Sacrament at Sea

One of my duties as a Bishop is to preside over the ordinance of the sacrament each Sabbath day. If a senior priesthood leader is present (usually a member of the Stake Presidency), then he will preside but I will still be responsible for making sure the Priests in our congregation say the sacramental prayers correctly. I am also able to authorize the preparation, blessing and passing of the sacrament in settings other than sacrament meeting in our local ward meetinghouse.
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On Sunday, July 17, 2011 I was aboard the Celebrity Millennium cruising Alaska's Inland Passage just north of Ketchikan. We were a large family group - 35 people from my wife's family, and we held sacrament meeting in one of the ship's conference rooms. Ours was the only Christian service held on board that day, and we had Baptist, Catholic & Episcopalian couples join us. The ship's concierge provided us with bread, a paper plate, a bottle of red wine, and about 50 small paper cups. We brought up a silver platter & a pitcher of water from one of the staterooms. I presided over and conducted the service, explaining to our friends of other faiths that I was a  Latter-day Saint Bishop and the service would be performed in the LDS manner. My wife led us in a hymn and then one of my sisters-in-law gave the invocation. The sacramental bread was broken & blessed by one of my sons & one of my wife's nephews, both Elders, as we had no Priests in our group. I nodded approval when the blessing was pronounced correctly, just as I do at home in the American Fork 29th Ward. The bread was passed by the oldest son of one of my wife's nieces, a Deacon. All of the priesthood brethren looked sharp in suits & ties.

In the LDS Church, we use water rather than wine to represent the Savior's blood which was shed for us. In a typical congregation, we have special sacramental trays that hold not only the small cups of water, but also the used, empty cups. It didn't seem dignified to have people partake of the emblem of the Lord's atonement from a silver platter, then return their used, empty cup to the same platter, so we had one of the Elders follow the Deacon with a paper plate. People took their sacramental cup filled with water from the Deacon's silver platter and then put their empty cup on the Elder's paper plate.

After the sacrament, one of my wife's nephews gave an excellent talk about the beauty of God's creation and our role as stewards. One of my wife's nieces then led us in the wonderful hymn, How Great Thou Art, which we thought would be familiar to everyone present. Fortunately, my wife knew the words to all four verses, since no one had brought a hymnal and this particular song is not included (copyright restrictions) in the electronic LDS library that most older family members carry on their smart phones. I then gave a talk focused on John 16:33 "In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world" which was followed by a brief testimony from the husband of one of my wife's nieces, then a closing hymn and a benediction given by one of my brothers-in-law. The whole service lasted about 45 minutes, after which we visited with our Catholic & Episcopalian friends. I have no idea what happened to the unopened bottle of wine we left in the conference room, but it was not there when we returned to the same room a day later for family home evening.

The professions of the adults who performed some part of our Sunday service:

• businessman
• engineer (2)
• attorney (2)
• stay-at-home mom (2)
• teacher
• physician
• professor

Spiritual Impressions

Just before Christmas, 2010, while serving as Bishop of the BYU 172nd (Married Student) Ward, I received an impression from the Holy Ghost that a young couple in our ward should begin serving in the Provo Temple. I called them in for an interview, and they seemed genuinely excited about the possibility. The husband indicated that he had recently felt promptings that they should spend more time in the Temple. I filled out the necessary paperwork and sent it on to the Stake President for his approval. A few weeks later this couple received a calling at the Temple and began serving.

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I saw this couple earlier this evening at a reunion party we held for former members of the BYU 172nd Ward. The wife was radiant, about five months along in her first pregnancy, and her husband was beaming. It was at the party, beside our former High Councilor's swimming pool, that they shared with me the rest of the story. 

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They had been trying to get pregnant for more than two years. They had even gone the fertility clinic route, but to no avail. When a member of the Temple Presidency set this sister apart to her new calling in the Temple, he gave her not one but two blessings. The first blessing pertained to her general physical health. He then told her that he felt prompted to give her a second blessing specifically regarding her desire to have children. A couple of weeks after being set apart to her new calling, she became pregnant.

