Peace & Rest

I love Elder Kearon

I listened to this yesterday on a walk in the mountains. I love going up the canyon to feel relief.

(wildflower on my hike)

Two words for now I want to study more: Disciple (min) and Consider (min 21:04) 

I'll start with Consider for now. As Elder Kearon said, in Greek it means "to study a thing thoroughly, to examine it with real care". AI google search: The ancient Greek word for "consider" in the biblical phrase "consider the lilies" is καταμανθάνω (katamanthanō), which literally means to study a thing thoroughly, to examine it with real care, or to learn it by heart. When Jesus uses this word in Matthew 6:28 during the Sermon on the Mount, he is not telling his audience to simply cast a passing glance at the flowers. Instead, he is commanding them to investigate, dissect, and deeply analyze the nature of how they exist without anxiety.

From A Puritan Mind:

A Mediation on Considering the Lilies to the Glory of God.

The human mind cannot fathom what God has done in creation from beginning to end. It is unfathomable. Men are unable to comprehend the works of God even in the finite universe. At our best, we apprehend a fraction of His general revelation and creation. This limited universe holds out innumerable wonders before the scientific prowess of human beings. In this arena we are able observe the qualities of the Creator’s powers in everything that is made. The universe declares God’s invisible attributes and divine power with an unhindered temper (Psalm 19:1; Romans 1:18). In the great scheme of God’s handiwork, there is much we take for granted. Oftentimes, we do not stop to smell the roses, much less wonder about their design. Yet, considering such “trivial” matters as the lilies of the field may help us to appreciate the care of God over the everyday necessities of our lives.

In dealing with the providence and government of God, the Lord Jesus says that we should consider the lilies of the field. “And why ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the fields, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.” (Matthew 6:28-29) The word “consider” refers to meditation and close scrutiny; to learn thoroughly, examine carefully. The Greek literally reads, “katamanthano” (kat-am-an-than’-o) meaning “to consider well.”

Here we may become scientists in order to empirically observe the design and care of the Creator over the whole life-schema or phase of a simple plant. Jesus uses the lily as an illustration. Close scrutiny on plants ought not to be limited to just the lilies. They served the example of Christ, but the principle is certainly not restricted to the lily. The principle runs through this vein: if we were to understand the “raiment” of a flower, and God’s government over its intricacies, we would then, understand the care of our Heavenly Father for His children as something infinitely more valuable. He is providing all things for us. Here we take a moment to consider the lilies of the field.

Flowers are given to people for all kinds of reasons: weddings, funerals, births, hospital stays, anniversaries, birthdays, and varied special occasions. We see flowers all over God’s creation. But how much do we really stop to meditate on the wonders of that creation? We could wonder over the ant as Solomon so pondered, or a horse, or a river, or a flower, such as a lily. Yet, with our busy lives we hardly slow down to really appreciate the wonder of God’s creation. Could we take but a moment and think about a flower? Could we become more infatuated with the Maker of the flower instead of simply its pretty appearance? Have you ever thought about the parts of a flower, and the intricacies of their design as a magnificent and wondrous spectacle of God’s power and creative ability?

The beautiful design and components of the varied flowers we admire is actually the reproductive section for flowering plants. Flowering plants are more scientifically known as angiosperms. Flowers (like lilies) are collections of reproductive and sterile tissue arranged in a tight whorled array having very short internodes. The stem with its leaves is the tangible flower itself. It is a branch with nodes which are generally close together and may be spaced apart bilaterally. There are four types of leaves on the plant itself called petals, sepals, stamens, and carpels. 

There is a short stem or branch called the receptacle. From this receptacle the four kinds of leaves protrude from the base. These leaves are attached in a whorled display which means there are more than two leaves per node.

The four sections of the flower are made up of a variety of intersected parts at those intervals. The stigma, style, locule, ovule, and ovary are at the carpel whorl. The pollen, anther and filament are at the stamen whorl. The petals are attached to the receptacle which is at the corolla whorl. The leaves under the petals, attached right above the pedicel, are in the calyx whorl.

