August 21, 2011
Another wonderful Sabbath! WE attended the Cebu Central Stake Conference this morning going with Ganirs, Bringhursts and Richeys in the missionary van. What a difference from when we attended the stake conference a year ago. We walked in and people rushed to us to give us hugs and warm handshakes. Last year we were so new and knew so few people, now we were welcomed by dear friends who work with us in the temple or who come as patrons to the temple or members who we have met as we have visited the wards. What a spirit of love we felt.
The speakers were outstanding. The first was a young father who talked about establishing a house of God. He presented four points of making our homes holy: first, to make our homes holy, we need to have family home evening, family scripture study, family prayer; second, we need to select appropriate entertainment for our families; third, love is spelled TIME with children; fourth, we need to keep our homes neat and orderly because that kind of atmosphere invites the spirit into our homes more readily.
President and Sister Byram from the temple presidency were the next speakers. Sister Byram emphasized that we needed to set our sights on the temple and do whatever is necessary to have and use a temple recommend. President Byram talked about the Easy Company in WWII who became a band of brothers because they had common goals and worked so closely together on difficult missions. We have become a band of brothers and sisters working in the temple since it opened 16 months ago, accomplishing great things sometimes under difficult circumstances; we truly have borne one another’s burdens. He also admonished us to let the temple “touch” our lives by standing in holy places(D & C 46:32) and warned us against standing in Unholy places. He invited the youth 12 and up to come and do baptisms for the dead. He told about the early saints in Nauvoo receiving their endowment and gaining “power from on high” that sustained them through their difficult trek west; we also need to receive “power from on high” (D & C 109) to help us in our trying times.
Sister Cindy Schmutz, the mission president’s wife said our greatest duty is to preach the Gospel so others can enjoy the blessings of the Gospel and the Temple in their families. She told of a branch president in Maine who fasted and prayed to know how to help the 20 members on his small branch share the Gospel. They were so successful that the first year there were 450 convert baptisms in their branch! The next year there were 200 more. He knew how to teach the members to be missionaries and then teach the converts how to be Mormons!
President Schmutz bore a strong testimony of the Atonement saying Christ’s atoning sacrifice is the
most important thing that has occurred in all history. Christ was willing to do all His Father wanted Him to do. When we “turn our back and tempt God” (Psalms 78) we limit God’s ability
to bless us by our decisions. The natural man is an enemy to God; the spiritual man yields to the enticing of the Spirit. Inside each of us a battle is going on between the natural and spiritual; the natural man is lazy—he wants the easy way without effort—he doesn’t do his home teaching, he doesn’t study the scriptures because there are things HE would rather do. The spiritual man does what needs to be done, he doesn’t let his personal desires get in the way of the Lord’s desires. It is more difficult to yield to the enticing of the Spirit rather than Satan. But we need to be obedient in all things. The Spirit urges us to do more, to become more like Christ. The path to the Celestial Kingdom is not the easy path. We will be required to take a few steps into the Garden of Gethsemane also. We yield to the enticing of the Spirit through prayers said with real intent. Two of his young missionaries walked a long distance through the thick forests of the island to keep an appointment with an investigator but when they arrived at his one room nipa hut, no one was home. The missionaries were so discouraged and decided to pray for someone to teach. They poured their hearts out to the Lord. As they finished their prayer, they walked about 30 steps and they heard a voice, “Can you teach me about Jesus Christ?” One of the neighbors became a serious investigator. We need to have our hearts continually in prayer “if you show me what you want me to do, I will follow”. We will experience a softening of our hearts and we will be changed. A sister in his home ward who was bedridden with terminal cancer and was in the last days of her life asked President Schmutz to come to her home to interview her for a new temple recommend. He told her she was one of the purest people he knew and that he was sure she did not need a recommend, but she answered, “I know within a few days I will be meeting my Savior and I want to have a current recommend.” He gave her the recommend and then a blessing. He felt light filling his body and he told her that Satan was forever stopped in tempting her; she had totally put off the natural man through her life’s actions and attitude. As I analyzed my life, I realized there are so many times I have been lazy and done what I wanted to do rather than what I knew the Lord would choose for me to do. I am determined to repent.
Three young men preparing to serve missions were called on to bear their testimonies. I was so impressed, especially with the third who spoke with such power and authority. He quoted scripture from memory and bore such a strong testimony of Christ. Hearts were touched when he finished by saying that even though his parents were not there (they are totally inactive) and would not support him in his decision to serve a mission, he chose to serve a mission and gloried in his testimony of Christ. He will be an amazing missionary.
There wasn’t much time left for President Montera, but he gave a wonderful, short sermon on standing in holy places—going to the temple, making our homes holy, and making the places where we work more holy through our example of righteous living.
We were filled with the spirit throughout the meeting then went home and had Ganirs and Richeys come for dinner. Bringhursts had invited President and Sister Schmutz for dinner.
Our Sunday finished perfectly when we were able to talk to and see Heidi and Tony, Jonathan, Laura, Timmy, Isaac and Joseph! This is the first time we have skyped them. Now everyone has Skype except Laurisa and Eldon, and they can use Camille or Elizabeth’s computers. Modern technology is amazing.
Love, Mom