The Vine In The Vineyard Of The Lord : The Plainview Branch

2012-01-24T19:12:00.003-06:00

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Why Didn’t They Know?

2011-11-24T21:52:00.001-06:00

It’s well time that a blog was written. It has been 94 days since my last post, nevertheless, I hope this is as interesting to you, as it was to me.

Today was the day I got back to the beginning of the Book Of Mormon to start reading it again, as I usually do once I’ve completed reading it. I got to the end of 1st Nephi chapter 3, you know, the part where once Nephi, Sam, Laman and Lemuel reach the “…cavity of a rock.” (1st Nephi 3:27). Well, we all also know that after that failed attempt to gain the plates of brass, two brothers who wrongly felt deprived of all the meaning of their life, now stood facing the realization that not only were they homeless, without serious belief in the cause their father had enlisted them in, but now, every earthly possession they had sat it the paws of a greedy, and now even more rich man.

Laban had no intention of ever trading the plates of brass, but he certainly had every intention of increasing his net worth. Laban had increased the weight of his net worth but, sadly like many of his brethren of the Jews, his mind and heart wasn’t where it should be. (Just remember, according to the scriptures this was sometime on, or very soon after the first year of the reign of King Zedekiah. 600 B.C.)

It was very disconcerting to suffer through, but in an act as ruthless as unconscionable, Laman and Lemuel begin to smite Nephi and Sam with a rod. (See verse 28). Why do such a thing? Didn’t they all just safely make it to the cavity of a rock, and all had no bodily harm? Where is that unconditional love that is said to exist between brothers? Laman and Lemuel were filled with pride and a love for those things of the world.

Fortunately for Nephi and Sam, an Angel of the Lord quickly intervened, stopping the smiting of the two younger, and more righteous brothers by their elder brothers Laman and Lemuel.

Laman and Lemuel were told by the angel that the Lord chose Nephi to be a ruler over them because of their iniquities. I can see that the realization of that statement may have made them angry, but it was true.

But Laman and Lemuel were still struggling with something, and it was knowledge they should have known. Listen to what the scripture describes of them and what they say in the final verse of chapter 3, (Verse 31) “And after the angel had departed, Laman and Lemuel again began to murmur, saying: How is it possible that the Lord will deliver Laban into our hands? Behold, he is a mighty man, and he can command fifty, yea, even he can slay fifty; then why not us?”

Now, its clear to me, and I’m sure to all of us that Laman and Lemuel were not righteous, but why would they not know? They were not familiar with the scriptures, and indeed, the Lord. To close this blog, and to prove the point concerning the dangers of not knowing the Lord, lets go back another chapter in 1st Nephi. Here Lehi mentions to Laman and Lemuel how he hoped they would be like a great valley, and a great river. Nephi then describes why by saying the following:

“Now this he spake because of the stiffneckedness of Laman and Lemuel; for behold they did murmur in many things against their father, because he was a visionary man, and had led them out of the land of Jerusalem, to leave the land of their inheritance, and their gold, and their silver, and their precious things, to perish in the wilderness. And this they said he had done because of the foolish imaginations of his heart. And thus Laman and Lemuel, being the eldest, did murmur against their father. And they did murmur because they knew not the dealings of that God who had created them.”

Let us all remember this great lesson. Much love brethren!

Lesson For 8/21/11 - The Oath And Covenant Of The Priesthood

2011-08-20T13:05:00.000-05:00

The Lesson For 8/21/11 Was Originally To Be From The Gospel Principles Manual But Through Trial And Prayer, I have Found The Need To Make This A Focus For The Elders Quorum, Both For Review And For The Prospective Elders In The Quorum. Included In This Post Will Be Some Videos That Specifically Describe The Details That Come From The 84th Section Of The Doctrine And Covenants.

Before I Proceed With My Insight, Understanding, And Counsel, Let Us Hear From An Apostle Of The Lord:

(Note: Those Who Receive This Via Email Will Need To Visit The Blog To Watch The Videos:)

(http://plainvieweq.blogspot.com)

Elder Perry On The Priesthood: Part 1:

He mentioned some great verses from the 84th Section of the Doctrine & Covenants in that video, and I would like to list them here, then briefly discuss them after the second video by Elder Perry.

40 Therefore, all those who receive the priesthood, receive this oath and covenant of my Father, which he cannot break, neither can it be moved.

41 But whoso breaketh this covenant after he hath received it, and altogether turneth therefrom, shall not have forgiveness of sins in this world nor in the world to come.

42 And wo unto all those who come not unto this priesthood which ye have received, which I now confirm upon you who are present this day, by mine own voice out of the heavens; and even I have given the heavenly hosts and mine angels charge concerning you.

Now Elder Perry On The Priesthood Part 2:

There are some great things discussed in these videos, and also many things for us to ponder and pray about. In thinking about the Oath And Covenant of the Priesthood, I look back on my own mistakes, not to dwell on them but to learn from them. In the past, I asked myself, When I messed up..... when I did fall on my face, was I doing everything I should have been doing?

