Recommended to the Lord

During when I browsing for more insights about this talk, I came across a blog that that the author of the blog misinterpreting about what Elder Ronald A. Rasband have taught.

I respect what the author had said and his opinions but my opinion is he is using his limited worldly knowledge and his researches on the Church’s talks to counter strike whatever Elder Ronald A. Rasband talked.

I think the author is ‘looking beyond the mark’ even though his whole article was talking about Jesus Christ and all the scripture versus quoted from the Holy Bible.

Recommended to the Lord

by Elder Ronald A. Rasband

Elder Ronald A. Rasband began his talk with his sharing his temple assignment in South Africa.

“…Every Latter-day Saint temple in the world—all 168 of them—stand as testaments to our faith in eternal life and the joy of spending it with our families and our Heavenly Father. Attending the temple increases our understanding of the Godhead and the everlasting gospel, our commitment to live and teach truth, and our willingness to follow the example of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.”

“On the outside of every temple in the Church are the fitting words “Holiness to the Lord.” The temple is the Lord’s house and a sanctuary from the world. His Spirit envelops those who worship within those sacred walls. He sets the standards by which we enter as His guests.”

After which Elder Ronald A. Rasband related to the experience that he had with his father-in-law, Blaine Twitchell about his temple recommend interview with his bishop.

The phrase “recommended to the Lord” puts additional perspective on being interviewed regularly by Church leaders.

“A recommend is not a checklist, a hall pass, or a ticket for special seating. It has a much higher and holier purpose.”

I had been touched by the idea of using interviews as a time of reflection for me to measure my spiritual growth.

“In your interview you have the opportunity to search your soul about your personal faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement. You have the blessing to express your testimony of the restored gospel; your willingness to sustain those whom the Lord has called to lead His Church; your faith in the doctrine of the gospel; your fulfilment of family responsibilities; and your qualities of honesty, chastity, fidelity, obedience, and observance of the Word of Wisdom, the law of tithing, and the sanctity of the Sabbath day. Those are bedrock principles of a life devoted to Jesus Christ and His work.”

“Your temple recommend reflects a deep, spiritual intent that you are striving to live the laws of the Lord and love what He loves: humility, meekness, steadfastness, charity, courage, compassion, forgiveness, and obedience. And you commit yourself to those standards when you sign your name to that sacred document.”

“To be “recommended to the Lord” is to be reminded of what is expected of a covenant-keeping Latter-day Saint.”

“Consider when Moses climbed Mount Horeb and the Lord Jehovah appeared to him in a burning bush. God told him, “Put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.”²

“Putting off our shoes at the door of the temple is letting go of worldly desires or pleasures that distract us from spiritual growth, setting aside those things which side-track our precious mortality, rising above contentious behaviour, and seeking time to be holy.”

To be “recommended to the Lord,” means we strive to be like Him.

“Begin the process now to become “recommended to the Lord” so that His Spirit will be with you in abundance and His standards will bring you “peace of conscience.”¹⁰

“… this scripture spoken by the Lord about the Nauvoo Temple: “Let the work of my temple, and all the works which I have appointed unto you, be continued on and not cease; and let your diligence, and your perseverance, and patience, and your works be redoubled, and you shall in nowise lose your reward, saith the Lord of Hosts.”¹²

“Our work in the temple is tied to our eternal reward. Recently we have been put to the test. The Lord has called us to work in the temples with “diligence, … perseverance, and patience.”¹³ Being “recommended to the Lord” requires those qualities. We must be diligent in living the commandments, persevere in our attention to our temple covenants, and be grateful for what the Lord continues to teach about them and be patient as we wait for temples to reopen in their fullness.”

Remaining worthy to qualify for a temple recommend suggests that I am “Work in Progress” – always progressing in the purpose or role that the Lord has installed for me, assisting to build the kingdom of God on the earth, proclaim his gospel, offer salvation to individuals on both sides of the mortal veil, and lift and help anyone I can.

