Consecration

We are in Salt Lake supervising the activities of two grandkids, age 11 & 4.  We are having a ball.  Yesterday we went to their ward to church, and I was thoroughly impressed with what I saw and participated in there.  A young couple and their son, recently moved into the ward, spoke in sacrament meeting.  The talks were all very well prepared and well presented.  The son, age 12, was articulate and presented his message with confidence.  I asked his mom if he wrote his own talk.  She said that he did, and that he typed it himself, which took him 3 hours!

The talks were on Sacrifice and Consecration.  Sacrifice, I think I have a good grip on.  Sometimes it is referred to as a sort of investment scheme with God.  We do something that is an indication of our commitment, like giving up something that is important to us, and God blesses us with a big return on our investment.  That never made sense to me, though, because sacrifice brings forth the blessings of heaven, but those blessings can’t be part of our lives if we do it as an investment.  Then one Sunday in the gospel doctrine class I asked a question about that (we were living at Dugway Utah at the time) and one of the salty old ladies of the ward simply defined sacrifice as “putting God first.”  Suddenly it all made sense.  It is not about an investment, it is putting ourselves in line with God’s will.  When we do it because we love him, then that is enough reward.  We will be blessed abundantly, but it will be on God’s terms, not ours.  Sacrifice is closely aligned with obedience and is a demonstration of love.

The idea of consecration has always been centered on the Law of Consecration, a community effort that has had various levels of success in the history of human interaction with God, sometimes compared or identified as the United Order.  It has been about the blessings of God coming to people who are willing to make and keep that law.  Often the discussion seems to focus on the idea that we are not now expected to live the Law of Consecration, but that we should be prepared to willingly obey and participate when that day comes.  For now, we live the Law of Tithing, even though we promise to live the Law of Consecration.  That has not sat well with me.

What I learned from impressions of The Holy Ghost into my mind, triggered by what the well-prepared speaker was saying, is that we are not only expected to live that law in some future situation, we are expected to live it fully, now.  The reality of the matter is that if we are not living it 100% now, we will be missing out on the blessings that God promises to the faithful.  Take the rich young ruler who came to Jesus to ask what he needed to do to inherit eternal life.  He was already being obedient to all the law that he had been given.  He was a good person, living a God-centered life.  Jesus told him that he lacked one thing—his wealth was getting between him and God.  Jesus told him to go and sell all that he had and “come follow me.”  The young man went away sorrowfully, for he had much wealth.  He was fully living the Law of Obedience, but he lacked only one thing.  We learn, sadly, that 99% is not enough.  The account of Ananias and Saphira in Acts is a similar sad story.  They were committed to live the Gospel, but 99% was not enough.

So the Law of Consecration is fully in effect now, and we are expected to live it.  That law is not an institutional law, it is a personal law.  The blessings are given on a personal basis, not an institutional one.  Our individual salvation depends on our individual obedience to the Law.  And don’t confuse salvation with exaltation.  Most of the time they are the same thing.  The work and glory of God (The Father, The Son, and The Holy Ghost) is to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. Even there, 99% is not enough.

Have a good week.

Lower Salmon River

Lower Salmon River Trip

Last week, after months of planning, several of my siblings and spouses, or even without spouses, took a trip down the Lower Salmon River together.  

Beloved pink potty

The object of the activity was to get as many of us siblings/spouses together as possible without our kids so we could enjoy reconnecting with each other.  It was a great success.

There were some tender blessings upon us during the trip.  One of the wives has been quite restricted in physical mobility.  We were afraid she couldn’t make the trip, but she was up for the attempt, so she came along. We had two passenger rafts with a set of oars at the stern, and a guide to man those oars, and one very large gear boat, manned by another of the staff of the company we floated with.  

We also had two inflatable kayaks that were a ball to ride through the rapids.  Day one Linda was not so sure she wanted to ride hers through the rapids.  Day two, Linda had to be pried out of the kayak she was having so much fun.

