June 30th and July 7 devotionals at area office

Rolf Randall and Family

Monday, June 30, we had another great devotional by our Area Finance Manager, Rolf Randall, who gave the spiritual thought. Again, I paraphrase:

When my mother passed away we cleaned up her home and came across a box. It only contained two things, a card with a letter from my grandmother from an extermination camp called Auschwitz (the last one she sent) and an old hymnbook printed in 1955. I opened the hymnbook and noticed that it was signed on the inside cover by the following: James A. Cullimore (assistant to the 12), Marion G. Romney, Mark E. Peterson, LeGrande Richards, Hugh B. Brown, Boyd K. Packer, Harold B. Lee and Howard W. Hunter. When I look back at my childhood, most of these brethren and their wives visited our home. They would meet there and get into a VW Beetle to go to their various assignments. As a boy, I failed to pay much attention to the spirit, but I remember them coming to our home often. I remember that my father was a leader of the Church then and associated with these gentlemen.

On my mission, I liked to share my three favorite testimonies of the leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I had a film strip.

One of my favorite Church Videos was a part in that movie of Joseph Smith's testimony where he said, 

"However, it was nevertheless a fact that I had beheld a vision. I have thought since, that I felt much like Paul, when he made his defense before King Agrippa, and related the account of the vision he had when he saw a light, and heard a voice; but still there were but few who believed him; some said he was dishonest, others said he was mad; and he was ridiculed and reviled. But all this did not destroy the reality of his vision. He had seen a vision, he knew he had, and all the persecution under heaven could not make it otherwise; and though they should persecute him unto death, yet he knew, and would know to his latest breath, that he had both seen a light and heard a voice speaking unto him, and all the world could not make him think or believe otherwise.

So it was with me. I had actually seen a light, and in the midst of that light I saw two Personages, and they did in reality speak to me; and though I was hated and persecuted for saying that I had seen a vision, yet it was true; and while they were persecuting me, reviling me, and speaking all manner of evil against me falsely for so saying, I was led to say in my heart: Why persecute me for telling the truth? I have actually seen a vision; and who am I that I can withstand God, or why does the world think to make me deny what I have actually seen? For I had seen a vision; I knew it, and I knew that God knew it, and I could not deny it, neither dared I do it; at least I knew that by so doing I would offend God, and come under condemnation."

Elder Faust

Another was Elder Faust bearing his testimony: "I've always believed in the Church. I've gained a testimony as the Brother of Jared  when he said, "I saw the finger of God"... 
"As the Brother of Jared stated, so say I."






The third of my favorite testimonies was Boyd K Packer, someone who came in my home and ate dinner with my family and I don't even remember it.

Boyd K Packer

"After all the years that I have lived and taught and served, after the millions of miles I have traveled around the world, with all that I have experienced, there is one great truth that I would share. That is my witness of the Savior Jesus Christ. Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon recorded the following after a sacred experience: “And now, after the many testimonies which have been given of Him, this is the testimony, last of all, which we give of Him: That He lives! 'For we saw Him.' " 

Their words are my words. I believe and I am sure that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that He lives. He is the Only Begotten of the Father, and 'by him, and through him, and of him, the worlds are and were created, and the inhabitants thereof are begotten sons and daughters unto God.' I bear my witness that the Savior lives. I know the Lord. I am His witness. I know of His great sacrifice and eternal love for all of Heavenly Father’s children. I bear my special witness in all humility but with absolute certainty, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen." 

What I found in that box in my mother's house was not considered all that desirable to my brothers and sisters, but I snatched it up like the treasure that it is...my grandmother's last message from Auschwitz

before she died and a hymnbook signed by some of the most amazing men in the Church's history...a treasure beyond words.

It is my testimony that Joseph Smith, Elder Faust and Elder Packer's testimonies are a true witness of Jesus Christ and the restored Gospel upon the earth today and I add mine to it.

MONDAY JULY 7th DEVOTIONAL:

Carly with her children

This devotional's spiritual thought came from Caliphonia (We call her California - and once again it is paraphrased):

"When I was 17 years I had a very important physics exam, but on the day of the exam I found that I had mixed up the dates and instead of the physic exam, I had MEDS instead. Luckily I passed anyway, but not with the grade I had hoped.

Today, I came to work totally prepared to give this devotional talk, but when I arrived at the office, I discovered I had my husband's diary and not mine...so no talk.

Okay, we all stumble, but the gospel teaches us that we are all eternal beings...that man is a child of God and can become like Heavenly Father with heavenly progression. Because of our heavenly parents, we are capable to love and live with commandments while we have these mortal bodies. 

I remember when the lawyer asked Jesus in Matthew, 'Which is the greatest commandment in the law?'  Jesus answered,  "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind...  "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself".

Love is an action. We need to be doers of the Word. Idling away one's time is not enjoying life. As children of Heavenly Father, we are counseled to be perfect, even as our Father in Heaven is perfect. 

We should strive for goals. To do this I try to focus my thought on things that will help motivate me, like: ~We become what we think about~ Though Jesus Christ was hated, yet he loved ~The door of history turns on small hinges ~ True finishers have the capacity to view their successes ~ Stick to the task until it sticks to you ~ Let virtue garnish your thoughts unceasingly.

And a great song that sums all of this up is The Impossible Dream: 

To dream the impossible dream… To fight the unbeatable foe

To bear with unbearable sorrow… And to run where the brave dare not go.

To right the unrightable wrong… And to love pure and chaste from afar…

To try when your arms are too weary…To reach the unreachable star.

This is my quest to follow that star no matter how hopeless, no matter how far.

To fight for the right without question or pause, to be willing to march,
march into hell  for that heavenly cause.

And I know if I'll only be true... to this glorious quest...

that my heart will lie peaceful and calm when I'm laid to my rest.

And the world will be better for this, that one man, scorned and covered with scars,

still strove with his last ounce of courage to reach the unreachable,

the unreachable, the unreachable star

And I'll always dream the impossible dream; yes, and I'll reach the unreachable star.

I hope we can act on those things we learn and continue to perfect our lives until we are finally ready to meet God and he can say to us, "Well done my good and faithful servant."