At that instance, I am feeling grateful for the knowledge that I have, and it helps me and strengthen my testimony of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Puchong Branch Virtual Christmas Eve Special 24 Dec 2020

Here is the program of the night, which started at 8:00pm on 24th December 2020.

Here is a Christmas ornament did by Annabelle during her earlier Young Women activity through Zoom online.

This is our group special teaser as we combined all members together without the music part.

 

The following link from Sister Jennifer’s Youtube Channel is the whole 30 minutes Puchong Branch Virtual Christmas Eve Special Presentation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gfRaUO2jEs

Relief Society Sisters Christmas Buffet Lunch Gathering

Today some of the Relief Society sisters Christmas Buffett Lunch Gathering organized by the church sisters that invite whoever sisters would like to go together as the Christmas Buffet Gathering.

Sister Oyoki, Sister Yong Yong, and Sister Saffron were trying their best to source the best value steamboat and BBQ restaurant. Finally, Sister Yong Yong managed to find one Korean restaurant – Gogigo Korean BBQ & Steamboat Buffet located at Bandar Puteri Puchong.

We met around 11.00 am as the restaurant just opened at that time. After we paid for our portion, we just walked in, settled down our handbags or kinds of stuff, and began to walk towards the buffet counters, which served a lot of food and beverages.

The restaurant serves BBQ and hotpot together. In addition to the hot and spicy Korean BBQ, there is also a hot pot with two soups in one pot! It is simply very worthwhile and valuable for money. It is all you can eat except for canned drinks and alcohol that need to pay separately.

The restaurant serves unlimited pork, chicken meat, and pork belly with many all kinds of vegetables, marinated meat, seafood, meatballs, instant noodles, and more. There are authentic Korean side dishes, such as kimchi, spicy fried rice cakes, sushi, fried rice, egg rolls, and more. And unlimited ice cream and drinks too!

All the sisters were busy eating, and all of us are enjoying each other companionship. All the sisters were chit-chatting and got to know each other latest living.

Annabelle had brought the Young Women My150 project bookmarks out and gave them to all the sisters who were there to spread the love of young women to the Relief Society sisters. She took a lot of photos with the sisters.

One more exciting thing that happened is that we have the Christmas presents exchanges among the sisters. Everyone brings along Christmas presents which cost below RM15.00 and interact with each other. Finally, we took a group photo before we leave to memorize this enjoyable gathering.

Here are Issac’s and Annabelle’s, as both of them also participated in the gifts exchange.

Finding Joy in Christ

Finding Joy in Christ

by President Steven J. Lund

This is a talk by President Steven J. Lund whom is the Church Young Men General President. He shared about his youngest son Tanner Christian Lund, taught him and his wife Sister Kalleen Lund a timeless lesson in finding joy in Christ shortly before cancer claimed his young life.

One Sunday, 12 years old Tanner climbed out of bed and dressed himself and prepared himself to go to the Church to fulfil the assignment to pass the sacrament. His mother assured him it was not necessary as someone else in the Church could do that for Tanner, while he should stay home and rest.

“Yes,” he said, “but … I see how people look at me when I pass the sacrament. I think it helps them.”

“It seemed that every eye in the chapel was on him, moved by his struggle as he did his simple part. Somehow Tanner expressed a silent sermon as he solemnly, haltingly moved from row to row—his bald head moist with perspiration—representing the Savior in the way that deacons do. His once indomitable deacon’s body was itself a little bruised, broken, and torn, willingly suffering to serve by bearing the emblems of the Savior’s Atonement into our lives.”

Tanner’s commitment to serve the Lord and others signalled an “unspoken miracle.” He answered the call to “enlist in God’s battalions and join in the work of salvation and exaltation.”

The sacramental symbols point to the gift of the Redeemer.

