Recently I've experienced the fruits of healing blessings and wanted to share not the details but the reality of Christ's power in our lives. He said that signs of those that believe "shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover" (http://scriptures.lds.org/en/mark/16/18#18). The individuals that he referenced as those that believe should be clarified as two sets of individuals: the ordained that is authorized to exercise Christ's name and the receiver of the blessing. Both are required to have faith for the efficacy of the blessing to be fully realized.
In the past month I've seen where blessings have been administer in faith and been received by faith to the healing, sometimes immediately, of the receiver. I've also seen where an unauthorized believer laid hands on an individual and the effects were negligible. God has a pattern and working contrary to that pattern yields no fruit. The pattern of which I write is embodied within his Holy Priesthood.
Why do we seek blessings of health and how does it help our spiritual, which more explicitly is eternal, progress? When our temporal, or physical needs are met, do we not begin to draw upon spiritual matters, insights and look to God for more light and knowledge? When we're ailing can we effectively carry forth His kingdom and work His work? Ailments are at times for the trial of our faith, both those that care for the sick and the sick themselves. How we acknowledge our God and believe in His Son is what enables our faith to overcome our trial.
This last year my wife struggled (and still struggles) with the passing of her mother who fought the degenerative disease of Multiple Sclerosis for 35 yrs. As a recipient of healing blessings, the most gracious blessing of all for her could be categorized as the release of her mortal body from her spirit from this earthly existence. But those of us that have remained behind can certainly wonder why the effects of healing blessings didn't alter her divine destiny. With her trial came enormous blessings that far outlive her mortal existence. With her trial she literally touched hundreds of lives. Caregivers were preached to, given opportunities to come unto Christ. Faithful friends and family saw firsthand how her life was turned for good through a debilitating trial. One could see that the work of healing was more spiritual than physical and the effects of the healing were far reaching.
As my father's health fails him (he's back in the hospital fighting respiratory complications), I wonder what healing experiences he's had. I know he's blessed my life many times and provided for me a pattern in the Priesthood to exercise faith. I've seen the miracles extended from my hands in Christ which effected not only my faith but the well-being of others, both physically and spiritually. Will he receive the effects of Christ's love for his mortal healing? I pray so.
Healing blessings are one more evidence of Christ's love and goodness in our lives. Not only is His love shown through the receiver of the blessing, but through the faith of the giver can His love be felt.
Showing posts with label LDS. Show all posts
Showing posts with label LDS. Show all posts
Friday, April 16, 2010
Thursday, September 25, 2008
LDS Political Neutrality
In case anyone was wondering:
Political Participation, Voting, and the Political Neutrality of the Church
As citizens we have the privilege and duty of electing office holders and influencing public policy. Participation in the political process affects our communities and nation today and in the future.
Latter-day Saints as citizens are to seek out and then uphold leaders who will act with integrity and are wise, good, and honest. Principles compatible with the gospel may be found in various political parties.
Therefore, in this election year, we urge you to register to vote, to study the issues and candidates carefully and prayerfully, and then to vote for and actively support those you believe will most nearly carry out your ideas of good government.
The Church affirms its neutrality regarding political parties, platforms, and candidates. The Church also affirms its constitutional right of expression on political and social issues.
Sincerely yours,
Thomas S. Monson
Henry B. Eyring
Dieter F. Uchtdorf
The First Presidency
Standards Jeopardy
As a part of our yearly emphasis on youth standards, our bishopric took a teaching approach that was meant to be light, fun and engaging. I suggested we play a game to teach the youth and interact with them. The purpose would be to get them thinking about the doctrine and principles rather than being lectured to. We would at a minimum reach some through a medium that otherwise would have been wasted through over-the-pulpit preaching. The game: Standards Jeopardy.
As with the regular Jeopardy format, I, as the game show host, provided the answers to which the contestants supplied the question in proper question format (What is..., Who is...). The effect was a little confusing at first as apparently the game is a little antiquated for many of the youth (my own son was clueless). But after a while the excitement of the game took over and the three teams were at it, competing for points and more or less paying attention as some of the question/answers were quick and obvious.
What I noticed from planning, hosting and reviewing the event was the expectations of the event were not what I had expected. Chaos seemed to have been the theme and the planning of the teams certainly could have been more appropriate (many immature youth were teamed together rather than separated with more mature youth). I asked my son what he thought of the game, hoping for a more positive response and he admitted he didn't like it, was bored and confused.
Gratefully, the Bishop followed up the game with a set of clips from Boyd K. Packer, President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in the LDS church, on the standards of the youth. This provided a dialog opportunity though by this point the youth had already wiggled and now were complacent, yet mostly reverent. What was meant to be an open discussion quickly turned to preaching.
