An experience Claudia related in the fall of 1974, which was after both she and I had graduated from Brigham Young University. Because I was serving as a counselor in a student branch presidency, Claudia and I were members of the BYU 11th Branch. Soon after the school year began, the branch sponsored a trip to the Provo Utah Temple. This account also appears as chapter 12 in Claudia, An Elect Lady. As with the previous chapter, this account represents an expression of Claudia’s testimony and seems to fit comfortably as a part of this collection.
Amulek in the Book of Mormon bears testimony of many important and eternal truths as he speaks to the people. Among his words we find this message: “For behold, this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God; yea, behold the day of this life is the day for men to perform their labors” (Alma 34:32). The vital nature of this life in relation to eternity was further impressed upon me by an experience I had once while going to the temple.
It all began at an earlier time when Dean and I had gone to see some friends of ours sealed in marriage. Coming home, my recommend didn’t get put in its usual place; so when our branch went to the temple again later, I went without my recommend. We hoped I could get through on an oral recommendation from our branch president, since he would be going through with us and had interviewed me for my recommend. Such was not the case.
Upon entering the temple and explaining the situation, I was quickly ushered into President Clark’s office (he was the temple president) with Dean and our branch president by my side. President Clark then explained the rules the First Presidency had given all temple presidents to follow in dealing with such situations. The rules were simple and I knew I was no exception to them, for the Lord doesn’t consider exceptions.
“I, the Lord am bound when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise” (D&C 82:10).
The temple policy was this: If you were from far away and that was your only chance to go through that particular temple, they would just call a member of your stake presidency and get a verbal okay. But if you were from within the temple district (and I was) and could come again (and I could), you had to have your temple recommend with you. He said, however, that if my branch president would sign a recommend for me right there and if a member of the stake presidency would come to the temple and sign it also—I could go through with everyone else.
At this point I was in a state of tears. More than anything I wanted to be deeper within the walls of that sacred house, to be where the Spirit of the Lord and peace could be found. Dean could easily go without me—he had his recommend—as could all the others. Oh, how I longed to be there with them!
My branch president signed the new recommend, and President Clark tried to get a hold of a member of the stake presidency—the stake president was out of town, one counselor wasn’t home and was unable to be located, while the other one’s line was busy.
It occurred to me then and I was further impressed with it again during the session (we finally got hold of one of the counselors) that the temple experience was somewhat like the eternities, though different in certain ways. There are certain qualifications we will have to meet before we can enter into the joy of our Lord and celestial glory. Unlike the temple recommend, however, we won’t be able to get it just right then—our qualifications are something we will bring with us from our earthly experience.
Again Amulek says: “Therefore I beseech of you that ye do not procrastinate the day of your repentance until the end; for after this day of life, which is given us to prepare for eternity, behold if we do not improve our time while in this life, then cometh the night of darkness wherein there can be no labor performed” (Alma 34:33).
If this same situation occurred in the eternities, Dean would have his “recommend” and this time he wouldn’t wait for me. I can think of nothing sadder nor more tragic than to hear the Lord say, “I am sorry, but those are the rules, and you just didn’t qualify.” And then to see your loved ones enter into the celestial kingdom while you stood beyond on the outside. To me there could be nothing so tragic as being eternally separated from the people I truly love. Families and loved ones are what the gospel’s all about and are the basis of eternity.
This experience made me realize even more deeply the importance of this earth life and of the things we do here. I love Dean and all of you more than I can express; and though it was but a type and shadow of a greater eternal sorrow, I never want to feel even the loss I felt there in the temple without a recommend. Like Amulek, I bear you my witness that this life is indeed the time to prepare to meet God—it is the only time we have to do so.
Showing posts with label 1974. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 1974. Show all posts
Friday, July 4, 2008
Thursday, July 3, 2008
40. A Solemn Assembly
An excerpt from a talk I gave in the sacrament meeting of the BYU Eleventh Branch, BYU First Stake, on Sunday evening, April 7, 1974. This excerpt was published in a special family reunion issue of the Cleverly Newsletter in April 1974.
This has been a historic conference. It was the 144t annual conference of the Church, which means there have been 144 April conferences. But there have also been an equal number of semi-annual conferences in October—so 288 general conferences [more or less] since the beginning of the Church. And a formal solemn assembly has been held in only ten of those many conferences, so this has been historic.
The last time a solemn assembly was held—when President Lee was first sustained as prophet in 1972—I had a ticket to attend in the Tabernacle. It was a solemn, moving experience to see the quorums of the priesthood stand each in their turn to witness to the Lord and all the world that they sustained, upheld, and supported him whom the Lord had called and chosen. And then in the majesty of his prophetic calling, a very humble Harold B. Lee stood and bared his soul to the Church. Little did we then suspect that so soon a new prophet would preside in Israel.
Again I had the special blessing of attending this solemn assembly in the Tabernacle. As President Kimball stood to open the session, the Spirit came over me and powerfully and peacefully bore witness to my soul that Spencer W. Kimball was a prophet of God, the Lord’s appointed mouthpiece, a prophet, a seer, a revelator.
