Los Angeles, CA Temple

This is a departure from a 'regular' post. It is a letter I received via email from a lady who works in the temple. I thought it was a light of hope in the midst of some pretty bleak times going on in the world. Hope you enjoy. I would love to hear your thoughts on this.


My dear family, brothers and sisters, friends and leaders:

My heart is overflowing with joy and gratitude to our
Heavenly Father for His tender mercies and mighty miracles
in our behalf. I just have to share this with you. As most
of you know, I am a Temple ordinance worker and work the
morning shift in the LA Temple every Saturday. Today, I had
the privilege of translating sister Martz-the new assistant
Matron's-message during our devotional.
She started like this "The prophet Joseph Smith said
that no unhallowed hand would be able to stop this Work from
progressing. These past few weeks when mobs have combined
and armies have gathered against the saints, the Lord has
protected His house". She went on to say that those,
like her, who were inside the Temple when mobs were
surrounding it, did not realize how scary and terrifying
this looked on TV to the rest of us, because inside the
House of the Lord all was calm and there was peace abundant.
After Proposition 8 passed, the Temple began receiving
threatening calls and mail from those opposing it. They
were warned that more than 5000 people would come to the
Temple and burn it to the ground, and stop Its work. The
first Thursday when the mob came, the new LA Temple
President called the Salt Lake City Temple Offices for
instructions. He was instructed to call the local police and
to insure the safety of those attending the Temple by
closing
the gates. The assistant Matron said today, that it was a
tender mercy from the Lord that the mob chose that Thursday
to come since they had only one person coming to receive his
own endowment that day, which he received in time to leave
before trouble started. The LAPD and the FBI responded
quickly to the Temple Presidency's summons and patrolled
the grounds and kept the mob from entering the same. Most
of them had never been there before and expressed their
surprise at how beautiful and peaceful all around was. They
were invited to come back during the Christmas season to see
the lights and they promised they would. On Thursday,
November 13th, sister Campbell, a secretary in the Temple,
was opening the mail and upon opening a large manila
envelope found inside a smaller one. When she opened this
one, a white powder flew all around her desk. She thought
this could be related to the demonstrators and feared the
worst-ANTHRAX. She contacted the
President, who in turn called the Salt Lake City Temple
office again for instructions. The FBI, the LAPD, and even
the SWAT teams were once again in the grounds to
investigate, and the Temple once again had to close from
around 11:30 AM to 5PM. They closed the gates and were
instructed to keep all the people there wherever they were
found at the time. Those in the parking lot had to remain in
the parking lot. Those entering the Temple had to remain in
the first floor and those already upstairs were taken to the
Celestial Room. Then, the miracles began to happen: A
brother serving as a recorder that day is a Microbiologist
by profession and used to deal with hazardous substances
every day. He was the first to say the white powder in the
envelope was only talc, and put every one at ease. Then the
sister coordinator upstairs was impressed to call upstairs
to the sealing area, and said "They said we can't
go down but no one said we can't go up, and I
have many people in the Celestial room with their
ceremonial clothes on ready to work. Could they do some
sealings?" As it happened, there were four sealers
present that day and they ran four sealing sessions non stop
while the Temple was closed. Downstairs, someone else
thought to invite those in the Lobby to do some
initiatories, which they promptly did for all those hours
too, brothers and sisters alike. Among those waiting in the
parking lot there was a large group of young men and women
with their leaders who had come to do Baptisms for the dead,
and who waited patiently all those hours and decided when
the Temple was reopened to go ahead and fulfill their
assignment instead of driving back home. The Temple reopened
in time for the 5:30 PM session. The next day when recording
the ordinances, they discovered that they had performed 2000
sacred ordinances on Thursday, only one less than the day
before when three stakes had been visiting the
Temple. Once again the assistant matron reminded us of the
words of the prophet Joseph Smith, "No unhallowed
hand can stop the Work from progressing...". But, this
is not all, a prophecy was fulfilled also. When the new LA
Temple President was set apart by President Uchdorft of the
First Presidency, he received a blessing and these words
were pronounced: " The time has come for the LA Temple
to come out of obscurity and become an Ensign for
Righteousness to the world under your presidency." The
pictures of the Temple have been shown on TV, newspapers and
the internet, not only in this country but worldwide. People
of other faiths have called and sent letters to the
Temple thanking the Church for defending marriage and
protecting the family, and commenting how impressed they are
by how beautiful and majestic the Temple looks . One
minister of an African American church, who by his own
admission had harbored ill feelings against the Mormons
before
said " I am impressed by your integrity and Christ
like behavior, and even if I am not ready to consider you my
brothers and sisters in Christ, we can be first
cousins!". I asked the assistant matron if I could
share her comments and she said to go ahead. I can only add
my own testimony that I know the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter Day Saints has the power and authority of God on
earth. God Lives and Jesus, His only Begotten Son and our
Savior is coming soon to redeem His people. I am grateful to
know this and I pray we stand firm, steadfast and immobile
while the prophecies of the signs before His Coming are
fulfilled. "Be not afraid, only believe" He has
said, and also " What I the Lord have spoken, I have
spoken, and I excuse not myself; and though the heavens and
the earth pass away, my word shall not pass away, but shall
all be fulfilled, whether by mine own voice or by the voice
of my servants, it is the same." I testify that this is
true and
testify it in the Holy Name of Whom I strive to serve,
even Jesus Christ. Be faithful and safe is my humble prayer.
Your sister in Christ, Patricia A


