Skip to main content

Ponderize D&C 109:22 (24-30 April 2016)

22 And we ask thee, Holy Father, that thy servants may go forth from this house armed with thy power, and that thy name may be upon them, and thy glory be round about them, and thine angels have charge over them;   D&C 109:22

As I pondered this scripture I thought about how the temple arms us with power.  It caused me to reflect on the incredible blessings that we are promised in the temple.  Last week I had the opportunity to go and do the initiatory ordinance for some family names.  I made it a point to listen carefully to the blessings we have been promised.  If that were all of the blessings we were promised by temple attendance, that would be incredible in itself.  However, we are promised much more.  The sealing ordinance provides blessings that are beyond our compression to grasp their significance in our eternal destiny.  While there are temporal blessings of protection that come from temple service, it is the knowledge of who we are and who we serve that gives us a glimpse into His power that He shares with us through His priesthood.   

Quote: 

In modern revelations the Lord refers to temples as houses “built unto my name”  (D&C 105:33 see also  D&C 109:2–5, 124:39) In the dedicatory prayer of the Kirtland Temple, the Prophet Joseph Smith petitioned the Father “that thy servants may go forth from this house armed with thy power, and that thy name may be upon them”  (D&C 109:22) He also asked for a blessing “over thy people upon whom thy name shall be put in this house”  (v. 26) And as the Lord appeared in and accepted the Kirtland Temple as His house, He declared, “For behold, I have accepted this house, and my name shall be here; and I will manifest myself to my people in mercy in this house”  (D&C 110:7)
These scriptures help us understand that the process of taking upon ourselves the name of Jesus Christ that is commenced in the waters of baptism is continued and enlarged in the house of the Lord. As we stand in the waters of baptism, we look to the temple. As we partake of the sacrament, we look to the temple. We pledge to always remember the Savior and to keep His commandments as preparation to participate in the sacred ordinances of the temple and receive the highest blessings available through the name and by the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ. Thus, in the ordinances of the holy temple we more completely and fully take upon us the name of Jesus Christ.  (Elder David A. Bednar, "Honorably Hold a Name and Standing”, April 1997 General Conference) 

Cross References

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Marking Scriptures in Gospel Library

The other day as I was reading my scriptures and using a few of the available colors to do some highlights when I realized that I wasn't fully utilizing the entire pallet of colors. In the Gospel Library app there are 10 colors available.  Each of these colors can be used in the underline, highlight, or text color mode.  I asked extended family what they do and one of my niece's responded with this color code: Red- doctrine Orange- clarifications or explanations of doctrine Yellow- commandments and specific instructions Purple- promised blessings and how to attain them Grey- power phrases Blue- favorites Dark blue- ones with a deeper meaning (I always attach a note with a dark blue)  Pink- examples of Gods love/charity Brown-specific for our day Green - Not used This "Come, Follow Me" color code seems to be all over Pinterest.  I'm not sure where it came from, but it is based on the 12 colors in a small box of crayons. Here is a color coding ...

Bajio, Cafe Rio, or Costa Vida?

It is time for the showdown.  Which one is best: Bajio, Cafe Rio, or Costa Vida?  Or is it (as was my opinion) that they are all exactly the same? I decided to do a taste test.  Six people participated.  Three were salad testers and three were burrito testers.  None of the people who participated have any food judging experience although a couple of them have competed in cooking contests and have a couple of first place finishes to their name.   Each couple went to a different restaurant and picked up a Sweet Pork Salad and an Steak Burrito to go.  We ordered each salad with black beans and their creamy green dressing (whatever they happened to call it).  The steak burritos were ordered enchilada style with black beans. Then we all met at a central location and judged each dish on the following: Value Score = Weight (oz)/Cost($) Overall Appeal (visual appeal, aroma, garnish) Recipe (Cooking, ingredient combination, too m...

D&C 20:73 - Having Been Commissioned

As I listened to the baptismal prayer recently, a thought came to me.  What does it mean to be commissioned of Jesus Christ?   "Having been commissioned of Jesus Christ, I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen." (D&C 20:73).   Many years ago I received my commission as a 2nd Lieutenant in the US Air force. I knew that my commission appointed me to my rank, gave me authority to perform certain duties, and officially charged me to function in that rank.  The Oath of Office is recited upon commissioning and is administered by a higher-ranking officer who will raise his or her right hand and recites the Oath of office aloud while the officer taking the oath repeats the words.  That oath states:   “I [state your full name], having been appointed a (rank) in the United States Air Force, do solemnly swear  that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enem...