Tags
Laws, LDS, LDS Temples, Team, TeamLaws, The Gospel in Action, The House of the Lord, Vicarious Work
(Pt 5 of 5)
“The Essence of the Gospel”
Redeeming the Dead
I understand in talking to Bishop McVeigh Brunswick 1st is getting involved in a food drive/food pantry for the upcoming North America Southeast (NASE) day of service on the 25th of April.
I heartily recommend all within the sound of my voice to take of this unique opportunity to participate in compassionate and Christ-like service that Saturday. Getting outside of ourselves and our personal comfort zones opens so many great and unique opportunities for growth.
President Monson:
“No member who serves to can peas, top beets, shovel coal, or any other Christ-like service ever forgets or regrets their service.”
Another great temporal service with other-worldly ramifications is the “redeem” function of the mission of the Church. Personal preparation and dedication to (and a love for) the Lord are the basic requirements for success here. The Lord’s long standing worthiness requirements are the bar we must pass.
Elder Richard G. Scott of the Quorum of the Twelve has said:
“Missionary work is not limited to proclaiming the gospel to people now living on the earth. [It] is also continuing beyond the veil among [those] who have died either without hearing the gospel or without accepting it while they lived on the earth. Our great part is to perform on this earth the ordinances required for those who accept the gospel over there. I hope to see us dissolve the artificial boundary line between missionary work and temple and genealogical work, because it is the same great redemptive work!”[i]
Another great example of how “Proclaim, Perfect, & Redeem” are united in the sole purpose of bringing souls to Christ.
President Howard W. Hunter whose central message (as I recall) was Temple Work & who dedicated 2 Temples (Orlando, FL, Bountiful, Ut) during his brief time (Jun 94-Mar 95) as Prophet declared:
“It is important that we have the desire to come to the house of the Lord frequently for the benefit of those who have gone before us and also for our own benefit. We are blessed as we bring blessings to others. Each time we come, we receive a renewal of the instructions given and the vows made when we attended the temple the first time for our own endowment, and we receive the desire to earnestly strive to keep ourselves worthy of temple attendance.”[ii]
Temple work is one of the most enriching, edifying, and Christ-like things we can engage in on this side of the veil. We would do well to remember and cherish this truth. It seems to me there is no reason we cannot be more faithful in this regard. Again talk to your Bishop and if there are things that lie in the way of receiving or renewing your temple recommend he will help you!