2023 December 21, Thursday, Journal Entry

Our temple was busier than usual yesterday morning because the Provo Temple is closed - I think temporarily for now. We had about 50 male Missionaries added to our 9 a.m. Session and close to that to our 10 a.m. Session. We have plenty of room because our temple has about 98 seats in each of four endowment rooms. Anyway the only impact was in the new name issue area for a few minutes before each of those sessions. Probably TMI. Bottom line is it's nice to be busy in the temple because we are literally helping to gather Israel in on the other side of the Veil. It's interesting to deal with these young Missionaries because they have varying levels of experience and knowledge about temple work. 

Cathy was feeling poorly so we put off having Beth and Karen come over for dinner for a few days. Cathy put together some nice packages of her home baked cookies and I delivered them to some of our neighborhood friends.

Today I get to play pickleball with some of my pals at the church. Other than that, not much planned.

Come Follow Me 

Luke 2:10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

"We were created to have joy. It is our intended destiny as children of a loving Heavenly Father. He wants to share His joy with us. The prophet Lehi taught that God’s plan for each of us is that we “might have joy.”…Redemption, by and through the Savior Jesus Christ, makes joy possible.

The gospel message is a message of hope, of “good tidings of great joy,” and the means whereby all can experience peace and occasions of joy in this life and receive a fulness of joy in the life to come. 

The joy we speak of is a gift for the faithful, yet it comes with a price. Joy is not cheap or casually given. Rather, it is bought “with the precious blood of [Jesus] Christ.” If we really understood the value of true, godly joy, we would not hesitate to sacrifice any worldly possession or make any necessary life changes to receive it."

Elder Craig C. Christensen of The Seventy, April 2023