Beginning from the top of the flower, the first whorl on the receptacle (the stem holding the flower) houses the female parts of the flower called the gynoecium. It is composed carpels that may be fused together into a single, complete pistil. Carpels are made up of three parts: an enlarged base called the ovary, a stalk termed the style, and the tip called the stigma (they are usually called pistils in general). The stigma functions as a accessible surface on which pollen lands and germinates its pollen tube. The style serves to move the stigma some distance from the ovary. (This distance is species specific.) The ovary contains a chamber called a locule. Inside this chamber houses the ovule. The ovule (or ovules depending upon if there are more than one) contains an embryo sac. This embryo sac contains the egg of the plant that easily distinguishes the female aspect of the plant.

The next whorl down on the receptacle houses the male parts of the flower. This is termed the androecium. It may be comprised of few, or many, stamens. These stamens are particular leaves having two distinctive sections. The first section is called the filament, which is a long stalk. This filament holds the anther at its end that usually includes four sacs containing the flower’s pollen. What exactly does a filament do? Its job is to boost the anther to a position where it may effectively release the pollen of the flower to the pollinator. It also serves to provide the anther with xylem and phloem connections to the rest of the plant. The xylem and phloem are veins that act as nutrient carriers to these areas of the flower. The anther’s main responsibility is to house the production of pollen grains. As the ovule is the female aspect of the plant, so the pollen grains, which ultimately manufacture sperm cells, are the male aspect of the plant.

The word “pollen” comes from the Greek word palynos meaning “dust.” Pollen grains contain the male gametophyte (microgametophyte) phase of the plant. Pollen grains are produced by meiosis of microspore mother cells that are located along the inner edge of the anther sacs (microsporangia). The outer part of the pollen is the exine, which is composed of a complex polysaccharide, sporopollenin. Inside the pollen are two (or, at most, three) cells that comprise the male gametophyte. The tube cell, which may also be referred to as the tube nucleus, develops into the pollen tube. The germ cell divides by mitosis to produce two sperm cells.

The next whorl, as we work our way down the plant, is called the corolla. It may be prepared with a few petals, or sometimes many petals; this may be seen as with a tulip (which has few) or a daisy (which has many). The petals are usually vibrant and attractive in most flowers, though tastes differ as to the manner of one’s likes and dislikes. I personally love tulips (especially theological tulips!), and my wife loves miniature pink roses. The petals are obviously the most attractive part of the flower since they are often ostentatious and brilliantly colored. Although we are often infatuated with the brilliance of a flower’s petals, God has so designed these petals to attract pollinators from various many species. The pollinator may range from a hummingbird, to a bee. The pollen itself is visible to them in an ultraviolet manner that humans are unable to detect under normal circumstances. The pollinators see this clearly and are able to work effectively as a result. Sometimes the petals of a flower may be quite fragrant, such as with a red rose. And sometimes they made hold a special gift for the pollinator at the base of the flower’s petal: a spur providing a varied amount of nectar which may be eaten or carried away. After the pollinator is finished with his work, he may stay for a treat a while longer, or store it up until he reaches his own home.

The last whorl on the receptacle is the calyx. It is composed of sepals that can vary from just a few, to many. In some varieties of flower sepals are green and may have photosynthetic properties that produces food for the plant and ultimately exude oxygen for human beings. In others they may blend into the petal’s base being virtually undetectable from petals to the untrained eye – they may simply look like petals.

The shape of the flower depends on the attachment of the “organs” of the flower. Some flowers have ovaries in the superior position that means all the other parts of the flower are attached below the ovary on the receptacle. Some flowers may appear to have the ovary entrenched deep into the receptacle; so deeply that the other parts of the flower look as if they are connected on the top of the ovary. In a flower designed in this manner, the ovary is in the inferior position. Flower parts joined below a superior ovary, which are below the female parts of the flower, are called hypogynous. If the flower has parts that are joined above the ovary, these are called epigynous. The ovary contains one or more ovules, which in turn contain one female gametophyte, also referred to in angiosperms as the embryo sac. Some plants have only a single ovary that produces two ovules and only one ovule will develop into a seed.

