Fire of the Covenant

Every night I tend to do the same things. If I'm not working, Usually some church thing (FHE or institute) or hanging out with people from church. Tonight I went to my grandparents, then went to dinner with Jason at Red Robin. Then like most other nights I'm sitting here at the computer facebooking and now I have this new hobby of blogging. As my usual, in a while I'll get bored of the computer and go read and watch Letterman before I go to bed. Letterman is mostly for the Top Ten and his monologue ("You now have to choose between being the naked body scan or getting frisked and groped... I say, hey, why not both?").

 

Currently I am reading Fire of the Covenant by Elder Lund. He came to the MTC when I was there and gave an awesome talk. Justin will agree if he ever decides to follow my blog. Anywho, soon after I got home I picked up the first of the Work and the Glory series. I just thought I'd read the first couple pages to get a feel of the book. Before I knew it I was sucked in. Let's be real. If only I could meet a Lydia McBride of my own, life would be perfect (maybe not). So anywho, since I've been home I read all 9 of those and then The Undaunted. I guess I enjoy reading and he's a pretty great author. That combined with my love of Church History and I'm hooked on his books.

 

Anyways, My Grandpa has in a book of old family things a program/pamphlet thing that came from an ancestor. It's from a reunion of the Willie Handcart Company. So, as I've been reading the book that's kind of been in the back of my mind that my family was actually there. 

 

The title of my current read comes from a talk given by President Young. He gave 2 similiar talks that I know of in his life. The first in 1846 when The last of the Saints had been forced across the river after the Battle of Nauvoo. President Young called a meeting for the Priesthood and said: “The poor brethren and sisters, the widows and orphans, sick and destitute, are now lying on the west bank of the Mississippi, waiting for teams and wagons and means to remove them. Now is the time for labor. Let the fire of the covenant, which you made in the house of the Lord burn in your hearts like flame unquenchable.” 

 

The second talk I'm thinking of was in 1856 when the Handcarts were stuck on the plains. "I will tell you all that your faith, religion, and profession of religion, will never save one soul of you in the celestial kingdom of our God, unless you carry out just such principles as I am now teaching you. Go and bring in those people now on the Plains, and attend strictly to those things which we call temporal, or temporal duties, otherwise your faith will be in vain; the preaching you have heard will be in vain to you, and you will sink to hell, unless you attend to the things we tell you." I think the title of the book is referring to the fire that the early converts felt that led them to leave their homes, travel to a new land and push a cart across over a thousand miles. Then also I'm sure the title references those that left their new home in the dead of winter and cold to go rescue those that got stuck on the plains.

 

Reading President Young I think, So in other words, nothing we say in this life or the covenants we make mean anything if we aren't willing to follow up with them. Not to get weird or anything, but I'm really grateful for the early members, who did everything that brought about the Gospel and gave us the relative "luxury" and ease with which we live it today. Cause just thinking about it, that woulda sucked. I hate being cold now, when I have a warm house and bed all the time... plus a hot shower and food. I think I would have gone when the calls came, but just imagine weeks and weeks if being unbearably cold with no real relief or warmth. So, that's what I've been feeling and thinking about tonight (when I started typing I didn't know what I was gonna type about). How blessed we are to live at this time. Especially those of us that know the truth of the Restoration. We got it pretty easy. They didn't.

 

In other news/things of note, I sent a resume in to Congressman Matheson's office today. I'd like to work there when I move to Utah, so hopefully they'll take a look. Everyone say a prayer that they'll recognize me for the awesome and capable individual that I am. I really like Congressman Matheson and it would be great to work in a Congressional Distrist office again. Also, congrats to Brittany for becoming my newest follower. I'm sure the other 2 of you welcome her too. Pretty exclusive club we've got here. I'm off to watch Letterman.