* All About Mormons Newsletter *
November 1999
Welcome to the All About Mormons Newsletter. If you like what you read, email this to friends and family! If you have poems, stories, object lessons, questions, answers, or good ideas to contribute, please send them to jenny@mormons.org (If you get unusual letters mixed in with this newsletter, please let us know so we can be sure you get it in plain text next time)
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*In this newsletter:
*Book of Mormon Quote of the Month
The Book of Mormon is a volume of sacred writings comparable to the Bible. Its principal purpose is to testify of the divinity of Jesus Christ and the truthfulness of his teachings. For a free copy, call (U.S.) 1-800-528-2225.
Now my brethren, we see that God is mindful of every people, whatsoever land they may be in; yea, he numbereth his people, and his bowels of mercy are over all the earth. Now this is my joy, and my great thanksgiving; yea, and I will give thanks unto my God forever. Amen. (Alma 26:37)
Now that I’m serving in Primary, I find myself talking about reverence frequently. We are always reminding the children to be reverent when they are in church, reverent while listening to talks, reverent during prayers, and so forth. We often say this when we want the children to listen to the talks and prayers, sing during the songs, keep their feet quiet, keep their hands to themselves, and speak quietly when it is their turn.
However, this is not the real meaning of reverence. We, adults and children, can be reverent every day and in many different circumstances.
We have a Primary song called "Reverence Is Love" and it explains that reverence is more than being quiet and keeping our hands to ourselves. It is a feeling of love and respect for God. We can keep this feeling and act accordingly no matter where we are.
One way to show reverence is to always say the Lord’s name and his titles with respect and love. We know that God places great importance on how his name is used, for one of the Ten Commandments forbids taking the Lord’s name in vain. More than forbidding the misuse of his name in a moment of vexation, this also relates to ordinances done in his name, but done unworthily, or later broken. This too makes his name invoked vainly, and does not show reverence or love.
We show reverence by obeying God’s commandments and keeping our covenants with him. Jesus said, "If ye love me, keep my commandments" (John 14:15). He also said, "And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?" (Luke 6:46) We show love and respect by obeying God. Any verbal honors we bestow are negated by our disobedience and disrespectful actions. Especially for those who have taken upon themselves the name of Christ, our actions must be in harmony with what Christ would do in that situation. He would obey and keep his covenants. Now that essentially everything we do is in the Lord’s name, since we carry his name upon us, any disobedience is again taking the Lord’s name in vain.
We can show reverence as we respect things God has called holy. God hallowed the Sabbath day. If we keep the Sabbath day holy, we show respect and love for what God did and what he said. God has declared marriage between a man and a woman as sacred. We thus should consider it sacred ourselves, keep our marriage covenants, support legislation and institutions that also hold marriage as central to society and sacred, and teach others of these truths both by word and example. Our bodies, our ability to procreate, and all life are holy. Thus we should treat our own bodies and the bodies of others with respect as the creations of God that they are. We should not tamper with the powers of procreation outside of marriage, for that is the only realm that God has given us to use these sacred powers. And of course the resultant life from use of these powers is also sacred. Plant and animal life were given to mankind, yet they are not to be used indiscriminately or wantonly. As stewards of all of creation, we have the responsibility to use the life on this earth appropriately. Though not an exhaustive list, the last thing I will discuss as being called holy by God is the temple. The temple and the teachings and covenants inside it should be treated, discussed, and contemplated with awe and respect. We should not treat anything about the temple lightly or disrespectfully, for it is sacred. God has told us, "…Trifle not with sacred things" (D&C 6:12). All things holy should be approached with the proper spirit, soberly, lovingly, with gratitude for being allowed so near the things of God.
Another way to show reverence to God is to treat his creations with respect. He created the earth and everything on it. Misusing resources, being wasteful, littering, and defacing things all show disrespect, while being a good steward of the things God has given us and encouraging others to do the same shows a proper appreciation for what God has done for us.
Thus we see that reverence is not a Sunday-behavior word, but a way of life: filled with thankfulness, love, awe, and respect for our Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and the things they have given to us.
See Godhead home page and Reverence
*Object Lesson: "GOD'S EMBROIDERY"
When I was a little boy, my mother used to embroider a great deal. I would sit at her
knee and look up from the floor and ask what she was doing. She informed me that she was
embroidering. I told her that it looked like a mess from where I was. As from the
underside I watched her work within the boundaries of the little round hoop that she
held in her hand, I complained to her that it sure looked messy from where I sat.
She would smile at me, look down and gently say, "My son, you go about your playing for awhile, and when I am finished with my embroidering, I will put you on my knee and let you see it from my side."
