4 March 2019

Today I stayed inside, waiting until the climate warmed up. I typically check all of the locations, requiring inspections on Monday, so I worked on the sequence manual. 

Hoffman is auditing my inspection matrix, having me give all of my PSI inspection reports to them to verify how accurate my tracking is.

My operation manager asked me for a count of the remaining mullions to install, and the number was higher than he expected.

On my walk, I was not freezing, but my hands were. I have 11 inspections recorded from the walk to do. Crews can to me with issues to resolve, which were interesting.

I have never been a reader until "Come, follow me." I think that Habitica keeps me pushing my limit of daily achivement too. I read the Book of Mormon in the morning as I shave, do family scripture study as I eat breakfast, study personally from "Come, follow me as I eat lunch, and study "Come, follow me'' for primary as I brush my teeth. Never reading so much, I am packing my days so much that I pair passive activities with active ones. "Come, follow me" encourages the participants to read the chapters before engaging in the guidance of the book, and I finally humbled myself to do so, since my confidence in my reading capabilities has increased.

I started reading Matthew chapter 8 per the schedule of "Come, follow me." If God were living on Earth, would you ask him to bless one of your loved ones? I think that this would be as natural as prayer. The following story impressed me: 

"And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him, And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented. 
And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him. 
The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it. 
When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour." (Matthew 8:5-13)

The centurion knew Christ can heal his servant, and he asked him to do so. The miracle would not have happened, if he had not asked. This is faith to live by your spiritual knowledge, assurances, and revelation. 

I tend to write a lot about this because an accounting teacher taught what faith really is. Faith is so abstract according to the general understanding of society that the teacher's explanation of the true understanding was enlightening. Faith is a principle to live by; not a general belief. We live it by trusting in the word and revelation that God gives man. I trusted that he would provide for me, so I worked at it to let him provide my current life situation including my career and family. That is one example of practicing faith.

During my drawing time last night, I fixed her eye.

The Sermon on the Mount: My CTR 5 Lesson

The following four precepts were the lesson topics: Golden Rule, Your Treasure is where your Heart is, Prayer, and Wise man & Foolish man. I was planning to bring a box of my treasures, but I forgot the box at home. I almost ditched that part of the lesson, but I thought to draw a treasure chest on the black board to have a good discussion. The children were impressed by my drawing. 

I told the children a story that the person, who sealed my wife and I, shared at my wedding. He said that after buying land he learned that a gigantic rock made excavation difficult. Consulting architects, he had them design his house with the rock as the foundation. The property was in California. When the 1989 earthquake came, all of the houses around fell apart except his, since his house had a rock foundation. I asked a child about what the rock represents, and he said that it is the courage to be righteous.

The treasures in my box were the following: a stone from Delta Stone products, a fabric elephant keychain, miniature art mannequin, a wooden box from Jamaica, a ceramic pot, and an appointment paper from my sealing. I felt a little emotional, telling Jessica about my treasures. The stone from Delta Stone Products represents that I treasure God's guidance in my education and career. The fabric elephant is from Thailand representing my treasure of family. The miniature art mannequin represents my talent, hobbies, childhood, and upbringing; which I treasure. The wood carven Jamaican box represents my missionary service. The ceramic pot was made by a high school friend expressing my friends are a treasure of mine. The appointment paper represents the  treasure of my marriage. Health is another treasure, but I could not think of a good item to represent it. Hints of my treasures are all over my apartment. 

3 March 2019

Last night I picked up Jessica at the Portland Airport, going to sleep late again. Although I woke up about 5:45 AM, getting about six hours of sleep, I chose to schedule blog posts and prepare my primary lesson. 

I had four parts to my lesson this time instead of two compared to last time. My co-teacher had a substitute, who was very helpful, expounding on the lesson. 

The following four precepts were the lesson topics: Golden Rule, Your Treasure is where your Heart is, Prayer, and Wise man & Foolish man. I was planning to bring a box of my treasures, but I forgot the box at home. I almost ditched that part of the lesson, but I thought to draw a treasure chest on the black board to have a good discussion. The children were impressed by my drawing. 