(Photos found from websites:
http://www.kendalldavenport.com/los_angeles_temple.html
http://ldspictures.wordpress.com/2007/12/09/los-angeles-temple-at-christmas/ )

Pray Always

Every year we have General Conference, where members and friends from all over the world gather for two days to hear the Prophet's voice and other leaders. A talk by one of the members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Elder Bednar, spoke on Praying Always. (Click here to read the full text). I really enjoyed his words and those quoted from scripture helping me to understand more of the purpose of prayer and how to make my prayers more meaningful. Here is a brief section of his talk regarding how our prayers can and should be connected and linked together:

"Consider this example. There may be things in our character, in our behavior, or concerning our spiritual growth about which we need to counsel with Heavenly Father in morning prayer. After expressing appropriate thanks for blessings received, we plead for understanding, direction, and help to do the things we cannot do in our own strength alone. For example, as we pray, we might:

Reflect on those occasions when we have spoken harshly or inappropriately to those we love the most.
Recognize that we know better than this, but we do not always act in accordance with what we know.
Express remorse for our weaknesses and for not putting off the natural man more earnestly.
Determine to pattern our life after the Savior more completely.
Plead for greater strength to do and to become better.

Such a prayer is a key part of the spiritual preparation for our day.

During the course of the day, we keep a prayer in our heart for continued assistance and guidance—even as Alma suggested: “Let all thy thoughts be directed unto the Lord” (Alma 37:36).

We notice during this particular day that there are occasions where normally we would have a tendency to speak harshly, and we do not; or we might be inclined to anger, but we are not. We discern heavenly help and strength and humbly recognize answers to our prayer. Even in that moment of recognition, we offer a silent prayer of gratitude.

At the end of our day, we kneel again and report back to our Father. We review the events of the day and express heartfelt thanks for the blessings and the help we received. We repent and, with the assistance of the Spirit of the Lord, identify ways we can do and become better tomorrow. Thus our evening prayer builds upon and is a continuation of our morning prayer. And our evening prayer also is a preparation for meaningful morning prayer.

Morning and evening prayers—and all of the prayers in between—are not unrelated, discrete events; rather, they are linked together each day and across days, weeks, months, and even years. This is in part how we fulfill the scriptural admonition to “pray always” (Luke 21:36; 3 Nephi 18:15, 18; D&C 31:12). Such meaningful prayers are instrumental in obtaining the highest blessings God holds in store for His faithful children."

I am grateful to God for inspiring His servants to help me learn how I can improve my worship and relationship with Him through a basic and simple principle, such as Prayer. It has made a difference in my life as I try the word and taste of its fruit.