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"The sweetest experience in mortality is to know that our Heavenly Father has worked through us." To the Rescue, The Biography of Thomas S. Monson

Another Son of God

About 50 minutes ago, our daughter-in-law gave birth to a healthy son in Boston. Mommy & baby are both doing well. He is our fifth grandchild and second grandson.
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"Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them."
Psalms 127:3-5
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My father celebrated his 82nd birthday in June. He and mother now have well over 100 living descendants when you count spouses. I am the oldest of 12, each of whom is married with children, and about a dozen of those children are now married. My youngest sister was born while I was serving my first mission in Peru. Dad & mom anchor a monthly family newsletter we call the Magleby Monitor that has been in continuous publication for nearly a quarter century. The most recent issue featured 1 marriage, 3 births, & 1 engagement. Hardly a day goes by that my parents don't receive some exciting news from somewhere around this great big family of theirs. At 82, health challenges mounting, my dad is a happy man with a full and growing quiver.

All of the Children

The Mormon ideal is to marry in the Temple so all of your children are born in the covenant, then to have all of your children in turn marry in the Temple so all of your grandchildren are also born in the covenant. It is a red letter day in an LDS family when the parents with all of their children are present in the Temple for the first time.
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That happened for us on June 10, 2011 in a sealing room in the Oquirrh Mountain Temple where our youngest daughter and her husband were married (or "sealed" in LDS parlance). The groom's father and I were the witnesses to the sealing. As I looked over the 40 or so people present in the room and realized that all of our natural children were present in the Temple for the first time, I was overcome with emotion and I began to cry like a baby. We had dreamed of this day, prayed for it, worked for it, and now it was here. Families become eternal in the Temple and we were all present and accounted for. Our married children had their spouses with them except for our oldest daughter whose husband, a Captain in the Texas National Guard, was on summer drill.
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The Temple endowment ceremony mentions three sources of joy - serving in the Lord's House, measuring up to your potential, and raising up a righteous posterity. My tears that day were tears of joy.

The Will of the Father

As a Bishop, one of my principal functions is to receive divine guidance so I can counsel ward members in ways that will bless their lives. A ward member asked me for a Priesthood blessing. I spent July 4th, 2011 showing one of my employees from Puebla, Mexico the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. All the way down Highway 89 on Sunday evening, I thought about this petitioning member and their situation. I needed to know the Father's will for this person so I could bless them appropriately. A little after midnight, I was on my knees beside my bed in Room 5 of the Sun N Sand Motel in Kanab, Utah. As I was praying, a voice said to my mind, "You will receive your answer in the Temple." That was good enough for me, and I slept peacefully.
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After returning home late Monday evening, I checked the Mt. Timpanogos Temple schedule on the Internet and asked my wife if she would accompany me to the Temple the following morning. We got up early on Tuesday and joined the 6:00 a.m. session. I was fasting. As we waited in the Chapel, I asked the Father to reveal His will to me regarding the ward member who wanted a blessing, but no communication was forthcoming. The same thing happened throughout the session, and again as my wife and I participated in the prayer circle.
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When we got into the Celestial Room, we sat on a sofa and I meditated. Within a few minutes, the answer came to me, as clear as a bell. I had been hesitant and tentative up until that point, but as soon as the personal revelation was received, I pressed my wife's hand and we strode out of the room brimming with confidence.

First 15 Days

From Sunday, June 19, 2011 to Sunday, July 3, 2011 I spent about 55 hours engaged in the work of the Lord. Between interviews, letters, emails, phone calls, authoring a ward newsletter article, debriefings, meetings, worship services, prayers, baptisms, home visits and just getting things organized, I had something substantive to do every day of the week for 15 straight days. My commentary in our family's monthly newsletter: "The hours are long, but the rewards are sweet."