I told the children a story that the person, who sealed my wife and I, shared at my wedding. He said that after buying land he learned that a gigantic rock made excavation difficult. Consulting architects, he had them design his house with the rock as the foundation. The property was in California. When the 1989 earthquake came, all of the houses around fell apart except his, since his house had a rock foundation. I asked a child about what the rock represents, and he said that it is the courage to be righteous.

The treasures in my box were the following: a stone from Delta Stone products, a fabric elephant keychain, miniature art mannequin, a wooden box from Jamaica, a ceramic pot, and an appointment paper from my sealing. I felt a little emotional, telling Jessica about my treasures. The stone from Delta Stone Products represents that I treasure God's guidance in my education and career. The fabric elephant is from Thailand representing my treasure of family. The miniature art mannequin represents my talent, hobbies, childhood, and upbringing; which I treasure. The wood carven Jamaican box represents my missionary service. The ceramic pot was made by a high school friend expressing my friends are a treasure of mine. The appointment paper represents the  treasure of my marriage. Health is another treasure, but I could not think of a good item to represent it. Hints of my treasures are all over my apartment. 

After church I drew for about forty minutes. Hands are difficult. I am not afraid of them, but I can't figure out how to get the right proportion currently. I developed the faces a lot more of the lion and the mage.

The True Application of Faith

I finished reading Alma 58 this morning. Chapter 58 of Alma in the Book of Mormon is a great chapter to learn the true application of faith.

Helamen and his troops were not supported well by their nation due to pride. They were far from the safe capitol. Not being informed of the situation, they had to fend for themselves. Their small army feared the numerous armies of the Lamanites. 

"Therefore we did pour out our souls in prayer to God, that he would strengthen us and deliver us out of the hands of our enemies, yea, and also give us strength that we might retain our cities, and our lands, and our possessions, for the support of our people.Yea, and it came to pass that the Lord our God did visit us with assurances that he would deliver us; yea, insomuch that he did speak peace to our souls, and did grant unto us great faith, and did cause us that we should hope for our deliverance in him. And we did take courage with our small force which we had received, and were fixed with a determination to conquer our enemies, and to maintain our lands, and our possessions, and our wives, and our children, and the cause of our liberty." (Alma 58:10-12)

Helamen and his armies now had knowledge and an assurance that their endeavors will succeed. This is faith. "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." (JST, Hebrews 11:1) Assurance comes from revelation. Trust in your faith, and continually cultivate it to maintain  the fruits of hope. Read the whole chapter for full context.

2 March 2019

Last night I put another five minutes of work in my Habitica fan art/character design. It is attached below. 

Serving in the temple today, I was thinking that I may be doing too much. Although I have been going to sleep late most nights of this week, I have been able to function well at work somehow. I was pondering how to scale back somehow in the temple because my service was mostly functional in the temple, but sleeping punctually would make it better.

When I got home, I watch YouTube as I prepared and ate lunch. After lunch I scheduled blog posts for my singles' blogs curation social media pages, watching YouTube still; then, I napped until I needed to head to my game night with Alex Meldrum. 

I said that I shouldn't hang at with him yesterday, since Jessica is going to Hayley Lopez' baby shower, but Alex Meldrum planned a bro night, inviting another friend over. He introduced me to deck building games, teaching me XenoShyft. It was a cooperation game to protect our base from monsters. All three of us had a post to defend. Alex was surprised that it was my first time playing a deck building game. He thought that played them before. I caught on quickly, enjoying it.

I finished reading Alma 58 this morning. Chapter 58 of Alma in the Book of Mormon is a great chapter to learn the true meaning of faith.

Helamen and his troops were not supported well by their nation due to pride. They were far from the safe capitol. Not being informed of the situation, they had to fend for themselves. Their small army feared the numerous armies of the Lamanites. 

