concerning the things which are to come.

And this is not all. Do ye not suppose that I know of these things myself? Behold, I testify unto you that I do know that these things whereof I have spoken are true. And how do ye suppose that I know of their surety?

Behold, I say unto you they are made known unto me by the Holy Spirit of God. Behold, I have fasted and prayed many days that I might know these things of myself. And now I do know of myself that they are true; for the Lord God hath made them manifest unto me by his Holy Spirit; and this is the spirit of revelation which is in me.

And moreover, I say unto you that it has thus been revealed unto me, that the words which have been spoken by our fathers are true, even so according to the spirit of prophecy which is in me, which is also by the manifestation of the Spirit of God. (Alma 5:44-47).

The more we invest our faith in God and Jesus Christ, the deeper our conviction goes, until it becomes within us as it were a burning fire in our bones. I have been consumed with it these past three days, and I am so thankful for a testimony like Alma describes.

I know this testimony is within the reach of all of us who are earnest seekers of truth. 

Baptism of Fire

This past weekend we witnessed the 194th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The culmination of the weekend came in the closing remarks of President Russell M. Nelson as he announced fifteen more new temples. That brings the total number of temples either in planning, announced, under construction and actively operating to 350 worldwide. It is a remarkable temple building era in which we find ourselves, and we are witnessing the fulfillment of these promised blessings in a dramatic demonstration of the power of the covenant of the gospel's restoration. 

In discussing my impressions of the weekend with others in my family, I have been struck with the memory of three significant teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith:

Teaching1: “Baptism is a holy ordinance preparatory to the reception of the Holy Ghost; it is the channel and key by which the Holy Ghost will be administered.” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pp. 95-96).

Teaching 2: “You might as well baptize a bag of sand as a man, if not done in view of the remission of sins and getting of the Holy Ghost. Baptism by water is but half a baptism, and is good for nothing without the other half — that is, the baptism of the Holy Ghost.” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 95).

Teaching 3: “The baptism of water, without the baptism of fire and the Holy Ghost attending it, is of no use. They are necessarily and inseparably connected.” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 90).

The scriptures from which Joseph no doubt reached his conclusions include:

Nephi declared, “For the gate by which ye should enter is repentance and baptism by water; and then cometh a remission of your sins by fire and by the Holy Ghost.” (2 Nephi 31:27).

The Savior Himself proclaimed, “Now this is the commandment: Repent, all ye ends of the earth, and come unto me and be baptized in my name, that ye may be sanctified by the reception of the Holy Ghost, that ye may stand spotless before me at the last day.” (3 Nephi 27:20).

As I discussed my impressions with one member of the family, they made the comment that they didn't think they had ever had the "baptism of fire" in their life, and asked me if I had. I responded that I had, and I believed he had too. It is the natural outgrowth of a life lived in the path of discipleship if we are true and faithful to our covenants. 

I remembered this poignant scripture to illustrate my point: 

"As well might man stretch forth his puny arm to stop the Missouri river in its decreed course, or to turn it up stream, as to hinder the Almighty from pouring down knowledge from heaven upon the heads of the Latter-day Saints." (Doctrine and Covenants 121:33). 

"And ye shall offer for a sacrifice unto me a broken heart and a contrite spirit. And whoso cometh unto me with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, him will I baptize with fire and with the Holy Ghost, even as the Lamanites, because of their faith in me at the time of their conversion, were baptized with fire and with the Holy Ghost, and they knew it not." (3 Nephi 9:20).

How is it possible that we can receive the supernal gift of the Holy Ghost "and they knew it not?" I fear it may happen more than we realize. I wonder how many tuned in to General Conference and failed to recognize the powerful spiritual outpouring that was happening. Could it be we "knew it not?" The gift was poured out upon the congregation, both those in attendance in the Conference Center, and those tuning in across the world via satellite transmission. 

President Nelson mentioned this was the 40th year anniversary since he and President Dallin H. Oaks were called to serve as Apostles. Think of the hundreds of addresses they have given since that day!! I am in awe of their longevity and their steadfast discipleship!

In prescribing the duties of elders in his latter-day church, the Lord said, among other things, that they were “to confirm those who are baptized into the church, by the laying on of hands for the baptism of fire and the Holy Ghost, according to the scriptures.” (D&C 20:41).

