Last Day of Laie Days-Celebration of the Mormon Pioneers

This was the sunset tonight as I  left the Cannon Activities Center

July 30, 2017

Had another wonderful Sabbath. Our Sacrament meeting centered around Family History. A few things I was prompted to do as I listened to the speakers were:

·        Do family history research-you will find something important.

·        Write, write, write your stories

·        “Turn out” as Elder Bednar spoke about at the MTC. It will help you with the behaviors you want to change. As you turn out and think about others, the desires of your heart will come true. Rather than praying for gifts of the Spirit you want, dive into family research and Heavenly Father will open the path for you to receive the gifts you desire. Focus away from yourself and focus on others.

Sarina, from Mongolia spoke about her experience. She said it is easy to do. She started on familysearch.org and found over 100 names that she was baptized for on her birthday.

If we committed 1 hour per week to family history= it takes four weeks at this rate to find one name to take to the temple. One name per month= twelve names to take to the temple each year. This little bit can change into millions of people over a lifetime.

The invitation to do family history is out. A young college student was asked by her bishop to sacrifice one hour per week to do family research. She insisted that after her schoolwork and job and studies were complete, that she did not have any time left. The bishop asked her each week for four weeks if she had done anything on his challenge. Her answer was always, “No, I don’t have time.” The bishop then asked her what her hardest class was. Her answer was “math.” Although she studied and studied, she could not understand it. He then promised her that if she would do first, her research that hard things would become easy. She took the challenge and to her surprise, when she read her math studies, she understood it clearly.

In Malachi 4:5-6New King James Version (NKJV)

⁵ Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet
Before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.
⁶ And he will turn
The hearts of the fathers to the children,
And the hearts of the children to their fathers,
Lest I come and strike the earth with a curse.”

This scripture is sometimes only thought of as us turning our hearts to the fathers, but the first part suggests that as we do our family history, the door to ministering Angels will open to us as we open the door to them through family history. They will help us with hard things. They have much to offer us in wisdom and power. We can enable them to help and serve us in our work here.

Read Pres. Monson’s Conference address April 2012.

I was prepared to teach my Temple Preparation class, but Mandy, from Taiwan, came and since she has already had the lessons, I addressed some questions that she had to prepare her for her endowments. She will be leaving for a mission in November for a mission to Toronto, Canada, Mandarin speaking. She is a lovely young woman and she and her sister are the only members of the Church.

Sister Currit invited a young woman from her ward to share dinner with us as she is alone here. Her husband is in England waiting for his visa which could be, at least, 2 months.

Talked to Scott, David, Esther, Joseph, and Matthew and Dan on the phone today.

Tonight, Laie held a musical fireside at the Cannon Center. It was centered on Christ. The singing was amazing.