Armed with Power

Hello family:

As I was reading the following verses from the dedicatory prayer on the Kirtland Temple on the airplane last night, I thought of Ryan recently receiving his endowment in the Mesa Temple in preparation for him entering the mission field armed with power, bearing the name of Christ and being empowered by the Savior's glory. As Ryan leaves for Croatia in July, we can be confident that angels will have charge over him as he bears "exceedingly great and glorious tidings, in truth, unto the ends of the earth."

22 And we ask thee, Holy Father, that thy servants may go forth from this house armed with thy power, and that thy ^aname may be upon them, and thy glory be round about them, and thine ^bangels have charge over them;

23 And from this place they may bear exceedingly great and glorious tidings, in truth, unto the ^aends of the earth, that they may know that this is thy work, and that thou hast put forth thy hand, to fulfil that which thou hast spoken by the mouths of the prophets, concerning the last days.

(Doctrine & Covenants 109: 22, 23)

May we always treasure the miraculous power of Jesus Christ that comes into our lives in the House of the Lord.

Love,

Dad/Mark

Covenants Protect Us

Dear Family:

Friday night, Ryan was endowed in the Mesa Arizona Temple. Being with him and other endowed members of our family that night brought unspeakable joy. In contemplating the significance of the covenants Ryan entered into that night, and knowing that five of our six children and all three of our married children's spouses have experienced the same covenants, I was inspired by reading the following quotations.

The first, from Elder Russell M. Nelson of the Council of Twelve Apostles:

"A covenant made with God is not restrictive, but protective. Such a concept is not new. For example, if our water supply is not clean, we filter the water to screen out harmful ingredients. Divine covenants help us to filter out of our minds impurities that could harm us. When we choose to deny ourselves of all ungodliness, we lose nothing of value and gain the glory of eternal life. Covenants do not hold us down; they elevate us beyond the limits of our own power and perspective." (Russell M. Nelson, “Personal Preparation for Temple Blessings,” Liahona, Jul 2001, 37–40)

The second, from Sister Bonnie D. Parkin, Relief Society General President:

"Covenants—or binding promises between us and Heavenly Father—are essential for our eternal progression. Step-by-step, He tutors us to become like Him by enlisting us in His work. At baptism we covenant to love Him with all our hearts and love our sisters and brothers as ourselves. In the temple we further covenant to be obedient, selfless, faithful, honorable, charitable. We covenant to make sacrifices and consecrate all that we have. Forged through priesthood authority, our kept covenants bring blessings to fill our cups to overflowing. How often do you reflect that your covenants reach beyond mortality and connect you to the Divine? Making covenants is the expression of a willing heart; keeping covenants, the expression of a faithful heart. ...

"May our individual covenants that bind us to our loving Heavenly Father guide us, protect us, sanctify us, and allow us to do likewise for all His children."(Bonnie D. Parkin, “With Holiness of Heart,” Ensign, Nov 2002, 103)

I know this to be true. I have experienced the protective power promised by our Savior. Our covenants with God do protect us in this troubled world. May we always be mindful of the covenants we have made and do all in our power to keep those covenants. Then, the great promises of protection, enlightenment and joy the Lord promises to the faithful will be ours.

Love,

Dad/Mark

Bring Again Zion

Hello family:

Today in Priesthood meeting, our High Priest Group Leader, Wayne Cardon, quoted from a talk Spencer W. Kimball gave in the April, 1978, conference, entitled, "Becoming the Pure in Heart." Although President Kimball was talking to the Church as a whole, I believe we can apply this directly to our Zion Family:

"May I suggest three fundamental things we must do if we are to “bring again Zion,” three things for which we who labor for Zion must commit ourselves.

"First, we must eliminate the individual tendency to selfishness that snares the soul, shrinks the heart, and darkens the mind. ...

"Second, we must cooperate completely and work in harmony one with the other. There must be unanimity in our decisions and unity in our actions. ...

"Third, we must lay on the altar and sacrifice whatever is required by the Lord. We begin by offering a “broken heart and a contrite spirit.” We follow this by giving our best effort in our assigned fields of labor and callings. We learn our duty and execute it fully. Finally we consecrate our time, talents and means as called upon by our file leaders and as prompted by the whisperings of the Spirit. ...

"My brothers and sisters, if we can do this, then we will find ourselves clothed in the mantle of charity “which is the greatest of all, for all things must fail—

"'But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him.' (Moro. 7:46–47.)

"Let us unite and pray with all the energy of heart, that we may be sealed by this bond of charity; that we may build up this latter-day Zion, that the kingdom of God may go forth, so that the kingdom of heaven may come."

I would encourage each of us to read the entire talk and hope that all of us can apply this to our efforts to build an eternal Zion family and prepare for the Second Coming of our Savior.

Love,

Dad/Mark