Wednesday, July 26, 2006

Hi-za!
When we have trials in our life, they provide an encouragement for us to improve ourselves--to rely on the Lord and to become better people with His help.
(Inspired by a quote from James E. Faust, "Refined in Our Trials," Ensign, Feb. 2006, 4)

"I take you back to the general conference of October 1856. On Saturday of that conference Franklin D. Richards and a handful of associates arrived in the valley. They had traveled from Winter Quarters with strong teams and light wagons and had been able to make good time. Brother Richards immediately sought out President Young. He reported that there were hundreds of men, women, and children scattered over the long trail from Scottsbluff to this valley. Most of them were pulling handcarts. They were accompanied by two wagon trains which had been assigned to assist them. They had reached the area of the last crossing of the North Platte River. Ahead of them lay a trail that was uphill all the way to the Continental Divide with many, many miles beyond that. They were in desperate trouble. Winter had come early. Snow-laden winds were howling across the highlands of what is now western Nebraska and Wyoming. Our people were hungry, their carts and their wagons were breaking down, their oxen dying. The people themselves were dying. All of them would perish unless they were rescued.
"I think President Young did not sleep that night. I think visions of those destitute, freezing, dying people paraded through his mind.
"The next morning he came to the old Tabernacle which stood on this square. He said to the people:
" 'I will now give this people the subject and the text for the Elders who may speak. . . . It is this. . . . Many of our brethren and sisters are on the plains with handcarts, and probably many are now seven hundred miles from this place, and they must be brought here, we must send assistance to them. The text will be, "to get them here."
" 'That is my religion; that is the dictation of the Holy Ghost that I possess. It is to save the people.
" 'I shall call upon the Bishops this day. I shall not wait until tomorrow, nor until the next day, for 60 good mule teams and 12 or 15 wagons. I do not want to send oxen. I want good horses and mules. They are in this Territory, and we must have them. Also 12 tons of flour and 40 good teamsters, besides those that drive the teams.
" 'I will tell you all that your faith, religion, and profession of religion, will never save one soul of you in the Celestial Kingdom of our God, unless you carry out just such principles as I am now teaching you. Go and bring in those people now on the plains' (in LeRoy R. Hafen and Ann W. Hafen, Handcarts to Zion [1960], 120-21). . . .
"Wonderful sermons have been preached from this pulpit, my brethren and sisters. But none has been more eloquent than that spoken by President Young in those circumstances."
~ Gordon B. Hinckley "Reach with a Rescuing Hand," Ensign, Nov. 1996, 85-86


Remember, Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love you.

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Equus: DarkLynx9701 is going to start posting a fanfic on her site, just so you know.

Xihuitl: And LadyLenaJade seems to be feeling better. We hope so.

Kurama-clone: If you haven't already, please visit Miss Refi's site and participate in their slumber party.

Kyo-clone: You're actually telling people about that? Didn't they subject the original you to one?

Kurama-clone: ^^; Well, yes, or at least one of us.

Equus: We could do you, Kyo-clone, but you'd need a wig.

Kyo-clone scrambles out of the room.

Xihuitl: Equus.

Equus: ^^ Heh. Sorry. Kyo-clone!

Haru-clone: Here's something for Emeraulde.



Haru-clone: Here are your pocket hugs and pocket glomps.

Xihuitl: All pocket hugs and glomps are certified cat and cow free. God be with you--remember, He and Jesus Christ always love you! Have a good day. ^_^

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Fact of the day:
A nanometer is one-millionth the size of a millimeter.

(Thanks to Dach from church for this fact of the day. ^_^)

God and Jesus Christ love you! They've given us beauty in this life, too.


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