Coleton and the gear boat.  This side was not burned.

Anyway, Chris was on one of the smaller boats and not having a great trip, so we decided to try to get her onto the bigger boat.  That is when Linda discovered a 2x10 plank that was just the right length to provide a gangplank for Chris to walk up onto the gear boat. 

Christine Walking the Plank

What a blessing!

The temperatures in the area of White Bird Idaho, right on the Salmon River, have been really warm this year (or maybe every year).  When things get above 100F, that is hot in my book.  It was 108F when we arrived at White Bird.  Along the way, however, we had a few hours of soft drizzle that kept the temps much more in the comfort zone.  There were tents for everybody so we all tolerated the rain very well. Those were not just coincidence in my way of seeing things.

Cliff jumping

There have been some raging fires in the area over the past few days.  The sky was hazy brown and the smoke was irritating to our eyes.  The rain cleared the gunk out of the air, though, and we had fair skies for the final two days.  The water stayed quite clear in the river, though.  I suspect it is all chocolate brown now because of the runoff of rain on the burned areas.  In fact, we floated along one huge tract of burned territory where the fire went from the riverbank clear up the sides and over the top of the mountains.  

Burned landscape, clear up over the mountain tops in the distance.

There will be some erosion problems over the coming months.  We even saw a few cabins and out buildings that were consumed by the flames.

So what did I learn?  I honestly believe that we were heaven-blessed with the plank, the rain, and everything else about the trip.  I hope we can do something like this again before some of us start to check out.  We have reunions that involve the kids and the extended families, and they are great.  But this effort to connect with the siblings and spouses needed to be made.  We know, and like, each other now better than we did before.  

Salmon on the left, Snake on the right

This life is all about family, connecting through the power of the covenants we have made with God and with each other. 

The end of the trip at Heller Bar near Lewiston

Have a great week. 

Jessica

Catching Up

When some friends returned from their missions I was a little upset because they stopped writing on their blog sites.  I thought that was narrow of them to stop telling me what was going on in their lives.  Well, we have been home since early May and I have not written.  I have no excuses, except that…Well, it doesn’t matter.

We received a call to serve in the Twin Falls Temple shortly after our return.  

Twin Falls Idaho Temple

We arrive at the temple at 0400 every Wednesday morning and finish at 1100.  That might seem like a silly hour to be serving at the temple, but it is actually very busy.  For the past few years, almost since the temple was dedicated, the baptistery has been open for youth and adults with limited recommends to come and do baptisms.  It is really amazing to observe what is taking place at that early hour.  Every Wednesday as many as 200 young men and young women arrive, on their own without being assigned, to do baptisms.  They come from all over the Magic Valley and some of them driving a couple of hours to get here.  They are bright, happy, beautiful young people, and they are performing a wonderful service for thousands of people who have passed on.  They are also blessing their own lives and the lives of others who come to serve with them.

The temple is an amazing place.  As ordinance workers we have a lot of dialogue to learn.  Every ordinance is to be done with exactness.  The ceremonies are revealed, so we surely don’t have the right to modify them.  The beautiful thing is that as I have been learning the dialogues, the fuller meaning of what is taking place is sinking into my own heart and mind.  There was a time, many years ago, when I wondered what kept people coming to the temple to hear the exact same things over and over.  Well, I don’t think that any more.  It is like reading the Book of Mormon over and over.  The words are exactly the same, but the experience is never the same.  That is because these are places where revelation takes place.  When we come to the temple or to the scriptures with a properly prepared heart and mind, then we put ourselves in place to receive inspiration that does not come in any other place or way.  We don’t talk about specifics in the temple, so I will leave it at that.  But I learned a few years ago that what we learn in the temple comes from revelation.

I’ll try to write more.  There will probably not be as many photos.  I think I can keep it interesting, however.  I learned that one of my older posts had over 10,000 hits!  That flabbergasts me.  Some people don’t have enough to do.

Manhattan New York

Here are a few temples we have visited.  There are more, each of them beautiful.

