Monday, October 8, 2012

Battle of Angamos-A Peruvian Holiday and Thoughts about Conference


"The Battle of Angamos (Combate naval de Angamos) was fought on October 8, 1879, during the naval stage of the War of the Pacific (Guerra del Pacífico). The Chilean Navy, commanded by Captain Galvarino Riveros and Captain Juan Jose Latorre surrounded and captured the ironclad Huáscar, commanded by Rear Admiral Miguel Grau Seminario, who died in combat. After the battle, the crippled Peruvian Navy was unable to prevent the invasion of its territory."     From  Wikipedia


It seems like every time I turn around there is a Peruvian Holiday and the Archives is closed. It is a fun day to clean house and go looking around in Lima.

Yesterdays conference was great. Here are a few of My Favorite Things:




New temples announced for Tucson, Arizona and Arequipa, Peru

This is so exciting. Peru has one small operating temple in Lima, about a mile from where we live. There are three endowment rooms that hold 25 to 30 patrons. It is not unusual for bus loads of members to arrive at the temple. There is a temple being built in Trujillo Perú. On September 14, 2011, Elder Rafael E. Pino, president of the South America Northwest Area, presided over the groundbreaking ceremony for the Trujillo Perú Temple. It will be a few years before this temple is completed. So the announcement of the Arequipa, Peru Temple was welcome news for the 500 million saints in Peru.


There were a few specific things I heard I want to share:


Elder M. Russell Ballard: 'Be Anxiously Engaged
Elder Ballard invited everyone to participate in a simple practice: "In your morning prayer each new day, ask Heavenly Father to guide you to recognize an opportunity to serve one of His precious children. Then go throughout the day with your heart full of faith and love, looking for someone to help. Just stay focused on this, just like the honeybees focus on the flowers from which to gather nectar and pollen. If you do this, your spiritual sensitivities will be enlarged, and you will discover opportunities to serve that you never before realized were possible."
The multiplied efforts by tens of thousands and even millions of prayerful efforts of Church members to share God's love for His children through Christian service will be a compounding effect of good that will bring the light of Christ to an ever-darkening world, he said.   Deseret News



President Thomas S. Monson: 'Taking an Inventory of Life'
"I testify that much of that joy comes as we recognize that we can communicate with our Heavenly Father through prayer that those prayers will be heard and answered — perhaps not how and when we expected they would be answered, but they will be answered, and by a Heavenly Father who knows and loves us perfectly and who desires our happiness. Hasn't He promised us, 'Be thou humble; and the Lord thy God shall lead thee by the hand, and give thee answers to thy prayers,'" (Doctrine and Covenants 112:10).   Deseret News

Elder Richard G. Scott: 'The Joy of Redeeming the Dead'
Elder Scott asked Latter-day Saint young people if they want a sure way to eliminate the influence of the adversary in their life. "Immerse yourself in searching for your ancestors, prepare their names for the sacred vicarious ordinances available in the temple, and then go to the temple to stand as proxy for them to receive the ordinances of baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost. As you grow older you will be able to participate in receiving the other ordinances as well. I can think of no greater protection from the influence of the adversary in your life."   Deseret News

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland: 'The First Great Commandment'
"[T]he voice of Christ comes ringing down through the halls of time asking each one of us, while there is time, 'Do you love me?' And for every one of us I answer with my honor and my soul,'Yea, Lord, we do love thee.' And having set our hand to the plough, we will never look back until the work is finished and that love of God and neighbor rules the world."   Deseret News


Elder Russell M. Nelson: 'Ask the Missionaries! They Can Help!'
"The decision to serve a mission will shape the spiritual destiny of the missionary, his or her spouse, and their posterity for generations to come," Elder Nelson said. "A desire to serve is a natural outcome of one's conversion, worthiness and preparation.  Deseret News

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf: 'Of Regrets and Resolutions'
President Uchtdorf said that sometimes in life individuals become so focused on the finish line that they fail to find joy in the journey.
"No matter our circumstances, no matter our challenges or trials, there is something in each day to embrace and cherish. There is something in each day that can bring gratitude and joy if only we will see and appreciate it. Perhaps we should be looking less with our eyes and more with our hearts."
President Uchtdorf said, "It is my testimony that many of the deepest regrets of tomorrow can be prevented by following the Savior today. If we have sinned or made mistakes — if we have made choices that we now regret — there is the precious gift of Christ's Atonement, through which we can be forgiven. We cannot go back in time and change the past, but we can repent. The Savior can wipe away our tears of regret and remove the burden of our sins. His Atonement allows us to leave the past behind and move forward with clean hands, a pure heart and a determination to do better and become better."  DeseretNews


Sister Ann M. Dibb: 'I Know It. I Live It. I Love It.'
Sister Ann M. Dibb, second counselor in the Young Women general presidency, recalled meeting a teenage member of the Church a few years ago. She immediately knew this sister was not from Utah because of the words on her T-shirt which read, "I'm a Mormon. Are you?" Sister Dibb was impressed by this young woman's bold declaration and pondered what her own T-shirt would figuratively say. She concluded it would read, "I'm a Mormon. I know it. I live it. I love it."
"With so many distractions, do we have the strength, discipline and commitment to remain focused on what matters most? Are we as well versed in gospel truths as we are in our studies, careers, hobbies, sports, or our texts and tweets? Do we actively seek to find answers to our questions by feasting on the scriptures and the teachings of the prophets? Do we seek the confirmation of the Spirit?"   Deseret News

Elder M. Russell Ballard: 'Be Anxiously Engaged'
Elder Ballard invited everyone to participate in a simple practice: "In your morning prayer each new day, ask Heavenly Father to guide you to recognize an opportunity to serve one of His precious children. Then go throughout the day with your heart full of faith and love, looking for someone to help. Just stay focused on this, just like the honeybees focus on the flowers from which to gather nectar and pollen. If you do this, your spiritual sensitivities will be enlarged, and you will discover opportunities to serve that you never before realized were possible."   Deseret News

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I love being on a mission and having the time to review yesterdays conference. It is wonderful to ponder the talks and figure out where I can improve. I love the Lord and the present day Prophets. I am thankful for this time in the mission field to reflex and improve my spiritual life.

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