Interestingly enough, some flowers (in a great number of classes) have both male and female parts. Flowers designed in this way are called “perfect.” These “perfect” (or bisexual) flowers have the ability to self-pollinate. Other flowers not designed by God in such a manner must rely on cross-pollination. These flowers have a built in capacity to recognize their own pollen (amazingly enough) and thus, they do not allow the pollen to grow within the style. This self-incompatibility process forces the plant to be pollinated by another process that requires a pollinator.

There are perfect flowers, and also imperfect flowers. Imperfect flowers are not necessarily imperfect as one would think. I do not mean by some deformity the flower looks odd or strange. “Imperfect” simply infers that they are unisexual flowers. These types of flowers have both male (staminate) and female (pistillate) flowers in their respective genus. These may appear on the same plant (monoecious), or possibly on two different plants (dioecious) of the same kind. So we see that the range of diversity in a flower’s reproductive organs can be varied and extensive. Yet, in all of this, some flowers also have been given a capacity to change their sex. God’s manner of creation is diverse even in the reproductive aspects of a simple lilium longiforum, or lily.

Now you have a general knowledge of a flower, a lily of the field. We did not discuss the roots or bulb of the plant that sits under the soil and germinates under specific weather conditions. But what has been said in considering the “raiment” of the lily is that which sits above the soil not beneath (though the Lord does tell us to consider how it grows – but that may be saved for another time). If flowers are so clothed in all their beauty, how much more care does the Lord place upon the lives and actions of His elect? If we pause to consider the lilies, then the much larger and more important aspects of a man’s never-dying soul is of almost infinite worth to the Creator. If God is so concerned with a flower, which can be cut down and withered away in a day or two, how much more concerned is God for His people?

In considering the lily, or of any flower, we should pause to think about the Creator of the flower and His providence over our lives. If God has taken such measures to array the flowers with such beauty and mystery, as Jesus so points out, what right do we have in grumbling against the Creator about how we wish things were different for us than providence has allowed. Are we like Tevye from The Fiddler on the Roof, who sang “If I Were A Rich Man,” and constantly grumbled against God’s providence, though he denied that his grumbling was complaining. Rather, we ought to remember that God is intimately acquainted with us in every detail and in every respect; He has so ordered and created us perfectly, even in the Savior Jesus Christ. He orders our steps, and He leads us down every path of righteousness for His name’s sake. Sometimes these paths can be difficult, but worrying about what we shall wear and what we shall eat, and the daily necessities which the Lord has promised to provide is something wicked men do, not redeemed men in Christ. We, then, ought to continually and completely trust in His power to provide all things for us, especially our daily bread. All things are working for our good, even the occasional lack of bread. We are clothed in a righteousness that no lily could ever claim, and so we do not live by bread alone but by every word that comes out of the mouth of God. Jesus Christ is our lily of the Valley and bright and morning star. All our needs have been, are, and shall be provided by Him for His own glory. Might we glean all this from considering a lily?

Behold Him: New Visions of the Living Christ

I loved watching this video that was on the youtube livestream in between the Sunday General Conference sessions yesterday: Behold Him, New Visions of the Living Christ

Some of my notes: 

The three artists: 

Jeremy Windorg - Christ one on one in the Americas 

Brian Call - Gethsemane

Stacy Weitz Minch - Holy Week entering Jerusalem

Brian Call - at first his painting was too pretty. too fairytale, too light, it needed to be dark and messy. Also he said the face of the savior just looked terrible at first, he had to start over. He didn't panic, he knew the steps that he had to take to fix it. "Just go through the steps that you know how to do". Also said "This is how I share my feelings for the Savior and my testimony.