"Therefore we did pour out our souls in prayer to God, that he would strengthen us and deliver us out of the hands of our enemies, yea, and also give us strength that we might retain our cities, and our lands, and our possessions, for the support of our people.Yea, and it came to pass that the Lord our God did visit us with assurances that he would deliver us; yea, insomuch that he did speak peace to our souls, and did grant unto us great faith, and did cause us that we should hope for our deliverance in him. And we did take courage with our small force which we had received, and were fixed with a determination to conquer our enemies, and to maintain our lands, and our possessions, and our wives, and our children, and the cause of our liberty." (Alma 58:10-12)

Helamen and his armies now had knowledge and an assurance that their endeavors will succeed. This is faith. "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." (JST, Hebrews 11:1) Assurance comes from revelation. Trust in your faith, and continually cultivate it to maintain the fruits of hope.

Prioritizing Heavenly Things Over Vain Things

The following verses Matthew chapter six impressed principles of prioritizing Heavenly things over vain things:

Twenty-two

"The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light."

One can obtain the glory of God, if the individual seeks unity. He said himself; "For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." (Moses 1:39) Sharing his glory is his desire. He wants us to join him in eternal life.

Twenty-four

"No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon."

A principle of human relations requires a choice. Choose to be good or bad. One can't choose both. An individual will truly be faithful to one.

Twenty-five (Joseph Smith Translation)

"And, again, I say unto you, Go ye into the world, and care not for the world; for the world will hate you, and will persecute you, and will turn you out of their synagogues."

Don't worry about what people say, if they are presecuting you for Christ's sake. One may lose their worldly station, but they are securing their station in Heaven.

Twenty-seven (Joseph Smith Translation)

"And your heavenly Father will provide for you, whatsoever things ye need for food, what ye shall eat; and for raiment, what ye shall wear or put on."

God will provide. Serve him with your might. Don't seek for temporary needs, for God provides graciously for his servants. Focus on the Heavenly treasures of temple and family history work, missionary work, service and humanitarian work, & so forth.

1 March 2019

Last night I started my Habitica character drawing. One may wonder why I talk about Habitica. Habitica incentivizes me by tracking my aspirations and daily habits that I need to keep my life more consistent and stable. It has raised my standard living. 

I love art and drawing, and the drawing challenge is an expression of the online creative community, inviting me to join them through Habitica. I like their encouragement only requiring to draw for five minutes. My second five minute drawing session was a lot more effective than the first. I started to draw my shade lion, and my character, sitting/laying on/hugging the lion's head. I already started drawing her red bow on her head, and her staff. Jessica did not recognize the lion, but I wanted to first organize the frame of the canvas. I will attach the first five minute progress to this post.

I was able to do more than I expected today, finalizing and releasing the mullion assemblies that I have been writing about for months. Eclad finally updated their highlight sheets, so I could complete the task this week. 

The county of Multnomah wanted a hint of the scope of the QC bust, starting late last week. I found that the weather barrier crews, installing the silicone sheet, never understood that the building was designed for an one  inch vertical movement; therefore, their one inch shim to hold up the Kingspan panels were never removed. I think that the design team has been so focused on the weather and smoke-proofing that the architect forgot to verify that his building design was properly applied. 

I only got to do QC on the stage for the first time this week. I think that my influence on quality control is developing and being more respected each week. It is sad that it took almost a year to gain QC respect. It is interesting.

The following verses Matthew chapter six impressed principles of prioritizing Heavenly things over vain things:

Twenty-two

"The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light."

One can obtain the glory of God, if the individual seeks unity. He said himself; "For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." (Moses 1:39) Sharing his glory is his desire. He wants us to join him in eternal life.

Twenty-four

"No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon."

A principle of human relations requires a choice. Choose to be good or bad. One can't choose both. An individual will truly be faithful to one.

Twenty-five (Joseph Smith Translation)

"And, again, I say unto you, Go ye into the world, and care not for the world; for the world will hate you, and will persecute you, and will turn you out of their synagogues."

Don't worry about what people say, if they are presecuting you for Christ's sake. One may lose their worldly station, but they are securing their station in Heaven.

