DIVINELY APPOINTED RESPONSABILITIES - Notes on a talk by Grant Bennett - January 2018

D&C 110 mentions "Divinely appointed responsibilities" and "prophetic priorities".

1. Make Atonement of Christ operative in our lives.
2. Gather Israel.
3. Temple ordinance works for our ancestors.
4. Care for the poor and the needy.

Prophetic Priorities: topics, principles and programs given by revelation by those in authority to assist us in fulfilling divinely appointed responsibilities .

President Monson has said in the church leadership meetings:"May God give us the courage and inspiration to reduce and simplify the programs of the Church".

PRIESTHOOD

During His last hours on earth, Christ gave the disciples a new commandment: to love one another.
We often define it as the greatest commandment. Probably because it is the hardest to observe.
Yet, loving as Christ did is a fundamental principle in the Gospel. I think it is the key that unlocks all the mysteries of God.  Still, it is rather complicated to put into practice.

In my mind, we are given one specific tool that allows us to become more proficient in the acts and language of love: the priesthood. Priesthood holders will tell you all about the oath and covenant of the priesthood, all the rules, specific responsibilities, blessings etc.

For me, the priesthood is the key to the great commandment of love. Without it, it is complicated to love everyone as Christ did. With it, we do so much better and in the words of President Eyring, "we can go long distances, stay long hours, and endure hardships as representatives of the Lord Jesus Christ in caring for those in need."

As the "natural" men and women that we are, we are tempted to focus our attention on ourselves and to become prideful in our doings and in our relationships. We have the tendency to become puffed up like a balloon that floats around in the wind with no sense of direction.  The priesthood has the power to keep us grounded and focused, allowing us to develop and progress at a faster rate and in a more complete way than if we selfishly concentrate uniquely on ourselves.

So, I would say that we have two options: concentrate on loving and serving - to magnify the priesthood - or magnify the priesthood to learn how to love and serve. I think the results will be very similar and highly uplifting, namely pure joy while feeling the love of Heavenly Father for us and those we serve.

"The man that you will become will not be greater than the love you give."
(Ermal Meta -"Vietato Morire")

Per i miei cuccioli

Miei cari cari figli,

Questa sera ho pregato con tutta l'intensità del mio cuore: ho chiesto a Dio di spegnere la mia vita, in modo da poter permettere a vostro padre di sanare la situazione economica con il premio della mia assicurazione sulla vita. Non sarà tanto, ma gli permetterà di tornare a galla.

Se la mia preghiera sarà esaudita, quella sarà una prova per voi che Dio c'è e ascolta e che vi amo profondamente.

Sarò sempre con voi. È un privilegio essere la vostra mamma. Mi avete regalato dei momenti di pura gioia. 

So che avrete tanto successo in questa vita. Sostenetevi a vicenda. Vogliatevi bene. Aiutatevi sempre. Proteggete l'un l'altro. Ricordate tutto ciò che vi ho insegnato. Ce la farete. Ne sono convinta. So che all'inizio sarà dura, ma non pensate a me. Andate avanti per me e portatemi nei vostri cuori.

Con immenso amore e ammirazione!

La vostra mamma

My Instinctive Reaction to the First Seminar on Gender, Sexuality and Mormonism

 Dear Taylor,

Many thanks for allowing me to attend your seminar at Harvard Divinity School.

I will never be able to convey how beneficial this is for me on many different levels. Hence, I am deeply grateful.

My initial and immediate reactions to tonight's discussion were two:

1. The Church is a powerful marketing machine. With its varieties of doctrines, structural organization, social set up, individual involvement, policies and more, it gives something to think and do to many many people, which translate into a successful enterprise all together- all with Christ at the center of it. 

I think it is pretty darn amazing.

2. If I had known 24 years ago when I first started investigating the church, what you so well presented tonight in two hours, I doubt I would have joined the church at age 19.

But today I am 44, I am a mother of three wonderful children and the wife of a good man and successful husband and a couple of thoughts came to mind about the polygamy issue.

Is Adam not portrayed as a polygamist because he is at least one step ahead compared to the other prophets who were polygamists: he took part to the creation of the earth with jeovah. He must have gained that status somehow- maybe by practicing the higher law of polygamy? Hence Eve may be the wife in this creation we call hearth. But there could be different creations elsewhere with other wives of Adam...

2.in regards to Joseph Smith trying to understand from God what this polygamy thing is truly about. 

Could it be that all the other prophets mentioned had not yet achieved their state of exaltation of being with Christ to create worlds and that the only way to achieve that communion with Christ would be through celestial polygamist marriage by proper authority? Once the communion is achieved, then he can go on to be like Adam and participate in the creation of an earth?

Then I also thought that I am 44 yrs old and after 22 years of marriage, I am tired of being everything and anything for my husband , my children and even extended family.

If my primary responsibility is to nurture and raise my children, today at age 44 perhaps  there is some wisdom in the possibility of relinquishing some of my duties and obligations of being a mother and a wife to some young and more energetic bride from time to time. It would take a very mature, older and special type of woman to accept this scenario. And it would be one way to avoid the physical and emotional destruction I have felt for years and probably will continue to feel.

But the man would by necessity need to be a man of God , someone's who is financially, emotionally and spiritually stable to be able to satisfy all those needs in her life.

But then, all this makes me thing what if we got it all wrong.? What if this has nothing to do with the big players involved  - the adults- but only the children? What better environment for a mother to raise her children in the spiritually, physically and financial stable environment provided by her mature and stable husband?

Could all this go back to the initial plan of happiness? All those spirits, thousands, millions of them waiting to come to hearth to obtain and experience a body. A man can literally generate in about 30 seconds. A woman has to roughly wait nine months before giving birth. It will take for ever to multiply and replenish the earth nine months at the time...but if we had more wombs in the same family it might take less...

So, questions: what was the real problem? Emma Smith not being ready , because still young, to relinquish some of her duties and responsibilities to another or other younger women? Or was Joseph not financially, emotionally and physically stable enough to provide for her the support needed for this "next level"adventure"?

Memory and memories

I saw my grandmother yesterday. She has lost her short term memory and most of her long term. However, she seems to be happy and more cheerful than ever. She is in a sort of state of bliss: all is well, no grudges and no recollection of the bad in her life. There is no pain. I wonder if there is a lesson to be learned here...

Evviva il sei aprile...

quante volte si può far male ad una persona senza voler  rendersene conto? 

Che faccia Del cavolo Che ha Mio marito . Un uomo che non sa essere uomo e che si nasconde dietro un falso manto di saggezza. In realtà un ipocrita. l'ho sempre detto e non si smentisce mai...

Magari quando capirà, sarà troppo tardi...

Si sta come di Inverno sugli alberi le foglie

Fragilità, vulnerabilità, insicurezze...

Mi sforzo di dare importanza alle cose più mondane, ogni giorno, ma con una difficoltà interiore che spesso mi toglie il fiato. Sembra che tutto sia insignificante agli occhi di colui che ci guarda e nel suo piano eterno. Ma il mio spirito non riesce ancora ad aggrappare bene il messaggio delle necessità eterne. È così vivo con un senso di distacco ma verso un infinito ancora incomprensibile e lontano...