“We contemplate the bread that He once broke — and the bread the priests before us are, in turn, now breaking. We think of the meaning of  the liquid, consecrated then and now, as the sacrament prayers solemnly pass from the mouths of young priests into our hearts and into the heavens, renewing covenants that connect us, in that moment, to the very powers of Christ’s salvation.”

“The Savior’s mission has always and forever been to serve His Father by saving His children.

And the surest way to find joy in this life is to join Christ in helping others.”

And this lead to the Children and Youth program which inspired by this.

“All Children and Youth activities and all Children and Youth teachings are about helping  young people become more like Jesus by joining with Him in His work of salvation and exaltation.”

Basically, the Children and Youth program was based on the scripture Luke 2:52,

“Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.”

It focus on 4 aspects or areas which is:

Spiritual “Favour with God” – You can grow spiritually by showing your love for God and your willingness to live the gospel.

Social “Favour with…man”. You can grow socially by showing love to all people.

Physically “Grew in stature”. You can learn to work and take care of your body, your mental health, and God’s creation.

Intellectually “Grew in Wisdom”. You can study in school, learn new skills, and improve your talents.

President Lund mentioned that,

“Our youth cannot wait for the world to right itself before they come to know the Savior. Some are making decisions even now that they would not make if they understood their true identities—and His.”

“Moms and dads, your sons need you to support them now as passionately as ever you have in the past when they have been about lesser things like badges and pins.”

My heart was sunken when I listened and read these sentences, as I am not so upkeep with the goals that both children need to set for 4 of the areas above. It is so difficult to ask and check on them to set goals. They seems like not motivated at all for doing it. Sigh…

President Lund ended his talk by talk to the youth,

“And to you of the rising generation, I testify, as one who knows, that you are beloved sons and daughters of God and He has a work for you to do.”

“As you rise to the majesty of your stations, with all of your hearts, might, mind, and strength, you will come to love God and keep your covenants and trust in His priesthood as you work to bless others, beginning in your own homes.”

“I pray that you will strive, with redoubled energy worthy of this time, to serve, exercise faith, repent, and improve each day, to qualify to receive temple blessings and the enduring joy that comes only through the gospel of Jesus Christ…”

I have been inspired to do it myself as I started my physical goal to get fitness and I hope by doing so, able to motivate them doing the same for their own.

I know that if I continue to do and work by example to them, it will craft into their mind and remind themselves that their mother was doing it and they will do it one day in the near future.

I am grateful for the gospel in my life, and keep doing it and applying it, by small and simple things, are great things brought to pass.

Christmas Eve Dinner 24 Dec 2020

There have been quite sometimes that our family did not have a proper tradition Christmas Eve dinner for the past few years. Most of the time, our family would be traveling during the Christmas season at the end of the year.

Since the Covid-19 pandemic just swept through the whole earth, most citizens worldwide are restricted from traveling abroad. Alvin has not cooked a turkey for a while. The last one should be at the Puchong branch Christmas party at church in 2019.

This year we celebrate the eve with Brother Felix and Sister Joyce's family at their house. We brought over to their home and had our Christmas eve dinner. Alvin baked the roasted turkey. I cooked a mushroom soup and fresh green salad.

Alvin prepared the turkey starting from noon. We baked for almost 2 hours and made sure it is juicy. Then he prepared for the gravy of the turkey as well. It looks so lovely and yummy!

It has been a while since our families had dinner together. We had an enjoyable dinner. Sister Joyce prepared mashed potatoes, garlic bread, and baked grille ribs. 

 

After the dinner, we watched our branch virtual Christmas eve presentation online. It was pretty fun to see ourselves in the video presentation this evening. We have our chit-chatting all evening till we left for home.

Our family has an enjoyable and wonderful Christmas eve with Brother Felix and Sister Joyce’s family.

Christmas Caroling Special Number

Here are Sister Jennifer and Brother Tesh. Especially make this video combining of both couples for the music celebration! It is indeed so sweet of her and the efforts and her time that she put in.

