I love the Sabbath Day. It is good to draw back from the daily needs of life to reverently worship. We were blessed in the morning with an inspirational Sacrament Meeting focused on the first principle of the Gospel, faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. There were three speakers, a young teen, a elderly mother/grandmother and a young father. Their experiences with the power that comes through faith in our Savior were a strength to me.
Our afternoon was spent at the dedication service for the Twin Falls Temple. What a beautiful temple! We were gathered in the Stake Center to participate by Satellite. President Monson was showing some wear for the first time I have ever seen. His wife's health has been pretty rough and I think it has taken it's toll. However, his message was tender and spirit filled as he encouraged us to live faithfully.
President Monson's daughter, Ann M. Dibb, spoke as well. I wish I had a copy of a written piece she had received from her close friend from Idaho. Sister Dibb keeps it in her purse with her. She had asked her friend why the people of Idaho were so good and grounded in the gospel. In response her friend wrote of how she grew up in Idaho. Basically it was about her father and her mother and the fact that their life was the Idaho way. She grew up working hard along side her father with her siblings to coax a living from the arid land. She wrote of her mother keeping the home and nurturing the children, also working hard. I can't do the piece justice and hope that it is published someday. The Idaho native ended with "We were surrounded with Divinity."
Sister Dibb then went on to tell about an experience she had where she knew she too was surrounded with Divinity. On Thursday morning last week, she had taken her mother to the doctor. The doctor asked her mother how she was doing and she replied, "Pretty Good." Sister Dibb said that was a stretch but her mother never complained.
Later that day after she had gotten her mother home and into bed resting, President Monson came home. He went into the room and sat on the edge of the bed. He and his sweet companion talked together and then he said, "Well Frances, I guess I need to get ready to go to Twin Falls. I'll be needing some socks." To which Frances replied, "Don't you worry Tommy, I washed your socks for you this morning." He then turned to his daughter and softly said, "Isn't she the most beautiful girl?" Sister Dibb said she was very grateful to also have been "surrounded by Divinity" all of her years.
The family is under attack today and it breaks my heart to see many children without the blessings of security and peace that come from a loving home. There are men and women who desire the love that develops over the years from a lasting marriage and have yet to see the fulfillment of that blessing. It seems all is a competition between some men and some women. Selfishness masquerading as "Self Esteem" rules the day as individuals seem caught up in self interest. How sad. God designed us to perfectly compliment one another and he will lend power to our faithful desires for the fulfillment of that compliment.
The roles of father and mother are sacred. That is why "Honor thy father and thy mother." is the first commandment that deals with our relationships with our fellow man. It isn't about just honoring a specific man and woman although that is part of it. It is about respecting and honoring the actual roles of father and mother. I pray for my daughters that they will truly comprehend that. It is a sacred trust to enter into a marriage covenant and bring children into the world and should never be treated lightly. Our covenant with the Lord is that we will be faithful and true to our marriage through our faithfulness to him. The keeping of that covenant can begin long before we are ever married. How grateful I am for the covenants of the temple that bind us to our families and to our Heavenly Father.
The sophistry of Satan leads many away from their womanhood and manhood. It is the great tragedy of our day. Satan also leads us into an entitlement mentality where children are spoiled and not blessed with the lessons of hard work and the resulting character development. You can never spoil a child with too much love or respect BUT you can spoil them by demeaning their eternal identity through indulgence.
Having experienced the devastation of the evil Satan can bring into a family, I have sought all of my life to stand firmly for the cause of truth. I know my Savior as the Way, the Truth and the Life. I live by faith not only in his power to redeem but also his power to strengthen me for my daily walk. Life is good.