We have all been made partakers of the gift of the Holy Ghost. Sometimes we forget just how fragile the gift is because we are told it is a "still, small voice" that whispers truth to our souls. It confirms what we believe with an eye of faith. It gives us assurance when we are faltering, wondering if we will ever measure up to our potential as sons and daughters of God. 

The image of likening the Holy Ghost to a baptism of fire is apt. Ask yourselves as you read this entry, "Have I ever felt the all-consuming influence of the Holy Ghost in my life? How did it make me feel? Did it feel like fire? Did my whole soul feel consumed by power? Did I feel a rush of confirming truth in an instant? Did it persist as I listened to a powerful speaker?

One such speaker last weekend for me was President Susan H. Porter, Primary General President, as she spoke to the children about the principles involved in learning how to pray. Her teachings were simple, straight from her heart, and powerful in her conviction. Even the least of the children could feel the power of the Spirit as she taught.

We live in a time of remarkable ongoing revelation from God to us. We witnessed it in rich abundance this past weekend. I felt an unmistakable outpouring of goodness from our leaders. It went down into my heart like fire.

Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay. (Jeremiah 20:9).

I invite you to rejoice with me in the reality of our collective baptism of fire in these last days. It is an unmistakable gift of the Father to each of us. I pray we may accept it and embrace it universally.

Jacob the Prophet

Yesterday, I was in the Provo City Center Temple for an endowment session with two of my daughters. I had a name for the proxy ordinance from my family genealogy - the husband of my second cousin, twice removed, who was born in 1896 in Italy. 

I arrived an hour early so I could spend some time reading in The Book of Mormon. I began reading in Jacob 1. He was given the gold plates by his older brother, Nephi, to continue writing his account. I read:

"Wherefore we labored diligently among our people, that we might persuade them to come unto Christ, and partake of the goodness of God, that they might enter into his rest, lest by any means he should swear in his wrath they should not enter in, as in the provocation in the days of temptation while the children of Israel were in the wilderness.

"Wherefore, we would to God that we could persuade all men not to rebel against God, to provoke him to anger, but that all men would believe in Christ, and view his death, and suffer his cross and bear the shame of the world; wherefore, I, Jacob, take it upon me to fulfil the commandment of my brother Nephi." (Jacob 1:7-8).

This sincere prophet leader was anxious to fulfill his duty. He described how difficult it was to write on the gold plates, and he repeated the injunction of his brother, Nephi, to record and retain only those things that were precious and spirit-filled. He was to leave the historical aspects aside. "These plates" always referred to the small plates of Nephi, while "those plates" referred to the large plates of Nephi that contained the history. He preserved many plain and precious truths for us.

I was always impressed with Jacob, so much so that I named one of our sons Jacob, and I often referred to this faithful son as "Jacob the Prophet." He has proven worthy of that moniker in every way.

I pondered that phrase cited above, "bear the shame of the world," and would offer these thoughts for your consideration. It was easy to contemplate in those quiet confines of the temple chapel, and I recalled a passage from Joseph Smith's Lectures on Faith. If we would have the fellowship of our Savior Jesus Christ, we must be willing to endure humiliation, to “lay down his all, his character and reputation, his honor, and applause, his good name among men, his houses, his lands, his brothers and sisters, his wife and children, and even his own life also-counting all things but fifth and dross for the excellency of the knowledge of Jesus Christ” (Lectures on Faith 6:5).

The man of faith must learn to walk with confidence amidst the shouts of scorn from those in the “great and spacious building” (1 Nephi 8:26). When people trust in the Lord their gaze is not diverted from the Savior, for they know full well that the “sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed [to] us.” (Romans 8:18; see also 1 Nephi 8:33; 2 Nephi 9:18.)

I am no longer embedded in the things of the world as I once was. It's easier for me to think loftier thoughts these days. And this thought has persisted through the night and into today. What are we willing to give up for the "excellency" of the knowledge of Jesus Christ? There is an exchange posited here. We are informed by Jacob that we can't have it both ways. Either we love Christ or we love the ways and the praise of the world. It is an "either-or" proposition. That's a hard doctrine, but one, when embraced and lived, brings peace and solace to the soul.

