101925, Sunday

Daily Vitals:

Weight: 229.4, GMI: 6.7, Steps (previous day): 9,704, Blood Pressure: 101/64, Pulse: 74,  Reported Sleep: 7:10 (91)

Journal Entry

I met today with Bishop Schoonover at Tithing Declaration for the year. Before meeting with him, I met with Cathy, our CFO, and verified that we have, as in past years, paid an honest tithe so far this year, plus an extra $200 per month for other church managed donations. We are blessed in so many ways because of these donations. I'm grateful that we have the opportunity to contribute in this way.

Cathy still hasn't got her new phone activated. Xfinity is apparently incapable of finishing the job. We've talked to numerous people including people at the xfinity store. We got the phone... Everyone agrees...but their "system" cannot be convinced and won't allow the phone to be activated. Seems like someone should be able to pull a switch or push a button but no one can figure out how to do it. Meanwhile Cathy has two phones. Her old phone for making and receiving phone calls and her new phone for photos and whatever else phones do other than make phone calls. Truly amazing!

Come Follow Me 

D&C 120:1 Verily, thus saith the Lord, the time is now come, that it shall be disposed of by a council, composed of the First Presidency of my Church, and of the bishop and his council, and by my high council; and by mine own voice unto them, saith the Lord. Even so. Amen.

"The “bishop and his council” and “my high council” referred to in this revelation are known today as the Presiding Bishopric and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, respectively. These sacred funds are used in a rapidly growing church to spiritually bless individuals and families by constructing and maintaining temples and houses of worship, supporting missionary work, translating and publishing scriptures, fostering family history research, funding schools and religious education, and accomplishing many other Church purposes as directed by the Lord’s ordained servants...In the...Church, two basic and fixed principles are observed. First, the Church lives within its means and does not spend more than it receives. Second, a portion...is set aside as a reserve for contingencies and unanticipated needs...The leaders...feel a tremendous responsibility to care appropriately for the consecrated offerings of Church members. We are keenly aware of the sacred nature of the widow’s mite."

Elder David A. Bednar, Apostle

While Doctrine and Covenants 119 represents “the beginning of the tithing of my people” (D&C 119:3), it does not serve as the end of the law of consecration. Consecration is a holistic law that involves more than just temporal things; it encompasses all of an individual’s time, talents, and gifts to build up the kingdom of God. Latter-day Saints may not be asked to sacrifice all these things for the kingdom, but those who accept the sacred covenants of the temple signify their willingness to sacrifice these things if needed.