Jeremy - he wants his painting to not just be good, but to be great. I need to be rought on it to push it to be that much better. He uses sandpaper on his good painting sometimes on it and will question himself "What did I just do?!?" A little scary, but it will make it better

We are those works of art, we all go through ugly phases. We are going to be a masterpiece if we are patient and take the time. 

East Prussia Widow

This story was referred to in my previous post, I thought I'd post the whole story that President Monson shared in his talk called "Be of Good Cheer":

In about March 1946, less than a year after the end of the war, Ezra Taft Benson, then a member of the Quorum of the Twelve, accompanied by Frederick W. Babbel, was assigned a special postwar tour of Europe for the express purpose of meeting with the Saints, assessing their needs, and providing assistance to them. Elder Benson and Brother Babbel later recounted, from a testimony they heard, the experience of a Church member who found herself in an area no longer controlled by the government under which she had resided.

She and her husband had lived an idyllic life in East Prussia. Then had come the second great world war within their lifetimes. Her beloved young husband was killed during the final days of the frightful battles in their homeland, leaving her alone to care for their four children.

The occupying forces determined that the Germans in East Prussia must go to Western Germany to seek a new home. The woman was German, and so it was necessary for her to go. The journey was over a thousand miles (1,600 km), and she had no way to accomplish it but on foot. She was allowed to take only such bare necessities as she could load into her small wooden-wheeled wagon. Besides her children and these meager possessions, she took with her a strong faith in God and in the gospel as revealed to the latter-day prophet Joseph Smith.

She and the children began the journey in late summer. Having neither food nor money among her few possessions, she was forced to gather a daily subsistence from the fields and forests along the way. She was constantly faced with dangers from panic-stricken refugees and plundering troops.

As the days turned into weeks and the weeks to months, the temperatures dropped below freezing. Each day, she stumbled over the frozen ground, her smallest child—a baby—in her arms. Her three other children struggled along behind her, with the oldest—seven years old—pulling the tiny wooden wagon containing their belongings. Ragged and torn burlap was wrapped around their feet, providing the only protection for them, since their shoes had long since disintegrated. Their thin, tattered jackets covered their thin, tattered clothing, providing their only protection against the cold.

Soon the snows came, and the days and nights became a nightmare. In the evenings she and the children would try to find some kind of shelter—a barn or a shed—and would huddle together for warmth, with a few thin blankets from the wagon on top of them.

She constantly struggled to force from her mind overwhelming fears that they would perish before reaching their destination.

And then one morning the unthinkable happened. As she awakened, she felt a chill in her heart. The tiny form of her three-year-old daughter was cold and still, and she realized that death had claimed the child. Though overwhelmed with grief, she knew that she must take the other children and travel on. First, however, she used the only implement she had—a tablespoon—to dig a grave in the frozen ground for her tiny, precious child.

Death, however, was to be her companion again and again on the journey. Her seven-year-old son died, either from starvation or from freezing or both. Again her only shovel was the tablespoon, and again she dug hour after hour to lay his mortal remains gently into the earth. Next, her five-year-old son died, and again she used her tablespoon as a shovel.

Her despair was all consuming. She had only her tiny baby daughter left, and the poor thing was failing. Finally, as she was reaching the end of her journey, the baby died in her arms. The spoon was gone now, so hour after hour she dug a grave in the frozen earth with her bare fingers. Her grief became unbearable. How could she possibly be kneeling in the snow at the graveside of her last child? She had lost her husband and all her children. She had given up her earthly goods, her home, and even her homeland.

In this moment of overwhelming sorrow and complete bewilderment, she felt her heart would literally break. In despair she contemplated how she might end her own life, as so many of her fellow countrymen were doing. How easy it would be to jump off a nearby bridge, she thought, or to throw herself in front of an oncoming train.