So the dilemma, for which I yet do not have a good solution, is our youth are either stimulated or bored but the spiritual sensitivity is often lost unless all the elements of perfection align. Many of our youth earnestly do attempt focus on learning but many are content to text each other, side-talk, act immaturely and otherwise rather than reaching their potential.
The jeopardy of the evening was balancing between fun, a different teaching medium, preaching and spiritual enlightenment. I'm not sure we succeed in enlightening their minds last night and while it was a different approach it's not likely one we'll return to. Regardless, the standards haven't changed and hopefully the youth understand them a little more.
As with the regular Jeopardy format, I, as the game show host, provided the answers to which the contestants supplied the question in proper question format (What is..., Who is...). The effect was a little confusing at first as apparently the game is a little antiquated for many of the youth (my own son was clueless). But after a while the excitement of the game took over and the three teams were at it, competing for points and more or less paying attention as some of the question/answers were quick and obvious.
What I noticed from planning, hosting and reviewing the event was the expectations of the event were not what I had expected. Chaos seemed to have been the theme and the planning of the teams certainly could have been more appropriate (many immature youth were teamed together rather than separated with more mature youth). I asked my son what he thought of the game, hoping for a more positive response and he admitted he didn't like it, was bored and confused.
Gratefully, the Bishop followed up the game with a set of clips from Boyd K. Packer, President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in the LDS church, on the standards of the youth. This provided a dialog opportunity though by this point the youth had already wiggled and now were complacent, yet mostly reverent. What was meant to be an open discussion quickly turned to preaching.
So the dilemma, for which I yet do not have a good solution, is our youth are either stimulated or bored but the spiritual sensitivity is often lost unless all the elements of perfection align. Many of our youth earnestly do attempt focus on learning but many are content to text each other, side-talk, act immaturely and otherwise rather than reaching their potential.
The jeopardy of the evening was balancing between fun, a different teaching medium, preaching and spiritual enlightenment. I'm not sure we succeed in enlightening their minds last night and while it was a different approach it's not likely one we'll return to. Regardless, the standards haven't changed and hopefully the youth understand them a little more.
Monday, September 8, 2008
What Not to Expect in a Mormon Meeting House
So yesterday was an adventure in the unexpected. For anyone that has visited an LDS church service, exciting is not a word that usually comes to mind to describes the proceedings. At times there are some unexpected comments made and I've sat through some pretty unusual witnesses of nothing in particular. But yesterday had to have topped all previously acknowledged strange experiences.
The first Sunday of each month a typical LDS congregation worships together having prepared themselves through prayer and fasting. After the holy communion, or sacrament, has been administered, lay members of the congregation bare witness of the truths or tenets of the Gospel, of the Living Christ and of the Restoration of the Church of Christ. Testimonials include baring witness of the Book of Mormon and Bible, of living prophets and apostles and of personal faith promoting experiences.
As yesterday's meeting was drawing to a close with just 10 minutes left, the members of the church (at least 2 congregations) were shockingly jolted by the piercing sounds of the fire alarm and the annoying flashing of the strobe lights (glad we don't have any epileptics). The Bishop and I bolted to the side door to find out a young feller had pulled the alarm. Without even taking a 2nd breath we bolted for the system to shut off the alarms (in retrospect I probably should have gone back to the microphone and notified the congregation that there was in fact no fire and to remain calm).
Through the remainder of the testimonies, the alarm hiccuped another 3 times, jolting the listeners to attention and forcing mass amounts of adrenaline to pump voraciously through our veins. All-in-all the meeting ended well and I'm sure we'll not soon forget the excitement we felt at the meeting as well as the calming influence of the Holy Spirit before and afterwards. Quite a contrast!
The first Sunday of each month a typical LDS congregation worships together having prepared themselves through prayer and fasting. After the holy communion, or sacrament, has been administered, lay members of the congregation bare witness of the truths or tenets of the Gospel, of the Living Christ and of the Restoration of the Church of Christ. Testimonials include baring witness of the Book of Mormon and Bible, of living prophets and apostles and of personal faith promoting experiences.
As yesterday's meeting was drawing to a close with just 10 minutes left, the members of the church (at least 2 congregations) were shockingly jolted by the piercing sounds of the fire alarm and the annoying flashing of the strobe lights (glad we don't have any epileptics). The Bishop and I bolted to the side door to find out a young feller had pulled the alarm. Without even taking a 2nd breath we bolted for the system to shut off the alarms (in retrospect I probably should have gone back to the microphone and notified the congregation that there was in fact no fire and to remain calm).
Through the remainder of the testimonies, the alarm hiccuped another 3 times, jolting the listeners to attention and forcing mass amounts of adrenaline to pump voraciously through our veins. All-in-all the meeting ended well and I'm sure we'll not soon forget the excitement we felt at the meeting as well as the calming influence of the Holy Spirit before and afterwards. Quite a contrast!