The Mormon Male Ideal

Mormonism is a culture of high expectations. Like the fabled Jewish mother (Is one Nobel Prize so much to ask from a child, after all I've done?) we hold our young men to a high standard. After 57 years in the culture, this is my take on the Mormon Ideal for Males:

Newborn to Age 7

• Born in the covenant. This means your natural parents were married (sealed) in the Temple.
• Named and blessed by your father as an infant.
• Learned to pray as a toddler at your mother's knee.
• Paid tithing (10%) on allowance & birthday money.
• Attended family home evening on Monday nights.
• Participated in family scripture study around the dinner table.
• Took your turn offering the blessing on the food at meal times.
• Began being voice for family prayer soon after you learned how to talk.
• Shielded from vulgarity by your family members.
• Sang Primary songs in your home.
• Attended Nursery at 18 months.
• Attended Primary at age 3.
• Participated in Primary activity days.
• Went on father's and son's outings, typically an overnight camp out.
• Helped clean the Church.
• Bore your testimony at the pulpit on Fast Sunday.
• Gave talks in Primary.
• Participated in the annual Primary Program in Sacrament Meeting.
• Witnessed baptisms of older siblings, cousins, family friends, etc.
• Began a mission savings account.

Age 8

• Got baptized by immersion by your father or older brother.
• Got confirmed a member of the Church by your father.
• Received the gift of the Holy Ghost.
• Began feeling the Spirit.
• Joined Cub Scouts.
• Earned Bobcat badge.
• Wore your first scout uniform.
• Received your own personalized copies of the scriptures.
• Attended den meetings & pack meetings.
• Built your first pinewood derby with lots of help from your father.
• Began to fast for 24 hours (2 meals) on Fast Sunday.
• Began paying fast offerings in addition to tithing.
• Graduated from Junior to Senior Primary.
• Began memorizing the Articles of Faith.

Ages 9 - 11

• Attended scout day camp.
• Earned Bear & Wolf badges.
• Earned lots of Cub Scout belt loops.
• Joined New Scouts.
• Memorized the 13 Articles of Faith.
• Began earning merit badges.
• Earned Tenderfoot, Second Class & First Class badges.

Age 12

• Graduated from Primary.
• Joined Young Men.
• Began giving youth talks in Sacrament Meeting.
• Received the Aaronic Priesthood.
• Ordained to the office of Deacon.
• Passed the Sacrament.
• Began collecting fast offerings.
• Earned Star badge.
• Began working on Duty to God award.
• Attended overnight scout camps.
• Began doing baptisms for the dead in the Temple.

Age 13

• Earned Life badge.

Ages 14 - 15

• Ordained to the office of Teacher.
• Prepared the Sacrament.
• Went home teaching as the junior companion to your father.
• Earned Eagle Scout award.
• Began attending Seminary.

Ages 16 - 18

• Ordained to the office of Priest.
• Blessed the Sacrament.
• Baptized someone.
• Built up mission savings account.
• Earned Duty to God award.
• Went on group dates.
• Began attending mission preparation.
• Remained morally pure.
• Submitted mission papers.
• Received mission call.
• Received the Melchizedek Priesthood.
• Ordained to the office of Elder.
• Went through the Temple for the first time.
• Began wearing garments.
• Completed one year of higher education.

 Age 19

• Was set apart as a full-time missionary.
• Entered the MTC (Missionary Training Center).
• Began serving in one of the 340+ missions around the world as a junior companion.

Age 20

• Served a faithful mission.
• Became a senior companion and trainer.
• Called as a district leader, zone leader, or assistant to the president

Age 21

• Returned with honor from the mission field.
• Began dating individual girls.
• Returned to college.
• Attended institute if not at BYU Provo, BYU Idaho, or BYU Hawaii.
• Spoke in Sacrament Meeting(s) as a returned missionary companion to a High Councilor.

Age 22 - 24

• Got married in the Temple.
• Graduated from college.
• Entered graduate school or the workforce.

Ages 25 - 39

• Stayed married.
• Had children.
• Purchased a home.
• Became economically self-sufficient.
• Established righteous routines & holy habits personally and with your family.
• Scripture study
• Prayer
• Family Home Evening
• Church attendance
• Temple attendance
• Home teaching
• Advanced in your career.
• Continued serving faithfully in the Church.
• Raised a righteous family.

Ages 40 - 60

• Ordained to the office of High Priest.
• Witnessed your children serving missions, marrying in the Temple.
• Had grand-children.
• Began to be serious about family history.
• Retired from the workforce.

Ages 61+

• Served one or more senior missions with your wife.
• Performed lots of Temple work.
• Presided over a growing, righteous posterity.
• Endured to the end.