First, I finished the book Jesus the Christ this week. I have read it in the past a couple times, but that was a while back. Rebecca and I heard that this year is the 100th anniversary from when this book was first published, so we decided that we would read it this fall while we are apart. It is such a great book and I feel like my understanding of the Savior, His life, the miracles He performed, and the Atonement and Resurrection have all been deepened from reading this book again. With that deeper understanding, I believe my testimony of the Savior, His love for me and for everyone else in the world, and the restoration of His gospel and church has been strengthened. If Rebecca and I do end up going to Jerusalem this summer, this book also gives a good background to the locations where the Savior walked while he lived in mortality on this earth.
I also got to go to the temple on Friday morning. I wish we had a temple here in Poctello, but I am grateful that I only have to drive a little over an hour to get to one. Right now the temple in Idaho Falls is closed for renovations, so the temple that I go to is the Rexburg, ID temple. It is a really pretty one. It is placed up on top of a hill and has large farming fields around it so it really stands out. I left at about 4:30 in the morning and so by the time I got there it was still dark and the lights of the temple made it stand out from miles away. It is a big temple, but every time I have gone I have had to wait at least one session because the session I planned on attending is always already full. At least they have sessions every 45 minutes, so the wait is not too long. If you want to learn more about the temples, what is done in them, and what they look like inside, you can find that here.
I have really enjoyed conference this weekend. On Saturday I went to the stake center building early in the morning and stayed all day to watch the three sessions. Besides the high counselor who was assigned to open the building, I was actually the only one there watching for the 10am and 2pm sessions. Although I felt a little out of place, it was peaceful and I was able to focus more on the talks than I think I would have if I was in my office.
There were a number of teachings that stood out to me. I really liked how President Monson emphasized that it is okay to be different and stand out as we strive to live by the gospel standards. It may be difficult at times, but as we do so we will be a light to others. I also liked what Elder Stevenson said about focusing not on what you can't do, but on what you can do. Also the comments that were shared about attending the temple, turning the the Lord in prayer and asking for help in improving, doing our best contribute to the world, the continuation of marriage and family relationships after death, and the suggestion to smile more often all stood out to me.
I also got a lot of good ideas about parenting. For example, how to share advice and teach our children, how to be more patient as a father, and how to recognize their strengths and help them recognize their strengths. I also really liked Elder Holland's and Elder Nelson's talks on mothers and women. Everything that they said just made me feel so grateful for Rebecca, for her goodness, kindness, spirituality, intelligence, patience, virtue, righteousness, strength, leadership, and for all that she sacrifices for our family. I know that sometimes she feels inadequate at being a mother, but I think she is amazing. I can't imagine anyone (not even the great mothers and women from history that Elder Holland and Elder Nelson mentioned) fulfilling this very difficult and demanding role as mother of our children any better than she does. I will be eternally grateful for her and I know our children will be as well, even though they don't always show it right now. She sets a great example for me every day and I am always striving to live worthy to be her companion.
All of the talks that were shared in conference can be watched or read here.
On Friday, Rebecca got to take Julia and Ethan to a Mariners' game. Unfortunately they lost, but Julia and Ethan still said they had a great time. It has been a long time since I have been to a professional baseball game, but I still have good memories of going to see the Mariners play about once a year when I was growing up.
I have been dealing with an illness all week. I was first sick on Saturday and Sunday when I was visiting Rebecca and the children in Washington, but then when I got back to Pocatello, I seemed to be better. But then on Wednesday I started to feel sick again. It is mainly a stuffed nose, headache and feeling sore/weak. I was wondering if it might just be allergies though, so I started back on my allergy medication and hopefully that will help.
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