The LIVING WATER

This past month a dear sister, Liliam Leal from Brazil, wrote to ask if she could translate some of the things we have published into Portugese and Spanish so those who would like, could read them in their language. We were thrilled to have her offer to do that. We would love for others to be able to read what has been written both in our books about Temple Square and from any of the writings on our web site: www.templesquareworld.com or on www.templesquareworld.blogspot.com If there are any of you who live in another country who would like to do the same with your native language, we would be more than happy to have you translate the writings into your particular language and post on the internet. Please let us know so we can coordinate or help that to become a reality. We would certainly want to link it to our websites.

THE LIVING WATER...
Our neighbors have a swimming pool in their backyard. It is just the right size and so beautiful and tempting on a hot summer day. They have been more than generous in allowing us to come swimming any time we want. Well, this summer we enjoyed it so much and one day as we were spending some time in this beautiful pool of water, I started to think about how amazing water is. I decided it was worthy of checking into the information I could find out about it.

Water has been a mystery to me ever since I stood on a mountainside and watched this stream of water in a cool creek beside me during the summer. As I looked to the top of the mountain there was no longer any snow there, yet the stream continued to have just as much volume day after day as if the mountain top was covered with snow. Where does it continue to come from? Another mystery was a time some years ago when we dug a well in our backyard to water the yard and garden during the hot summer months. We only had to go down 20 feet to get to this lake of water that continues to allow us to pump water all summer long to nourish the plants and grass that surrounds our home. At that time someone explained the water table to me, but not remembering the details I wonder again...are we sitting on a lake only 20 feet under us? It would seem so. I'm sure if I understood the laws governing the amount of water on the earth it would make sense. Not knowing those laws it is indeed a mystery to me and a miracle. I know there is a water cycle and that there is always the same amount of water on the earth no matter how much we use it, it goes back into the cycle. As water evaporates into the atmosphere, sooner or later, it rains down and returns the water to the earth. How carefully this earth was planned and it was made possible for all of us to sustain our lives both physically and spiritually if we partake of the water available to do so.

Our bodies are made up primarily of water. Yes, I've learned it constitutes 92% of blood plasma, about 80% of muscle tissue, about 60% of red blood cells, and over half of most other tissues. Water then is crucial to the maintenance of our bodies. If we don't drink some water every day, we will dehydrate and our organs will not function properly to sustain life.

Previously I have read of the "living water". I turn to the scriptures now to explain it. Just as water is essential to sustain physical life, the Savior and his teachings are the living water essential for eternal life.

"Jesus answered and said unto her, 'If thou knewest the gift of God and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldnest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water'. The woman saith unto him,'Sir thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep, from whence then hast thou that living water?' (John 4:10-11) "Jesus answered and said unto her, 'Whosoever drinketh of the water shall thirst again; but whosoever drinketh that I shall give him shall never thirst, but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life." (John 4:13-14)

"But unto him that keepeth my commandments I will give the mysteries of my kingdom, and the same shall be in him a well of living water, springing up unto everlasting life." (D&C 63:23)

Water giveth peace...don't you just love to stant out in front of the Conference Center in downtown Salt Lake City and listen to the water as it cascades down the side of the building on the south side and also to the little bubbling stream, surrounded by rocks and trees. Whether you are standing there on Temple Square or at the beach listening to the waves roll in, or watching a waterfall on a high mountainside it brings peace to your heart and soul. It is so refreshing!! Yes, water brings life to all as we depend on it to sustain our physical bodies. The living water giveth life even more so. Jesus speaks of it as the well springing up inside of us of the spiritual water necessary to sustain our spiritual lives.

There are things we need to do in order to partake of the water necessary. The water doesn't always come to us. It is necessary to pipe the water in...to pump it if necessary, or to arrange for gravity to create the vacuum that draws the water to us. Then we must make the effort and take the time to drink of it. The living water speaking spiritually has just the same necessities if we are going to drink of it. (1) We must pipe it in...open the scriptures, listen to the prophet, attend our Sabbath day meetings. (2) We must provide the pump or vacuum...open our heart and mind. (3)We must make the effort to drink of it. (4) Then we must use it in our life. Yes, water is absolutely necessary to our physical life. I pray that we will make the effort to drink of the LIVING WATER as it is absolutely necessary for our eternal life. With love to each of you, Maurine Winters