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Inspiration and the Ward Calling
As I ponder how to write this entry, I realize what I'm about to write may touch a sensitive nerve with some individuals (great lead in I know). But what I attempt to do with these entries is not mask my dealings with the church but give insight and a fresh perspective. What I want to emphasize is this is just my perspective, not doctrine or nearly authoritative. It is experience, not law. It is personal, not public.
Having served in my first bishopric for the past 1.5 yrs one could say my experience as a congregation level leader is quite infantile and I would agree. Though in that period of time I have gained some experiences which I would call unique compared with some that have never served in this role. Something that I continue to learn is the church is headed by Christ, inspired through revelation to men called of God and executed by men that do all they can in a voluntary role. Was that generic enough for you? What does it really mean?
What it means is the world wide church, the kingdom of God, is lead by a living oracle, namely a prophet, which receives revelation straight from God. Not through studying the Bible alone or attending myriads of theology conferences. Direct communion with the Omniscient One. The Word travels through him and through the Apostles which are likewise prophets to the various regions of the world. On a local level the keys to exercise the saving ordinances, namely baptism and sacrament, are bestowed and exercised regularly. This authority helps the church to grow. Yet through all of this, everyone involved, from leaders to regular members, is a volunteer.
The subject of volunteerism is one I enjoy in that what you give to the effort often is what you glean from the experience. If you give very little you can hope to obtain as little or less in return. Those that serve and do so faithfully do not always fully recognize the direct correlation of blessings received in return and often do not see it as a reciprocal relationship. Yet it has been my observation that the Lord is not withholding anything from those that love and serve Him. We just need to open our eyes to those blessings.
As serving in the church is a voluntary obligation, it must also be an orchestrated exercise else chaos and disorder take over and frustrate the object of the voluntary spirit. Where this gets complicated is finding a balance between accessibility and desire on behalf of those that are called to serve. In the early days of the church timetables and schedules rarely were a factor in how one served. If asked to do so, the member would walk 50 miles to milk the widows cow, cut some wood, mend a fence and return the next day. Would this create an imposition and hardship on the member? Likely. But if the call was extended, for the most part, the faith was matched to the task and eventually the blessings were realized.
In today's growing, bustling and often overscheduled church, the member sees the opportunity to serve as secondary to the worldly responsibilities they burden. I have had individuals state that their schedule just simply did not allow for the calling to be fulfilled. At to some degree I would concede that for reasons of health or familia duty this is rightly so.
In laying all of these individual concerns out on the table in trying to make sense of the complex chaos of membership responsibility, is it any wonder that inspiration is at times mired by logic and orchestration? What of inspiration and the individual calling? I've heard many people state that "if the calling was truly inspired..." And here is what I've learned (no big secrets here, just experience).
Inspiration, or revelation, is the duty, obligation, and right for anyone serving or having stewardship for another. For leaders it is essential. I have felt it's influence and seen the fruits of it's labors. I can also say that not all callings or assignments are thought to be inspired. Sometimes we have a position that logically needs to be filled by a warm body. But we hope when extending the calling that inspiration lead us to that point and by the same hope the individual will fulfill the assignment. I can also tell you that the Lord's Spirit whispers truth through the chaos when directing the saving efforts of his children.
Did I really answer what I had set out to reveal? Who knows. For me I'm satisfied. Maybe you have more questions. Feel free to ask them. But let me state unequivocally, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is led by revelation from the top to the bottom, in varying degrees mind you, and will continue in this order until the Christ Himself reigns personally upon the earth whereby inspiration is replaced with direct knowledge from it Source.
Having served in my first bishopric for the past 1.5 yrs one could say my experience as a congregation level leader is quite infantile and I would agree. Though in that period of time I have gained some experiences which I would call unique compared with some that have never served in this role. Something that I continue to learn is the church is headed by Christ, inspired through revelation to men called of God and executed by men that do all they can in a voluntary role. Was that generic enough for you? What does it really mean?
What it means is the world wide church, the kingdom of God, is lead by a living oracle, namely a prophet, which receives revelation straight from God. Not through studying the Bible alone or attending myriads of theology conferences. Direct communion with the Omniscient One. The Word travels through him and through the Apostles which are likewise prophets to the various regions of the world. On a local level the keys to exercise the saving ordinances, namely baptism and sacrament, are bestowed and exercised regularly. This authority helps the church to grow. Yet through all of this, everyone involved, from leaders to regular members, is a volunteer.
