April 7, 2016 - Thursday in Nauvoo

Happy 10th anniversary Bob and Mary!  It seems like only yesterday you walked into the Highland Ward on that Sunday, after you met in the Oakland Temple, holding hands!  That was the day you drove the Bishop crazy when he could not come off the stand and talk to you!  We are grateful for and acknowledge your first 10 years together!

We got an early start this morning as 5:00am rolled around.  I was able to get up and get going with mom on our morning devotional and prayers.  And then we had a marvelous walk around Nauvoo on a cold and very brisk morning.  What a wonderful way to start our day!  I got this picture of the beautiful morning sunrise;

Looking up Parley Street from the statue of Brigham and Joseph

As we were about to leave for our site assignments, we got a call from the scheduling missionaries and mom's schedule got changed from a split shift 5 hour day, to a full shift 7.5 hour day.  We were expecting it.  Mom and I have been very blessed to not get sick on this mission and we have had our schedule extended several times when the other missionaries get sick.  

I worked a full shift at the Blacksmith's shop training two new missionaries that will not likely be scheduled in the sites.  One is a teamster and one is assigned to the FM group.  So I spent the day "exposing" them to the duties of the Blacksmith.  Fun times!

From my conference notes, I was grateful for the talk by Elder Kevin R. Duncan.  He spoke about the need for us to be forgiving.  Here is a summary of his thoughts as I found them on the Church website;

"There is not a soul alive who will not, at one time or another, be the victim to someone else’s careless actions, hurtful conduct, or even sinful behavior. …

Gratefully, God … has taught us that we can forgive! Even though we may be a victim once, we need not be a victim twice by carrying the burden of hate, bitterness, pain, resentment, or even revenge. We can forgive, and we can be free! …

One key to forgiving others is to try to see them as God sees them. …

Too often we look at the offender the way we would look at an iceberg—we see only the tip and not beneath the surface. We do not know all that is going on in a person’s life. … Please do not misunderstand. To forgive is not to condone. We do not rationalize bad behavior or allow someone to mistreat us because of their struggles, pains, or weaknesses. But we can gain greater understanding and peace when we see with a broader perspective. …

Forgiveness is the very reason God sent His Son, so let us rejoice in His offering to heal us all. The Savior’s Atonement is not just for those who need to repent; it is also for those who need to forgive. If you are having trouble forgiving another person, or even yourself, ask God to help you".

To forgive someone is to try and see them as Heavenly Father sees them.  What an excellent parallel to what Joseph Smith had to endure in Liberty Jail.  He was placed in the most challenging of circumstances with guards who verbally abused the Prophet and his people.  Remember when Joseph finally had his fill of the vile oaths and conversations the guards directed at him and his Church?  He could take no more and stood up in chains and rebuked the guards in the strongest of terms.  When they shrunk back and closed their abusive mouths, he turned to his brethren and said; "even the Lord loves these men".

Yes, it is our duty, even our commandment, to forgive others even if that forgiveness is not acknowledged.  The Lord will take care of the rest if we will just be humble and forgiving of others.  The Lord has promised us untold blessings for being able to forgive others, and ourselves, as we make every effort to live the commandments and follow the Saviors example all the days of our lives.  We can do it!  It may not be easy, but it will be worth it!

April 6, 2016 - Wednesday in Nauvoo

It was 186 years ago today that the Restored Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was organized by Joseph Smith.  On April 6, 1830, the Church was officially organized with its six members.  It is wonderful and such a blessing to be a part of the almost 16 million members today!

Mom and I were up early this morning preparing for the days activities.  We had our morning devotional and prayers, and then had our breakfast, before attending the 7:30am training meeting.  We also got to work in the greenhouses after the meeting as our FM assignment today.  

The rain was coming down this morning after our meeting so we went straight to the FM facility.  We potted some growing garden flowers and plants into larger containers.  Then, around 12 noon, the rains had stopped and we went over to the Visitors Center and cleaned out several garden beds of leaves and weeds.  We then got to come over to our house and take out almost a trailer load of leaves and trash and old plastic pots.  It looked so much better!  I took these pictures of some of the flowers budding around the Women's Gardens next to the Visitor's Center in Nauvoo.

The Women's Garden "Springing" into life!

