Hold to the Rod and Each Other

Dear Family:

When Claudia, Angie and I attended Katie Larsen’s wedding in the Oquirrh Mountain Temple, the officiator’s comments were brief, spoken very softly, but memorable.  Two specific things he recommended that Katie and Troy remember were “we are trying to live a Celestial life in a Telestial world” and “hold to the rod and each other.”

It seems to me that living by the second concept makes it possible to accomplish the first.  We have been taught many times about “holding to the rod,” but this is the first time I had heard the concept of “holding to the rod and each other.”  We are bound together as a family by the sealing power.  Taking advantage of that eternal blessing, we should cling tightly to each other in our own little family units, and across the generations to our larger, extended eternal family.  As we do that, empowered by the strength we receive from the iron rod – the Word of God – we will be able to enjoy the joy and peace of living Celestial Lives in a Telestial World.

Love,

Dad/Mark

Intelligent Use of Agency Requires Truth

Dear family:

Isn’t it wonderful that we could listen to conference last week and already have access to all the talks via video, sound and written word on the Church website?

I really enjoyed Elder Christofferson’s talk when he addressed the subject of Moral Discipline.

President Henry B. Eyring expressed the vision we strive to attain:

“The pure gospel of Jesus Christ must go down into the hearts of [our children] by the power of the Holy Ghost. It will not be enough for them to have had a spiritual witness of the truth and to want good things later. It will not be enough for them to hope for some future cleansing and strengthening. Our aim must be for them to become truly converted to the restored gospel of Jesus Christ while they are with us. ...

“Then they will have gained a strength from what they are, not only from what they know. They will become disciples of Christ.”⁶

I have heard a few parents state that they don’t want to impose the gospel on their children but want them to make up their own minds about what they will believe and follow. They think that in this way they are allowing children to exercise their agency. What they forget is that the intelligent use of agency requires knowledge of the truth, of things as they really are (see D&C 93:24). Without that, young people can hardly be expected to understand and evaluate the alternatives that come before them. Parents should consider how the adversary approaches their children. He and his followers are not promoting objectivity but are vigorous, multimedia advocates of sin and selfishness.

Seeking to be neutral about the gospel is, in reality, to reject the existence of God and His authority. We must, rather, acknowledge Him and His omniscience if we want our children to see life’s choices clearly and be able to think for themselves. They should not have to learn by sad experience that “wickedness never was happiness” (Alma 41:10).

We are truly blessed to be guided by living prophets and apostles. In these this challenging time of the world, what a comfort it is to know that we have access to the truth.

Love,

Dad/Mark

Delivered to Freedom

Dear Family:

During my personal study his morning, I read the following scripture, concentrating on the phrase “The Lord is … my deliverer.”

Ps. 18: 2, 50

“The Lord is my ^arock, and my ^bfortress, and my deliverer; my God, my ^cstrength, in whom I will ^dtrust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.”

The definition of “deliver” includes:

• to set free or liberate: The Israelites were delivered from bondage.
• to give birth to: She delivered twins at 4 a.m.
• to surrender (someone or something) to another; hand over: delivered the criminal to the police.

The origin of the word is from ME delivren < OF delivrer < LL dēlīberāre to set free.

Just think – to “deliver” is to “set free.”  This theme is prevalent throughout the scriptures.  Moses led the children of Israel to freedom.  Lehi led his family to freedom. Brigham Young led the early saints to freedom.  They were all empowered by the great deliverer, Jesus Christ.  I think all those examples were put in the scriptures to lead us to Christ and the great acts of delivery he offered - the atonement and resurrection that set us free.

At each stage of our lives, we are delivered to freedom, if we are willing:

• Physical birth is delivery - setting a new baby free to experience earth life after having kept his or her first estate
• Death is delivery - setting a mortal free from the physical pain and limitations of this life
• Resurrection is delivery - setting the entire soul (spirit and body) free to enjoy the benefits of immortality
• Exaltation is delivery - setting the soul free to enjoy the life of God

In order for us to be exalted, we must “deliver” our hearts to Christ.  Through this act of faith, we surrender that which we hold most precious, to him.  In return, he will “deliver” us to a great life of freedom in eternity.

Love,

Dad

Unity Through Revelation

Dear Family:

Yesterday, the highlight of our ward conference came in the combined Priesthood/Relief Society meeting, where we were crowded close together in the Primary Room.  After a offering few opening remarks and bearing powerful testimony of Christ, Andy  Shumway, a counselor in our stake presidency, requested that the rest of the meeting be a testimony meeting, with members of the ward bearing witness of the Savior.  In quick succession, many members of the ward stood and bore humble, sweet, powerful testimonies of how the Savior had blessed their lives.  It was a powerful, moving, deeply spiritual experience.  I was overwhelmed by a pervasive feeling of love for the fellow members of the ward as we shared deeply-held feelings about Jesus Christ and his impact in our lives.  I shall always treasure the memory of those few minutes we spent together.

