Tonight we watched President and Sister Nelson's youth devotional with the San Bernardino saints, then shared our fireside with them. President Nelson's words resonated powerfully with us as we sang. Surely we are "part of something big, something grand, something majestic."
While we can't post footage from these firesides -- church policy discourages videos and photos in the chapel -- we can share some of the generous spirit of San Bernardino here at the blog.
Indigenous peoples called this the "Valley of the Cupped Hand of God," but it was the early Mormon settlers who established the irrigation that enabled farming and lumbering and supplied much of Southern California. After Brigham Young called his people back to Utah, it became a more typical American frontier town and the scene of a gold rush in 1860. Then, fast forward to 2003, the Redlands Temple was dedicated, and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints established a new presence in the valley.
Grateful for the generous spirit we felt here tonight, we add our prayers to the one that was offered at the dedication of the temple:
Father, our people are not strangers to this area. Not long after settling the Salt Lake Valley, some of them came to this region to establish an outpost of Thy Church. Thy work has more recently been firmly planted here. Wilt Thou cause it to grow and flourish and touch many hearts that they may turn to Thee and learn of Thy ways and do Thy will and bidding.
We are grateful for the spirit of hospitality which we have experienced here. May it increase that we may live in harmony with our neighbors, walking as examples before them. We pray that many may be constrained in their hearts to learn more of Thy great plan of salvation, that the mantle of membership may come upon them and enfold them.
Father dear, bless this state of California that its people may be strong and wise in their decisions, that they might be prosperous and free. And bless our nation, we humbly pray. May the Constitution which was established and ordained by our forebears, and which came of Thine inspiration and direction, ever stand as a bulwark against tyranny and oppression. May peace and freedom reign in the land.
Sources: wikipedia.org, lds.org
