October 2024

Elder McKay

Last week was the dedication of the new Kanesville Memorial Historic site. I hope that you will be able to take a few minutes to read more about that in this article in the Church News. The tabernacle that was built in 1997 to commemorate the sesquicentennial of the Winter Quarters encampment had deteriorated to the point that it was no longer safe for public use, and so the Church decided to build this sculpture garden as its replacement. Elder Kyle S. McKay of the Seventy came to dedicate it. In addition to the dedication on Saturday (September 28), he also spoke at a fireside the night before at the Council Bluffs stake center along with his wife, and Elder Martinez and his wife.  Elder McKay's remarks had a lot to do with temple themes, so I thought that it might be good to share the gist of it with you.

As you know, the Winter Quarters encampment was not historically the gathering place for the Saints, but rather a way station - a temporary refuge. Now, however, the area which it once occupied is a gathering place - it has a temple and stakes of Zion which support it, and the people of the stakes are blessed by it. President Nelson has spoken a great deal on the topic of gathering "on both sides of the veil" and has acted decisively to build temples to support gathering. 

Elder Bednar said in his talk "Be Still and Know that I Am God" in the April 2024 General Conference that the temple is a sacred place and that the Sabbath is a sacred time. The Lord is lord of time and space and so is in complete control of what is, according to theories held by many who study the physical world and the concept of "spacetime", the very fabric of our existence . The ancient temple had a room called the "holy place" that had a candlestick, shewbread, and cup symbolic of Israel's relationship with God, and beyond that room it had the holy of holies where only the high priest could enter, and then only on one day of the year - the day of atonement - and there could receive instruction from God. It had only one piece of furniture - the ark of the covenant. Within the ark were the stone tablets upon which were written the law, or those principles upon which the covenant was based. In this holy space God would speak with His prophet. It was a place of worshipful reverence, even though the courtyard outside had the noise that was associated with the rites of sacrifice that had been established in the law. 

When God described the glory of the temple to Ezekiel, he said "Son of man, this is the place of my throne and the place of the soles of my feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the people of Israel forever." We know of some historic instances which verify these words. The temples at Bountiful, Kirtland, St. George, and Salt Lake come to mind. It is likely that a multitude of other, more private instances could be produced which out of reverence should remain private. The fact is, God is in His temples, in many times and many places.

Since He is there, how can we derive the most benefit from being there with Him? Returning to Him is His "work and [His] glory" and the sole reason for the creation of this earth, and also for every instruction and ordinance that can be received in the temple. What can we do to really make that instruction sink in? Can we choose to make our time in the temple holy, and also to make holy the time spent in repenting and in renewing our covenants, especially as we partake of the sacrament?

In the Idaho Falls temple, above the doors that lead to the chapel, are these words from Habbakuk 2:20 - "The Lord in is his holy temple: let all keep silence before him." Being silent is certainly one thing that we can do. It may same anti-social at times, but when we go the temple, it is the society of the Savior that we seek. Elijah found that the voice of the Lord was not in the wind, nor the earthquake or fire, but that it was a "still small voice." The people at Bountiful who were able to gather at the temple because they were more righteous that those who had been destroyed, were psychologically forced into silence by the terror of the devastation around them; they heard a "still voice of perfect mildness, as if it had been a whisper, and it did pierce even to the very soul." (Helaman 5:30). Elder Bednar quoted the Psalmist: "Be still and know that I am God. (Psalms 46:10). Is my mind silent when I am in the temple? Is it so still so that I can hear that voice of perfect mildness and know the holy presence of the Savior? When I partake of the sacrament during that most holy time of the holy Sabbath, is all of my attention on the Savior and the power of His atonement which makes it possible for me to symbolically enter the holy of holies and hear the voice of God?

The ancient temple in Israel has been called “a sanctuary of silence” (based on Habakkuk 2:20). In the temple in ancient Israel, people sang hymns and there were noises associated with the preparation and burning of sacrifices, but for the most part, the worshippers were silent so they could hear the words of the Lord and hear the words of the priests. When we go to our temples, we are encouraged to be silent. Being silent, according to Habbakuk, is also a part of the temple experience, so we can listen and hear what the Lord has to say. Amazing things happen in greater abundance the more silent we are. So one of the most important questions a disciple of Christ has to come to grips with is simply this: can we hear the word of the Lord if we are too busy talking?