Twenty-seven (Joseph Smith Translation)

"And your heavenly Father will provide for you, whatsoever things ye need for food, what ye shall eat; and for raiment, what ye shall wear or put on."

God will provide. Serve him with your might. Don't seek for temporary needs, for God provides graciously for his servants. Focus on the Heavenly treasures of temple and family history work, missionary work, service and humanitarian work, & so forth.

Trials & Redemption (Unedited Institute Notes)

Have you ever felt:   

misunderstood   
no hope   
betrayed   
really sad   
lose of loved ones   
alone   
   
the atonement   
comfort, empower,    
You can turn to Christ in all things.   
   
Stirring   
Thomas Marsh   
President of the Quorum of the Twelve   
Joseph Smith sent many of the twelve on missions   
   
discontentment   
apostasy - new prophet   
D&C 112 revelation for Thomas Marsh   
10 Be thou humble; and the Lord thy God shall lead thee by the hand, and give thee answer to thy prayers.   
11 I know thy heart, and have heard thy prayers concerning thy brethren. Be not partial towards them in love above many others, but let thy love be for them as for thyself; and let thy love abound unto all men, and unto all who love my name.   
12 And pray for thy brethren of the Twelve. Admonish them sharply for my name’s sake, and let them be admonished for all their sins, and be ye faithful before me unto my name.   
   
15 Exalt not yourselves; rebel not against my servant Joseph; for verily I say unto you, I am with him, and my hand shall be over him; and the keys which I have given unto him, and also to youward, shall not be taken from him till I come.   
16 Verily I say unto you, my servant Thomas, thou art the man whom I have chosen to hold the keys of my kingdom, as pertaining to the Twelve, abroad among all nations   
   
Don't worry about other peoples' stewardship.   
   
Doubt cause us to inch away.   
   
Testimony of the Prophet   
confirmation with polyngomy   
personal revelation is vital.   
   
Liberty Jail   
False accusations by apostate members.   
four months   
   
D&C 121:1-6   
1 O God, where art thou? And where is the pavilion that covereth thy hiding place?   
2 How long shall thy hand be stayed, and thine eye, yea thy pure eye, behold from the eternal heavens the wrongs of thy people and of thy servants, and thine ear be penetrated with their cries?   
3 Yea, O Lord, how long shall they suffer these wrongs and unlawful oppressions, before thine heart shall be softened toward them, and thy bowels be moved with compassion toward them?   
4 O Lord God Almighty, maker of heaven, earth, and seas, and of all things that in them are, and who controllest and subjectest the devil, and the dark and benighted dominion of Sheol—stretch forth thy hand; let thine eye pierce; let thy pavilion be taken up; let thy hiding place no longer be covered; let thine ear be inclined; let thine heart be softened, and thy bowels moved with compassion toward us.   
5 Let thine anger be kindled against our enemies; and, in the fury of thine heart, with thy sword avenge us of our wrongs.   
6 Remember thy suffering saints, O our God; and thy servants will rejoice in thy name forever.   
   
Where art thou?   
Why can't I understand you?   
How long do I have to suffer?   
   
Took a year to recover from a round of chemo because she doesn't have the enzyme to metabolize the chemotherapy   
grant me patience and I need it now.   
   
Endure well   
become bitter or better   
Right perspective   
   
Outward controllable   
inward overwhelming   
   
D&C 122   
7 And if thou shouldst be cast into the pit, or into the hands of murderers, and the sentence of death passed upon thee; if thou be cast into the deep; if the billowing surge conspire against thee; if fierce winds become thine enemy; if the heavens gather blackness, and all the elements combine to hedge up the way; and above all, if the very jaws of hell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good.   
8 The Son of Man hath descended below them all. Art thou greater than he?   
9 Therefore, hold on thy way, and the priesthood shall remain with thee; for their bounds are set, they cannot pass. Thy days are known, and thy years shall not be numbered less; therefore, fear not what man can do, for God shall be with you forever and ever.   
   
