Light the world

 Delightful Disciples,

Let's first talk about how wonderful our ward is! I'm so excited for the Missionary Blitz and Outreach tomorrow. This missionaries have worked so very hard into turning this into a powerful experience for our youth. The whole goal is to help them catch the fire of the Gospel. This activity is truly for all of us. Please feel free to come by the church tomorrow at 2pm and join the group. Ultimately, I'm inviting all of you to go out tomorrow afternoon to the families you minister to, to neighbors, and families that you have been inspired to minister to. Invite them to the Nativity Festival, invite them to the Ward Christmas Party, invite them to Church or the Temple (as appropriate). More than anything else, I personally invite you to be inspired, be prophetic.

This week, somebody was prophetic in my life, they received revelation and acted on it. I came home to find a card that had been written in by every member of a family in our ward. The purpose of the card was simply to help my family feel seen and loved. There were some personalized short, sweet messages from their family to mine. It filled me with light and hope. My heart swelled. I felt like I could see the light of our Lord's love. 

As I read Ether 6 this week, I felt inspired. I received new insight into that story that I'd like to share. I'll be short and sweet. Friends, I think that we are the rocks that can be touched by the Lord. We can bring light to the lives of others if we just allow the Lord touch our hearts and fill our souls with our light. We can shine brightly and be a source of light and security to our neighbors, friends, family/ward members so that no matter how much the storm of life rages, there need not be fear or darkness.

The season is upon us, let's light the world.

PS:

1) Please reach out to a member of the Bishopric or Brother/Sister Hubbards if there is a Christmas Hymn that is special to you. We would love to hear why it's special and possibly make it part of the Christmas Cantata on Dec 22.

2) You may not know, but Elizabeth Kienzle, is a joined the Church when she was 18. Recently, her younger sister reached out to us to let us know that she wanted to understand more. Subsequently, she decided to be baptized and asked us to participate in her program. The Kienzle family is out of town again this Sunday as we participate in her baptism. My heart is heavy to miss another Sunday but luckily you don't really need me ;). And I'm also soooo excited to be a part of such special moment in Alex's life. Love you all so much. Thank you again for your faith and for making miracles happen in our ward. 
- I promise this will be the LAST missed Sunday in a loooooooooong time. Don't judge me too harshly (a little is okay). 

Mighty Prayer

 My friends,

 

The time is here. The season is upon us. I'm looking forward to the next month and a half and am overwhelmed (in a really good way) by all the activities, festivities, service opportunities, and feelings that will bring me (and all of us) closer to Christ. I've made a list of activities that I see as our prime opportunities to be swallowed up in the joy of the season and Christ.

 11/16, 6pm: Church Music Festival from Temple Square

11/23, 2-6pm: Ward Missionary Outreach/Blitz. Our entire ward will be meeting at the church and heading out to bring cookies to the people we minister to and invite neighbors/friends to the Arlington Festival of Nativities. It is going to be GLORIOUS!

11/28: Thanksgiving Day!

11/30, 4-7pm: Live Activity at Arlington Hometown Holiday - our ward/stake is in charge of this event. We need volunteers – contact Becca Yadon!

12/03, 6pm: Ward Christmas party! 

12/06, 5pm: Youth/Ward Temple Trip! 

12/08, 5pm: First Presidency Christmas Devotional

12/13 – 12/15: Arlington Festival of the Nativities. Plus, the youth pop-up choir on Dec 14 @ 6pm. Volunteers are realllly needed for the nativity fesival! Contact Elizabeth Kienzle.

Jan 03: Youth/Ward Temple Night

 

I’ve been thinking that that this upcoming season is going to set the fire as we turn to 2025. I’ve been utterly impressed as I’ve been reading about Mormon and his son Moroni. I find myself continuing to dwell on Mormon’s words when he said, “I speak unto you, ye remnant of the house of Israel”. I am absolutely blown away by the faith he exercised by dedicating his life, his work, his writing, his effort, his words to a people that he only believed would come. Sometimes I struggle as I prepare a lesson or write one of these e-mails wondering if it's really to somebody, if it’s a message that somebody really needs to hear. But Mormon! He wrote to a people 2000 years into the future with absolute dedication and decisive faith that his message would reach our hearts. He confidently promises that that "great and marvelous things which have been hid up from the foundation of the world" will be revealed to us WHEN we shall "rend that veil of unbelief" (Ether 4:15). Moroni believed in us and knew that we could rend that veil and see miracles. Do we believe that we can be like Mormon and Moroni? Do we believe that we're tools with a glorious purpose? Do we believe that we can have the same confidence and decisive faith that Mormon and Moroni had?  

I know that the lord believes in us. He believes in me and each and everyone of you. Moroni exhorts us to, after we receive the message of the Book of Mormon, pray with real intent, having faith in Christ, and the Holy Ghost can manifest the truth of all things. 

I'd like to invite each of you to join me in prayer this holiday season. Let's pray that the Holy Ghost will reveal the truth to us - the truth of our worth, of our purpose, and of what our ward family can become in 2025? I invite you to pray mightily with me and our ward for 1) the spirit of prophesy and revelation in your life and calling, 2) the success of the rising generation, 3) establishing zion in our ward in 2025. 

