Several weeks ago the Sunday School Teacher in my ward asked
us to think about a spiritual experience we had had. I didn't get an opportunity to share one because so many people
raised their hands. But I immediately
thought back to my college days and the first temple sealing I was ever invited
to attend. It was the wedding of my
roommate Chuck and his bride Cindy in the Salt Lake Temple. We were all seated in the sealing room when
the sealer walked in. I do not remember
his name or what he looked like; but, I do remember most of everything he
said: "Brothers and sisters, there
are angels present in this room today."
At that very moment, the spirit bore witness to my soul that what he had
said was true. I looked around but I
didn't see any. But I knew they were
there. The sealer continued by quoting
from memory the first ten verses of Job chapter 1.
1. There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was
Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.
2. And there were born unto him seven sons and
three daughters.
3. His substance also was seven thousand sheep,
and three thousand camels, and five
hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she asses, and a very great household;
so that this man was the greatest of all the men of the east.
4. And his sons went and feasted in their
houses, every one his day; and sent and
called for their three sisters to eat and to drink with them.
5. And it
was so, when the days of their
feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early
in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of
them all: for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job
continually.
6. Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the
LORD, and Satan came also among
them.
7. And the
LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest
thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the
earth, and from walking up and down in it.
8. And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job,
that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one
that feareth God, and escheweth
evil?
10. Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and
about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed
the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.
He explained
that in these verses Satan was complaining to the Lord that he a was not able
to temple Job because the Lord had made a hedge about he and his family and
Satan could not get through.
The sealer then
quoted from memory 1 Peter 4:8.
However, hew quoted from the Joseph Smith Translation which says: "And above all things have
fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall prevent the multitude of
sins."
He then asked Chuck if he knew
the connection between the two scriptures.
Chuck was too nervous to speak so the sealer gave the answer. The charity mentioned in 1 Peter was the
hedge mentioned in Job 1:10. The reason
Satan could not influence Job or his family was the charity or love that
existed there. He then encouraged Chuck
and Cindy to build such a hedge around their family. As he spoke these words the Spirit again bore testimony to my
soul that they were true and I have never forgot them. May you all remember them also.
I had another experience this
week that I consider spiritual that I would like to share with you all. On Wednesday, I had a PET Scan scheduled at
the City of Hope Hospital. My
daughter-in-law, Melissa, who is about 25 weeks pregnant, took me, as she
charitably has to all of my appointments there. We arrived at 6 a.m. I
went in to get set up. One of the first
things the technician did was take my blood sugar. It was way high, over 300.
(Too many chocolate milk shakes, I guess.) They told me they could not do the test unless it was under
200. We were sent home and I was scheduled to come back at
8:15 a.m. on Saturday. Friday night I
stayed overnight in the hospital to have some more chemo. Arrangements were made for my son David to
pick me up Saturday morning. At the end
of my PET Scan (blood sugar was 163) the technician told me I would be
radioactive for 5 hours and not to be around any pregnant women. No one said anything about that on
Wednesday. I believe the Lord was
watching out for Melissa and her yet to be born little girl.
I will now relate what I
consider to be an spiritual experience that involves Henry Jolley, years after
he died. The following is from the
Jolley Book that was given to me by Grandma Ethel.
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In the end, the mortal body of
Henry Jolley was given the respect it deserved. It was not plowed under to become the end of a cul-de-sac. Rather it was buried in the Provo City Cemetery near other
deceased family members where one day it will rise in resurrection with those
other family members who are buried near by.
Indeed, it will be a great reunion.
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