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Every family has a story - what's yours?

Researchers have found that when children know who they are and where they come from, they have a stronger sense of identity and forge stronger family relationships. Stories of their parents and grandparents help to reinforce the guiding principles that are important to their families.

A study done at Emory University led by Robyn Fibush used a 20-question survey to measure emotional well-being among teenaged subjects. A part of the abstract is presented below, along with the survey questions. 

As you read through it, can you think of ways that a FamilySearch account might influence the responses of a teenager taking the survey?

Family stories are theorized to be a critical part of adolescents' emerging identity and well-being, yet to date we know very little about adolescents' knowledge of their family history and intergenerational family stories. In this study, we expand our previous findings that pre-adolescent children who know more about their family history display higher levels of emotional well-being. Sixty-six broadly middle-class, mixed race, 14- to 16-year old adolescents from two-parent families were asked to complete a measure of family history, the "Do You Know..." scale (DYK), as well as multiple standardized measures of family functioning, identity development and well-being. Adolescents who report knowing more stories about their familial past show higher levels of emotional well-being, and also higher levels of identity achievement, even when controlling for general level of family functioning. Theoretical and clinical implications of these findings are discussed. (https://ncph.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/The-power-of-family-history-in-adolescent-identity.pdf).

The Scale for scoring responses:

Please answer the following questions by circling “Y” for “yes” or “N” for “no.” Even if you know the information we are asking about, you don’t need to write it down. We just wish to know if you know the information.
1. Do you know how your parents met? Y N
2. Do you know where your mother grew up? Y N
3. Do you know where your father grew up? Y N
4. Do you know where some of your grandparents grew up? Y N
5. Do you know where some of your grandparents met? Y N
6. Do you know where your parents were married? Y N
7. Do you know what went on when you were being born? Y N
8. Do you know the source of your name? Y N
9. Do you know some things about what happened when your brothers or sisters were being born? Y N
10. Do you know which person in your family you look most like? Y N
11. Do you know which person in the family you act most like? Y N
12. Do you know some of the illnesses and injuries that your parents experienced when they were younger? Y N
13. Do you know some of the lessons that your parents learned from good or bad experiences? Y N
14. Do you know some things that happened to your mom or dad when they were in school? Y N
15. Do you know the national background of your family (such as English, German, Russian, etc.)? Y N
16. Do you know some of the jobs that your parents had when they were young? Y N
17. Do you know some awards that your parents received when they were young? Y N
18. Do you know the names of the schools that your mom went to? Y N
19. Do you know the names of the schools that your dad went to? Y N
20. Do you know about a relative whose face “froze” in a grumpy position because he or she did not smile enough? Y N

Score: Total number answered Y.

FamilySearch made the YouTube video below - it addresses the theme embraced by the study's lead author: "Stories of family members — who persevered by simply putting one foot in front of the other and by maintaining loving bonds — reassure children that their family will also find a way to get through a situation."

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What's in a Story?

Here's an example. It's a story Thomas S. Monson told about himself and a friend when they were both youngsters. He told the story as part of a General Conference address in an April 2013 conference session to illustrate the consequences of disobedience. 

When I was growing up, each summer from early July until early September, my family stayed at our cabin at Vivian Park in Provo Canyon in Utah.

One of my best friends during those carefree days in the canyon was Danny Larsen, whose family also owned a cabin at Vivian Park. Each day he and I roamed this boy’s paradise, fishing in the stream and the river, collecting rocks and other treasures, hiking, climbing, and simply enjoying each minute of each hour of each day.

One morning Danny and I decided we wanted to have a campfire that evening with all our canyon friends. We just needed to clear an area in a nearby field where we could all gather. The June grass which covered the field had become dry and prickly, making the field unsuitable for our purposes. We began to pull at the tall grass, planning to clear a large, circular area. We tugged and yanked with all our might, but all we could get were small handfuls of the stubborn weeds. We knew this task would take the entire day, and already our energy and enthusiasm were waning.

And then what I thought was the perfect solution came into my eight-year-old mind. I said to Danny, “All we need is to set these weeds on fire. We’ll just burn a circle in the weeds!” He readily agreed, and I ran to our cabin to get a few matches.