I would wonder why she was using some dark threads along with the bright ones and why they seemed so jumbled from my view. A few minutes would pass and then I would hear Mother's voice say, "Son, come and sit on my knee." This I did only to be surprised and thrilled to see a beautiful flower or a sunset. I could not believe it, because from underneath it looked so messy.
Then Mother would say to me, "My son, from underneath it did look messy and jumbled, but you did not realize that there was a pre-drawn plan on the top. It was a design. I was only following it. Now look at it from my side and you will see what I was doing."
Many times through the years I have looked up to my Heavenly Father and said, "Father, what are You doing?" He has answered, "I am embroidering your life." I say, "But it looks like a mess to me. It seems so jumbled. The threads seem so dark. Why can't they all be bright?"
The Father seems to tell me, "'My child, you go about your business of doing My business, and one day I will bring you to Heaven and put you on My knee and you will see the plan from My side."
Author Unknown
His Image In My Countenance
Dose His image live in me?
Have you seen Him deep within?
If looking into my eyes could you see?
Could you see His light so bright?
Is my love perfect even as His?
Have I shown unto you that love?
Have i shown to you that goodness?
When looking up to Him do we do it with that image?
With His image engraved in us?
Now I ask "What manner of men ought we to be"?
"Be even as I" will be His reply.
Then shall I stand and be as He.
For I have been born of God.
And I have received His image in me.
My heart has experienced this mighty change.
And I am crucified with Christ.
Nevertheless I live; yet not I
But Christ liveth in ME.
by.Chris Eggleston
*What’s New on All About Mormons?
LDS Humor is continually expanding. Thanks to all those who have contributed so far! Keep on sending us your funny stories, jokes, etc. We want our humor to be enjoyable to all of our visitors, members and non-members alike, so please use discretion when choosing which ones to send. Our Other Good Stuff section is especially for non-religious humor. Laugh With Us!
All About Mormons has information to keep you in touch with the Church, including Church related web sites and Internet services, Church phone numbers, and magazine information. Check it out on our Welcome page!
Why Did Joseph Smith Become a Mason? has been updated. (10/09/99)
In When Does the Spirit Enter the Womb?, President Joseph Fielding Smith discusses when a child's spirit enters his mother's womb. (10/03/99)
*Fun Stuff: Do you know your Articles of
Faith?
By Jenny Walsh
Put the following topics or summaries of the Articles of Faith in order:
a-First principles and ordinances
b-We obey law, are subject to government
c-Gathering of Israel and building of Zion
d-Bible and Book of Mormon are the word of God
e-Seek virtues and uplifting people and things
f-Man must be called of God
g-Godhead
h-Gifts of the Spirit
i-Saved by Atonement along with obedience to laws and ordinances of Gospel
j-Church organized as the Primitive Church
k-We will be punished for our own sins
l-All should worship according to conscience
m-Revelation
(Answers: g, k, i, a, f, j, h, d, m, c, l, b, e)
*Response of the Month: What ways have you found to teach your children or other family members about the temple?
We have pictures of temples in our home, hanging on the walls. We have our wedding pictures in front of the temple where we were married. My daughter and I like to walk around the house, looking at the pictures and talking about what we do in temples, that they are special buildings, that Heavenly Father blesses us there, that it is the place to get married for eternity, and that it is Heavenly Father’s house. I talk about how the temple makes me feel when I’m there. I also talk about why I got married in the temple and that I hope my daughter will also get married there. She is only 18 months, but we discuss it regularly and I hope that she is learning about the importance of temples. We also have the Temples magazine printed by the church. They are inexpensively available through the Distribution Center and filled with pictures and articles which explain the sacred purposes of temples. She enjoys looking at all of the pictures and we like to talk about what she is seeing. We are very lucky to have a newly dedicated temple in our area. Before it was dedicated, I took my daughter to the open house to see inside. I also hope to show her how important the temple is by attending regularly with my husband.
My in-laws are not members and we have tried to share our feelings about the temple on several occasions, including before our temple marriage and when we found out that there is a temple being built in their area. They have been respectful of our feelings and beliefs. They also have been impressed with the beauty of the outside of the temples they have seen. We are encouraging them to attend the upcoming open house and see inside. They are excited about that. Recently, after learning that some of my family members died, I shared with them that I was glad that those who died were living the teachings of the church and had been sealed together in the temple, because I believed that they would still be a family even after death. I try not to be pushy in explaining our beliefs, and I hope I’m sharing these things when I have the Spirit with me.
*Question of the Month: How are you increasing the feeling of oneness in your marriage?
Thank you for your wonderful responses so far. Let us know what you think. We want your wisdom and input!
Reader responses will appear in the next newsletter. E-mail responses to jenny@mormons.org
See you later!