9 Therefore, hold on thy way, and the priesthood shall remain with thee; for their bounds are set, they cannot pass.    
Thy days are known, and thy years shall not be numbered less; therefore,    
fear not what man can do, for God shall be with you forever and ever.   
God knows everything about us, having a plan.   
   
Shake off the dust   
the dust of life's experience   
   
Mark 6:11 And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when ye depart thence, shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city.   
   
Liberty, a prison temple?   
a place of learning.   
spiritual   
revelatory   
experience   
   
You can have sacred more revelatory experiences in any situation good and bad,   
Every experience can be redemptive   
God can turn any prison into a temple.   
   
Alvin Smith   
His mother described him as "a youth of singular goodness of disposition," whose "nobleness and generosity" blessed those around him "every hour of his existence."   
When Alvin died, the family asked a Presbyterian minister in Palmyra, New York, to officiate at his funeral. As Alvin had not been a member of the minister’s congregation, the clergyman asserted in his sermon that Alvin could not be saved. William Smith, Joseph’s younger brother, recalled: “[The minister] … intimated very strongly that [Alvin] had gone to hell, for Alvin was not a church member, but he was a good boy and my father did not like it.”   
   
D&C   
Section 137   
A vision given to Joseph Smith the Prophet, in the temple at Kirtland, Ohio, January 21, 1836. The occasion was the administration of ordinances in preparation for the dedication of the temple.   
1–6, The Prophet sees his brother Alvin in the celestial kingdom; 7–9, The doctrine of salvation for the dead is revealed; 10, All children are saved in the celestial kingdom   
   
1 The heavens were opened upon us, and I beheld the celestial kingdom of God, and the glory thereof, whether in the body or out I cannot tell.   
2 I saw the transcendent beauty of the gate through which the heirs of that kingdom will enter, which was like unto circling flames of fire;   
3 Also the blazing throne of God, whereon was seated the Father and the Son.   
4 I saw the beautiful streets of that kingdom, which had the appearance of being paved with gold.   
5 I saw Father Adam and Abraham; and my father and my mother; my brother Alvin, that has long since slept;   
6 And marveled how it was that he had obtained an inheritance in that kingdom, seeing that he had departed this life before the Lord had set his hand to gather Israel the second time, and had not been baptized for the remission of sins   
7 Thus came the voice of the Lord unto me, saying: All who have died without a knowledge of this gospel, who would have received it if they had been permitted to tarry, shall be heirs of the celestial kingdom of God;   
8 Also all that shall die henceforth without a knowledge of it, who would have received it with all their hearts, shall be heirs of that kingdom;   
9 For I, the Lord, will judge all men according to their works, according to the desire of their hearts.   
10 And I also beheld that all children who die before they arrive at the years of accountability are saved in the celestial kingdom of heaven.   
   
Mother & Father was not dead during the time of the vision.   
   
Salvation is determined by the desires of men.   
Justice & mercy is truly balanced perfectly.   
   
1840   
Baptism for the dead was first revealed in a funeral that Joseph Smith spoke at.   
The saints were excited in the introduction, practicing it without order.   
D&C 124 formalizes Baptism for the dead.   
   
D&C 127:5-7; 128:8   
proper recording with ordinance performance by the one holding the priesthood authority   
D&C 128:6-7   
records are part of book used at judgment day   
D&C 128:15, 17-18   
   
   
M Russell Ballard   
Responsibility given to a child   
Two years later, Joseph F., along with his family and faithful mother, Mary Fielding Smith, left his home in Nauvoo for Winter Quarters. Although not yet eight years old, Joseph F. was required to drive one of the oxteams from Montrose, Iowa, to Winter Quarters and then later on to the Salt Lake Valley, arriving when he was almost 10. I hope you boys and young men are listening and will realize the responsibility and expectation placed on Joseph F. during his boyhood.   
   