There was a time in my life when I had to choose that choice. I walked away from a compromising position and decided I would pursue my long-desired ambition to teach released-time Seminary (religious training) to high school students. I had three simple goals upon returning from my mission to Great Britain in 1969: 1) Be a tour guide on Temple Square; 2) teach Seminary; and 3) sing in the Tabernacle Choir. I had already achieved number one, and now, I thought somewhat naively, it was time to pursue number two.

I was accepted for my student teaching at Brighton High School, then I was offered a full-time contract for the next school year. When they put the paper work in front of me, I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. It was a paltry sum of money that would not be possible to support our growing family. I had to turn it down. I found other employment, and that choice has proven to be efficacious in every way. The third goal was never realized, singing in the Tabernacle Choir.

My point in sharing that story is when we eschew the luring enticing of the world's demands and choose Christ instead, we are sustained, blessed and magnified in ways we never would have imagined. Some things just make no sense on paper. Pragmatism often wins out when pitted against spiritual goals. Remember that when given the choice (and all of you surely will be) choosing Christ and His kingdom here on earth above all other considerations will serve you well in the long run. Take it from one who is now at the end of the "long" run through mortality, there is peace.

Here's the irony of it all - I have now been asked to teach remote Institute at this late stage. The compensation? None. The satisfaction? Immense. We learned a lot through the imposed vaccines and quarantines associated with COVID-19 as we have now passed the four-year anniversary of that worldwide pandemic, and one of those realities was that we could gather remotely via technology. I will now have that opportunity to scratch that itch that was not possible so long ago.

So, lesson learned. Take the long view, be patient, and all things will work together for your good and hopefully for the blessing of those you serve. 

Happy Leap Year Day

It's a bonus day in the calendar this year. Leap Year, as it has come to be known, is an attempt to adjust the calendar. This explanation from the scientists may help:

"A calendar year is typically 365 days long. These so called 'common years' loosely define the number of days it takes the Earth to complete one orbit around the Sun. But 365 is actually a rounded number. It takes Earth 365.242190 days to orbit the Sun, or 365 days 5 hours 48 minutes and 56 seconds. This 'sidereal' year is slightly longer than the calendar year, and that extra 5 hours 48 minutes and 56 seconds needs to be accounted for somehow. If we didn’t account for this extra time, the seasons would begin to drift. This would be annoying if not devastating, because over a period of about 700 years our summers, which we’ve come to expect in June in the northern hemisphere, would begin to occur in December! 

"By adding an extra day every four years, our calendar years stay adjusted to the sidereal year. . ." 

There's additional "fixing" that goes on to make finer adjustments, but you get the idea. All I know is that today I have an additional day to post another offering.

What I know is this, as we look forward to "springing forward" an hour in our clocks - the sun always wins as the seasons change in the Northern Hemisphere. No one greets that reality with more verve and sheer joy than me. When will that change occur? Daylight Savings kicks in this year on May 10th. It's a Sunday, so we turn our clocks ahead by one hour. 

Daylight saving time, also referred to as daylight savings time, daylight time, or summer time, is the practice of advancing clocks to make better use of the longer daylight available during summer, so that darkness falls at a later clock time. Then we reverse course in the fall and "fall back" an hour on Sunday, November 3rd this year.

Seems we're always tinkering with this or that, doesn't it?

I know this for sure: I love the full moons each month. I live in "dark sky" country at night. I open the blinds and allow the moonlight to fill the bedroom. And I love it as I observe the sun moving further north a little bit each day as it rises in the morning. The changes of season are evidence to me of an all-wise Heavenly Father, whose creations never cease to amaze me. 

I am particularly grateful to live in a day when science has advanced to the place where it is now. I was informed a few weeks back after a visit to my regular dentist, Dr. Cox, that I needed a root canal. The filling he had just provided went deep into the nerves in the tooth, and he recommended the additional procedure as a precaution against further damage. So I relied on son Jake's expertise (he provides marketing services for dentists), and he came up with a recommendation for an outstanding dentist nearby in Midway, who happens to love doing root canals. (Dr. Schmutz at the Prince Dental Group, if you need a good recommendation - I give him all five stars!) I was in and out of his office in an hour. State-of-the-art dentistry at its best. I suppose in the days of yesteryear the solution might have been an extraction just to deal with the problem, but now I still have my tooth, pain is eliminated, and science has prevailed.

