Svithing the Prophet:
In Memoriam G.B.H.

.

Shortly after President Kimball died, my grandmother asked me who I thought would be the next prophet. I was young and didn't know there was an order to these things and so when she told me she thought it would be some guy named Benson I had no idea she was cheating.

My guess was President Hinckley.

How could it not be? To me, President Hinckley was the public face of the Church. His was the only name--besides the prophet's--that I knew and the guy I looked forward to hearing from.

*

I served my mission in Korea--started just a few months after President Hinckley was made president of the Church--and I was there when he spoke to the Saints in Pusan. The Korean Saints feel like President Hinckley is their guy--perhaps all the Saints in all of Asia feel that way; for years and years as an apostle, he traveled the world bringing the Word. And not just some abstract intellectual concept called the Word, but the Word as in Love.

I mean those capitalizations. President Hinckley was an emissary of Christ.

*

President Hinckley has been the physical symbol of what-being-Mormon means, for me, for all my life. I will miss him tremendously. But never have I seen a man more deserving of rest and reward.

In a religion class I took at BYU--"The Church in Asia"--the teacher quoted John Taylor, viz. "Joseph Smith, the Prophet and Seer of the Lord, has done more, save Jesus only, for the salvation of men in this world, than any other man that ever lived in it." Then he said that no man save Joseph Smith only (and, presumably, Jesus again) had done more than Spencer W. Kimball in this dispensation for the salvation of men in this world. But he added the caveat that perhaps Gordon B. Hinckley would win that honor away from him.

I think it's silly and presumptuous and misguided and absurd to rank people's lives in such a manner, but I will say my bias is that President Hinckley probably has done more for the human family, in terms of Salvation, than any one else in the last hundred years.

Certainly he has done all he could to save me.

I love you, sir. God give you rest. Embrace your wife. Be happy.

We know you will continue to serve.

this svithe on thmusings
last week's svithe

Svithing deliverance

.

1

During sacrament meting, one speaker referenced an essay titled "Why the Church Is as True as the Gospel" which, alas, I can no longer attribute authorship to. But the guy was a grad student at Stanford and later moved to Minnesota. Hope that helps.

Anyway, the gist of it was that anything that gets us to socialize with people and serve people and love people we normally wouldn't associate with must be good for us. Learning to accept a leader who may be petty or mean or unrighteous is good for us, as is learning, when it is our turn to lead, that we too can be petty or mean or unrighteous is good for us. All these interactions with people and activities outside our personal norms make as grow as people.


2

During our ever-excellent Sunday School this week, we talked about what Nephi means by deliverance and how his perception of God slowly evolved from the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to Christ. It was interesting. I loved Primary, but it's nice to be with the grownups and to think big eternal thoughts. Or try to, anyway.


3

The Big O just asked me what svithing is, and I told him it's my way of saying Thank you Heavenly Father for letting my have high-speed internet. Which is pretty the most accurate reason I could give.

He also told me he likes our house. Especially the black spots in the bathroom.

And now you know what Jesus meant when he said to be as a little child: for no man hath charity enough to love mildew. It takes a child to pull that off.



this svithe on thmusings
last week's svithe

Svithing t'ward eternity

.

Step 1: Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Step 2: Repentance.

Step 3: Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins.

Step 4: Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Step 5: Keep on keepin' on.

source

this svithe on thmusings
last week's svithe

Sitting, Pondering, Praying
(a svithe)

.

Staying focused on the sacrament during the sacrament is often a challenge. Especially now with two kids. I thought today I would share something I used to do and wish was easier to still do.

I would open my scriptures to either D&C 20 or Moroni 5 and 6, then follow along with the prayers as they were read. Then, as the sacrament was passed, I would repray the sacrament prayers, more personally. Here are both versions of both prayers:

O God, the Eternal Father, we ask thee in the name of thy Son, Jesus Christ, to bless and sanctify this bread to the souls of all those who partake of it, that they may eat in remembrance of the body of thy Son, and witness unto thee, O God, the Eternal Father, that they are willing to take upon them the name of thy Son, and always remember him and keep his commandments which he has given them; that they may always have his Spirit to be with them. Amen.

O God, the Eternal Father, I ask thee in the name of thy Son, Jesus Christ, to bless and sanctify this bread to my soul as I partake of it, that I may eat in remembrance of the body of thy Son, and witness unto thee, O God, the Eternal Father, that I am willing to take upon myself the name of thy Son, and always remember him and keep his commandments which he has given me; that I may always have his Spirit to be with me. Amen.

O God, the Eternal Father, we ask thee in the name of thy Son, Jesus Christ, to bless and sanctify this water to the souls of all those who drink of it, that they may do it in remembrance of the blood of thy Son, which was shed for them; that they may witness unto thee, O God, the Eternal Father, that they do always remember him, that they may have his Spirit to be with them. Amen.

O God, the Eternal Father, I ask thee in the name of thy Son, Jesus Christ, to bless and sanctify this water to my soul as I drink of it, that I may do it in remembrance of the blood of thy Son, which was shed for me; that I may witness unto thee, O God, the Eternal Father, that I do always remember him, that I may have his Spirit to be with me. Amen.

I found that reading through the prayers in this manner over and over as the sacrament was passed kept me focused on the sacrifice represented. Better than any other technique I've tried. Baby wrassling, inclusive.

this svithe on thmusings
last week's svithe