This morning as took my exercise walk, I listened to Elder Eyring's talk in October 2008 general conference, "Our Hearts Knit as One." I was particularly impressed with his counsel about gaining unity through revelation from God:

  " ... there are principles we are following as a people which are leading to greater unity.

One of those principles is revelation. Revelation is the only way we can know how to follow the will of the Lord together. It requires light from above. The Holy Ghost will testify to our hearts, and the hearts of those gathered around with us, what He would have us do. And it is by keeping His commandments that we can have our hearts knit together as one."

Yesterday, I experienced that.  A powerful feeling of joy and unity came to a small group of Saints in Mesa, Arizona, who were focused on the Savior and who received revelation through the Holy Ghost as we shared the tender feelings of our hearts.

This same priniciple applies to our families.  As David, Rachel and Devlin sang "A Child's Prayer" in Sacrament Meeting yesterday morning, where we were gathered to hear Rachel's brother give his farewell missionary talk, the same thing happened.  We turned our hearts to the Savior and felt the powerful witness of the Holy Ghost ratify the truth of the words they sang so beautifully.  We rejoiced together in the spirit of the sealing power and were unified in a spirit of love.

I know this priniciple is true.  As we jointly focus on the Savior, teach and testify of him to each other, and seek to follow his counsel, we will receive an outpouring of the Holy Ghost, will be filled with love for each other and will be unified in a manner not possible in any other way.

Love,

Dad/Mark

Learn, Do and Be

Hello Family:

After far too long, I am resurrecting the Zion Family blog. I feel an urgency to share with our family nuggets of truth from our leaders that will bring choice blessings into our lives.

Today's quote comes from President Thomas S. Monson from the October 2008 General Conference Priesthood Session:

Let us make our homes sanctuaries of righteousness, places of prayer, and abodes of love that we might merit the blessings that can come only from our Heavenly Father. We need His guidance in our daily lives. ...

May I suggest three imperatives for our consideration. ... They are within our reach. A kind Heavenly Father will help us in our quest.

First, learn what we should learn. Second, do what we should do. And third, be what we should be.

It is my prayer that together, we as a Zion family can learn, do and be what we should so we might have the guidance of our Heavenly Father that we so much need in our lives.

Love,

Dad/Mark

Family Unity

Dear Family:

Many things we do as a family, from birthday parties to family dinners to gifts we exchange to prayers we say for each other and even the "Dixon Fairness Doctrine," help us become more unified as a family. Elder Eyring's talk in the October General Conference stressed how joy comes through unity:

We know from experience that joy comes when we are blessed with unity. We yearn, as spirit children of our Heavenly Father, for that joy which we once had with Him in the life before this one. His desire is to grant us that sacred wish for unity out of His love for us.

He cannot grant it to us as individuals. The joy of unity He wants so much to give us is not solitary. We must seek it and qualify for it with others. It is not surprising then that God urges us to gather so that He can bless us. He wants us to gather into families. He has established classes, wards, and branches and commanded us to meet together often. In those gatherings, which God has designed for us, lies our great opportunity. We can pray and work for the unity that will bring us joy and multiply our power to serve.

President Henry B. Eyring, Our Hearts Knit as One, October 2008 General Conference

I hope we will continue to seek ways to draw us all close together in unity, so we can help each other through challenging times and prepare for the time when we can, together, walk back into the presence of God.

Love,

Dad/Mark

We Cannot Wait until Zion Comes

Dear Family:

I have been very negligent in posting to the Zion Family blog.  I will repent!

I was impressed with Elder Todd Christofferson's conference talk about Zion.  He challenges us to actively establish Zion, not just wait for it to occur:

Zion is Zion because of the character, attributes, and faithfulness of her citizens. Remember, "the Lord called his people Zion, because they were of one heart and one mind, and dwelt in righteousness; and there was no poor among them" (Moses 7:18). If we would establish Zion in our homes, branches, wards, and stakes, we must rise to this standard. It will be necessary (1) to become unified in one heart and one mind; (2) to become, individually and collectively, a holy people; and (3) to care for the poor and needy with such effectiveness that we eliminate poverty among us. We cannot wait until Zion comes for these things to happen—Zion will come only as they happen.

Elder D. Todd Christofferson, "Come to Zion", General Conference, October, 2008.

This is great advice for our family:

• Become unified
• Become a holy people
• Care for the poor and needy

I am so gratified to see our family work at and make progress in these areas.  Step by step, day by day, we can, and will, establish Zion in our homes.

Love,

Dad/Mark