Seek Christ in Every Thought

I think what I like most about this talk are the examples that Elder Soares uses. He shared an experience of a faithful woman that she awakened on one particular morning,

“… an an improper thought that she had never experienced before unexpectedly entered her mind. Although it caught her completely by surprise, she reacted against the situation in a split second, saying to herself and to that thought, “No!” and replaced it with something good to divert her mind from the unwelcome thought. She told me that as she exercised her moral agency in righteousness, that negative, involuntary thought immediately disappeared.”

I was caught in surprise that not only me, that others too have experienced these experiences too! And most of the time, I experienced it during when I have doubts or struggles in the midnight of 3.26a.m.

Sometimes I want to try to analyze and figure out “what is wrong with me that I would have such thought?” Sadly, that usually just cuases me to focus more and more on the inappropriate thought much more. Thus, I know that it is the temptations that the Satan would wants me to do.

What I did with these thoughts most of the time are mentally tell the thought or myself “no”, and replace the thought and then replace the thought by praying, singing a hymn, reading scriptures, redirecting my focus back into a worthy talk, listening to uplifting music, etc.

“Despite our continuous efforts to seek out the Lord, inappropriate thoughts may penetrate our mind. When such thoughts are permitted and even invited to stay, they can shape the desires of our heart and lead us to what we will become in this life and eventually to what we will inherit for eternity.¹⁰”

Another example that Elder Ulisses Soares use is Prophet Joseph Smith,

“During a particularly difficult time when Joseph Smith and his fellow prisoners in Liberty Jail did not have freedom in anything except for their thoughts, the Lord provided helpful counsel and a promise to them that are extended to all of us:

“Let thy bowels also be full of charity towards all men [and women], and to the household of faith, and let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God; …

“The Holy Ghost shall be thy constant companion, and thy scepter an unchanging scepter of righteousness and truth.”¹³

In doing so, holy thoughts will continuously adorn our minds and pure desires will lead us to righteous actions.”

Another example is a man who entertained inappropriate thoughts and made tragic decisions as a result returns to full fellowship in the church.

“… when we resist the little temptations, which often come unexpectedly in our life, we are better equipped to avoid serious transgressions. As President Spencer W. Kimball said: “Seldom does one enter into deeper transgression without first yielding to lesser ones, which open the door to the greater. … ‘A clean field [does not] suddenly [become] weedy.’”¹⁸”

Elder Soares ended his talk by the last examples of how Jesus Christ exemplified the importance of constantly resisting everything that might dissuade us from realizing our eternal purpose as in Matthew 4:10-11.

“Can you imagine, my brothers and sisters, what would happen if we were to derive strength and courage from the Savior and say, “No” and “Get thee hence” to unvirtuous thoughts that very first moment they come into our minds? What would be the impact on the desires of our hearts? How would our resulting actions keep us close to the Savior and allow the continued influence of the Holy Ghost in our lives?…”

“I know that by following Jesus’s example, we will avoid many tragedies and undesirable behaviors that might cause family problems and disagreements, negative emotions and inclinations, perpetrating injustices and abuses, enslavement by evil addictions, and anything else that would be against the Lord’s commandments.”

I know that I could not deny the existence of the Satan’s temptation, but I also know that to believe in Jesus Christ can help me doing it. As what Elder Soares said,

“… Applying these principles in our lives requires more than a mere belief; it requires adjusting our minds and hearts to these divine principles.

Such adjustment requires a daily and constant personal effort, in addition to reliance on the Savior, because our mortal inclinations will not disappear on their own.

Fighting against temptation takes a lifetime of diligence and faithfulness. But please know that the Lord is ready to assist us in our personal efforts and promises remarkable blessings if we endure to the end.”

I just feel all these General Conference talks are so in time for me, and every talk I learned something that helps me repair my weaknesses. I can able to improve so much if I just change a thing at a time each time forever, and I know I can become better.

Seek Christ in Every Thought

by Elder Ulisses Soares