February 14, 2016 - Sunday in Nauvoo

Valentines Day in Nauvoo!  Mom and I spent a quiet morning sharing Valentine greetings and reading our Scriptures together.  Today we woke up to about 4 inches of very fine powder snow.  The temperatures were up in the high 20's and not much wind.  We left for our meetings at a little past 7:00am.  It is always a fun treat to get to the Church early and enjoy the mission choir's practices.  Such a special feeling to not be rushed!

We attended the other meetings down at the Visitor's Center after the Sacrament meeting.  We normally leave the Sacrament meeting after the last speaker to get down to the building, and get it opened.  Every missionary has the opportunity to teach a Priesthood or Relief Society or a Sunday School lesson.  The meetings all went very well and we headed home at 11:00am with another six inches of snow on the ground!  

It ended up being a great day to be at home.  We were warm and cozy and got some things done around the house with reading, and knitting hats, and listening to wonderful music.  We got to talk to some of our family, and I heard from my former Bishop, and friend, Earle McEwen.  I have enjoyed our association over the years and particularly the opportunity to serve with him.  He shared with me a letter from some impressions he had in the Boise Temple last month and he gave me permission to share it here on the blog;

"Yesterday I was serving in the temple and had just finished doing a sealing session with Karen.  I had a few minutes before my next assignment so I went to sit in the celestial room and pray and meditate.  While admiring the beautiful surroundings of the room I noticed high on the ceiling there was decorative molding that to my mind looked like picture frames but without a picture in them.  There is similar decorative molding on the large lower sections of the wall but because those panels are so big you do not feel like you are looking at an empty picture frame.

I love temple symbolism and look for meaning and purpose in every aspect of the temple.  As I thought about the empty picture frames I got this warm feeling that God has already created a place for our family picture in his celestial living room.  He loves us so much and can’t wait to have our picture there and more importantly to have us all there.

Perhaps my thoughts headed in that direction because of something I had read earlier in the week in this amazing book I am reading called Planted.  On page 76 the author calls the “sealing of the family of God” one of the most glorious doctrinal and ritual innovations of the restoration.  That phrase “sealing of the family of God” struck me as odd.  When I have always thought about the sealing ordinance I have thought first about being sealed to the love of my life forever and about having our children automatically sealed to us.  I never stopped to think that when someone is sealed they become a permanent part of the family of God.  When we do family history and temple work we are not just putting our family back together as it should be but we are putting Heavenly Father’s larger family back together.  This makes Him very happy.  

Truly the most important work we do is within the walls of our own homes.  And so it is with Heavenly Father.  The most important work he does is with the walls of his home - the temple".

I loved his thoughts and insights that he tenderly shared with his precious family.  I have to echo those thoughts!  We are all dedicated to working on our "family portrait", but to consider being part of this wonderful 'extended' family of our Heavenly Father, makes the precious feelings we have for cherished friends so much more meaningful and desirable!  I am grateful that these friendships will be continued as we progress beyond the veil!

Mom and I enjoyed our evening together.  She helped me complete the 19th knitted hat!  This one was for Emma, and mom kept the yarn from getting knotted up as I continued to knit.  Working together we were able to complete Emma's hat in just under 4 hours!  The average time has been about 6 hours, so it was fun to work together!  

You will hear us speak about this mission in terms of how it has helped our marriage progress towards Celestial.  I am amazed, and so grateful for what we have learned here together.  Not just the wonderful Gospel principles that we love and learn about and then teach to the visitors, but the critical and precious Celestial relationship principles that will be with us forever.  We were never told that serving a mission together would be easy, but we have been promised that if we give 100% to our mission, and sharing the Gospel, it will all be worth it!  I believe that we are finding this to be true!