He endured a lot of death in his life; losing his father, mother, & daughter.   
That year was particularly painful for him. He grieved over the death toll in the Great World War that continued to climb to over 20 million people killed. Additionally, a flu pandemic was spreading around the world, taking the lives of as many as 100 million people.   
   
& many other family members   
   
And so it was on October 3, 1918, having experienced intense sorrow over the millions who had died in the world through war and disease as well as the deaths of his own family members, President Smith received the heavenly revelation known as “the vision of the redemption of the dead.”   
   
Read section 138 of Doctrine and Covenants with this introduction.

28 February 2019

Yesterday evening I joined two challenges on Habitica. It did not immediately change my account, so I did not worry about it; however, I noticed as I was checking off my dailies before I went to sleep a new one, saying draw for five minutes. The two challenges that I joined are a drawing one & a writing one. 

The drawing challenge is to do a drawing each week for a month. I took five minutes to draw, continuing my drawing of my Nike shoe. Having to get use to AutoDesk Sketchbook again, I did not make many marks. 

The writing challenge formalized my goals, planning to network with publications for opportunities to write articles.

Recently I have been playing with character design in Habitica because I bought every thing for Mage, Healer, and Rogue. Stats and money are not interests anymore. I might draw the characters for my challenge. My characters are below. The top two are my recent designs. I designed Jessica's a while ago.

My mind was all over the place at work today. Many things were requiring attention. I had to coordinate inspections, answer QC item inquiries, and deliver/compose many documents for various people & purposes.

We actually made it on time to institute this week, and we did our new routine of grocery shopping.

The following are my unedited institute notes: A lot of it are quotations.

Have you ever felt:   

misunderstood   
no hope   
betrayed   
really sad   
lose of loved ones   
alone   
   
the atonement   
comfort, empower,    
You can turn to Christ in all things.   
   
Stirring   
Thomas Marsh   
President of the Quorum of the Twelve   
Joseph Smith sent many of the twelve on missions   
   
discontentment   
apostasy - new prophet   
D&C 112 revelation for Thomas Marsh   
10 Be thou humble; and the Lord thy God shall lead thee by the hand, and give thee answer to thy prayers.   
11 I know thy heart, and have heard thy prayers concerning thy brethren. Be not partial towards them in love above many others, but let thy love be for them as for thyself; and let thy love abound unto all men, and unto all who love my name.   
12 And pray for thy brethren of the Twelve. Admonish them sharply for my name’s sake, and let them be admonished for all their sins, and be ye faithful before me unto my name.   
   
15 Exalt not yourselves; rebel not against my servant Joseph; for verily I say unto you, I am with him, and my hand shall be over him; and the keys which I have given unto him, and also to youward, shall not be taken from him till I come.   
16 Verily I say unto you, my servant Thomas, thou art the man whom I have chosen to hold the keys of my kingdom, as pertaining to the Twelve, abroad among all nations   
   
Don't worry about other peoples' stewardship.   
   
Doubt cause us to inch away.   
   
Testimony of the Prophet   
confirmation with polyngomy   
personal revelation is vital.   
   
Liberty Jail   
False accusations by apostate members.   
four months   
   
D&C 121:1-6   
1 O God, where art thou? And where is the pavilion that covereth thy hiding place?   
2 How long shall thy hand be stayed, and thine eye, yea thy pure eye, behold from the eternal heavens the wrongs of thy people and of thy servants, and thine ear be penetrated with their cries?   
3 Yea, O Lord, how long shall they suffer these wrongs and unlawful oppressions, before thine heart shall be softened toward them, and thy bowels be moved with compassion toward them?   
4 O Lord God Almighty, maker of heaven, earth, and seas, and of all things that in them are, and who controllest and subjectest the devil, and the dark and benighted dominion of Sheol—stretch forth thy hand; let thine eye pierce; let thy pavilion be taken up; let thy hiding place no longer be covered; let thine ear be inclined; let thine heart be softened, and thy bowels moved with compassion toward us.   
5 Let thine anger be kindled against our enemies; and, in the fury of thine heart, with thy sword avenge us of our wrongs.   
6 Remember thy suffering saints, O our God; and thy servants will rejoice in thy name forever.   
   