Lest any of you think that at the tender age of eight we were permitted to use matches, I want to make it clear that both Danny and I were forbidden to use them without adult supervision. Both of us had been warned repeatedly of the dangers of fire. However, I knew where my family kept the matches, and we needed to clear that field. Without so much as a second thought, I ran to our cabin and grabbed a few matchsticks, making certain no one was watching. I hid them quickly in one of my pockets.

Back to Danny I ran, excited that in my pocket I had the solution to our problem. I recall thinking that the fire would burn only as far as we wanted and then would somehow magically extinguish itself.

I struck a match on a rock and set the parched June grass ablaze. It ignited as though it had been drenched in gasoline. At first Danny and I were thrilled as we watched the weeds disappear, but it soon became apparent that the fire was not about to go out on its own. We panicked as we realized there was nothing we could do to stop it. The menacing flames began to follow the wild grass up the mountainside, endangering the pine trees and everything else in their path.

Finally we had no option but to run for help. Soon all available men and women at Vivian Park were dashing back and forth with wet burlap bags, beating at the flames in an attempt to extinguish them. After several hours the last remaining embers were smothered. The ages-old pine trees had been saved, as were the homes the flames would eventually have reached.

Danny and I learned several difficult but important lessons that day—not the least of which was the importance of obedience.

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2013/04/obedience-brings-blessings?lang=eng

As I read this again, I was reminded of the way that the Savior used everyday circumstances as He taught eternal principles in the temple through parables. I think He still teaches that way in the temple!

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Think Celestial!

The promises of the gospel are uplifting and ennobling, even exalting. We receive those promises by covenants which are conditioned on our living lives of purity and morality. When we live right and seek to purify our hearts, we draw closer to God and the Spirit. The condition of our heart determines how much evidence of divinity we see in the world now and qualifies us for the eventual realization of the promise that the pure “shall see God.” Ours is a quest for purity.

 L. Whitney Clayton, “Blessed Are All the Pure in Heart,” Ensign, November 2007, 52–53.

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Pickleball & Genealogy

This is a great story from Jo about a sister that she works with in the temple.

What do pickleball and genealogy have in common?  According to Monica Zendejas, "Quite a bit!" Since November 2023 Monica has been playing pickleball at the Jewish Community Center (JCC for short).  She decided on pickleball as her exercise of choice to improve her health, but little did she know that it would also improve her family tree.  Monica is proud of her Italian heritage on her mother's side of the family.  She would often wear her Italian family reunion t-shirts to pickleball on Tuesday and Thursday at the JCC, and teammates would stop her on the court and say, "Hey, I have Italian family relatives too!"  Immediately a conversation would start up as to where in Italy their family came from.  "99% of the time they came from Carlentini, Italy," they would say.  

There is a part of Omaha just south of the Old Market area called Little Italy, and most of the original families that settled there came from Carlentini.  There is even a big annual Italian event every year to celebrate this great Italian influence in Omaha called the Santa Lucia Festival, which includes a parade through Little Italy, food and craft booths and of course a genealogy booth manned by Monica and her friends.

As these pickleball players got to know each other a little better they started going out for lunch and the occasional movie.  During these outings the question would eventually come up, "Monica, how do you know so much about your Italian relatives?"  Monica would then explain that she is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and she does genealogy work so that she can then link her family together at the temple.  Someone asked her if she thought maybe they were related. Great question! She decided to find out. 

She got as much information that she could get from them about their ancestors, and went straight to FamilySearch.  Sure enough, Monica found that she had five direct ancestors in common with her friends and another seven or so relatives by marriage.  But it didn't stop there - for birthdays and Christmas, she would prepare a Family Pedigree Chart as a personal gift for her teammates, showing how they were related and identifying their common ancestors. 

It's been my privilege to serve with Monica in the Winter Quarters Nebraska Temple Office for almost 10 years now.  We often discuss our trials, experiments and successes in finding our deceased ancestors. Monica is an excellent researcher and is very active in keeping her Carlentini connections alive.  This summer she even participated in the ceremony celebrating the civic connection between Omaha and Carlentini - they are sister cities!  

She still plays pickleball weekly and is still finding Italian relatives.  I asked her once how hard was it for her to do her genealogy and missionary work.  She said, "It is as easy as playing pickleball!"

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