Speaking of medical science, I am scheduled for a colonoscopy next week. (I know, "TMI"). I picked up my preparatory laxative yesterday. It's no wonder we all live longer these days. It seems there isn't a stone left unturned in my decaying mortal body that doesn't come in for scrutiny by someone these days. Next up will be another post-op check-in to see if my brain is still working. . . (oh boy). 

It's the nature of the beast for me, and I suppose it's just all part of checking all the boxes for old men.

It's also a reminder to me that my season of life is changing, and not always in a fun way either.

Thanks to Melatonin, I still have my dreams to keep me company. The other night I dreamt about being in bed with Patsy basking in the moonlight together, and that dream wiped out every other thought about root canals, colonoscopies, and brain dysfunction. 

God is so good to me.

"I Love Jesus"

This morning I stopped in for breakfast at my favorite bagel joint. The girl behind the counter was dressed like so many her age - you've seen the look - knit cap, heavy sweatshirt with the company logo, baggy sweats, sneakers, lots of piercings and tattoos, including a nose ring and earrings. But the most prominent piece of jewelry was a cross hanging around her neck. I asked, "Tell me about that beautiful necklace you're wearing." To which she responded, "It's because I love Jesus."

You know, so do I. She was a kindred spirit to me. 

That got me thinking about how many levels of love for Jesus there must be in the world today. We all tend to express it in our own way. As our conversation unfolded, she mentioned "The Chosen" is her favorite TV show. She loved how Jesus is portrayed in that series. "He is so kind," she told me. "He loves everyone, and He blesses everyone around Him." 

Jesus Christ truly is the Son of God. He came into the world unheralded and unwelcomed in a time and a place when His people were under subjugation to the Roman Empire. There was much of poverty and punishment to keep the subjects of the Emperor in check. Jerusalem was the acknowledged capitol of Judaism, but it was merely tolerated, not embraced by the Romans, who were an occupying army and were hated and despised by their subjects. The Temple stood as a beacon of hope for the Jews, but even the temple, its ordinances, practices and rituals had been corrupted. It was not a happy environment into which the Savior had come. He cleansed the temple environs twice during His public ministry. 

I have been musing since returning home this morning that my friend behind the counter must surely be content in her admiration for Jesus, enough so that she wore the cross boldly and gladly around her neck. I thought, "What outward symbol would I project? Would there be enough evidence to suggest that I am a disciple of Jesus, or would people observing my outward appearance wonder at my allegiance?"

The closest I came to wearing a cross in my life was my Sigma Chi fraternity ring bearing the image of The White Cross of Sigma Chi. Indeed, upon seeing it when I was serving as a missionary in Northern England, 1967-69, people would sometimes comment that I must be a Catholic father. Some would even take my hand and kiss my ring as a show of worship. 

What I have come to understand later in life is that His image must be reflected in our countenances if we are to accurately be a representation of His grace for us and an example to others. I hope people can seen in my face the commitment within my heart. You can't live a lie and hope to deceive others. 

I have been reflecting on the words of an old favorite hymn "The King of Love My Shepherd Is."

The words are powerful:

1 The King of love my shepherd is, whose goodness faileth never. I nothing lack if I am his, and he is mine forever.

2 Where streams of living water flow, my ransomed soul he leadeth; and where the verdant pastures grow, with food celestial feedeth.

3 Perverse and foolish, oft I strayed, but yet in love he sought me; and on his shoulder gently laid, and home, rejoicing, brought me.

4 In death's dark vale I fear no ill, with thee, dear Lord, beside me; thy rod and staff my comfort still, thy cross before to guide me.

5 Thou spreadst a table in my sight; thy unction grace bestoweth; and oh, what transport of delight from thy pure chalice floweth!

6 And so through all the length of days, thy goodness faileth never; Good Shepherd, may I sing thy praise within thy house forever. (United Methodist Hymnal, 1989).

I make a point of suggesting this morning that our collective love for Jesus may take many forms, and many churches together make a beautiful chorus of praise for our Savior. We must embrace and adore the admiration each has for Him. We may not agree on every point of doctrine, but like my friend behind the bagel counter we can accept one another's testimony on whatever level it may present itself. 

In it all, let us reflect our love for Him by doing the best we can to truly represent Him.