The missionaries on the corner that the President is talking about, are us! That was Sister Klien
bragging about us to our President! (Love that!)
Dear Missionaries,
The
Temple Open House has kicked off in miraculous ways here in the mission.
Experiences, miracles and stories are flying everywhere. Some of them are:
“We
had an Awesome Wonderful 1st day at our Ft Lauderdale Temple Open
House. The spirit was there in abundance. People were in awe
and tears were flowing.”
“Missionaries
were requested to come and teach. Others asked where do you meet on
Sunday and at what time?”
“Children
asked ‘Mommy when do I get baptized?’ Another ‘Mom when I get married, I
want to get married here’. The Mother said ‘We would need to join this
church’. Others said ‘It is so beautiful!!!’”
A
non-member wrote “This was very beautiful. It was wonderful learning
more about the Mormon faith and I'd love to learn more.” Another non-member
“A little bit of heaven! Absolutely beautiful. Our Father is well pleased.”
We
even saw miracles through the internet. I received an email from the Florida
Fort Lauderdale Temple website:
“Hello...
My name is ________ and I would like to join/become a member of Jesus Christ of
LDS. I am relocating to Florida In a week and your assistance would be greatly
appreciated. I can be reach at ____. Thank you and I look forward to hearing
from you. Have a great day!!”
The
Spirit and power that is flowing here is absolutely amazing. I know many of you
are part of this great surge of excitement and inspiration. While at the Temple
a member came up to me and said, “I have to brag to you about your
missionaries. I was driving down the road when I saw at the intersection two of
your Elders. They weren’t just standing there or trying to cross the street,
but they were talking to three different people at the same time, one
missionary faced one way and the other faced another. As I looked at them in
amazement, I became so proud of what they were doing in sharing the Gospel and
I couldn’t help myself and began to cry. Your missionaries are incredible.”
The
power that comes from Temples is becoming evident with all of the great
blessings we are experiencing. Last week I spoke concerning this power,
the power of the temple that all of you have brought with you to this mission
to “bear exceedingly great and glorious tidings, in truth, unto the ends of
the earth”(D&C 109:22-23). That power also has a source here, right
here in the middle of our mission. Elder Hales teaches us the Temple gives us
power of protection, fortification and preparation:
“For
believing and faithful Latter Day saints, the endowment means being endowed
with power, the power of godliness, the power that prepares us to live in the
presence of God. That same power prepares us and fortifies us for our journey
through life. Just as the early pioneer Saints were protected by the endowments
they received in the Nauvoo Temple before a long and difficult journey across
the plains, we through our endowments, are protected in any trial and
tribulations on the long journey back into the presence of our Heavenly Father.
In some ways, temples are the armory of the armor of God – they are an
essential part of that whole armor of God meant to protect us in this last
dispensation when we know that Satan has been loosed upon the earth.” (Elder
Robert D. Hales, “Return”, page 251-252)
President
Packard teaches us how the Temple endowment will enrich our lives in three
ways:
“To
endow is to enrich, to give to another something long lasting and of much
worth. The temple endowment ordinances enrich us in three ways: (a) The one
receiving the ordinance is given power from God. Recipients are endowed with
power from on high. (b) A recipient is also endowed with information and
knowledge. They receive an education relative to the Lords purposes and plans.
(c) When sealed at the alter a person is the recipient of glorious blessings.
Powers, and honors as part of his endowment” (President Boyd K. Packard, “Mine
Errand from the Lord”, page 491)
President
Monson teaches why people desire to come to the Temple:
“Why
are so many willing to give so much in order to receive the blessings of the
temple? Those who understand the eternal blessings which come from the temple
know that no sacrifice is too great, no price too heavy, no struggle too
difficult in order to receive those blessings. There are never too many miles
to travel, too many obstacles to overcome, or too much discomfort to endure.
They understand that the saving ordinances received in the temple that permit
us to someday return to our Heavenly Father in an eternal family relationship
and to be endowed with blessings and power from on high are worth every
sacrifice and every effort.” (President Thomas S. Monson, General Conference,
April 2011)
The
power of the Temple will help us invoke the Spirit:
“He
answered his door with his I-pad in one hand, and a study book in the other. He
told us how he was too busy for us to pray. He said he was studying for a big
exam coming up and needed as much study time as possible. We of course
testified using 3 Nephi 13:33 ‘...seek ye first the kingdom of God..., and all
these things shall be added unto you.’ He couldn't reject the spirit when he
heard the doctrine, so we prayed with him. He accepted baptism, church, and a
return appointment. He told us that when he answered the door, he knew God had
sent us and he really needed prayer. However, he rejected us to see if we truly
did care and if we were going to walk away or not. It was a good reminder to my
companion and I that we need to testify NO MATTER WHAT!”
The
Power of the Temple will help us open our mouths:
“My
companion felt really strongly that we should go talk to him even though he was
talking to someone in a car. We went and prayed with him and invited him to be
baptized but he didn't seem very elect. We gave him a chapel card and invited
him to church and he said he would be there. We were outside our chapel Sunday
morning waiting for our investigators to show up and he comes up to me and says
‘remember me from 3rd Street?’ It took me a minute after talking to him to
remember who he was but then I remembered he was the one that didn't seem too
interested. We took him inside and gave him a chapel tour before the meeting
started and he talked about how much peace he felt. He talked to the bishop a
good 10 min before sacrament meeting and then took a seat next to our ward
mission leader. After church we went to teach him and before teaching anything
he said ‘I know that your church is a true church, I felt it as I walked in
today and I know that God sent you to me.’ He accepted an invite to the temple
open house and even more importantly he accepted baptism for this Sunday!”
The
Power of the Temple will help us follow promptings and know where God’s elect
are:
“We
got out to harvesting after setting a vision and the 2nd door we knocked on was
a nice older woman. After the prayer she said, ‘you will not believe what I
have to tell you... I am going to tell you, but you really just won't believe
it... truly you are not going to believe what just happened to me...’ well,
this built up our desires, ‘what?!’ we asked. She said that just before we came
to her she was on the computer and a screen popped up that said, ‘close your
eyes and pay attention, because your guardian angels are near...’ then we
knocked on the door just a few seconds later. It shocked her, she was in tears
after the prayer and after testifying she accepted everything.”
I’m
so excited to see the Power that comes from each of your areas because of the
Temple. The miracles are already everywhere and I’m anxiously anticipating
hearing your miracle. As
President
Monson teaches, this Temple miracle is a “beacon to the world”:
“I
express my undying gratitude to my Heavenly Father for the temple now being
built... and for all of our temples, wherever they are. Each one stands as a
beacon to the world, an expression of our testimony that God, our Eternal
Father, lives, that He desires to bless us and, indeed, to bless His sons and
daughters of all generations. Each of our temples is an expression of our
testimony that life beyond the grave is as real and as certain as is our life
here on earth. I so testify.” (President Thomas S. Monson, General Conference,
April 2011)
A
beacon to the world, and a beacon to South Florida. Have the faith to bring your
investigators to the Temple Open House; organize with your members, and I know
you will share in these miracles. Let us Prepare this week for the Prophets!!!
Our resolution is to achieve 175 Baptisms !!! April is now our Vision month!
Prepare for the Prophets this week! We
need 200 dates and 200 I@S this week. All must contribute!
You
are Amazing!!! You are Incredible!!! You are Wonderful!!! And you are in the
“Exciting Mission”!!! Remember our promise and that our names will be sealed
in the Temple!!!
We
Love you, We Pray For You, Elders and
Sisters, We can do this!!! We have work to do!!! “Armed with the Power of the
Temple, Let’s Do It!!!”
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