Salt Lake City Utah

Rexburg Idaho

Nauvoo Illinois

Santo Domingo Dominican Republic

Brisbane Australia

Home Again, Home Again ...

The PRSJ Missionaries going home May 8, 2014.  All the young elders are from Latin America.  I love them all.

Sister Sigler interpreting Spanish testimonies for Gaye.

With Pres and Sister Zwick, our new mission president.

We arrived home a week ago, on May 8.  The first thing we did was visit with our stake president who interviewed us and released us from our service as full-time missionaries with an enthusiastic expression for our service and for our example to other senior couples in our stake who might be interested in serving missions.

We slept well in our own beds Thursday night.  AHHHH!!!!!  It really was nice.  

Early Friday morning we caught the short flight to Salt Lake, where we were greeted by a bunch of our kids.  

Now this is a treadmill!

Ezra, at our first meeting.  He wouldn't go to Gaye, but he came right to me.  Yes!!!

It was a real missionary home-coming with banners and hugs and tears and all, but it was especially for us to see many of our grandkids that we have not seen for 18 months.  Sometimes I think we never really left, but then I see the changes in size of the kids and I come back to reality.

Friday mid-day we visited the Sacred Gifts art exhibit being held at BYU Museum of Art.  It was to end on May 10, so I really wanted to get to see it before it closed.  In fact, the exhibit has been extended for two more weeks to accommodate more people, but I did not want to wait a minute longer than necessary.  It was everything I had expected, and more.  The centerpiece of the exhibit for me, and I suspect for most everyone who went, was the Schwartz painting entitled Agony in the Garden.  

Agony in the Garden, by Franz Schwartz

Same subject by Carl Bloch, actually painted before Schwartz.

It is a depiction of a subdued Christ sunk to his knees, his hands clasped in supplication to his Father to let him get past what was waiting for him, but only if it was in harmony with his Father's wishes.  An angel has been sent to support and strengthen Jesus. Maybe the angel is his Heavenly Mother?  It was not something that he could bypass, however, so he meekly and majestically submitted to the Father's will and finished the preparation for the salvation of God's other children.  As I stood looking at that magnificent and sensitive painting I felt tears of gratitude well up in my eyes and roll unashamedly down my cheeks.  He did that for me!  The least I can do is to give my life for him, too.

Friday afternoon all our kids, including Juli from Alaska, gathered at the Kendrick home in Sandy for a fun and happy reunion.  We visited together, we sang, we laughed, we ate, and Esc renewed our ties of love and family.  

We drove home Saturday morning when I immediately got my lawn mower going and trimmed the grass.  One more day and I would have needed a baler to get it removed from the lawn.  The yard was cleaned up by our neighbors and ward members last week, so things actually are looking really good.  I purchased some seed potatoes, which should have been in the ground by Good Friday, and tried to get ready to start the garden.  In fact, I rented a tiller and plowed up the garden in preparation.  That physical activity almost did me in, but I will recover, I think.  

This week I planted potatoes and onions, with some help from some of the youngest of the grandkids.  

Four-year old Jackson covering some onions.

When I asked for help I had several volunteers, like I was offering ice cream cones, but that didn’t last long. Their attention span is something short of about 3 minutes, which I think is probably longer than most adults. 

Four-year old Mia helping cover the potatoes, and enjoying the mud.

Anyway, the spuds are in the ground, all 6 rows of them.  The onions should do well in the boxes I made two years ago for the square-foot garden plan.  This week I will get some more things in the ground, including some tomatoes.  I love tomatoes and like the spuds, I plant several different varieties.  They come on at different times, then have different colors and tastes, and it is just fun.

This weekend has been filled with wonderful  activities.  We made our first visit to the temple since last April, excited to be able to participate in the sweet experience of temple worship again.  The new presentation added a new level of interest as we felt the power of the instruction we received there.  I love the temple, and we are planning on going at least weekly, as we did before we left on our mission 18 months ago.