Where art thou?   
Why can't I understand you?   
How long do I have to suffer?   
   
Took a year to recover from a round of chemo because she doesn't have the enzyme to metabolize the chemotherapy   
grant me patience and I need it now.   
   
Endure well   
become bitter or better   
Right perspective   
   
Outward controllable   
inward overwhelming   
   
D&C 122   
7 And if thou shouldst be cast into the pit, or into the hands of murderers, and the sentence of death passed upon thee; if thou be cast into the deep; if the billowing surge conspire against thee; if fierce winds become thine enemy; if the heavens gather blackness, and all the elements combine to hedge up the way; and above all, if the very jaws of hell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good.   
8 The Son of Man hath descended below them all. Art thou greater than he?   
9 Therefore, hold on thy way, and the priesthood shall remain with thee; for their bounds are set, they cannot pass. Thy days are known, and thy years shall not be numbered less; therefore, fear not what man can do, for God shall be with you forever and ever.   
   
9 Therefore, hold on thy way, and the priesthood shall remain with thee; for their bounds are set, they cannot pass.    
Thy days are known, and thy years shall not be numbered less; therefore,    
fear not what man can do, for God shall be with you forever and ever.   
God knows everything about us, having a plan.   
   
Shake off the dust   
the dust of life's experience   
   
Mark 6:11 And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when ye depart thence, shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city.   
   
Liberty, a prison temple?   
a place of learning.   
spiritual   
revelatory   
experience   
   
You can have sacred more revelatory experiences in any situation good and bad,   
Every experience can be redemptive   
God can turn any prison into a temple.   
   
Alvin Smith   
His mother described him as "a youth of singular goodness of disposition," whose "nobleness and generosity" blessed those around him "every hour of his existence."   
When Alvin died, the family asked a Presbyterian minister in Palmyra, New York, to officiate at his funeral. As Alvin had not been a member of the minister’s congregation, the clergyman asserted in his sermon that Alvin could not be saved. William Smith, Joseph’s younger brother, recalled: “[The minister] … intimated very strongly that [Alvin] had gone to hell, for Alvin was not a church member, but he was a good boy and my father did not like it.”   
   
D&C   
Section 137   
A vision given to Joseph Smith the Prophet, in the temple at Kirtland, Ohio, January 21, 1836. The occasion was the administration of ordinances in preparation for the dedication of the temple.   
1–6, The Prophet sees his brother Alvin in the celestial kingdom; 7–9, The doctrine of salvation for the dead is revealed; 10, All children are saved in the celestial kingdom   
   
1 The heavens were opened upon us, and I beheld the celestial kingdom of God, and the glory thereof, whether in the body or out I cannot tell.   
2 I saw the transcendent beauty of the gate through which the heirs of that kingdom will enter, which was like unto circling flames of fire;   
3 Also the blazing throne of God, whereon was seated the Father and the Son.   
4 I saw the beautiful streets of that kingdom, which had the appearance of being paved with gold.   
5 I saw Father Adam and Abraham; and my father and my mother; my brother Alvin, that has long since slept;   
6 And marveled how it was that he had obtained an inheritance in that kingdom, seeing that he had departed this life before the Lord had set his hand to gather Israel the second time, and had not been baptized for the remission of sins   
7 Thus came the voice of the Lord unto me, saying: All who have died without a knowledge of this gospel, who would have received it if they had been permitted to tarry, shall be heirs of the celestial kingdom of God;   
8 Also all that shall die henceforth without a knowledge of it, who would have received it with all their hearts, shall be heirs of that kingdom;   
9 For I, the Lord, will judge all men according to their works, according to the desire of their hearts.   
10 And I also beheld that all children who die before they arrive at the years of accountability are saved in the celestial kingdom of heaven.   
   
Mother & Father was not dead during the time of the vision.   
   
Salvation is determined by the desires of men.   
Justice & mercy is truly balanced perfectly.   
   
