Manti Temple – Rattle Snake Miracle – How I Overcame my Fear

Dennis Schleicher at the Manti Temple

When the pioneers first arrived in Manti, November 1849, they arrived in 3 feet of snow and no protection. The Saints dug into a hillside, living out of caves and caverns that protected them from the ravaging winter winds and cold.

However, when spring came, the Saints quickly discovered they had tunneled into a massive rattlesnake nest, with hundreds of snakes suddenly swarming their homes, camps, and living quarters.

Miraculously, though, no one was injured or bitten by the snakes.

The hill that once saved the Saints physically soon became the site for the Manti temple.

Now a place to obtain spiritual salvation.

When I heard of this.

I immediately broke out in a cold sweat.

My fear of snakes is so strong, I can’t even write or talk about it without getting flustered.

Can you relate?

A day before I was supposed to attend a session at the Manti temple.

I almost wasn’t going to go.

I let my paralyzing fear and phobia almost stopped me from experiencing one of the most meaningful sessions.

In prayer, I immediately had a vision of Daniel and the lions’ den.

When the lions’ den event occurred, Daniel was in his 80s…

So they tried to use Daniel’s faith in God against him.

They tricked King Darius into passing a 30-day decree that said anyone who prayed to another god or man other than the king would be thrown into the lions’ den.

Reminded how Daniel was protected, I immediately felt the protection of the Saints.

I knew at that exact moment I needed to attend the Manti temple.

With nothing but calmness.

Walking around the grounds, observing the marvelous wonders of the Pioneer’s efforts and the protection that God has on all of his Saints.

When have you felt God’s hand in protecting you?

Love, 

Dennis

Find out more by following Dennis on Instagram @DenSchleicher

Are we Worthy to Administer Sacrament?

Past few Sundays, I’ve been battling worthiness. Not feeling worthy to administer the sacrament. So, I deployed my buddy system. 😇 A huge thank you to all who have encouraged me and holding myself accountable. In these uncertain times, with this global pandemic. I’m sure all of us are battling our inner challenges. My good friend Craig Johansson shared this wisdom on Sunday.

“In Matthew, Chapter 8. Jesus heals a leper. Cures the centurion’s servant and others, stills the tempest, and casts out devils—The devils enter a herd of swine.

1. When he was come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed him.

2. And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.

3. And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.” So, here’s why I love this scripture. Lepers were banished from the city. They were avoided. People distances themselves from them. Nobody touched them. Few people talked to them. 

What I love is the fact that it said Jesus reached forth his hand and touched him. Jesus didn’t need to touch him to be healed. He could have just said it. However, Christ knew that the leper needed to be touch, a human touch he probably hadn’t felt for decades. 

Don’t we all need human interaction❓

Christ knows what WE need and he will bless us in a personal way. 🌟 Let a friend know, they are loved.

Love In virtual hugs, Dennis Schleicher

How do You Know Faith and Prayer are Real?

Gay Latter-day Saint Dennis with the missionaries

How do You Know Faith is Real❓I testify that the rewards are worth the effort! 🤔Remember the pattern;

1️⃣Hear the word of God, spoken and written by His servants; 2️⃣Let that word sink deep into your heart; 3️⃣Hunger in your soul for righteousness; 4️⃣Obediently follow gospel laws… and 5️⃣Raise your voice 🗣in mighty 🙏🏻 prayer… Asking in faith to know that Jesus Christ is our Savior. I promise that if you do these things sincerely and unceasingly, . … ‘knock, and it shall be opened unto you’ [ Matthew 7:6]

What are some examples you’ve witnessed that faith is real❓

Love, Dennis Schleicher

6 Takeaways from April’s General Conference

6 Takeaways from April’s General Conference
1️⃣Worldwide Fast 🌎
President Nelson invites the church to join in a worldwide fast on Friday, or Good Friday, to plead for relief from COVID-19. ALL can join us.

2️⃣Hear Him 🔈
President Nelson originally said the conference would be unforgettable because of the events.

Dennis Schleicher at Temple Square would mark the 200th anniversary of the First Vision — when the church’s founder, Joseph Smith, said he saw God and Jesus Christ.

Summed up in two words: Hear Him. While all the speakers focused, to different degrees, on the message of the Restoration, many of them noted that one of the most important ways members can contribute to that important work is by learning how God speaks to them — or how they can “hear Him.”

