Talk for Lorny's Wedding

How fantastic to be here with Lorna and Adam as they publicly make promises of marriage. I haven’t been married all that long, in fact it was just a couple of days ago that I celebrated my 4^th Wedding Anniversary. That means that I can actually still say that I have lived in the same house with Lorna, longer than I have with my husband. Lorna is a great friend and great fun to live with, in fact, Adam, I’m a little jealous that you get to spend so much time with my wonderful friend Lorna.

Friendships are what makes life so wonderful. Food, clothing and shelter are said to be the necessities of life, they are what keep us living, but it is our relationships with other people that make life rich, and worth living for. The most important of these relationships is with your spouse. Family in both directions, those yet to come and the families you are now linking together, are important and will always be there, but you and your spouse will be a family unit together forever.

In an article I read online from an old copy of the Ensign[1] a lady spoke about a newlywed couple that she thought seemed to spend too much time playing tennis and going on holidays. She said that being a bit older and wiser she knew that ‘...life was too serious for the amount of time they were spending just enjoying each other’. The husband explained his philosophy to the lady and I agree with him whole heartedly, he said, “Our marriage is an eternal relationship. If it is strong and happy, then I can live with whatever challenges life brings. If it isn’t, then no wonderful job or anything else can make up for that loss. Our marriage is going to get the highest priority of my time, money, and energy.”

What a great philosophy to have. Today is a happy special day for both of you, time, money and energy has been spent making this a day to remember, but this shouldn’t be your only day to remember. Let this day be the start of many more together.

Our marriages are sacred relationships. In her article Barbara Workman goes on to say:

A key to unlocking healthy fun in marriage is faith—faith in God, in each other, and in the future—faith enough to relax and enjoy the day we are now living.

Before I was married and even on my wedding day, and probably a while after that too, I wondered why almost every talk at a wedding included something about trials, and how you will have them. Isn’t a wedding supposed to be a happy time, a time for celebration? What I have come to realise is that anyone, married or not will have trials, but from today onwards you may face new types of trials, but most importantly you won’t be facing them alone.

Bruce C Hafen[2] writes in his book ‘Covenant Hearts’:

We may start off being married for comfort. But then problems come along. If we try seriously to solve them, we may not always be comfortable, but we will grow. Then we will end up being married not simply for comfort but for joy.

Joy is a higher, wiser form of existence than merely being comfortable. Elder Neal A Maxwell said, “Pleasure takes the form of ‘me’ and ‘now,’ while real joy is ‘us’ and ‘always.’” Yet that kind of joy is not separate from trouble and pain, but is usually mixed with them, as if somehow it is not possible without them.

In my own marriage I can see that this is true. We have had a lot of easy comfort time, which has been happy time, but the real joy has come amidst the challenges that we have faced together especially those brought with children.

I am so happy to be with you here today, and see your smiling faces. I am excited to see your future together and what it may bring.....

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[1] Love, Laughter and Spirituality in Marriage, Ensign July 1992, Barbara Workman

[2] Covenant Hearts, Bruce C Hafen

Our Heavenly Father

(Since 1998 in RS we have been using the Teachings of the Prophet manuals, that's the year I joined RS. On the Church website it says that after the two years studying from the Revised Gospel Principles manual we will go back to the Teachings of Latter-Day Prophets. I am really excited about these two years of study. The lesson material is a lot shorter, and so even more than before I would love for us to discuss together and learn from each other's experiences and ideas. It has been described that a Gospel Principle is a truth that is intended to produce action, that will lead to salvation...)

What are some things that testify to you that there is a God? How do you know that God is really there?
[Why does it do that for you?]

Elder Robert D. Hales, Oct 2009 "Some may ask, how can I know this for myself? We know He lives because we believe the testimonies of His ancient and living prophets, and we have felt God’s Spirit confirm that the testimonies of these prophets are true."

Alma, a Book of Mormon prophet, wrote, “All things denote there is a God; yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it, yea, and its motion, yea, and also all the planets which move in their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme Creator” (Alma 30:44).

Joseph Smith: God is the Supreme and Absolute Being in whom we believe and whom we worship. He is “the Great Parent of the universe,” and He “looks upon the whole of the human family with a fatherly care and paternal regard” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith [2007], 39).
Does knowing God is our “Great Parent” help you in your life or strengthen your testimony of the Church? Why?

There are so many titles for God in the scriptures. Which ones resonate with you and why?

Eliza R Snow wrote a poem about Heavenly Father made into Hymn 292, O My Father.

What are some of God's attributes? Any favourite scriptures to illustrate what they are?

D&C 88:41-44

41 He comprehendeth all things, and all things are before him, and all things are round about him; and he is above all things, and in all things, and is through all things, and is round about all things; and all things are by him, and of him, even God, forever and ever.
42 And again, verily I say unto you, he hath given a alaw unto all things, by which they move in their btimes and their seasons;
43 And their courses are fixed, even the courses of the heavens and the earth, which comprehend the earth and all the planets.
44 And they give alight to each other in their times and in their seasons, in their minutes, in their hours, in their days, in their weeks, in their months, in their years—all these are bone year with God, but not with man.

1 John 4:8

He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

How have you experienced these attributes of God in your life?

Have you seen godly attributes in others? How do these people help you better understand the attributes of God?

Why is it important for us to understand the nature of God?

How can we come to know God?

Elder Robert D. Hales, Oct 2009: I testify that the way to know the truth about God is through the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost, the third member of the Godhead, is a personage of spirit. His work is to “testify of [God]” and to “teach [us] all things.”

Knowing God is so important that the Savior said, “This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent” (John 17:3).

In what way do we need to know God? What do we need to know? and what would it be nice to know?
(Know how to use a computer, even how to program a computer, but I couldn't make one myself)

The first and greatest commandment is “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart” (Matthew 22:37).
What do we need to know about someone in order to love them with all our heart?

What have you learned about God through your own experiences? Have you had any misconceptions cleared up?

Elder Orson F. Whitney, "Our Heavenly Father is far more merciful, infinitely more charitable, than even the best of his servants, and the Everlasting Gospel is mightier in power to save than our narrow finite minds can comprehend."

In the manual there are four specific things we can do to know God. Each has a scripture:

• Believe that He exists and that He loves us (see Mosiah 4:9)

Believe in God; believe that he is, and that he created all things, both in heaven and in earth; believe that he has all wisdom, and all power, both in heaven and in earth; believe that man doth not comprehend all the things which the Lord can comprehend.

• Study the scriptures (see 2 Timothy 3:14–17)

14 But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured o, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;
15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

• Pray to Him (see James 1:5)

5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

• Obey all His commandments as best we can (see John 14:21)

21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him

Ponder what you can do to draw nearer to God.