Happinesss in Family Life

Happiness in Family Life
Pueblo Branch, May 30, 2010

In The Book of Mormon we find the account of King Benjamin, the Nephite King. When he was growing older and knew that he would be dying soon, he gathered his people together to convey to the people which of his sons would replace him as their king, and also to instruct the people in the ways of the Lord.

The people gathered at a central location to hear the words of their king. That central location was the temple. The people gathered in families around the temple. Each family pitched their tent with the door of the tent facing the temple. We can learn from this that our families can be instructed more perfectly if we will make the temple an important part of our family life. We “face our family tent” towards the temple. We can do this by becoming worthy to enter the temple, being endowed and sealed together as families within the temple, attending the temple often to perform sacred ordinances for our ancestors, talking of the temple often in Family Home Evenings, and displaying paintings or photos of the temple in our homes. We had a great opportunity last week to participate in the dedication of a new temple in Arizona as families. We will have more opportunities in the future to participate in similar events as the other temples that have been announced in Arizona are constructed and dedicated.

I testify of the great joy that temple ordinances can bring to families as they are sealed together in the temple. Just yesterday I was able to feel that joy as my daughter was married and sealed to her husband for time and all eternity in the sacred house of the Lord...forming an eternal family. I’m grateful that my parents were sealed in the temple fifty four years ago. I thank my mother who is here today for this blessing.

Happiness in the family should be our ultimate goal. Happiness in this life and in the eternities. The prophets have proclaimed, “Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities.”

President Boyd K. Packer instructed us in the last general conference, “The ultimate end of all activity in the Church is that a man and his wife and their children might be happy at home, protected by the principles and laws of the gospel, sealed safely in the covenants of the everlasting priesthood. Every law and principle and power, every belief, every ordinance and ordination, every covenant, every sermon and every sacrament, every counsel and correction, the sealings, the calls, the releases, the service – all these have as their ultimate purpose the perfection of the individual and the family.”

Elder M. Russell Ballard also instructed us “The Church will help wherever we can. We are there to support and sustain you as parents and as children. But the home is the most important place to prepare the youth of today to lead the families and the Church of tomorrow. It rests upon each one of us as mothers and fathers to do all we can to prepare our youth to be faithful, righteous men and women. It is in the home where we must each the gospel by precept and by example.”

The Book of Mormon teaches us what we need to do to find happiness in this life and lets us know how unhappiness can creep in. The people of the Book of Mormon experienced cycles of times that they experienced happiness and times when they were under the bondage of sin and oppression by their enemies. This cycle occurred several times throughout the history of the Nephites.

You will all remember that Jesus Christ visited the inhabitants of ancient America and taught them the same teachings that he taught in the Holy Land. His sermon at the Temple in the Americas practically mirrored His sermon on the mount in Galilee. The Book of Mormon people lived 200 years in peace and happiness after receiving the teachings of Christ. The account tells us “And it came to pass that there was not contention in the land, because of the love of God which did dwell in the hearts of the people. And there were no envyings, nor strifes, or tumults, nor whoredoms, nor lyings, nor murders, nor any manner of lasciviousness; and surely there could not be a happier people among all the people who had been created by the hand of God. There were no robbers, nor murderers, neither were there Lamanites, nor any manner of –ites; but they were in one, the children of Christ, and heirs to the kingdom of God.”

Then, after two hundred years, the people had “become exceedingly rich, because of their prosperity in Christ.” As I review what happened to the people back then, perhaps we can ask ourselves if any of these things are happening in our own lives, so that we can teach our families to guard against them. The account relates “And now, in this two hundred and first year there began to be among them those who were lifted up in pride, such as the wearing of costly apparel, and all manner of fine pearls, and the fine things of the world. ... And they began to be divided into classes; and they began to build up churches unto themselves to get gain, and began to deny the true church of Christ.

The churches “did deny the more parts of the gospel, insomuch that they did receive all manner of wickedness, and did administer that which was sacred unto him to whom it had been forbidden because of unworthiness.” “...and they did persecute the true church of Christ, because of their humility and did despise them because of their humility and their belief in Christ and they did despise them because of the many miracles which were wrought among them.” They sought to kill the disciples of Jesus “nevertheless, and notwithstanding all these miracles, the people did harden their hearts and did seek to kill them, even as the Jews at Jerusalem sought to kill Jesus, according to his word.” “And it came to pass that they who rejected the gospel were called Lamanites, and Lemuelites, and Ishmaelites; and they did not dwindle in unbelief, but they did willfully rebel against the gospel of Christ; and they did teach their children that they should not believe...”