And then, as these thoughts assailed her, something within her said, “Get down on your knees and pray.” She ignored the prompting until she could resist it no longer. She knelt and prayed more fervently than she had in her entire life:

“Dear Heavenly Father, I do not know how I can go on. I have nothing left—except my faith in Thee. I feel, Father, amidst the desolation of my soul, an overwhelming gratitude for the atoning sacrifice of Thy Son, Jesus Christ. I cannot express adequately my love for Him. I know that because He suffered and died, I shall live again with my family; that because He broke the chains of death, I shall see my children again and will have the joy of raising them. Though I do not at this moment wish to live, I will do so, that we may be reunited as a family and return—together—to Thee.”

When she finally reached her destination of Karlsruhe, Germany, she was emaciated. Brother Babbel said that her face was a purple-gray, her eyes red and swollen, her joints protruding. She was literally in the advanced stages of starvation. In a Church meeting shortly thereafter, she bore a glorious testimony, stating that of all the ailing people in her saddened land, she was one of the happiest because she knew that God lived, that Jesus is the Christ, and that He died and was resurrected so that we might live again. She testified that she knew if she continued faithful and true to the end, she would be reunited with those she had lost and would be saved in the celestial kingdom of God. ⁸

From the holy scriptures we read, “Behold, the righteous, the saints of the Holy One of Israel, they who have believed in [Him], they who have endured the crosses of the world, … they shall inherit the kingdom of God, … and their joy shall be full forever.” ⁹

I testify to you that our promised blessings are beyond measure. Though the storm clouds may gather, though the rains may pour down upon us, our knowledge of the gospel and our love of our Heavenly Father and of our Savior will comfort and sustain us and bring joy to our hearts as we walk uprightly and keep the commandments. There will be nothing in this world that can defeat us.

My beloved brothers and sisters, fear not. Be of good cheer. The future is as bright as your faith.

I declare that God lives and that He hears and answers our prayers. His Son, Jesus Christ, is our Savior and our Redeemer. Heaven’s blessings await us. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Strength and Life Each Day

At church today, right after the counselor in the bishopric, Bro Schmidt, sat down, like 5 people rushed up to the stand to share their testimonies and it was busy to the end. It was a full meeting and my heart was touched. I had thought of what I could testify of, but I ended up staying in my seat and allowing others to share their testimonies. I decided I'd share mine here after I got home, so here I am, and here is my testimony today ~

I was touched by the opening hymn we sang at church, "In Fasting, We Approach Thee" (Hymn 139) especially in verse two where it says:

Through this small sacrifice, may we 
recall that strength and life each day
are sacred blessings sent from thee
fill us with gratitude we pray.

On Friday night as part of our family scriptures, my family and I revisited a story shared by President Monson in a book we read last year called "Consider the Blessings". On pages 62 - 66 is a story called "I do not know how I can go on". President Monson briefly shared this story in his October 1994 message and also mentioned it in his April 2009 talk "Be Of Good Cheer". In the book, he tells of a widow from Prussia who, after World War II ended, had to walk 1000 miles to Germany with her four small children. Her children all passed away on their trek, from starvation and the winter cold. Her first child that died was her 3 year old little girl, and we had our little Katharine asleep on Natalie's lap in front of us to be our visual aid of that. The mother dug the child's grave with the only tool she had, a tablespoon. Next her seven-year-old son and five year-old son passed away. Again she dug their graves with the spoon. When her last child died, a small infant in her arms, she dug a grave in the frozen earth again, but this time the tablespoon was gone, so she dug into the frozen earth with only her frozen fingers. In the account from the book "Consider the Blessings", it says:

