Why I go to church
Yesterday was a perfect example of why I love
going to church. Speaking frankly, I‘ve been a little depressed lately. But
there was never any question about whether I would attend our church,
the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, where we have a three hour block of
meetings (mine begins at 1pm and goes to 4pm) beginning with sacrament meeting
where we partake of bread and water in the name of Jesus Christ and covenant to
remember him and his atoning sacrifice; next comes Sunday School where various
age groups meet together in a course of study (as an adult I attend the Gospel
Doctrine class); finally we break into Priesthood for the men, Relief Society
for the women, the youth ages 12-17 attend Young Men or Young Women, and the
children ages 3 to 11 attend Primary (little ones 18 months to 3 go to the
Nursery) which began an hour earlier.
Now you will understand what I am talking
about, these terms being defined.
In my Sunday Meetings I asked Myself this Question:
“What
should I be doing NOW to accomplish the work God has entrusted to me?”
During the sacrament, I determined to repent
of my depressed state and begin to find joy in my life again. I covenanted to
humble myself before God and to repent of recent behavior patterns that have
weakened my spiritual strengths and gifts.
I have determined to begin with might
prayers. I had become so sad and depressed over my inability to work out the
Hicks of Baltimore Maryland Family Groups, as well as not being able to
remember things that I’d previously read or done during research of this
surname.
Also, I’ve felt such a failure in my own
family because my daughter and her husband won’t even entertain the possibility
that this is the Lord’s church and thus could perish in their unbelief. I love
my daughter and her hard heartedness breaks by own heart.
Thirdly, I’ve spent too much time on things
that have less eternal value, often choosing good over better or best. Fourth I’ve
gained 30 lbs back, my clothes are not fitting, my legs have swollen and my
knees are killing me.
The only way to break this chain that
physically binds me, is to rely on the atonement of Jesus Christ…. His gift to
me, and all of us who find ourselves up against tough circumstances. I can’t do
this alone, apparently. I must beg Him to help me. Thus, I turn to mighty
prayer.
Sundays Lesson from a Prophet, Lorenzo Snow, Spoken
in the 1880’s
Lorenzo Snow says, “It is now time for Latter-day
Saints to humble themselves before the Almighty… to find out wherein they have
committed themselves; …and to repent of their sins and follies and call upon
the Almighty, that His aid may be given;… that we may go forward and accomplish
the great work entrusted to our care.”
Does this sound familiar. You see how Sunday’s
lessons infiltrated my mind. Now begin to see how today I saw God’s hand in my
life.
During the Sacrament I determined to begin
praying more, reading and studying the scriptures more diligently (for sometimes
weeks go by where I’ve only glanced at or read a few verses); and write in my
journal and begin again to write here in my blog. I’d become discouraged about
the blog because what I am interested in, most others aren’t.
Now You Will Hear Me Boo Hooing!
I miss my late husband, Bob. I’m in a home in
the desert and not one by my beloved ocean. My car is old. My body is old. And
it appears that I have very little influence in other people’s lives.
So Lorenzo Snow’s words, “We are engaged in
the work of God. The prospects before us are glorious, but let us be impressed,
in every work of our hands, that we are the servants of God and doing His will.
Let not our integrity be impaired, but our faith be continually increased as we
proceed through life” lift my Spirit, continuing he and I, too, “….would (will)
be satisfied to act where Providence has placed me, and ask God, the Lord, what
I can do to aid in building up the kingdom of God in that place.”
“Move on! Move on, and see the salvation of
the Lord.”
This morning I see God speaking to me through
the scriptures when I first opened them my eyes fell upon this verse that I’d
highlighted in Doctrine and Covenants 25:10 given to encourage and reveal God’s
will to Emma Smith, the Prophet’s wife: “And verily, I say unto thee that thou
shalt lay aside the things of this world, and seek for the things of a better.”
“Seek Ye First the Kingdom of God”
I then turned to Luke 12:31 JST “Therefore
seek ye to bring forth the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added
unto you…” and in verse 33 “… provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a
treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither
moth corrupteth.”
In Jacob 2, I found a wonderful discourse on seeking not
after the things of this world, but to seek after your treasures in heaven.]
“But before ye seek for riches, seek ye for
the kingdom of God. And after ye have obtained a hope in Christ ye shall obtain
riches, if ye seek them; and ye will seek them for the intent to do good—to clothe
the naked, and feed the hungry, and liberate the captive (whether someone bound
by chains of sin via missionary work, or captives in spirit prison via temple
ordinances for the dead) and administer relief to the sick and afflicted.”
Remembering the Stories of
Our Forefathers
Then, as I turned to Helaman 5, where I’d left
off reading previously in the Book of Mormon, I find Helaman talking to his sons,
Nephi and Lehi, “Behold I have given unto you the names of our first parents
who came out of the land of Jerusalem; and this I have done that when you
remember your names ye may remember them; and when ye remember them ye may
remember their works; and when ye remember their works ye may know how it was
said, and also written that they were good.”
“Therefore, my sons, I would that ye should
do that which is good, that it may be said of you, and also written, even as it
has been said and written, even as it has been said and written of them.”
Oh, my goodness, we’ve been asked to record
the stories about our ancestors that make them come alive, and try to find the
good!
Helaman continues, “And now my sons, behold I
have somewhat more to desire of you, which desire is, that ye may not do these
things that ye may boast, but that ye may do these things to lay up for
yourselves A TREASURE IN HEAVEN, yea, which is eternal, and which fadeth not
away; yea that ye may have that precious gift of etrnal life.”
“…Yea, remember that there is no other way
nor means whereby man can be saved, only through the atoning blood of Jesus Christ,
who shall come; yea remember that he cometh to redeem the world.”
Remembering
the Savior
This is such an important principle that
Jesus Christ tells us this very thing when he appears to the Nephites at their
temple in Bountiful on this continent after His resurrection. He first shows
them how to pray (The Lord’s Prayer; and how to pray properly) then he says, “Lay
not up for yourselves treasures upon earth where moth and rust doth corrupt and
thieves break through and steal; But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven,
where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break
through nor steal; “
“For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”
To answer the question of what should I be
doing NOW to accomplish the work God has specifically entrusted to me, I reread
my patriarchal blessing and know that I must refocus my efforts in these areas:
1. Pray
often and fervently
2. Diligently
read and study the scriptures
3.
Be
an influence for good among my fellow associates and friends
4.
Bring
to pass much righteousness upon the earth
5.
Finally,
continue in my calling helping others find their ancestors, as well as my own, and as my blessings states that I “will not rest until I do all within my power
to seek out my forefathers and perform for them a work they cannot do for
themselves.,” These are the opportunities and blessings that I enjoy as being a member of
the Lord’s Church
See why I go to church?
I go to receive guidance
from the Holy Spirit through inspired teachers who prepare prayerfully,
material that our prophet and apostles have reviewed in correlation meetings,
to come forth in the Lord’s good timing. It is like reading the Scriptures…
they reveal just what you need to hear to help you in life right when you need it.