Did you notice the signs of the dwindling in unbelief? They were rich and blessed, then lifted up in pride – wearing costly apparel, jewelry, fine things. Thy didn’t share of their abundances, they were divided into classes, they sought for gain, even in their churches. They began to persecute others and especially the humble followers of Christ. I see some of those same signs in the world in which we now live.

So what do we do? The Book of Mormon gives us the answer. Speaking of the more humble part of the people that were being persecuted it tells us “Nevertheless, they did fast and pray oft, and did wax stronger and stronger in their humility and firmer and firmer in the faith of Christ, unto the filling their souls with joy and consolation, yea, even to the purifying and the sanctification of their hearts, which sanctification cometh because of their yielding their hearts unto God.”

We need to fast and pray and be firm in our faith in Christ. We need to live the teachings that He gave us in the Sermon on the Mount and the Sermon at the Temple. We might feel abandoned, but remember that Christ was abandoned by all, even His closest friends. We might be tempted to treat others as they treat us. But remember that He taught us to treat others as we would be treated. We might be tempted to hate our enemies, but remember that He taught to love our enemies. “By this shall people know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”
May we teach these things in our families, that we may have true happiness in this life and in the eternities.

I testify that God lives. Jesus is the Christ. The restored Church of Jesus Christ is upon the earth. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.


La Felicidad en la Familia
Rama Pueblo, 30 May 2010

En el Libro de Mormon encontramos la historia del Rey Benjamin, el rey Nefita. Cuando el se envejecio, y supo que iba a morir, el declaro que la gente se uniera para que el pudiera declarles qual de sus hijos le reemplazara como rey y tambien para instruirles en las maneras del Senor.
La gente se congrego en un sitio central para oir las palabras de su rey. Esta sitio fue el templo. Le gente se congrego como familias alredador del templo. Cada familia planto su tienda con la puerta de su tienda dando hacia el temple. De esto podemos aprender que nuestras families pueden ser mejor instruidas si hacemos que el templo es parte importante en nuestra vida familiar. Plantamos (como decir) nuestras tiendas familiares dando hacia el templo. Podemos lograr esto por ser dignos de entrar en el temple, recibir la investidura y ser sellados como familias dentro del templo, assistir al templo muy a menudo para adminstrar en ordinanzas sagradas por nuestros antepasados, hablando del temple en nuestras noche de hogar, y exibir pinturas o fotografias del templo en nuestro hogar. Tuvimos una gran oportunidad la semana pasada de participar como familias en una dedicacion de un templo en Arizona. Tendremos mas oportunidades a participar en acontecimientos similares cuando se dedicaran los otros templos que han sido anunciados para Arizona.

Yo les testifico del gran gozo que trae a las familias las ordinanzas del templo cuando una familia esta sellado junto. Ayer mismo tuvo la oportunidad de sentir este gozo al ser casada y sellada a su marido por tiempo y por la eternidad mi hija mayor... formando una familia eterna. Estoy agradecido que mis padres fueron sellados en el templo hace cincuenta y cuatro anos. Le agradesco a mi madre quien esta aqui hoy.

La felicidad familiar es nuestra meta ultima. Es decir, la felicidad en esta vida y en la vida eterna. Los profetas han proclamado que, “Hay más posibilidades de lograr la felicidad en la vida familiar cuando se basa en las enseñanzas del Señor Jesucristo. Los matrimonios y las familias que logran tener éxito se establecen y mantienen sobre los principios de la fe, la oración, el arrepentimiento, el perdón, el respeto, el amor, la compasión, el trabajo y las actividades recreativas edificantes.”

El Presidente Boyd K. Packer nos instruyo en la conferencia general pasada, “El objetivo principal de toda actividad de la Iglesia es que el hombre, su esposa y sus hijos sean felices en el hogar, protegidos por los principios y las leyes del Evangelio, sellados de manera segura en los convenios del sacerdocio sempiterno. Cada ley, y principio y poder, cada creencia, cada ordenanza y ordenación, cada convenio, cada discurso y cada Santa Cena, cada consejo y corrección, los sellamientos, los llamamientos, los relevos, el servicio: todos tienen como propósito principal la perfección de la persona y la familia, porque el Señor ha dicho: “Ésta es mi obra y mi gloria: Llevar a cabo la inmortalidad y la vida eterna del hombre.”