During the voting I had the privilege of standing eight times—four with the quorum of elders and four with the general membership of the Church—and of raising my hand to the square fourteen times to witness to the Lord that I would follow those whom He had called to lead the Church.
The experience reminded me of what Joshua said to Israel anciently: “Choose you this day whom ye will serve . . . but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15). And Saturday night, as Claudia and I retired for the evening, we knelt in family prayer and covenanted with the Lord that, as a family, we would honor and sustain and obey President Kimball.
This has been a historic conference. It was the 144t annual conference of the Church, which means there have been 144 April conferences. But there have also been an equal number of semi-annual conferences in October—so 288 general conferences [more or less] since the beginning of the Church. And a formal solemn assembly has been held in only ten of those many conferences, so this has been historic.
The last time a solemn assembly was held—when President Lee was first sustained as prophet in 1972—I had a ticket to attend in the Tabernacle. It was a solemn, moving experience to see the quorums of the priesthood stand each in their turn to witness to the Lord and all the world that they sustained, upheld, and supported him whom the Lord had called and chosen. And then in the majesty of his prophetic calling, a very humble Harold B. Lee stood and bared his soul to the Church. Little did we then suspect that so soon a new prophet would preside in Israel.
Again I had the special blessing of attending this solemn assembly in the Tabernacle. As President Kimball stood to open the session, the Spirit came over me and powerfully and peacefully bore witness to my soul that Spencer W. Kimball was a prophet of God, the Lord’s appointed mouthpiece, a prophet, a seer, a revelator.
During the voting I had the privilege of standing eight times—four with the quorum of elders and four with the general membership of the Church—and of raising my hand to the square fourteen times to witness to the Lord that I would follow those whom He had called to lead the Church.
The experience reminded me of what Joshua said to Israel anciently: “Choose you this day whom ye will serve . . . but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15). And Saturday night, as Claudia and I retired for the evening, we knelt in family prayer and covenanted with the Lord that, as a family, we would honor and sustain and obey President Kimball.
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
39. All These Things Shall Give Thee Experience
Claudia recorded this experience during Michael’s first year of life. He was born on Sunday, September 2, 1973. The account was published in the March 1974 Cleverly Newsletter and as chapter 11 in Claudia, An Elect Lady. While this experience was not technically given as a sermon, it does represent an expression of Claudia’s testimony and seems to fit comfortably as a part of this collection.
Elder Boyd K. Packer once said that the only significant lessons he has learned in his life have been taught by his children. I too find Michael Adam is one of my best teachers.
A couple of weeks ago he learned how to roll over from his stomach to his back. To watch him struggle though just tore my heart out. He wasn’t sure what he was doing—it was all so new to him—and sometimes he would get so frustrated at his struggles. I wanted so much just to pick him up myself and turn him over—to save all that trouble and heartache—but I knew I couldn’t. The struggle made him strong and he couldn’t learn if I did it for him.
It occurred to me one day while I was watching him try that our earth life is but a type and shadow of eternity, a testing ground, and that parents have a very similar relationship to their children as our Heavenly Father has to us. With all this in mind, it came to me that the Lord watches over us too and sees our struggles. But like parents here on earth, He sometimes has to just let us struggle so we can learn more effectively through our experience and grow stronger.
"Know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good" (D&C 122:7).
“My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment; and then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee over all thy foes” (D&C 121:7–8).
How well the Lord has said it. And realizing my own love for Michael Adam, I now have a deeper understanding of the Lord’s love for us and of why He gives us trials and tribulations. I am very grateful for these things and for a loving Father who would care enough to give us these learning experiences that we might grow.
Elder Boyd K. Packer once said that the only significant lessons he has learned in his life have been taught by his children. I too find Michael Adam is one of my best teachers.
A couple of weeks ago he learned how to roll over from his stomach to his back. To watch him struggle though just tore my heart out. He wasn’t sure what he was doing—it was all so new to him—and sometimes he would get so frustrated at his struggles. I wanted so much just to pick him up myself and turn him over—to save all that trouble and heartache—but I knew I couldn’t. The struggle made him strong and he couldn’t learn if I did it for him.
It occurred to me one day while I was watching him try that our earth life is but a type and shadow of eternity, a testing ground, and that parents have a very similar relationship to their children as our Heavenly Father has to us. With all this in mind, it came to me that the Lord watches over us too and sees our struggles. But like parents here on earth, He sometimes has to just let us struggle so we can learn more effectively through our experience and grow stronger.
"Know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good" (D&C 122:7).
“My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment; and then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee over all thy foes” (D&C 121:7–8).
How well the Lord has said it. And realizing my own love for Michael Adam, I now have a deeper understanding of the Lord’s love for us and of why He gives us trials and tribulations. I am very grateful for these things and for a loving Father who would care enough to give us these learning experiences that we might grow.
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