This Women's Garden will soon be filled with the plants from the greenhouses

The tulips and the budding trees are witnessing that Spring is right around the corner....  The Women's Garden is one of the more popular gardens in all of Nauvoo.  It has been a real treat for mom and me to work getting the plants ready for the gardens in Nauvoo and Carthage!  The outdoor planting from the greenhouses will begin in May after these bulbs finish their cycle of blooming and beautifying the grounds!

Tonight was our cast night and we gave a final farewell to our director.  Sister Saline is going to work the sites the last few weeks of their mission.  She did such a great job as the Rendezvous Director!  Check out her trademark smile!

The Saline's from Arizona - Rendezvous Director for the last six months

As I have thought about the conference messages from General Conference, I must admit that hearing Elder Holland speak was, as always, inspiring.  When we heard him here in Nauvoo last July, he was a little more tired and not so positive in his address to us.  I felt that he was anxious for the world events to be done and was ready for the 2nd Coming.  However, I was inspired then, and again I was inspired during this conference, to hear him tell us things will be OK.  Here is a summary of his remarks as I took them from the Church website;

"Only the adversary, the enemy of us all, would try to convince us that the ideals outlined in general conference are depressingly unrealistic, that people don’t really improve, that no one really progresses. 

… Don’t fall for that. With the gift of the Atonement of Jesus Christ and the strength of heaven to help us, we can improve, and the great thing about the gospel is we get credit for trying, even if we don’t always succeed. …

Please remember tomorrow, and all the days after that, that the Lord blesses those who want to improve, who accept the need for commandments and try to keep them, who cherish Christlike virtues and strive to the best of their ability to acquire them. If you stumble in that pursuit, so does everyone; the Savior is there to help you keep going. …

Brothers and sisters, the first great commandment of all eternity is to love God with all our heart, might, mind, and strength. That’s the first great commandment. But the first great truth of all eternity is that God loves us with all of His heart, might, mind, and strength. …

… Keep trying. Keep trusting. Keep believing. Keep growing. Heaven is cheering you on today, tomorrow, and forever"...

We know that the adversary wants us to be discouraged and it makes us feel that no matter what we do we will never make it through the challenges of this life.  That is the farthest thing from the truth and we know it, and an Apostle of the Lord is one of our cheerleaders in this effort to help us overcome this attitude of discouragement.  I am grateful for this message of love and hope and trust from our Heavenly Father through His appointed servants!  Isn't General Conference amazing?

April 5, 2016 - Tuesday in Nauvoo

Our morning routine was, again, invigorating as we prepared for our day.  There is nothing quite like taking the time to pray as a family, and individually, and then read Scriptures together, discuss and ponder them together, and then talk about ways they apply to our lives.  And this discussion is usually continued as we take our walk around Nauvoo together.  See what lies ahead for senior missionaries?  

I feel that the time mom and I have spent on this mission has been so edifying and uplifting and has strengthened our relationship.  And we see real growth coming from our children as they love us and support us, and yes, even as we dearly miss each other..  The blessings have been worth every effort we have made or have at least attempted to make.

We both had separate schedules today.  Mom worked at the Seventies Hall from 12noon to 5:00pm, and I worked at the Brickyard from 9:45am to 5:00pm.  I had the opportunity to work with a new missionary today, Elder Winegar, and he is doing a great job on his tours and in learning the processes in the brick making.  We enjoyed working together.

Then, tonight, I substituted in the Lucy Mack cast for the sick Editor.  In fact, both cast members who play the Editor were down.  That gave me the opportunity to keep my dialog sharp and we had two shows tonight!  Both audiences were fun to play for.  Mom got the night off and sat right next to me on the bench, even staying up until 9:30pm with me!....  The Jeppson's will know right where mom sat!

My reflections tonight go back to President Eyrings opening remarks on Saturday morning.  I got to hear that talk in full, and I loved how he put the perspective right on each one of us, individually, to get the most out of the talks that were prepared under guidance and inspiration from the Lord.  Here is a summery of his remarks that I took from the Church website;

Numbering more than one or two, a multitude of His disciples are gathered in this conference, and as promised, the Lord is in our midst. … By the power of the Spirit, we can feel that He is here with us today. … … We all have had seeds, or the word of God, planted in our hearts at one time. …

All of us have had our faith tested by precious blessings delayed, vicious attacks of those who wanted to destroy our faith, temptations to sin, and selfish interests that reduced our efforts to cultivate and soften the spiritual depths of our hearts. …

… There will be a precious opportunity in the next few days to choose to have our hearts softened and to receive and nourish the seed. … … If you listen with the Spirit, you will find your heart softened, your faith strengthened, and your capacity to love the Lord increased.