El Elder M. Russell Ballard tambien nos instruyo “Como Iglesia, ayudaremos en todo lo que podamos. Estamos presentes para apoyar y sostenerlos a ustedes como padres e hijos, pero el hogar es el lugar más importante para preparar a los jóvenes de hoy a fin de guiar a las familias y a la Iglesia del mañana. Sobre cada uno descansa, como madres y padres, el hacer todo lo que podamos para preparar a nuestros jóvenes para ser hombres y mujeres fieles y justos. Es en el hogar donde debemos enseñar el Evangelio por el precepto y por el ejemplo.”

El Libro de Mormon nos ensena que debemos hacer para encontrar la felicidad en esta vida and nos da a conocer como nos viene la infelicidad. La gente del Libro de Mormon pasaron por ciclos de tiempos cuando experimentado felicidad y tiempos que fueron agobiados bajo pecado y oppresion por sus enemigos. Este ciclo ocurrio algunas veces mediante la historia de los Nefitas.
Se acuerden que Jesucristo visito a los habitants de las Americas antiguas y les enseno las mismas ensenanzas que habia ensanado en la tierra santa. Su Sermon al templo en las Americas reflejo el Sermon del monte que dio en e; monte en Galilea. Le gente del Libro de Mormon vivio doscientos anos en paz y felicidad despues recibiendo las ensenanzas de Cristo. El relato nos dice “Y ocurrió que en el año treinta y seis se convirtió al Señor toda la gente sobre toda la faz de la tierra, tanto nefitas como lamanitas; y no había contenciones ni disputas entre ellos, y obraban rectamente unos con otros. Y tenían en común atodas las cosas; por tanto, no había ricos ni pobres, esclavos ni libres, sino que todos fueron hechos libres, y participantes del don celestial...Y ocurrió que ano había contenciones en la tierra, a causa del amor de Dios que moraba en el corazón del pueblo. Y ano había envidias, ni contiendas, ni tumultos, ni fornicaciones, ni mentiras, ni asesinatos, ni blascivias de ninguna especie; y ciertamente no podía haber un pueblo más cdichoso entre todos los que habían sido creados por la mano de Dios. No había ladrones, ni asesinos, ni lamanitas, ni ninguna especie de -itas, sino que eran auno, hijos de Cristo y herederos del reino de Dios.”

Entonces, dispues de docientos anos, la gente “habían llegado a ser sumamente ricos, por razón de su prosperidad en Cristo.” Mientras yo repaso lo que ocurrio a la gente en aquel entonces, tal vez podemos preguntarnos si hay en nuestras vidas, las cosas que les hizo a ellos estropiar, para que podemos guardar contras estas cosas entre nuestras familias. El relato sigue, “Y ahora bien, en este año, el doscientos uno, empezó a haber entre ellos algunos que se ensalzaron en el aorgullo, tal como el lucir ropas costosas, y toda clase de perlas finas, y de las cosas lujosas del mundo. Y de ahí en adelante ya no tuvieron sus bienes y posesiones en acomún entre ellos. Y empezaron a dividirse en clases; y empezaron a establecer aiglesias para sí con objeto de blucrar; y comenzaron a negar la verdadera iglesia de Cristo.

Las Iglesias “anegaban la mayor parte del evangelio, de tal modo que toleraban toda clase de iniquidades, y administraban lo que era sagrado a quienes les estaba bprohibido por motivo de no ser dignos.... y éstos aperseguían a los de la verdadera iglesia de Cristo por su humildad y creencia en Cristo, y los despreciaban por causa de los muchos milagros que se efectuaban entre ellos.” Y buscaban a matar a los discipulos de Jesucristo “No obstante, y a pesar de todos estos milagros, el pueblo endureció su corazón e intentó matarlos, así como los judíos de Jerusalén procuraron matar a Jesús, según la palabra de él.”

“Y aconteció que aquellos que rechazaban el evangelio eran llamados lamanitas, lemuelitas e ismaelitas; y éstos no degeneraron en la incredulidad, sino que intencionalmente se arebelaron contra el evangelio de Cristo; y enseñaron a sus hijos a no creer...”