3️⃣Women’s Roles 👩🏼
Sister Jean B. Bingham, the Relief Society general president, spoke of the difference between men’s and women’s roles and the importance of an equal partnership between the two. Women must have the courage and vision to unite with men to bring souls to Christ, she said. And “men need to become true partners rather than assume they are solely responsible or act as ‘pretend’ partners while women carry out much of the work.”

4️⃣Teenagers and Youth👫
Two teenagers addressed the audience from the pulpit. Joining a small group of speakers who have spoken in general conference. Without being a general authority or general officer of the church.

5️⃣New proclamation & solemn assembly
“Two hundred years have now elapsed since this Restoration was initiated by God the Father and His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ. Millions throughout the world have embraced the knowledge of these prophesied events.”
This proclamation is the church’s sixth, and it’s first since 1995.

6️⃣Announced 8 New Temples

*Bahía Blanca, Argentina
*Tallahassee, Florida
*Lubumbashi, Democratic *Republic of the Congo
*Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
*Benin City, Nigeria
*Dubai, United Arab Emirates
*Shanghai, People’s Republic
*Syracuse, Utah
What was your favorite takeaway❓
Who’s joining us in the fast❓

Love, Dennis Schleicher Author of; Is He Nuts?: Why a Gay Man Would Become a Member of the Church of Jesus Christ

Halo of Hope We can move forward with Faith

All of us have experienced times we thought we received direction only to have things turn out completely different.

Perhaps someday we would have the answers as to why? Perhaps not. However, we have to keep moving forward in our faith.

During these challenging, unsettling times, it is essential that we navigate by our faith. Relying on the guidance of the Holy Ghost. 

Just look at the halo of light over my head in this photo. 

WOW! Who knew when I was taking this picture? 

When have you had to rely on your faith?

Love, Dennis Schleicher

Author of; Is He Nuts?: Why a Gay Man Would Become a Mormon

What I Learned form our Missionaries

 

Sometimes God answers our prayers like a light bulb💡going off but other times, answers to prayers come gradually like a sunrise, ☀️ or sometimes we must take a few steps of faith into the fog to see the next few steps. 

What I learned from our sister missionaries tonight:

When it comes to prayer, let’s have no more empty statements and insincere but polite phrases.

Be honest.

If you’re mad, say so.

If you’re confused, say so.

If you’re sad, call a friend. 

If you’re alone, call on Him.

And don’t think anything is too small for the Savior’s loving attention.

~ Love, Dennis Schleicher, Ward Mission Leader, and our Glastonbury Sister Missionaries

 

Come Follow Me (provided by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)

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This week I was studying the New Testament from the study guide, Come Follow Me (provided by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints). I was studying about Paul and the horrible persecutions that many of those church members faced anciently. ⁣

⁣Today, we as followers of Christ, encounter many of the same hardships that they did. When people say harsh words to me and when Satan attacks, I have found that I forget my own challenges by serving others.  This week, the benefits of studying Paul’s teachings is that:⁣

1️⃣ I want to strive every day to provide random acts of kindness⁣
2️⃣ Be more receptive to listen to others⁣

❓What have you found best helps you to manage and tackle your daily challenges? When you get knocked down, what picks you back up again?⁣

Love, Dennis Schleicher

Gay Convert Devotional and Fireside Pasadena Stake Center


Turn Up The Love Devotional – June 2 at the Pasadena Stake Center from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. Join Dennis Schleicher as he shares his story as a gay man that was welcomed into the fold of God with open arms and was taught about the true nature of God’s love for everyone.  Follow Dennis’ journey from hate-crime victim to a Ward Mission Leader that helps hundreds of missionaries better reach the LGBTQ community.

 

Mother, Another Name for Creators

When our Prophet talks about us “all being mothers,” what I feel him saying is that we are all creators.

Are not we all mothers? We ARE all creators. Whether we choose to partner with our Heavenly Parents and create human bodies to be populated with souls to come to earth or we partner with them to create technology, books, music or other artwork or perhaps we create a cure for a previously incurable disease; we are ALL creators. We are ALL mothers.

I have belonged to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for six years coming up next month. During this time, no matter what Ward or Branch I have attended, each and every year I have joined in the singing the one hymn in the hymnal that recognizes our Mother in Heaven every year on Mother’s Day.

In 1845, Eliza R. Snow (Relief Society President 1867-1887) wrote the hymn, “O My Father,” penning the most well-known reference to Mother God.  Written only months after Prophet Jospeph Smith Jr.’s death, it has been speculated that the Prophet may have taught of a Mother in Heaven either implicitly or to limited audiences.