Your choice to pray with full purpose of heart will transform your experience in the conference sessions and in the days and months that follow. …

I loved the perspective of "choice" and "precious opportunity" to listen to the speakers.  Having "the Lord in our midst" was a marvelous blessing for a disciple of Jesus Christ!  

Wouldn't it be wonderful if we took this same attitude into our Sacrament Meetings and prayed for the Holy Ghost to bless not only the speakers, but bless us to be sensitive to the promptings of the Spirit given just for us.... even praying "with full purpose of heart!  I think that talk was significant for me and a reminder about personal preparation!

April 4, 2016 - Monday in Nauvoo

Mom and I enjoyed our P-day today.  After we started our day with our morning devotional and prayers, we took a nice long walk.  Since we left the house at about 5:45am, we were back home by 7:00am and getting ready for the day.  Our first stop after leaving the house was our shopping trip to Keokuk.  We got to talk to our son on the way over, and two of our daughters on the way back home.  We are so thankful for our precious families back home and in Utah!

We were able to get the few supplies that we needed in a short amount of time, and we were able to drive back to Nauvoo and attend the 10:00am temple session.  The officiator asked us to be the witness couple and we are always grateful for that opportunity.  We attended with eight local young Elder and Sister missionaries from the Des Moines, Iowa mission.  The session was such a blessing for us.  The temple closes for a semi annual cleaning in a few weeks, so we are trying to attend two sessions each week.

The balance of the day was spent doing our weekly chores around the house.  I got to wash the car and mom was able to do some house cleaning.  I had asked for a lawn mower to be delivered today from the FM folks, but that was not able to get done.  I also had the opportunity to ponder President Nelsons talk in Priesthood.  I pulled a summary of that talk off the website;

I urgently plead with each one of us to live up to our privileges as bearers of the priesthood. In a coming day, only those men who have taken their priesthood seriously, by diligently seeking to be taught by the Lord Himself, will be able to bless, guide, protect, strengthen, and heal others. Only a man who has paid the price for priesthood power will be able to bring miracles to those he loves and keep his marriage and family safe, now and throughout eternity.

What is the price to develop such priesthood power? …

… Faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, charity, and diligence. And don’t forget humility! …… We need to pray from our hearts. … Are you willing to pray to know how to pray for more power? The Lord will teach you.

Are you willing to search the scriptures and feast on the words of Christ—to study earnestly in order to have more power? …

Are you willing to worship in the temple regularly? The Lord loves to do His own teaching in His holy house. Imagine how pleased He would be if you asked Him to teach you about priesthood keys, authority, and power as you experience the ordinances of the Melchizedek Priesthood in the holy temple. …

Are you willing to follow President Monson’s example of serving others? …… If we will humbly present ourselves before the Lord and ask Him to teach us, He will show us how to increase our access to His power.

President Nelson gave such an inspirational message about forgiveness and overcoming the grief he felt from losing two precious patients in his early heart surgery practice.  I could feel the weight taken off his shoulders as he responded to the visit of those two precious young girls and then to bring that family together with the sacred temple ordinances.  

I am so very thankful for the temple ordinances that we share as a family, both for those of us living, and for those who have preceded us beyond the veil.  This one sacred Gospel principle caught my early interest in joining the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints!

April 3, 2016 - Conference Sunday in Nauvoo

This is the first day, in a very long time, that we had no commitments except our Sabbath Day activities.  We were able to get up a little later than usual.  Mom was up at 5:30am and I was up around 6:00am.  We had a wonderful day of fasting for the messages, and the messengers, from conference.  We had our morning devotional and prayers and then a quiet morning of preparation before we walked over to the stake center for the 10:30am Mormon Tabernacle Choir broadcast.  We then enjoyed the Sunday morning session of the 186th annual General Conference there at the stake center with about 50 other Saints.

We walked back home and enjoyed our "break the fast" breakfast for lunch.  And then we prepared to enjoy the Sunday afternoon session of General Conference here in our little home.  Every talk was uplifting and inspirational.  It is hard to believe that this conference is over.  However, the review of the talks on line will continue to inspire until we receive the May 2016 Ensign!  We were so grateful to have this day off from serving in the sites!

