Snow and power outages sent us home early from church. Quiet testimonies in the dark amidst glowing cell phones gave the chapel a campfire like serenity. Satan may try his darnedest to extinguish the light of Christ but the Light always wins out. At times that light may be weak and dim in our life but then sometimes it might be the bright light we share with our friends.
Several weeks ago we were informed that our temple is becoming more of a reality. The plans are close to completion and should be turned over to the county within the next month or two. It will be similar to the Pocatello, Idaho Temple but with our own Tooele County flair. Groundbreaking should be sometime this fall with a completion date in fall of 2022.
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| Pocatello Temple |
Stake conference was in the not too distant past and Aunt Nancy was one of our lucky speakers. She spoke about the energy she derives from the first vision and calls it First Vision Energy. "What has the restoration done for you? But more importantly what have you done for the restoration?"
Lately, I've been thinking about that question and several of President Nelson's inquiries about how we hear the voice of the Lord and how would our lives be different if the knowledge we gained from the Book of Mormon were suddenly taken away.
As a youth I would often wonder what kind of person I would have been had I been born into a family that didn't have the gospel. Would I have the same values and standards? What would my beliefs had been?
The outbreak of this coronavirus has got a lot of people in a panic. Just yesterday we were in a Walmart in Sandy to find empty shelves of Clorox wipes and bleach. There was no hand sanitizer or flu/cold medicine. Toilet paper was still there but selling at a premium. Many latterday prophets have strongly advised preparedness. My mantra with this current outbreak is to be prepared the best that you can and then leave the rest up to God. Had I not grown up learning about prophets and learning to heed their counsel and warnings, would I also be one of the panicked maelstrom?
As I continue to ponder more deeply and earnestly on these soul-searching questions, there is one thing that I do know: God is not a God of confusion or doubt or panic or anxiety. He is my Father who loves me, who wants the best for me, and is the author of peace. When I begin to feel unsettled and panicky and fearful about the unknown, I know that is not God's spirit working in my life. God brings comfort and rest and peace and for that I am immensely grateful for the restoration of knowing who I am and whose I am.
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