It didn’t surprise me to listen to Sheri Dew, a righteous woman who has never given birth to a child, say “Aren’t We All Mothers,” or President Nelson in his address to the October 2018 General Conference profess that he became a doctor, “Because [he] could not choose to be a mother.”

President Nelson went on to say last October, “Every woman is a mother by virtue of her eternal divine destiny.”

When I listen to childless women and their frustration with some of these quotes and standpoints, I contemplate if they were to substitute the word creator for mother if there would still be offense taken?

What the Mother Taught Me Creation is more than procreation. It is snow, birds, trees, moon, and song. ~Rachel Hunt Steenblik
By Rachel Hunt Steenblik in Mother’s Milk

Our society, and in particular some of our cultures, tend to pass judgment on what types of parents we are, how many children we produce and how we choose to raise them. How we judge one another trickles down into how we feel about ourselves. When we internalize external judgments, we diminish our own divinity.

Our role as creators is divine. Our Mother in Heaven is just as important as our Father in Heaven.

Elder Erastus Snow stated, “There can be no God except that he is composed of the man and woman united, and there is not in all the eternities that exist, or ever will be a God in any other way,” a statement, according to the Historical Teachings about Mother in Heaven, that has been reaffirmed by several General Authorities.

Thank you, Mother and Father, for the gift of creation…for the gift of motherhood.

Twin Falls Idaho Temple
Twin Falls Idaho Temple

 

Believing My Heart and Not My Head

Believing My Heart and Not My Head

I met Dennis when he spoke at a meeting of writers. He shared how different writing genres receiving different compensation with Christian writers receiving low compensation. “For example”, Dennis said, “if you were looking for a book about the Mormon faith that author would be compensated less than a murder mystery novelist.”As a Latter-day Saint myself, I found his reference a bit odd and was prepared to defend any negative comments but they never came. Dennis was so upbeat and interesting that I spoke with him several times before and after his talk and even purchased two of his personal research books about leveraging social media for promotion. He exuded positive energy that felt familiar and comfortable. It seemed pretty clear to me that he was gay and I’m happily married to a wonderful man so my interest was strictly business.

After his talk, I asked Dennis what his first book was about and what he was currently writing.   He was pretty vague about everything and moved onto another topic.  That seemed odd at the time since all the writers I know love to speak about their books.  Before parting, I linked to him on Facebook and he shared a few social media tips with me.  Dennis extended a vague offer of help and I yearned for success shortcuts in an ocean of information.

At home, I researched Dennis and found the topic of his first book from over a decade ago to be terribly unsavory.  This shook me to my core as the information in front of me directly contradicted my initial, positive impression. How could I be so wrong? My positive feelings about him were swallowed up in darkness and I planned to stay far away.

Less than a week later I saw a Facebook post with Dennis and missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  And then there were a few more including one where a good friend of his was going on a mission.  I thought his family might be LDS.  Then I recognized one of the missionaries and made an online comment about how Elder So-and-So served in Westerly, RI.  And I commented on other posts until it felt as though I was seeing the real Dennis.   Then I received a private message from Dennis saying, “I finally figured out you’re LDS!”  “You too!, I typed.   It was a day or two later that Dennis and I shared a long phone call and our testimonies of mature-age conversion to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  “Every convert has a past,” Dennis shared.  I remember all too well how grateful I was to my Savior after baptism decades ago and how my heart changed forever. At the core of Christianity is the belief that people can change for the better. Dennis and I are both living proof of God’s love in this abiding principle. He and I became friends with a shared desire to help others find and accept the redeeming love of Jesus Christ.   I began to support him in online forums and, because I’m both a writer and LDS, am now part of the “Is He Nuts” Dennis Schleicher community. 

What would both of us have missed had I listened to my head and the hard, cold facts instead of the Holy Ghost whispering “he is a good man and a kindred spirit.”?  I’m so grateful to have recognized and acted upon the whisperings of the Spirit as dark proof blocked my path.  The darkness was the old Dennis but I met and trust the new Dennis who has been transformed by the love of our Savior. By trusting in the goodness I feel, I have a new friend.  That hinge decision could have slammed a door shut but, instead, opened a door to new opportunities.  I stand all amazed at the love Jesus offers each of us with open arms and an open heart.  He loves and forgives and implores each of us to do the same. Each of us has a past but it doesn’t have to control our future.

Elizabeth J Saede