Her grief welled up as she knwlt beside the little grave, considering all she had lost. She wondered, Was it worth going on? How could she bear it, with her heart literally broken? Others were choosing to end their lives rather than continue in such despair. As she considered the awful possibilities for ending her own life, something within her said, “Get down on your knees and pray." She ignored the prompting until she could resist it no longer. She knelt and prayed more fervently than she had in her entire life. "Dear heavenly father, I do not know how I can go on. I have nothing left, except my faith in me. I feel, Father, amidst the desolation of my soul, and overwhelming gratitude for the atoning sacrifice of my son Jesus Christ. I cannot express adequately my love for Him. I know that because He suffered and died, I shall live again with my family. Because He broke the chain of death, I shall see my children again and will have the joy raising them. Though I do not at this moment, wish to live, I will do so, that we may be reunited as a family and return together to Thee." When she finally reached her destination of Karlsruhe, Germany, she was in the throes of starvation, but in a church meeting shortly there after she bore witness of her happiness and her testimony of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. She had no doubt that if she remain true to the gospel, she would be reunited with her loved ones in the celestial kingdom of God.

(Photo credit, just a pic via google of what I imagine the end of her journey looked like)

With all the problems that seem to overwhelm us in the world today, it has helped me to think of all that people have endured in the past. Despite the challenges we face, like those who have gone before us, we can find joy as we look to Christ. He will strengthen us. "Strength and Life each day are sacred blessings from above." We can show gratitude for the blessings He offers. Verse three of the opening hymn at church: 

And may our fast fill us with care
For all thy children now in need.
May we from our abundance share,
Thy sheep to bless, thy lambs to feed

I am really trying to focus this year on gratitude, I’ve been reading the Book of Mormon looking for times when gratitude is expressed and praise and thanks to the Lord is given. As I’ve been searching for that in the scriptures, I’ve also been searching for that daily in my life. I’ve been writing down five things at the end of every day that I’m grateful for, last night I finished my gratitude for just a small portion of the blessings I noticed in January, and I really think that gratitude is such a key to happiness and peace and trust. I've also begun to see that humility is the beginning of gratitude - humility and realization of how much we depend upon Christ. In the story that President Monson shared, that sister showed gratitude for Christ - that was something that she came to find in her wrenching trial of losing her husband and children and walking with the Lord for 1000 miles. We have journeys to go on as well, and may we also be prompted to pray, as she prayed, and let the spirit testified to us of the reality of the Savior's resurrection. We can be with our loved ones again because of Jesus Christ. When we are in the depths of despair, He is there and He understands and He can lift us. He can help be humble in our hard trials, and that will lead us to trust and have faith in Him. 

A quote shared in the Follow Him podcast by Elder Eyring "Remembrance and Gratitude" from October 1989:

Remembrance is the seed of gratitude, which is the seed of generosity. Gratitude for the remission of sins is the seed of charity, the pure love of Christ. And so God has made possible for you and me this blessing, a change in our very natures: “And the remission of sins bringeth meekness, and lowliness of heart; and because of meekness and lowliness of heart cometh the visitation of the Holy Ghost, which Comforter filleth with hope and perfect love, which love endureth by diligence unto prayer, until the end shall come, when all the saints shall dwell with God.” (Moro. 8:26.)

Gallery of Works

Corey and I listened to the Follow Him podcast together while we were climbing top rope this evening. I really liked this idea of us being judged according to our creative works - like our life's art exhibit!

Yale School of Art

Follow Him Old Testament: EPISODE 4 (2026) with John Hilton III – Genesis 3-4; Moses 4-5 – Part 1, minute 28

Dr. John Hilton III 20:09: I think that that’s part of the creation process. Separating the light from the darkness, figuring out, okay, I have a limited time. Where’s God calling me to put my priorities? One of the places for all of us that he’s gonna call us to put priorities is in creating something. As I read Genesis one, I can almost feel God’s joy in creation. From verse 21, God created every living thing God saw it was good. God blessed them. I can just picture God blessing all of the creations. Verse 31, God saw all that he had made and it was very good. President Dieter F. Uchtdorf said, creating contributes to our heavenly Father’s perfect happiness. You don’t need money, position, or influence in order to create something of beauty. Our birthright is to seek and experience eternal happiness. One of the ways we find this is by creating things. I just love that for me, I’ve been picked up the guitar as a recent hobby. I will never be a professional guitarist. I will almost certainly never put anything on Spotify, but I can have fun experiencing the joy of creation and playing a little song. I hope for all of us we can experience this. President Uchtdorf finishes the quote, he says, what you create doesn’t have to be perfect. Don’t let the voice of critics paralyze you. Whether that voice comes from the outside or the inside, we can just experience joy in creation.

