It's My Version of a Back-To-School Sale

So who knew starting school would be so exhausting? I'm not even the one attending! I walked the kids to their classes on the first day and pretty much went into a comatose state until they arrived home... I was done! Anyways, the result is that my blogging here has suffered, so you all get a two-for-one special, you lucky ladies you!

First off, we've got quite a few members of the ward that are ill or are expecting a new addition to the family soon so we've got a need for meals and then more meals. If you're able to help out with that, please contact Pam Jenkins. She's keeping a list and doling out assignments as the need arises. Thanks so much to those already helping.

Combining two weeks of good news:

• Shelly Fowler was thrilled to be able to hear Mark speak about his mission in another ward, but not so thrilled about Jared being transferred to an area where every missionary has been robbed.
• Sis. Knight's grandson is home from a mission, and she has a new grand-daughter... Natalie & Rob's new little girl!
• Marietta survived the wedding and all the college-bound kids have headed out to their various regions.

Debbie Adams led our discussion two weeks ago on Chapter 36 "Receiving the Ordinances and Blessing of the Temple" (I will add the link as soon as the church website gets back online). She told a pretty hysterical story about how they lost Cleve in the temple on their wedding day... if you missed it then ask her about it when you see her - it's worth the re-telling. Out of all the wonderful things discussed, two comments stood out for me... one was from Linda Scharf that had someone tell her, when she was feeling guilty about not getting enough temple work done, that she should save the guilt for sin. Awesome, right? The other was something I had heard in an Education Week lecture at BYU. What's funny is that I wanted to bring it up in class, but felt dumb not knowing the reference... and there it was in the lesson! We read out loud right up to that quote, but stopped right before it... so I'll reference it now since I've found it to be quite profound:

(R.S. Manual, pg. 419, 3rd paragraph down, from a discourse from Joseph Smith) "Could we read and comprehend all that has been written from the days of Adam, on the relation of man to God and angels in a future state, we should know very little about it. Reading the experience of others, or the revelation given to them, can never give us a comprehensive view of our condition and true relation to God. Knowledge of these things can only be obtained by experience through the ordinances of God set forth for that purpose. Could you gaze into heaven five minutes, you would know more than you would by reading all that ever was written on the subject... I assure the Saints that truth... can and may be known through the revelations of God in the way of His ordinances, and in answer to prayer."

My favorite part is in bold. Reading everything ever written on the subject would take a really, really long time, so I'm quite happy to realize that I only have the basic idea of how it's all gonna work out... but that it'll all work out somehow.

Bunnie Kantro lead last week's discussion from Elder Bednar's talk "Honorably Hold a Name and Standing" (again, link to be added later). The comment that stood out most to me was when the church members commented to Brigham Young that every time they made progress on building the temple, bad things seemed to start happening. He replied that he would love to hear "all the bells of Hell toll". How many times have we had things fall apart around us when we've tried to attend the temple? Bunnie just had it happen, and attending the temple that day was one of the sweetest experiences she'd had in a while. I hope you all are able to have a sweet experience like that in your temple visits.