44. Temples and Peace for this Christmas Season
This morning I went to the St. George Temple at the 8:00 a.m. session. Even though I have been often, I sat there just thrilled with the beauty of this wonderful world we are so blessed to live in. The beauty of the earth, the heavens, and Heavenly Father's Plan for us was filling my soul with joy. I prayed for the person whose name I took through, and hope she will accept my offering to her.
The beautiful St. George Temple, from which I live only a 5 minute walk away. My ancestors helped build it, and attended it often during its early days.
The name I took was one of some names from the line in my ancestry which is "Pennsylvania Dutch", which is the group which came from Holland in the early 1600's. They called their city "New Amsterdam", and in about 1664 when the English conquered them, they renamed it "New York". I have found many interesting stories about that group, including an ancestor of one of those who in the 1500's was a pirate! We share a common ancestor with Humphrey Bogart -- whose ancestry also was Pennsylvania Dutch. I have enjoyed studying what their culture was like, and about other ancestors of mine who went to Holland from France, Norway, and Belgium at that time, as Holland was sympathetic to refugees whose own country was having problems. I LOVE HISTORY ! And when it involves the lives of my own ancestors, that makes it much more interesting. I picture the names of people whom I will actually meet, when my turn comes to cross over into our next life. I want to be able to know enough about them to love and appreciate what they made possible for me.
One of the things I have been interested in since I was about 16 years old has been in finding the names and dates of my ancestors. Because most of my ancestors joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in the first few years, many names from our ancestry have had their Temple work done. My ancestry goes back to early New England, and unlike new converts to the Church, it is very hard to find new names to take to the Temple. There were so few people actually living in New England, that many people go back to the same few ancestors, and they have been thoroughly researched.
That is where the information on Family Search.org is so valuable. The many names and dates which have been found by indexers all over the world, are a valuable resource. The way I have found new names, since almost every name of a direct ancestor who lived back until about 1500 has been found, is to take a certain surname of an ancestor. Then I put in just the surname in the "search", and the town they were born in, county, etc. Then I check names, preferably in families, and put in their information. Often even then I find their Temple work has been done. But here and there I have found whole families, or one or two in a family, etc.
The Salt Lake Temple in recent snow!
Below are some quotes about the value of Temples ----
"Our lives will reflect our faith"
“Let us be a temple-attending people. Attend the temple as frequently as personal circumstances allow. Keep a picture of a temple in your home that your children may see it. Teach them about the purposes of the House of the Lord. Have them plan from their earliest years to go there and to remain worthy of that blessing.” — President Howard W. Hunter, June 6, 1994, press conference
“As we touch the temple and love the temple, our lives will reflect our faith. As we go to the holy house, as we remember the covenants we make therein, we will be able to bear every trial and overcome each temptation.” — President Thomas S. Monson, Liahona, October 2010, “Blessings of the Temple”
“A few weeks ago, I was hurried and frazzled, with too many to-dos on my list. I had hoped to go to the temple that day but felt I was just too busy. As soon as that thought of being too busy for temple service crossed my mind, it awakened me to what I most needed to do. I left my office to walk over to the Salt Lake Temple, wondering when I was going to recapture the time I was losing. Thankfully, the Lord is patient and merciful and taught me a beautiful lesson that day.
“As I sat down in the session room, a young sister leaned over and reverently whispered, ‘I’m really nervous. This is only my second time in the temple. Could you please help me?’ How could she ever have known that those words were exactly what I needed to hear? She didn’t know, but Heavenly Father knew. He had observed my greatest need. I needed to serve. He prompted this humble young sister to serve me by inviting me to serve her. I assure you that I was the one who benefited most.” — Sister Linda K. Burton, Relief Society general president, October 2012 general conference
“Early Saints in Nauvoo went ‘to the temple all day and long into the night’ to receive ordinances and make covenants before they began their journey westward.
“Sarah Rich, a Relief Society sister in Nauvoo, said this: ‘Many were the blessings we had received in the house of the Lord, which has caused us joy and comfort in the midst of all our sorrows and enabled us to have faith in God, knowing He would guide us and sustain us in the unknown journey that lay before us.’” — Sister Carole M. Stephens, 2012 Relief Society general meeting
“As we renew and honor our covenants, our burdens can be lightened and we can continually become purified and strengthened.” — Sister Linda S. Reeves, 2013 Relief Society general meeting
“As we touch the temple and love the temple, our lives will reflect our faith. As we go to the holy house, as we remember the covenants we make therein, we will be able to bear every trial and overcome each temptation.” — President Thomas S. Monson, Liahona, October 2010, “Blessings of the Temple”
“A few weeks ago, I was hurried and frazzled, with too many to-dos on my list. I had hoped to go to the temple that day but felt I was just too busy. As soon as that thought of being too busy for temple service crossed my mind, it awakened me to what I most needed to do. I left my office to walk over to the Salt Lake Temple, wondering when I was going to recapture the time I was losing. Thankfully, the Lord is patient and merciful and taught me a beautiful lesson that day.
“As I sat down in the session room, a young sister leaned over and reverently whispered, ‘I’m really nervous. This is only my second time in the temple. Could you please help me?’ How could she ever have known that those words were exactly what I needed to hear? She didn’t know, but Heavenly Father knew. He had observed my greatest need. I needed to serve. He prompted this humble young sister to serve me by inviting me to serve her. I assure you that I was the one who benefited most.” — Sister Linda K. Burton, Relief Society general president, October 2012 general conference
“Early Saints in Nauvoo went ‘to the temple all day and long into the night’ to receive ordinances and make covenants before they began their journey westward.
“Sarah Rich, a Relief Society sister in Nauvoo, said this: ‘Many were the blessings we had received in the house of the Lord, which has caused us joy and comfort in the midst of all our sorrows and enabled us to have faith in God, knowing He would guide us and sustain us in the unknown journey that lay before us.’” — Sister Carole M. Stephens, 2012 Relief Society general meeting
“As we renew and honor our covenants, our burdens can be lightened and we can continually become purified and strengthened.” — Sister Linda S. Reeves, 2013 Relief Society general meeting
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