The subject of volunteerism is one I enjoy in that what you give to the effort often is what you glean from the experience. If you give very little you can hope to obtain as little or less in return. Those that serve and do so faithfully do not always fully recognize the direct correlation of blessings received in return and often do not see it as a reciprocal relationship. Yet it has been my observation that the Lord is not withholding anything from those that love and serve Him. We just need to open our eyes to those blessings.
As serving in the church is a voluntary obligation, it must also be an orchestrated exercise else chaos and disorder take over and frustrate the object of the voluntary spirit. Where this gets complicated is finding a balance between accessibility and desire on behalf of those that are called to serve. In the early days of the church timetables and schedules rarely were a factor in how one served. If asked to do so, the member would walk 50 miles to milk the widows cow, cut some wood, mend a fence and return the next day. Would this create an imposition and hardship on the member? Likely. But if the call was extended, for the most part, the faith was matched to the task and eventually the blessings were realized.
In today's growing, bustling and often overscheduled church, the member sees the opportunity to serve as secondary to the worldly responsibilities they burden. I have had individuals state that their schedule just simply did not allow for the calling to be fulfilled. At to some degree I would concede that for reasons of health or familia duty this is rightly so.
In laying all of these individual concerns out on the table in trying to make sense of the complex chaos of membership responsibility, is it any wonder that inspiration is at times mired by logic and orchestration? What of inspiration and the individual calling? I've heard many people state that "if the calling was truly inspired..." And here is what I've learned (no big secrets here, just experience).
Inspiration, or revelation, is the duty, obligation, and right for anyone serving or having stewardship for another. For leaders it is essential. I have felt it's influence and seen the fruits of it's labors. I can also say that not all callings or assignments are thought to be inspired. Sometimes we have a position that logically needs to be filled by a warm body. But we hope when extending the calling that inspiration lead us to that point and by the same hope the individual will fulfill the assignment. I can also tell you that the Lord's Spirit whispers truth through the chaos when directing the saving efforts of his children.
Did I really answer what I had set out to reveal? Who knows. For me I'm satisfied. Maybe you have more questions. Feel free to ask them. But let me state unequivocally, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is led by revelation from the top to the bottom, in varying degrees mind you, and will continue in this order until the Christ Himself reigns personally upon the earth whereby inspiration is replaced with direct knowledge from it Source.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Witness of God's Spirit Personal Strength
This last Sunday I had an assignment to address the Relief Society and was overwhelmed by the outpouring of the Spirit prior to my announcement. I caught the tail end of the meeting and was so blessed by having sat through that quiet and still moment. When I went to address the sisters, I first witnessed of the manifestation of the Spirit and was completely overcome. The power of the witness of the Spirit is like nothing else and I'm grateful for that experience.
Monday, July 7, 2008
Youngest Son Baptized
I did a write up on my main blog about this last weekend's events, included in the post was some details of our youngest son's baptism. Hit this link for more about his baptism.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Urban Development Esthetically Pleasing for SLC
Salt Lake City, and particularly the LDS Church, has been on the offensive for years regarding historical and urban development decisions. From the Hotel Utah restoration to downtown revitalization, city planning has always been debatable and the Church is usually at the heart of the attacks.
The latest construction project is called City Creek Center and includes not only retail shops but offices and residences. The ecological hook of this project seems to be the flowing, though seemingly manufactured, creek through the center of the 20 acres/3 blocks. The concept of open spaces with natural creeks, shrubs, plants and trees surrounding the environment has help to target this construction project as an "exceptional faith-based environmental initiative" by the Sierra Club.
Click below for an artist's 3D rendering of this alluring landscape.
What do you think? I'm ready to take another visit.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Geek Squad City Staffers Compared to Mormon Missionaries
Jump on over to my post at HansonHarmony-tech to see how CNET's Geek Gestalt writer Dan Terdiman compares the Geek Squad City Staffers to Mormon Missionaries. Nice short plug for the LDS missionary.
Monday, June 9, 2008
Church Tolerable Despite Sprained Foot
Saturday night I sprained what I believe to be my right foot which sent alarms of discomfiture sitting through meetings yesterday at church. However, despite the pain, the services were really quite nice and I felt the Spirit take me away from my pain and helped me focus on more holy agendas. For more on how the sprain occurred, see
http://hansonharmony-soccer.blogspot.com/2008/06/barefoot-soccer-party-yields-sprained.html
For more on my church, see LDS.org
http://hansonharmony-soccer.blogspot.com/2008/06/barefoot-soccer-party-yields-sprained.html
For more on my church, see LDS.org
Friday, June 6, 2008
Hanson Harmony on Church
A fair amount of my posts are related to religious or church topics and I think for the sake of clarity and organization that it's time to split out my main blog into a sub-blog (if you will) for strictly church or religious related entries. Hence, the Hanson Harmony on Church blog is born. Long live the new blog.
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