This last week. .. nothing too memorable. Monday and Tuesday I remember being busy, so Wednesday I tried to focus on George. I did some visiting teaching this week but that's all I remember from early in the week. Then, this week I was cleaning the kitchen and my normal weekly stuff and wanting to get out Christmas stuff and organize stuff too. We had the missionaries over for dinner, then Friday we had our institute class and we cooked for an interfaith homeless shelter dinner thing. (Food was due on Sunday, but jon signed up to make chili and I guess it's best if you cook it, let it sit in the fridge for a day and then reheat it? ). Saturday morning we had a recital down in Bedford where jon works and I sang alto for a piece one of his students did. (It was a solo with like choir back up). Then today the ward choir sang and we had some friends over for dinner and then stake choir. It had been nice all week until Friday night and now has been at 32 and below (plus whatever the humidity makes it). Real feel right now is 24 degrees.
I've been reading general conference and felt the need to speak out. (I'm on Sunday morning). I wrote a blog on the Syrian Refugees. I had started a draft for a homosexuality post, but that's so touchy I haven't posted that yet. Anyways, today in church someone mentioned how they have laminated leaves. Every day of November, each member of the family writes something they're grateful for and attaches it to their "thankful tree". Then on thanksgiving they read all of them. I know people do the grateful challenge and post it to Facebook, but I think having the visual of a full tree would be cool too.
I've also been thinking about something my friend said. She said her testimony is simple. She believes the prophets are prophets and so she accepts what they do. Thinking about that I've realized I can now express something I've felt. If we truly believe in this Church we believe that the Lord is speaking through prophets again. If we understand what a prophet is then we believe "whether by mine own [the Lord's] voice, or the voice of my servants, the prophets, it is the same" (paraphrase from d&c 1:38 or 39). So whatever they say, if we believe in this Church, we accept on faith. This does not mean we can't have questions, but our questions, if first grounded in the faith that God runs this Church (and if we don't believe He runs this Church-why are we members), are : please help me understand this. I don't understand this. Our questions should not be, 'how dare they?' 'This makes no sense.' 'Obviously they don't understand what they're doing'. These ways of questioning say, 'God- perfect God who knows everything and better than me, you are wrong and made a mistake in choosing this man as your mouthpiece because he is not doing the right thing.' Since prophets are not perfect (to say a prophet is perfect would be blasphemous and discredit Jesus Christ being the only perfect person, capable of atoning for our sins) we believe that IF they do something wrong, they will be held accountable for it, but the Lord will not allow His church to be led astray. So we follow in faith, seeking understanding, questioning in a manner that shows that we still respect the decision and have faith that God is leading His church. If we choose to disobey a prophet (even if we were "right" in doing so) we would still be disobedient and in the wrong because we had not faith in the Lord. We had no faith that God would lead His church. We show that we don't care for a prophet, we disregard him and in a sense stone him. If we reject God's chosen prophets,we reject God. So we follow in faith when we don't understand. We pray for understanding. We don't have to be silent, but we still have to respect the Lord's prophet. I hope this has made some sense. This is a trying time for many members and is showing who actually understands what a prophet is and who has faith in both the Lord and His prophets. I know this Church is true. I know Thomas s Monson is His prophet. I know he is inspired. I have faith in what he decides is best for the Church. I follow in faith. Not blindly. Not silently. But I follow and seek understanding when I lack it.