?Notaron los senales que llevaron la gente a la incredulidad? Fueron ricos y bendecidos, y entonces se ensalzaron en el aorgullo – llevando puesto ropas cososas, goyas, y cosas lujosas. No compartieron de su abundancia con los pobres, se dividieron en clases, buscaban el lucro aun entre las iglesias. Empezaron a persiguir a otros y en una manera special a los humildes seguidores de Jesucristo. Yo veo algunos de las mismas senales en el mundo en que vivimos hoy un dia.

Entonces, ?Que hacemos? El Libro de Mormon nos da la respuesta. Hablando de los mas humildes de la gente que fueron persegudos dice, “No obstante, aayunaron y boraron frecuentemente, y se volvieron más y más fuertes en su chumildad, y más y más firmes en la fe de Cristo, hasta henchir sus almas de gozo y de consolación; sí, hasta la dpurificación y esantificación de sus corazones, santificación que viene de fentregar el corazón a Dios.”

Debemos ayunar y orar y ser firmes en nuestra fe en Cristo. Debemos vivir las ensenanzas que El nos dio en el sermon del monte y el semon del templo. Es possible que sintimos abandonos, per que recordemos que Cristo fue abandonado por todos, aun sus amigos mas cercanos. Es possible que estamos tentados a tratar a otros como nos tartan a nosotros. Pero que recodemos que El nos enseno a tartar a otros como nosotros queremos ser tratados. Es possible que estamos tentados a odiar a nuestros enemigos. Pero que recodemos que el nos enseno a amar a nuestros enemigos. “En esto conocerán todos que sois mis discípulos, si tenéis amor los unos por los otros.”

Que ensenamos estas cosas a nuestras familias para tener verdedera felicidad en esta vida, y en la vida eterna.

Yo les testifico que Dios vive. Jesus es el Mesias prometido. Le iglesia restorada esta sobre la tierra. En el nombre de Jesucristo, Amen.

Responsiblity to Serve

Responsibility to Serve Diligently
April 24, 2005
Ellsworth Ward

Introduction:
One evening this week I decided to test my children and their willingness to fulfill an assignment from their father. I had a lot of Church-related work to do and I had noticed that the front yard had a lot of weeds that needed to be pulled. So I asked all 5 of the children living at home to please go out in the yard and work for fifteen minutes pulling weeds. I thought it was interesting to note the reactions I received to this assignment. My four year old daughter was excited. “Okay”, she said, “Let me go get my shoes”. I wondered why all of my children couldn’t have the same attitude of eagerness to serve and obey. One of my children asked “How much will you pay us?” Another reluctantly moped out through the door, not really desiring to do the job, but knowing that she should obey. Another went and did some work…the minimal amount of work required so that he could say “I worked”, just to make sure privileges weren’t taken away…like computer time or TV time. Another refused to go altogether…knowing that shortly I was to leave the house and she would be left alone to either obey or not. Is it no wonder that the Lord has said “Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.”

I would like to liken this situation to our Father in Heaven calling us to serve in the church. The restored Gospel of Jesus Christ does not have paid clergy. We all have the opportunity to serve one another in various callings in the ward…and as ward home and visiting teachers. We might ask ourselves, “How have I answered my calling?” Or do I not answer at all? Do we eagerly go get our shoes on and go out to pull weeds? Or do we neglect our duties.

Speaking of answering calls, we live in an interesting time where we have the ability to know who is calling before we answer. I’m talking about the telephone, with caller ID and answering machines. We as a Ward do a lot of making and following up on assignments in the Church by telephone. If you get a phone call from church leaders or from the Executive Secretary, do you answer it, or do to let the answering machine answer it? Do we follow up and return calls that we receive? If we are not, we are slowing the progress of the Lord’s kingdom.

We might consider the Lord’s counsel in D&C 58:27-29
Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness; For the power is in them, wherein they are agents unto themselves. And inasmuch as men do good they shall in nowise lose their reward. But he that doeth not anything until he is commanded, and receiveth a commandment with doubtful heart, and keepeth it with slothfulness, the same is damned.

We should heed President Gordon B. Hinckley’s admonition to all of us when he said: “I have been quoted as saying, ‘Do the best you can.’ But I want to emphasize that it be the very best. We are too prone to be satisfied with mediocre performance. We are capable of doing so much better”

“O ye that embark in the service of God,” said the Lord, “see that ye serve him with all your heart, might, mind and strength, that ye may stand blameless before God at the last day.” (D&C 4:2.)

