May 16, 2021
Dear 5th Ward Members
I hope this finds you all well and enjoying the beautiful spring weather. I know many of you are anxiously engaged in planting your gardens and preparing your lawns. Remember the May long weekend rule. Mother Nature has a way of reminding us that we still live in Canada and we can get frost until well into June.
I hope you all had a wonderful Mother’s Day. The opportunity we have to celebrate those individuals who brought us into this world should give us all pause for thought and an opportunity to express our love and appreciation for them and their sacrifices, even if they have passed into the next life.
I also hope you were able to receive the small token from the ward in honour of the mothers and sisters. I’d like to thank Pres. Prete for her help in arranging and procuring the gifts, and to those who helped distribute them. Rain notwithstanding, it was a true pleasure to be able to take them out to our ward sisters.
We continue to be vexed by the invisible adversary known as Covid and many are becoming increasingly frustrated by the restrictions and inconveniences that follow.
In my study of the Doctrine and Covenants this week, I was reading in Section 58 when I found the following passages:
2 For verily I say unto you, blessed is he that keepeth my commandments, whether in life or in death; and he that is faithful in tribulation, the reward of the same is greater in the kingdom of heaven.
3 Ye cannot behold with your natural eyes, for the present time, the design of your God concerning those things which shall come hereafter, and the glory which shall follow after much tribulation.
4 For after much tribulation come the blessings. Wherefore the day cometh that ye shall be crowned with much glory; the hour is not yet, but is nigh at hand.
21 Let no man break the laws of the land, for he that keepeth the laws of God hath no need to break the laws of the land.
22 Wherefore, be subject to the powers that be, until he reigns whose right it is to reign, and subdues all enemies under his feet.
23 Behold, the laws which ye have received from my hand are the laws of the church, and in this light ye shall hold them forth. Behold, here is wisdom.
This particular section was a revelation given when the Saints arrived in Missouri and was specifically sought as many of the Saints “were eager to learn the will of the Lord concerning them in the new place of gathering.”
It’s important to remember that Independence, Missouri had been designated as a place for the City of Zion and that Jackson County was a place the Saints were to gather. We know that has yet to happen and that the Saints were driven from Missouri by mobs. I’m sure the sense of frustration and resentment felt by the Saints was real. I’m also sure that the words of section 58 were given, in a spirit of comfort, to remind the Saints to maintain their faith even in the face of tremendous adversity.
I think those words are as applicable today as they were 190 years ago.
There is, of course, one significant difference between the trials faced by the Saints in 1831 compared to what we are going through today.
The Saints were able to meet together often and provide strength one to another, while our current situation seems to be keeping us apart. As I have said many times, however, our ability to reach out to one another through technology is greater now than at any time in history. I encourage you to contact family, friends and ward members through FaceTime, Zoom, or WebEx, or whatever other communication application you desire. I’m sure all of you over the age of 50 remember the Dick Tracy comic strip. As a child, I was amazed that he had a wristwatch through which he could both see and speak with someone. It was something that, in my youth, I believed could never occur. And now, if you have a smart phone, tablet or computer, the ability to see and speak with someone else is common place. Do not for one second think that is not a gift from God given our current situation. Use it. It will brighten your day, as well as the day of he or she with whom you communicate.
There is someone in our ward who operates on the principle of “3”. In other words, this person tries to do something for 3 different people each day. She finds that it brings strength and comfort to both her and, hopefully, those whom she serves.
I can’t think of a better example of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. The joy and satisfaction that results from providing service to another, even when you are in need of service yourself, can truly make a difference in so many lives. Regardless of age, infirmity or circumstance, you can make a difference in someone’s life, while bolstering your own at the same time.
I try not to specifically name names when I write my letters. I don’t want to embarrass anyone or to make public, acts of kindness and compassion that they want kept anonymous. I have, on a few occasions, sought and received permission to actually identify a particular instance or practice, and I am grateful to have been able to do that.
Today, however, I’m going to walk a fine line in paying tribute to a sister who, in my opinion, goes above and beyond in her efforts to portray the concept of “pure religion”.
In James 1:27 we read:
27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.
Sister Louise Jensen exemplifies this concept. She contacts each sister in the ward to wish them a happy birthday, but she also calls people to thank them for talks, prayers and acts of service. She calls those who are going through times of physical trials, even when she herself is undergoing her own trials. She calls each of her grandchildren every week. She makes and delivers bread and buns and other treats. I’ve known Sister Jensen for over 40 years. She’s known me my whole life. The discrepancy is that she is my oldest sister’s best friend and so when I was born, she was there for the wedding. I am hopefully going to be forgiven for not having been aware of her when I was less than a month old. However, we were reunited in my senior year of high school when I met and became friends with her oldest son, Bart, with whom I have shared a deep friendship ever since. So, as an added benefit to that relationship, I have been able to spend time with Louise and have profited as a result. She is a tremendous example of service and love, or, in other words, of “pure religion” and I love and appreciate her.
Now, I know her next call will be to me to chasten me for my comments and I apologize to her in advance.
The interesting point is that she has been able to continue in these efforts of service despite the Covid restrictions. I dare say we can do likewise.
We will not meet again in Sacrament meeting, either in person or via Zoom, until May 30. What that looks like will depend on the current government restrictions. If only 15 people can actually attend at the TSC, it will likely be restricted to the bishopric, the speakers, the organist and whomever else is specifically invited, to a maximum of 15. Everyone else will have to log in via Zoom. More information will be disseminated as we get it.
So, in the meantime, stay safe, stay healthy and social distance.
We love you all.
Bishop Brooks
