Emphasis

I teach early morning seminary to high school age teenagers. This is a class organized by our church. It is a religion class that involves an in depth study of the scriptures. This year the curriculum of study is the New Testament. I really enjoy teaching seminary. It has given me the opportunity to grow closer to Heavenly Father in the process of preparing the lessons for the students.

Through my increased study of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, I have come to understand just how important the Holy Spirit is. The Spirit is so very important. We can truly learn the gospel only by staying close to the Spirit of the Lord. It is through the Spirit that we develop a testimony of our Savior Jesus Christ. It is through the Spirit that we have the ability to know the will of the Lord and receive the personal revelation that is essential for us to progress in this life.

I have learned that if I think I haven't felt the Spirit in awhile, or haven't had any spiritual experiences lately, I need to determine what I have been doing to drive the Spirit away. The Spirit of the Lord will not dwell in unholy places. When I find something that would keep the Holy Spirit away, I need to change. I need to fix the problem.

I believe one of the most important things about living your life so that the Spirit of the Lord will dwell with you is that it helps you be more submissive to God's will. Even when you live worthily, you will probably not constantly feel the Spirit of the Lord, but you will keep that line of communication open. And you open yourself up to the promptings that come from the Lord. You put yourself in a situation that you have the ability to recognize Heavenly Father's hand in your life.

A testimony of Jesus Christ and the truth of His atonement is revealed by the Spirit of the Lord. That is also how a testimony grows.

I love to visit The Temple

Apparently there will be some attention given to temples in an upcoming TV series. Of course the stance of the church is so positive and respectful. I love it. I hope that I can be as kind and patient if the things I love and respect are treated with disrespect.



Almost every time I go to the temple I am amazed by the love and peace and acceptance I feel there. I am so grateful to have a place of peace in the middle of a noisy world. I am so grateful for a place without cellphones, TV, or daily distractions. There, in the Heavenly peace of the temple, I can feel God's love for me. I can listen for His promptings with little distraction. I am so grateful for the sacrifice and love of our Savior Jesus Christ. Through His immortal Atonement, death is not the end and we can prepare to enjoy eternity with our loved ones.

My husband's grandma passed away last week. It was expected, and in some ways a relief. We will miss her, but we are happy she has no more pain and is reunited with her dear husband. As I thought about her death though, I thought about how universal death is. It is universally inevitable for all people in all times in all cultures. It is the one thing unavoidable for us all, and very few have ever "returned" from death.

So, what a kind, compassionate God we have that would prepare a way through Jesus Christ for us all to overcome this often frightful event. How comforting to know the truth about what comes next. I am so grateful for the kind gift of temples on earth today so I can look forward to the next life with peace and trust and comfort. I love to visit the Temple!