I don’t know how much time you put into fulfilling your callings. Is it an hour a week? One evening a week? 10 hours a week? We all have busy lives. We need to provide for our families. We need to spend time with our families. But, we are also called to serve the Lord by serving His children, so we need to make His work also one of our priorities. President Smith is a good example. I know that he spends hours and hours each day..and night doing Church relate work on our behalf. And he’s glad to do it. I think he understands the Lords instructions in D&C 107:99-100, Wherefore, now let every man learn his duty, and to act in the office in which he is appointed, in all diligence. May I repeat, in all diligence. Continuing with verse 100…He that is slothful shall not be counted worthy to stand, and he that learns not his duty and shows himself not approved shall not be counted worthy to stand. Even so. Amen.

We might consider the covenants that we have made with the Lord. At baptism we covenant to “remember him always”. To serve one another. We as Priesthood holders have convenanted to magnify our callings. In the temple we covenant to obey, to sacrifice and to consecrate or time.

D & C 84 109-110 Therefore, let every man stand in his own office, and labor in his own calling; and let not the head say unto the feet it hath no need of the feet; for without the feet how shall the body be able to stand. Also the body hath need of every member, that all may be edified together, that the system may be kept perfect.

I think that this guidance from the Lord explains how important it is that we all work together and fulfill the callings that we receive and that no calling is more important than another.

Sometimes we might receive a calling from our leaders that we don’t want, or we don’t think we have the capacity to fulfill. I want you to know that we as a bishopric prayerfully consider all of the callings that we extend. Each one is thought out. Sometimes, that is why we are slow in extending callings. We know we aren’t just filling in an organization chart. Callings change lives. I testify of that…and that we are trying to follow the Lord’s will when making those callings.
Sometimes it is hard to accept callings because we know they come from just mortal men.
Elder Eyring talked about this in a recent conference address when he talked about our need to have faith in priesthood keys. I quote: “But just as in the time of Paul, the power of those priesthood keys for us requires our faith. We have to know by inspiration that the priesthood keys are held by those who lead and serve us. That requires the witness of the Spirit.
And that depends upon our testimony that Jesus is the Christ and that He lives and leads His Church. We must also know for ourselves that the Lord restored His Church and the priesthood keys through the Prophet Joseph Smith. And we must have an assurance through the Holy Ghost, refreshed often, that those keys have been passed without interruption to the living prophet and that the Lord blesses and directs His people through the line of priesthood keys which reaches down through presidents of stakes and of districts and through bishops and branch presidents to us, wherever we are and no matter how far from the prophet and the apostles.

That is not easy today. It was not easy in the days of Paul. It has always been hard to recognize in fallible human beings the authorized servants of God. Paul must have seemed an ordinary man to many. Joseph Smith's cheerful disposition was seen by some as not fitting their expectations for a prophet of God.

Satan will always work on the Saints of God to undermine their faith in priesthood keys. One way he does it is to point out the humanity of those who hold them. He can in that way weaken our testimony and so cut us loose from the line of keys by which the Lord ties us to Him and can take us and our families home to Him and to our Heavenly Father.” End quote
We might ask ourselves, How can we find the desire to serve more diligently in our callings. How can we increase our dedication to the Lord’s kingdom? Elder Marion G. Romney stated:
“Through studying the scriptures, we should know what the Lord has revealed through his prophets concerning the plan of salvation. From regular night and morning prayer and honest compliance with gospel teachings, we should enjoy the peace and spirit of the gospel. By earnestly and specifically seeking it, we should, by the power of the Holy Ghost, obtain and retain a testimony of its divine truth. We should be so converted and dedicated to it that our total lives are influenced thereby. The right and wrong of our decisions and actions should be consistently determined by its light. If they were, we would make no mistakes in our judgments and actions on the vexing questions and problems of our day.”

Conclusion:
I testify that the Lord’s Kingdom has been restored to the earth and that this is His work. I know that the priesthood keys are one the earth. I know that President Hinkley is called of God. I know that President Smith has been called of God. I have received a witness in my heart that this is true. May I conclude with the words of Mormon to his son. Moroni 9:6 And now, my beloved son, notwithstanding their hardness, let us labor diligently; for if we should cease to labor, we should be brought under condemnation; for we have a labor to perform whilst in this tabernacle of clay, that we may conquer the enemy of all righteousness, and rest our souls in the kingdom of God.

In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.