Some of my daughters wanted to take the canoes out for a ride, so we did.  As we were paddling along by the cliffs on the north side of Dierkes Lake the girls started singing Pie Jesu from Rutter’s Requiem.  I joined in with them and it was great fun.  We didn’t sing very loud, but we were in tune with each other and it was actually quite nice.  In fact, while we were loading the canoes on the truck to go home a young man came over to ask us if that was really us out there singing.  He said it sounded great.  Welcome home!

So that about does it for the Caribbean Adventure.  Gaye reported first in church today and she was gracious to leave me plenty of time even though I told her to take all the time she wanted to take.  We were warmly welcomed back into the ward.  I think this is somewhat like it will be when we are reunited with our beloved family and friends as we pass through the veil when we leave this frail existence.

Twin Falls Idaho Temple

Strangler fig tree.  It slowly grows up around the host and eventually kills it.  Like sin.

Faith and Truth

Once in a while I come across something that really connects with my spirit, that reminds me that I still have a lot more questions than answers.  This sweet lady lost two sons in the tornadoes of last Sunday, but, like Job of old, she refuses to curse God and die.  Instead, this has been a reason for her to praise God more, and to pass the word.  Our purpose as missionaries is to invite others to come unto Christ, by helping them receive the blessings of the restored Gospel.  There are "many ... among all sects, parties, and denominations who are... kept from the truth only because they know not where to find it." D&C 123:12.  That does not mean that we have all the answers or all the truth.  It means that we have access to the priesthood covenants because of the restoration through Joseph Smith, and through the restoration that is still going on.  So I invite you to go to this site and read the story.  Then watch the short video at the end. Then read the talk by Elder Maxwell, or better, read it and listen to it simultaneously. And I invite us all to raise our voice in praise to our loving God, who loves us enough to give us the tests that we need to pass in order to become what he wants us to be.

http://thehodgepodgedarling.blogspot.com/2014/04/the-cheerleader.html

http://speeches.byu.edu/?act=viewitem&id=1022

Hmmm...

So I guess when a blog receives a lengthy negative critical personally insulting comment it is a sign that the thing might have some merit?  I just read a comment and then deleted it because it promotes a spirit of contention.  When I first started this activity I said that it is my blog, I will write what I feel like writing, and if readers don't like it they can choose to not read it.  I reserve the right to delete any comments I feel are negative and promote a spirit of contention.  Period.

I will say that if I have said something that is offensive, I am sorry.  But that does not include being sorry for saying something that somebody might feel offended by.  As Brigham Young is reputed to have said:  He who is offended when offense was not intended is a fool.  He who is offended when offense was intended is also a fool.

I had a sweet experience yesterday.  Our former mission president is now working to build the self-reliance program in the Caribbean.  He lives here in PR and he has an office in the same building, just down the hall, but he spends most of his time during the week in the Dominican Republic.  So it was a thrill when I actually found out that he was in his local office. As usual he wrapped me up in a big hug, which I also felt for him. His daughter is attending school at BYUI, so when I reminded him that we are from Idaho he quickly suggested that we should get together when they come to visit Rexburg in October.  We will.

One of his many strong suits as president has been the love he obviously has for the saints out in the small islands.  The islands are so different from Puerto Rico it is hard to imagine them in the same mission, but the islands are not really big or numerous enough to have their own mission, they are part of this one. There is a West Indies Mission that takes in many islands as well as Surinam and Guyana, but I think it would be a huge task for a mission president to have to travel to all those islands for interviews and to put out fires.

That is just one of the many administrative challenges as the Church grows throughout the world.  We are all blessed to know pioneers, sometimes as stories of our ancestors and sometimes as personal relationships with the living modern kind. Blessed, honored pioneers!

So I will continue to write what I feel like writing, and all y'all out there in cyberspace can do what you want with it.  Five more days and we head back to the cold north country.  I think we are going to freeze.  Stay tuned.

These are some of my favorite things Puerto Rican.

This is a mail box.