What a Day!

I would love to say that I have moved beyond my apathy for music, but it hasn't happened yet.  Having said that, I have decided to keep singing because, I know that just like when I don't feel like praying is when I need to pray the most, the same with singing.  While I may be singing by rote, and not fully feeling the music, I will still sing, knowing that I will feel that joy again.

The morning started with the power off, and a lot of things do do for a Saturday, starting with pageant rehearsal.  This is setting up the next several weeks of pretty serious practicing, for the Families are Eternal Pageant.  This pageant will be held Aug. 9-12, at the Independence Stake Center.  Information for the pageant can be found at:   http://familiesareeternal.org/

After returning home, and with the power still out, I headed up to the Stake Center for Priesthood Leadership Training.  This Stake Conference we are blessed to have a member of the 1st Quorum of the Seventy presiding.  Elder Jorg Klebingat was born in Germany and has served in a number of church leadership positions all over the world.

This meeting, and the Adult Session that followed, were some of the most dynamic meetings that I have ever attended.  They were primarily question and answer sessions.  He started the leadership meeting by speaking of the worthiness required of those who watch over the church.  The higher law of the gospel requires a higher level of obedience.  Obedience of the heart.  He went on to take questions, and while his nature provided an easy, and at times, even funny conversation, there is no question that the Holy Ghost was present, testifying of the truths spoken.

There was so much to come out of the Adult session.  So many real answers to heartfelt questions.  He didn't just paraphrase scriptural references as source material, he gave the references, looked them up, and quoted them.  He emphasized the importance of scriptural knowledge.  Not so much to be able to "prove" the evidence, but to know it ourselves.  

He spoke of repentance, and how it is a daily task for us that accept His Atonement.  He was clear that accepting God's forgiveness is essential, and that denying the Atonement of the Savior makes a mockery of it.  He also spoke of Christ's Atonement as so much more than repentance and forgiveness.

Of all the things that Elder Klebingat spoke on, the one that touched me the most was unprompted by a question.  He spoke of the priesthood ordinance of Restoration of Blessings.  This was such a sacred moment.  To explain, when someone has broken the laws of the church, and has been excommunicated for his or her sins, after a period of earnest repentance, they are re-baptized, and after demonstrating their worthiness, a petition is made to have all of their blessings and ordinances restored to them.  

This petition is brought to the First Presidency of the Church, with recommendations from local leaders, as well as from those Authorities of the Church specifically assigned to this task.  He spoke of the love of the prophet towards these individuals who had lost their way, and were desiring to have their ordinations, and temple blessings restored.   When he spoke of actually restoring these blessings, the spirit was very powerful.  I really can't even begin to describe it.  He spoke with such love that it was as if the Savior were speaking.  

I literally could go on for pages describing the points made, and the doctrine taught, but I was really touched with this teaching.  For those in the Olathe Kansas Stake, tomorrow will be the concluding session of Stake Conference.  I would encourage attendance.

And it was nice to come home to see the lights on, and the air conditioner running!

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