Lynne's Scripture Journal D&C

February 6, 2018 Section 80:1-4 Missionaries Share the Truths They Know, Philippine Manila Mission, Journal This is a 4 verse section calling two men to go on a mission together. These are men whose names I do not recognize from church history. The directions given are very simple: Preach my gospel. It didn’t matter to the Lord which direction they went, only that they “ declare the things which ye have heard, and verily believe, and know to be true.” (v 4) Isn’t this basically the same directions as ‘when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren’? As Bob and I begin this mission in the Manila, where traffic is much like a gladiator game, where significant health concerns raise their heads at every turn, where –at this point—we are unable to even find all the apartments the missionaries are in, I take comfort in knowing that any of our efforts in supporting, encouraging, and sustaining these sweet, brave missionaries are valued not just by the missionar...

January 25, 2018 Section 78:1-8 Journal, Philippine Manila Mission, United Order, Loving Helping Sharing,  Since I last wrote, we have been in the MTC (quite a lovely experience); we have purchased a townhome in Vineyard UT (!!??); we have weighed our suitcases more times than I can count & at the airport all of them came in at a few tenths of a pound under weight ( J ); we have survived a 15 hour flight in a smaller-than-I-would-have-imagined seat in a large bumpy airplane; we are still trying to get our days and nights straight (we were up at 2 AM this morning….45 minutes better than yesterday); we are swamped with the process of getting a longer visa than the 30 day one on which we arrived; we are trying to figure out our mission jobs and keep finding that there is no time to do them; we are surrounded by sweet people who are doing much the same; we feel the Lord’s love; we are trying very hard to help others feel His love; and we are happy to be here…and will prob...

January 7, 2018 Section 76:11-19 Scripture Study, Pondering, Holy Ghost, Philippine Manila Mission, Mission Nurse, Journal,  Joseph gives a description of their (Joseph’s & Sidney’s) vision and the circumstances that preceded it. It is in v 19 that he explains “ And while we meditated upon these things, the Lord touched the eyes of our understandings and they were opened, and the glory of the Lord shone round about.” Nephi described similar circumstances in 1 Nephi 11:1. He says he was ‘ pondering in mine heart’ the things of his father’s dream when he was ‘ caught away in the Spirit of the Lord, yea into an exceedingly high mountain’. And President Joseph F. Smith said that he received his vision of the spirit world as he sat in his room ‘ pondering over the scriptures; and reflecting’ ( D&C 138-1-2). President David O McKay taught: : I think we pay too little attention to the value of meditation, a principle of devotion….” And one last quote—from President Marion...