Hank Smith: 29:39 Occasionally John, when I read that God will judge all men according to their works, you could think of the word works there as like works of art. I will judge them based on their creativeness.

John Bytheway: 29:53 Their gallery.

Hank Smith: 29:54 Yeah, their gallery, their works.

Hank Smith: 29:59 I like the idea that God instead of "let’s look at the right and wrongs of your life", "let’s look at everything you made. Let’s look at all that you created." John Bytheway likes to say everybody has a book in ’em, at least one book John says.

pic above of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco

Creation

Listening on a ride again today, I loved this thought by Dr. Rebekah Call at 9:09 about the process of creation:

"When you’re reading the Come, Follow Me introduction, it talked about God creating. We talk about God creating the world, but I think also each of us is in the middle of Creation right now. My life is in process of being creative. I’m living my life as I’m going and if I’m choosing to live that with God, then God also gets to be creating in my life. Sometimes it’s easy to forget that the creative process is messy. Go to any pottery studio, go watch a painter, or go watch the construction of a building. 

"The process of Creation is inherently messy. A lot of times in my life, when I’m like, man, I feel like my life is really a mess right now. I’m not holding things together and this fell through the cracks. I made this mistake. I think it can be helpful to remember that God created the world, and that was a messy process, and look what we have. Look at the beauty that has been given to us in this world. Sometimes the messiest moments aren’t because something is wrong. It’s because Creation is happening. It needs to be messy. There needs to be stuff added in and stuff taken away and stuff trimmed and shaped, and that’s really beautiful. However messy our lives are, we’re in the middle of Creation."

Listening on a Ride

I enjoyed listening to the Follow Him podcast on a ride today. A few parts that I took screen shots of that I liked... 

from Part 1 of D&C 125-128 cause I want this protection for my children - I want to help them search for their ancestors:

John Bytheway at 01:14:01- Remember too, there is another soul, another immortal soul on the other side that has benefited from your time in the temple. That’s huge. Someone else out there. That’s why I like when they call it temple service, a service that reaches across the veil. That’s kind of incredible to think about. I found a statement by Elder Richard G. Scott. He said, "Do you young people want a sure way to eliminate the influence of the adversary in your life? That’s a pretty big statement. A sure way to eliminate the influence of the adversary in your life. Immerse yourself in searching for your ancestors. Prepare their names for the sacred vicarious ordinances available in the temple, and then go to the temple to stand as proxy for them to receive the ordinances of baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost. As you grow older, you’ll be able to participate in receiving the other ordinances as well. I can think of no greater protection from the influence of the adversary in your life."

From part 2 - helping me cope with the hard time that I feel like I'm facing, and know that I should record what I'm learning.

Dr. Jordan Watkins 00:16:38 - What you say is so true. Thank goodness that Joseph was isolated at times. Hard thing to say. Thank goodness he was imprisoned. As hard as that is what comes out of his experiences in prison or in isolation are these teachings and practices that we prize so dearly.

John Bytheway 00:16:58 - I just had never ever considered what he’s going through legally with recording things and the power that has maybe impressed upon his mind. Let’s record all this stuff. This is out there, but it reminded me of Enos. You also quoted that a man filled with the love of God as not satisfied with blessing his family own. When Enos prays, he prays for himself. Then he prays for his brethren, then he prays for his enemies, then he prays for the records. I’ve always thought how interesting we’ve worked so hard on these records, preserve these records for even my enemies that it might bless them.