TWO PRICELESS FAMILY HISTORY PICTURES

Here are 2 pictures from my family history:

JOSEPH LENHARD, ABOUT 6 THROWING A BALL AGAINST A SHED IN EAST DETROIT, MI WITH MY GRANDMOTHER MARY ALEXANDER LENHARD WATCHING.
10 MILE ROAD, 1936

LEFT- JOSEPH ANDREW LENHARD (MY GRANDFATHER)
RIGHT- ANDREW ALEXANDER (MY GRANDMOTHER LENHARD'S FATHER)

EXCERPT FROM LECTURES ON FAITH: LECTURE ONE

EMPHASIS IS MINE

"Were this class [YOU] to go back and reflect upon the history of their lives, from the period of their first recollection, and ask themselves, what principle excited them to action, or what gave them energy and activity, in all their lawful avocations, callings and pursuits, what would be the answer? Would it not be that it was the assurance which we had of the existence of things which we had not seen, as yet?—Was it not the hope which you had, in consequence of your belief in the existence of unseen things, which stimulated you to action and exertion, in order to obtain them? Are you not dependent on your faith, or belief, for the acquisition of all knowledge, wisdom and intelligence? Would you exert yourselves to obtain wisdom and intelligence, unless you did believe that you could obtain them? Would you have ever sown if you had not believed that you would reap? Would you have ever planted if you had not believed that you would gather? Would you have ever asked unless you had believed that you would receive? Would you have ever sought unless you had believed that you would have found? Or would you have ever knocked unless you had believed that it would have been opened unto you? In a word, is there any thing that you would have done, either physical or mental, if you had not previously believed? Are not all your exertions, of every kind, dependent on your faith? Or may we not ask, what have you, or what do you possess, which you have not obtained by reason of your faith? Your food, your raiment, your lodgings, are they not all by reason of your faith? Reflect, and ask yourselves, if these things are not so. Turn your thoughts on your own minds, and see if faith is not the moving cause of all action in yourselves; and if the moving cause in you, is it not in all other intelligent beings?"

================

"it [faith] is the principle by which Jehovah works, and through which he exercises power over all temporal, as well as eternal things..."

================
18 The Savior says, (Matthew 17:19-20), in explaining the reason why the disciples could not cast out the devil, that it was because of their unbelief: "For verily, I say unto you," said he, "if ye have faith as a grain of mustard-seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place! and it shall remove: and nothing shall be impossible unto you."

DOES A MUSTARD SEED DOUBT WHAT IT CAN BECOME?

ELDER CRAIG LENHARD

AT AUBURN UNIVERSITY IN 1969. 

PREP DAY ACTIVITY FOR STRESS RELIEF

This is a B&W rendering of a picture taken December 2011 in MX at a Monastery south of Mexico City.

Lenhard Children and Grandchildren...PLEASE READ

Powerful excerpts from:
======================================

Roots and Branches

By Elder Quentin L. Cook

Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

Hastening family history and temple work in our day is essential for the salvation and exaltation of families.

The question is, what do we need to do? The Prophet Joseph’s counsel was to present in the temple “the records of our dead, which shall be worthy of all acceptation.”^{25  Doctrine and Covenants 128:24}

The leadership of the Church has issued a clarion call to the rising generation to lead the way in the use of technology to experience the spirit of Elijah, to search out their ancestors, and to perform temple ordinances for them.^{26 [See First Presidency letter, Oct. 8, 2012; see also David A. Bednar, “The Hearts of the Children Shall Turn,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2011, 24–27; R. Scott Lloyd, “‘Find Our Cousins’: Apostle [Neil L. Andersen] Counsels LDS Youth at RootsTech Conference,” Church News, Feb. 16, 2014, 8–9.]} Much of the heavy lifting in hastening the work of salvation for both the living and the dead will be done by you young people.^{27 [One recent study indicated that a major emphasis for this generation is living a meaningful life where they “give to others, and orient themselves to a larger purpose” (Emily Esfahani Smith and Jennifer L. Aaker, “Millennial Searchers,” New York Times Sunday Review, Dec. 1, 2013, 6).]}

If the youth in each ward will not only go to the temple and do baptisms for their dead but also work with their families and other ward members to provide the family names for the ordinance work they perform, both they and the Church will be greatly blessed. Don’t underestimate the influence of the deceased in assisting your efforts and the joy of ultimately meeting those you serve. The eternally significant blessing of uniting our own families is almost beyond comprehension.^{28 [See Howard W. Hunter, “A Temple-Motivated People,” Ensign, Feb. 1995, 2–5; Liahona, May 1995, 2–7.]}

In the worldwide membership of the Church, fifty-one percent of adults currently do not have both parents in the Family Tree section of the Church’s FamilySearch Internet site. Sixty-five percent of adults do not have all four grandparents listed.^{29 [Statistics provided by Family History Department.]} Remember, we without our roots and branches cannot be saved. Church members need to obtain and input this vital information.

We finally have the doctrine, the temples, and the technology for families to accomplish this glorious work of salvation. I suggest one way this might be done. Families could hold a “Family Tree Gathering.” This should be a recurring effort. Everyone would bring existing family histories, stories, and photos, including cherished possessions of grandparents and parents. Our young people are excited to learn about the lives of family members—where they came from and how they lived. Many have had their hearts turned to the fathers. They love the stories and photos, and they have the technological expertise to scan and upload these stories and photos to Family Tree and connect source documents with ancestors to preserve these for all time. Of course, the main objective is to determine what ordinances still need to be done and make assignments for the essential temple work. The My Family booklet can be utilized to help record family information, stories, and photos that can then be uploaded to Family Tree.

Family commitments and expectations should be at the top of our priorities to protect our divine destiny. For those who are looking for more fruitful use of the Sabbath day for the family as a whole, the hastening of this work is fertile ground. One mother glowingly tells how her 17-year-old son gets on the computer after church on Sunday to do family history work and her 10-year-old son loves to hear the stories and see pictures of his ancestors. This has blessed their entire family to experience the spirit of Elijah. Our precious roots and branches must be nourished.

Jesus Christ gave His life as a vicarious atonement. He resolved the ultimate question raised by Job. He overcame death for all mankind, which we could not do for ourselves. We can, however, perform vicarious ordinances and truly become saviors on Mount Zion^{30 [See  Obadiah 1:21} for our own families in order that we, with them, might be exalted as well as saved.

I bear witness of the Savior’s atoning sacrifice and the certainty of the Father’s plan for us and our families. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
============================