1840   
Baptism for the dead was first revealed in a funeral that Joseph Smith spoke at.   
The saints were excited in the introduction, practicing it without order.   
D&C 124 formalizes Baptism for the dead.   
   
D&C 127:5-7; 128:8   
proper recording with ordinance performance by the one holding the priesthood authority   
D&C 128:6-7   
records are part of book used at judgment day   
D&C 128:15, 17-18   
   
   
M Russell Ballard   
Responsibility given to a child   
Two years later, Joseph F., along with his family and faithful mother, Mary Fielding Smith, left his home in Nauvoo for Winter Quarters. Although not yet eight years old, Joseph F. was required to drive one of the oxteams from Montrose, Iowa, to Winter Quarters and then later on to the Salt Lake Valley, arriving when he was almost 10. I hope you boys and young men are listening and will realize the responsibility and expectation placed on Joseph F. during his boyhood.   
   
He endured a lot of death in his life; losing his father, mother, & daughter.   
That year was particularly painful for him. He grieved over the death toll in the Great World War that continued to climb to over 20 million people killed. Additionally, a flu pandemic was spreading around the world, taking the lives of as many as 100 million people.   
   
& many other family members   
   
And so it was on October 3, 1918, having experienced intense sorrow over the millions who had died in the world through war and disease as well as the deaths of his own family members, President Smith received the heavenly revelation known as “the vision of the redemption of the dead.”   
   
Read section 138 of Doctrine and Covenants with this introduction.

Your Treasure is Where Your Heart is.

Today I started noting how to focus on Heavenly things, for your treasure is where your heart is. This was inspired by the 'Come, follow me' curriculum. Seek after Heavenly things because they will never perish. The following are my thoughts and notes:

Don't seek the pursuits of pride.

- glory of men

I almost considered writing about the many pursuits of pride, but the term "glory of men" from Jesus Christ sums it up simply. If one find seeking the "glory of men" in their desires, the individual should evaluate their ambitions.

Don't talk or make visual presentations about your works.

- Alms and miracles 

Don't talk about your spiritual work. Let it talk for itself. Don't talk about the miracles in your life casually or regularly. Keep all of these things sacred. Treasure them secretly in prayer, and God will openly reward the faithful saints.

27 February 2019

My goal today at work was to reissue an updated QC sequence manual. I was only able to update three sections, but two were very old requiring a lot of work. 

Portland weather has been interesting, snowing for the past three days, but the snow never sticks. The clouds usually burn away by the afternoon, and the snow melts. I have gotten comfortable cycling in snow. My heart was pumping extra fast on the first day of the snow season. My body released or produced adrenaline. (I don't know the process.) But this morning I was whistling like nothing was wrong. I had to be careful more than usual of course, but I was not afraid. I did see frozen puddles of water, and I did slip, yet I was in control. Cycling in powder snow is safe. I thought of Ghostbusters line. "I ain't afraid of no [snow.]" I also think cycling when it is thirty degrees outside is safe, if the snow did not stick from the previous day. It has been like this for the past three days. Cycling in powder snow is not an extreme sport.

Today I started noting how to focus on Heavenly things, for your treasure is where your heart is. Seek after Heavenly things because they will never perish. The following are my thoughts and notes:

Don't seek the pursuits of pride.

- glory of men

I almost considered writing about the many pursuits of pride, but the term "glory of men" from Jesus Christ sums it up simply. If one find seeking the "glory of men" in their desires, the individual should evaluate their ambitions.

Don't talk or make visual presentations about your works.

- Alms and miracles 

Don't talk about your spiritual work. Let it talk for itself. Don't talk about the miracles in your life casually or regularly. Keep all of these things sacred. Treasure them secretly in prayer, and God will openly reward the faithful saints.

In the evening Facebook give me 15 dollars to advertise my blog, so I started that free ad campaign. Why not? I also bought 21 Habitica gems with free money from Mobile Performance Meter. Contact me, if you want to join me on Habitica or Mobile Performance Meter.