Our beautiful and delightful covenant path

I was invited to share some thoughts in our stake conference today, but I was sick and did not get to speak. I sent these thoughts that were used in the review meeting that followed the conference, and I thought that I could share them on my blog. I also shared them with some missionaries who may not specifically be discussing patriarchal blessings with people who are learning about the Gospel, but this might help them in their own covenant path, or helping someone who is a new or returning member as that is a bigger part of missionary service in this time that it was when I was on mission in 1973-4.

While preparing these thoughts, I have reflected on the wonderful rain that we've had and the wonderful flowers that that we were able to enjoy in the last weeks. The Lord delights to bless us. 

I reflected on Adam and Eve who were blessed to be in the Garden of Eden, and then they were given an instruction, while in the Garden of Eden to be fruitful, multiply, replenish the earth, subdue it, and to have dominion over it, and then they were sent out into the world to till the earth and to be productive. 

Then Abraham was given a covenant and that covenant included property, posterity, and priesthood. That covenant was repeated to Isaac and Jacob. Jacob blessed his children, each individually. Ephraim and Manasseh were also blessed. These are examples of patriarchal blessings. 

I am sure that before we left our heavenly home, our Father in Heaven, and our Mother in Heaven gave us a farewell greeting and blessing - and I am sure they did, and that they had wonderful wishes for us. Then there was a veil of forgetfulness - but let us not be forgetful. 

We need to seek the Lord's word to us individually and to better see His blessings and His Word to us in the scriptures, His word to all of His children collectively. In order to receive a patriarchal blessing, one needs to be worthy to enter the temple, and the spirit has taught me that it is important 10 or 20 years later to really get the Lord's word to us through our patriarchal blessing, we still need to be worthy to enter the temple. And if we're worthy to enter the temple, we will get more out of studying the scriptures as well. 

We each need to make our covenant. We each need to be first generation covenant makers. Not just the seed of Abraham but personally make and keep covenants. We need to be a strength and a support to others on the covenant path. 

We need to be temple worthy. We need to be temple active. 

About 55 to 60 years ago, my first personal experience with General Conference was sitting in the mission home in Johannesburg, listening on shortwave radio, Voice of America, and hearing General Conference. Video didn't work for the stake conference today, but about 20 minutes into it, during President Herbert's talk, we started to hear the audio, and it was a blessing to be able to hear the conference. The video is lekker but the audio really was what made the difference and we were able to hear. I was impressed that what the speakers said reflects very much the thoughts that I had in my preparation to share this testimony with you. 

I hope and pray that we will all seek to make and keep covenants, and be ready to be actively in the temple when it is here, and to be actively involved in temple and family history work in preparation for when it is here. 

I share this testimony with you in the name of Jesus Christ, amen. 

May the Lord bless you on your covenant path, and helping others in whatever part they are on their covenant paths.

Love and blessings from Les and Sally Powrie

The sad demise of a watermelon that looked so good

Last week we bought three watermelons - I always tap them to make sure that they sound normal and these all looked fine. When we got home, one was feeling a bit wet, but I presumed that was just condensation from the cool day. I tapped each, as usual, and selected one to cut up for us to eat.

This morning, four days later, I noticed a patch of water on the counter below a watermelon. I rolled it and noticed that it was not as firm in parts as it ought to be. Upon further examination, I found that it was squirting juice - no putrid smell or anything, but it was soft like an underinflated football. There was a lot of liquid beneath is, and then I saw a patch on the chest freezer close by, and what looked like sticky spray.

So, I started to clean up and prepare to see if I could salvage any of the watermelon to eat. Sally warned me to not try it in the kitchen, but at the compost heap - that turned out to be very sound advice...

On the whole, the watermelon was looking quite normal. But there was this unmistakable evidence of something not being right.

I inspected the watermelon and found some patches where liquid may have escaped.

Then I saw air and liquid were bubbling out from was one small spot. 

I found that I could push in parts of the skin and it was like an underinflated soccer ball.

I cut into the fruit using a bread knife and out poured an abundance of liquid. 

It continued for a long time as can be seen from the large puddle on the ground.

The rind is brown and soft, and all of the flesh is like a smoothie. It was not smelling particularly offensive or anything - I thought of tasting it, but did not give in to the thought... 

I was glad to be working at the compost heap and not on the kitchen counter!

We found that the liquid had gone around the lid of the freezer and was getting inside. There was quite a lot of it! The watermelon had been standing where the rag is on the counter on the left.

I took this as an opportune time to defrost the freezer that I noticed a few weeks ago was approaching time for attention.

The moral of the story - beauty can be skin deep! Don't judge someone from outward appearances. Its what is inside that really matters.