PREPARED IN A MANNER THAT NEVER HAD BEEN KNOWN

May we prepare to worthily receive saving ordinances drop by drop and keep the associated covenants wholeheartedly. 

We had an excellent lesson presented today by Sister Marvetta Hole based on the October 2014 General Women's Broadcast talk by Sister Linda K. Burton of the General Relief Society Presidency.

Sister Hole began by borrowing a motto from the Boy Scouts (or Bro. Curren, she wasn't sure!) "Failure to Prepare is Preparing to Fail". She spoke of how preparing is a big part of who we are as members of the Church. We actually begin preparing from the time we are in Primary and continue on through our lives preparing for eternal life. This particular talk speaks of preparing to receive temple ordinances and what importance that has in our lives. 

Two of Sister Burton's stories about temple attendance prompted discussion about how we feel or react to our experiences in the temple. In preparing to receive the sacred ordinance of eternal marriage for example, we were reminded to prepare for more than just an 'event'. It isn't about how lovely your dress is or how well you applied your makeup or how many people come to witness your sealing. It is about how you and your companion will live your lives, establish your home and raise your children in keeping with our Heavenly Father's teachings. It is about preparing to have an eternal family and this preparation will go on throughout your life on this earth.

In preparing to perform baptisms for the dead, we need to look beyond just getting a recommend and driving to the temple. We need to prepare ourselves to receive this ordinance for those who have gone before, those who did not have the opportunity to do this important work for themselves. We need to humble ourselves to be worthy to stand as proxy for those who are waiting. We need to shut out the influence of the world and partake of the peace and tranquility of the spirit in the temple.  One sister mentioned a phrase that was helpful to remember:  "Don't just go through the temple, let the temple go through you." In other words, let the spirit touch you in such a way that you will never forget the experience.

Sister Hole pointed out that we are generally preparing every day in some way for something. Our preparation should be all encompassing and take into consideration the physical and mental projects we face, but it should also include preparing for those things we need to accomplish in the way of bearing our testimony through our example, sharing our love through service and looking for ways to constantly increase our supply of spiritual oil. The parable of the Ten Virgins was read as a reminder of being ever prepared for whatever may come our way. If we are not daily adding drops of oil to our lamp, we may find that we are short or lacking when we need that supply to see us through. Such a lack may be costly in terms of the blessings we will receive.

Sister Burton quoted Elder Russell M. Nelson in saying, “As temples are prepared for the people, the people need to prepare themselves for the temple.”  In speaking of Captain Moroni in the Book of Mormon, Sister Burton expressed her belief that one of his greatest accomplishments was his careful preparation of the Nephites to face the fearsome Lamanite armies. The scripture she focuses on is where we read, “Behold, to [the Lamanites’] uttermost astonishment, [the Nephites] were prepared for them, in a manner which never had been known.”  Her advice is that this is the goal of accomplishment we should apply to our own preparation to attend the temple.

She also quoted a latter-day prophet's statement that “the oil of spiritual preparedness cannot be shared.” We discussed the ways in which we can add to our cruse of spiritual oil every day.  Some of them are church attendance, fasting, prayer, family prayer, paying our tithes and offerings, personal prayer, reading scriptures, temple attendance, acts of kindness and service to others. Each of these contribute, drop by drop, year after year to our store of oil.  As others perform service to us, we should pay it forward by performing our own acts of kindness or service to others.

In borrowing from the wisdom of Elder Richard G. Scott, we learn that personal worthiness is a requirement to enjoy the blessings of the temple.  The best way to develop personal worthiness is to consistently make correct choices in all we do.  Consistency implies steady, constant and dependable behavior.

We have been admonished that our homes are second only to the temple in terms of sacredness.  If we consecrate our homes and all that transpires within its walls to welcome the Spirit of the Lord, we will be prepared to feel more at home when entering the house of the Lord. Sister Cunningham shared an instance where she witnessed others in her home, not of our faith, who were able to feel of the spirit after a visit that included a specific conversation concerning religious upbringing and how it impacts our later lives. The point was made that we may become so accustomed to having that spirit constantly in our homes, we tend to forget that not everyone has that same blessing in their homes.

Sister Hole commented that one of the great challenges of our time is the many tools of technology that, while they are beneficial in some aspects, they may also interfere with reception of the spirit. We need to turn off the radio or the TV or the computer in order to hear the silence and partake of the spirit.

Speaking again of Elder Nelson, Sister Burton quoted “Because the temple is the house of the Lord, standards for admission are set by Him. One enters as His guest. To hold a temple recommend is a priceless privilege and a tangible sign of obedience to God and His prophets.”  Higher standards are required to receive eternal blessings and if we wish to qualify for exaltation in the celestial kingdom, we will be expected to live a higher standard of obedience.  We can practice that obedience by daily accumulating our spiritual oil, drop by drop.

A portion of the Prophet Joseph Smith's dedicatory prayer for the Kirtland temple asks “that all people who shall enter upon the threshold of the Lord’s house may feel thy power, … that they may grow up in thee, and receive a fulness of the Holy Ghost, … and be prepared to obtain every needful thing.”  In addition, Sister Buchan mentioned that President Uchtdorf, in dedicating the Ft. Lauderdale temple, proclaimed that, "Jesus will walk these halls."

May we all undertake our preparations accordingly.

Your bloggess,

Karen