With love and admiration,

Bishop Kienzle

My Testimony (Sacrament meeting is your's)

 Fellow Saints,

I've let you down this week! My goal is actually to send these out on Tuesday night or Wednesday morning, feel free to hold me accountable to that ;) 

On the other hand, you have all lifted me up. I pray that I can convey this message clearly to you. I'm writing this message to YOU. I imagine that your assumption is that this is a letter to the ward. However, I've been praying that I can reach YOU. I promise that each sentence in this message is for one of you. I've earnestly prayed for the Spirit to deliver it to your heart and I have faith that it will. If there is fault, please forgive me and if you are inspired, please glorify our God, love our Lord, and share His Gospel.

I learned this week with greater surety that the Lord knows you and loves you, He sees you. You are not alone. I know you're tired - I promise that the Lord can strengthen you in your weakness.  I know that you wonder if you're adequate, I promise that you are qualified for the work. I saw you forgive your neighbor and I witnessed the Lord forgive you. You are concerned about your children, the Lord is concerned for them too - I promise, with so much surety that He has a plan for them.  You are worthy of the greatest promises that heaven has to offer. You have wondered if you should return to the Temple - the answer is He is begging you to return and I promise that we will find a way to get you there. You will find the Lord in the temple. You have sought your family's support, your family is here, we are your family too. You have been frustrated with those few that don't recognize your dedication - I have seen the Lord recognize you, I recognize you. Your covenants matter. If you seek peace, please forgive. If you seek peace, please ask the Lord to soften your heart. If you seek security, come to the temple. You are seeking perfect righteousness, practice patience and just remember that the Lord doesn't expect perfect righteousness, He seeks only a broken heart and contrite spirit. If you wonder if you're welcome, YOU ARE WELCOMED. If you wonder if there is love for you here, I love you.

This week, I wondered if I could be enough. In the temple, I learned that I am not. I also was powerfully reassured that the Lord absolutely is. I doubted if I was worthy enough to be around such powerful saints. I was reassured that the Lord qualifies each of us and that His atonement makes each of us worthy. I learned that He is the miracle we are seeking. I learned that if we sacrifice desires and consecrate our gifts to the Lord, He will unify us. I learned that our ward is becoming mighty and strong, great and beautiful.

Brothers and sisters, come to church. If you have a calling, will you magnify it? If you don't have a calling, will you seek one? Please, come to the temple with me. Zion is awaiting us.

Lastly, thank you so much for restoring my faith in miracles. Thank you for igniting my passion for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This is His Church. I was lost and I truly am found. I have had ups and downs and, my friends, I have never felt so up as I do now. Thank you for your patience with me and for molding me into a true disciple of Jesus Christ. I have hope that we are molding each other. I am going to extend a little prophesy that Zion will be built in our testimony meeting today. Jesus is the Christ, He is our Redeemer and Prince of Peace. He died that we can live. Joseph Smith was the prophet through which Priesthood Authority and Sealing Power was restored to the Earth. President Nelson is absolutely 100% the Prophet of all the Earth today. The Book of Mormon IS another testament of Jesus Christ, it is perfect and was translated by the power of God. The way to everlasting joy is through Christ the Lord.

With love and admiration,

Bishop Kienzle

PS I'm soooooooooo excited for the Christmas season!!!

Stake Conference Broadcast Plus

 Friends,

I'm sorry you haven't heard from me this week! Last night was a fabulous evening in the temple. I attended with the youth in the baptistry. However, we had members doing initiatory sessions, endowments, and sealings. I believe that our ward was richly blessed. There are miracles happening in our ward, it is so very true. I hope you're seeing them, if not, please let me know ;). I want EVERYBODY to experience them. 

I'm really trying to think of how to bring the miracles to everybody.  I am putting a LOT of hope and faith in the outreach activity, the Missionary Blitz activity on Nov 23. That activity is for EVERYBODY so we can minister, meet our neighbors, and share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Please help us to make cookies :). Ask the missionaries for details. It is going to be awesome. One of the main opportunities for this activity is to invite people to the Arlington Nativity Festival - we'll have a ton of cookies and nativity invites to provide to the people we minister to, our neighbors, and anybody else. 

I recently listened to President Uchtdorf's talk, "Nourish the Roots, and the Branches will Grow". In the talk, he briefly talked about how he had "the great privilege of assisting in this important task." He says that he pumped with all [his] strength so the organ would not run out of wind. As I read those comments, I thought about how each of you are pumping with all of your strength to keep the music going. I thought of how beautiful the allegorical music of our ward is as we pump that fuel of testimony into our congregation. You are FABULOUS.

Also, if you aren't able to attend stake conference due to some impairment, please attend with us online. I'm attaching the link to the broadcast below. The Saturday adult session today at 7pm and Sunday General Session at 10am will be broadcast online. Please, please join us. Of course, if you can come in person, please attend with us. There is nothing that brings me more joy than seeing your BEAUTIFUL faces :) 

https://zoom.us/j/99079536364?pwd=M2xGdHdwWnJacm5XWDNVSmFyVUx2QT09 

With so much love and adoratin,

Bishop Kienzle