The key messages I received included the importance of family, the love that our Heavenly Father has for us if we just have a desire to repent and come back to Him, and how important it is to be a great leader and a great follower in the due seasons of our lives.  "Charity will overcome pride", and "remember who you are".  

President Monson spoke briefly and very powerfully to each of us.  He told us to have the courage to choose Jesus Christ as our Savior and as our example.  Many people in the world today doubt that there is a Savior.  President Monson encouraged us to have that faith that there is a Savior and that faith in Jesus Christ is our best defense from the adversary.

So many great messages and particularly the closing message by Elder Holland and the message of forgiveness and temple blessings from Elder Nelson, just to name two of the many remarkable talks.  Reading, and rereading, and incorporating the messages in my day to day life, is my challenges for the next six months!

April 2, 2016 - Saturday in Nauvoo

Mom and I were up early this morning and had our prayers and devotional together.  We then took our walk around the Old Nauvoo walking path we have created.  We got back to our home about 7:15am, and got ready for the day.  Sickness has overtaken the mission so we have lots of double duty.  Today I was assigned two sites, the Blacksmith shop and the Seventies Hall with a new missionary.  We were both scheduled the full day shift.  There must be almost a third of the senior Priesthood brethren out sick.  Crazy.  However, I got to tell Mary's prairie diamond story twice today to teenage young women!

At any rate, there must be about the same amount of Sisters who are not able to work.  Mom had the assignment to serve at the Cultural Hall and the Sarah Granger Kimball home.  She had a split shift and worked with two other sisters.  

At about 4:00pm today we got notice that the Rendezvous Play was cancelled.  It was mainly for a power failure in the theater, but they also felt like the seniors needed a night off.  Pretty extreme measures to stop the Rendezvous Play!

I was a little disappointed in how many active members of the Church came to the sites today, with their children, and missed sitting down with them to watch General Conference.  Here we profess to follow a Prophet of God and to be led by Prophets and Apostles.  However, we feel that Conference weekend is time off from Church, or that, somehow, to tour a Church site could in some way measure up to what conference has to offer.  

Perhaps that is my greatest disappointment in serving this mission, to be open on Sundays and not, at least, be closed during Conference sessions.  What message is that when we stay open?  To make matters even worse, I was serving in the Blacksmith's shop where the key message was the faith the pioneers had in following a Prophet to the Rocky Mountains.  They left their homes and gardens and their beloved temple to follow the Prophet, and here I was teaching that key message, and not being able to listen to the Prophets speaking today!

Some will say, now Elder Lasher, you can read those talks and listen to those sessions anytime.  And then I wonder that since these are the Lords servants, why shouldn't I be able to listen to them, just like I would if the Lord called a conference and invited me to come, and I chose to listen to His recorded message at a more convenient time.....  OK that's enough Elder Lasher!  We get the point!

We are grateful to serve, and, hopefully, the few non member guests we saw today will compensate for what we personally missed in the conference talks, by their embracing the messages we shared with them today.  One can only hope!  We did place a Book of Mormon though!!

I did get to enjoy the entire Priesthood session and our dear Prophet was able to address us for a few short minutes.  I am grateful and testify of our living Prophet, Thomas S. Monson, today!

April 1, 2016 - Friday in Nauvoo

We had to say goodbye for a season to our precious family this morning.  What a tender mercy it was to get an extra day with them!  I think that there is a moral to this tender mercy.... appreciate the precious time you have with your family!!  Don't take any time together for granted and make each day count for a good day!

6:30am packing for home.... lots of tears....

Mom and I had our monthly mission breakfast this morning.  We had to leave to be there, at the breakfast by 6:45am, so we were rushing to be on time.  It probably worked out for the best all around.... we Lasher's hate long goodbyes!

After our first early shift in a long time, (we worked together at the Family Living Center), we got home at 2:45pm and decided to make the 4:00pm temple session.  The busier we can be the better in these types of situations!  We were asked to be the witness couple and the session had nine patrons. Then we went home and changed our clothes for the Sunset practice at 6:30pm.  Stay busy!

We got word that the Jeppson's will attempt to make the entire trip home tonight.  They appeared to be making excellent time and I am sure the promise of being home and in their own beds caused some incentives to surface and keep going....  We have prayed extra hard for their safe arrival and have all our families on the prayer rolls.  We can do hard things!  We sure love our families!!