93- 11/18/24

 Hello Family,

Snow is beginning to fall here, and the calendar keeps rapidly moving. It’s hard to believe that Thanksgiving is next week, and by the time we get through that weekend it will be December. Crazy how fast it goes!

Everyone at Church just received Emma and Noah’s wedding announcement and the excitement is in the air with that being just one month away. We are all super excited for you both!

As time keeps flying by, I thought the message I would share from my personal study this week is just that, the principle of time.

In preparation for my Elders Quorum Presidency Meeting this week, I had asked each member of the presidency to come prepared to discuss Section 23 of the Handbook about sharing the Gospel. 

In this section the principles of Love, Share, & Invite are taught. Something new jumped out at me as I was studying. When you hear “Share”, in this context what is the first thing that comes to your mind? I think of serveral things, but one thing that really didn’t stick out to me was the the idea of sharing our time. The handbook describes “Share” in this way: “As a faithful disciple of Jesus Christ, I let His light shine by serving others. I share my time, Church resources, and personal experiences to bless my friends and their families.”

Looking at “Sharing” in this way has helped me better connect my temple covenant of living the Law of Consecration, where I have made a promise to consecrate my time…. “to the building up of the Kingdom of God on the Earth and for the establishment of Zion.”

Consider how we are being blessed as we devote our time to the Lord. Time spent together as family, special time spent with our spouse strengthening our marriages, time in the temple, time in the scriptures, time doing Come Follow Me as a family, time on our knees in prayer, time serving others, time spent pondering and “thinking of things Celestial.” The Law of Consecration takes our time, and this allows an omnipotent God to exponentially expand and consecrate this time into blessings for all of His children.

Here are a couple of examples that illustrate this principle that happened just yesterday. How blessing flow into our lives as we devote our time to God.

When I got home from my church meetings yesterday I found Mama on the bed with Lainey, scriptures and Come Follow Me manuals open. Lainey was in tears because she didn’t feel like she understood her part of the lesson. She was frustrated that she wasn’t able to connect the dots of what she was reading and what she was being asked to share. Mama was taking time to teach Lainey what the scriptures meant, but more importantly she was using this precious time to help Lainey understand how the Holy Ghost operates in our lives and witnesses to us personally of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon and of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. A few hours later, when it was Lainey’s turn to share, she gave a powerful childlike testimony of her own personal witness of truth. It was a very sweet and tender moment in our home. All because of time given by Lainey to seek further light and knowledge, and by a loving parent, devoting time to her child and to her Heavenly Father. This blessing will allow Lainey’s testimony to exponentially grow into blessing everyone along her path. It will bless those she serves on a future mission, and most importantly in will bless her future children and generations that follow. 

Another example is watching you kids care for those that are in need. I think it was just yesterday that Sadie, Seth, Emma, and Noah gathered with one of their friends who lives alone to share a Sunday meal and spend time loving “the one”. One of the things I love most about your mom is what she has silently instilled in each of you kids. She innately sees and loves those in need. People in need of love and time.  As you look at how the Lord has blessed her because of her devotion, you don’t have to look very far.  It is you kids. You each have been blessed with this same gift. What was once one person showing this kind of love and giving of time,  has now multiplied 10 fold because you kids are doing the same thing. In turn, this is one of the greatest blessings for us as your parents. What a plan! Time devoted out of love for God, and for our fellow man, followed by promised blessings of joy that continue on forever. 

My invitation for each of us to consider our time. Are we giving God a fare share of it? Where might we need to reallocate? In what ways can we see God’s hand multiply our consecrated efforts as we keep our covenants?

 

Out of love our Prophet has given us this warning: “With frightening speed, a testimony that is not nourished daily “by the good word of God” can crumble. Thus, the antidote to Satan’s scheme is clear: we need daily experiences worshipping the Lord and studying His gospel. I plead with you to let God prevail in your life. Give Him a fair share of your time. As you do, notice what happens to your positive spiritual momentum.

As we give the Lord a fare of our time, he will guide us “in all things”.  Our will begins to align more closely with His. We are able to more clearly see His continued blessings flow into our lives as we participate with Him in His work.

I am so thankful for you kids. You really are crazy amazing, and we feel so blessed that you are ours! We see from a distance all that you are doing and becoming, and you make us so incredibly happy! 

Love,

Dad