Was I reading my personal scriptures, as well as scriptures with my wife, and scriptures as a family? Was I participating in Family Prayer twice a day (at least)? Was I honoring and magnifying my calling and trying to serve others? Was I paying my tithing? Was I giving a full and "Generous" fast offering? I add Generous in there because if there have ever been times in my life where the church has helped me with finances, they have always helped me without a moment of hesitation. There are others who find themselves leaning upon the welfare resources of the Church, and so it's important that I pay a fast offering that may help another family, nomatter how or what type of help they need. Was I attending the Temple enough? I remember hearing some type of statistic, (I could be wrong about the location) but I think one time I heard that the Lubbock Stake only had 3% of its Temple Recommend Holders in active attendance. With a Temple So Close, and so readily accessible why are we not striving more to help with Baptisms for the dead? Why arent we doing endowment sessions for our kindred dead? We grow every time we enter the Holy House of the Lord.

I recognize my own need for improvement, and only pray I can serve you better. For that, I am praying. What I wish for my wonderful brethren of the Priesthood is that we might be spoken of in this loving regard:

Augusto A. Lim was a General Authority in the Church back in October of 1992 when he gave a Conference Address that spoke of how the missionaries who came to Philippines were referred to by many there, and I quote:

"Like the sons of Mosiah, “they had searched the scriptures diligently, that they might know the word of God.” (Alma 17:2.) And “they had given themselves to much prayer, and fasting; therefore they had the spirit of prophecy, and the spirit of revelation, and when they taught, they taught with power and authority of God.” (Alma 17:3.) And “they did suffer much, both in body and in mind, such as hunger, thirst and fatigue, and also much labor in the spirit.” (Alma 17:5.) But after the completion of an honorable mission, like Ammon, one of the sons of Mosiah, these missionaries can also say, “My joy is full, yea, my heart is brim with joy, and I will rejoice in my God.” (Alma 26:11.)"

Perhaps we all can strive to be like this. The Priesthood is in no way, a thing to be casually looked upon. There is great responsibility that comes with the Oath the Lord gives us. When the keys of the Priesthood are exercised in righteousness, and the will of the Father is in affirmation of the blessings invoked upon others, the Lord will come through for us. I have seen that very miracle already, in my life with a dear beloved Father Figure, Brother Olmsted!

In referring back to those verses of the 84th Section of the Doctrine and Covenants (Verses 40-42) President Henry B. Eyring, First Counselor in The First Presidency said:

Now, if you are like I was when I first heard those words as a young man, the challenge of accepting the Melchizedek Priesthood could seem daunting. There are at least two reasons why you should be confident rather than discouraged with the penalties that would follow either failing to keep the oath and covenant or deciding not to accept it. Whether you accept the oath and covenant and find it too difficult or if you fail to try, the penalty is the same. There is no question, therefore, that your best course and mine is to receive the holy priesthood and try with all of our hearts to keep its covenants. If we choose not to try, we would certainly lose the opportunity for eternal life. If we try and with God’s help succeed, we will gain eternal life."

There is yet another reason to decide now that you will try with all your heart to qualify for that oath and covenant and have confidence that you will succeed. God promises you the help and power which, if you exercise faith, will give you success.

I can admit I felt very.... weary for lack of a better term. I had hoped that as I took upon me this great responsibility, that I would not fall short of anything but pleasing to the Lord. Looking back on it now, it is obvious now the Lord is telling me (and perhaps others) that this is a blessing, rather than a mandate. All men should look upon this prestigious opportunity because greater blessings come of it! All this in combination with what is said in that same Section of the Doctrine and Covenants, but in verse 57, the Lord mentions that we need to

"...remember the new covenant, even the Book Of Mormon and the former commandments which I have given them, not only to say, but to do according to that which I have written-" (D & C 84:57)

I also recall back to when I received my Melchizedek Priesthood, the comfort that came to me in reading the words of the Lord which are also in the same section that says:

"...whoso receiveth you, there I will be also, for I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up." (D & C 84:88)

Why would he go so far to aid us? Well, a fraction of understanding can be found in verse 77 when He says, "....I say unto you my friends, for from henceforth I shall call you friends..."

Continuing with what President Henry B. Eyring spoke of.... he said:

"Let me describe some of the blessings you will receive as you go forward in faith.

First, the very fact that you have been offered the oath and covenant is evidence that God has chosen you, knowing your power and capacity. He has known you since you were with Him in the spirit world. With His foreknowledge of your strength, He has allowed you to find the true Church of Jesus Christ and to be offered the priesthood. You can feel confidence because you have evidence of His confidence in you.

Second, as you will try to keep your covenants, the Savior has promised His personal help. He has said that as you go forward in honoring the priesthood: “There I will be also, for I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up.”²

You may at times need reassurance, as I do, that you will have the strength to meet your obligations in this sacred priesthood. The Lord foresaw your need for reassurance. He said, “For whoso is faithful unto the obtaining these two priesthoods of which I have spoken, and the magnifying their calling, are sanctified by the Spirit unto the renewing of their bodies.”

^{We can see that the importance of our obtaining the Priesthood, and then striving to live worthy of it, is crucial to our Eternal progress. Without the Melchizedek Priesthood, we cannot be sealed to our beloved spouse and be bound together for all time and eternity. If we dont get sealed in the Temple to our spouse then we lose additional blessings and promises. (See D & C Section 132)}

There is so much more that could be included in this particular blog, but I invite

you all to read and study not just The Oath and Covenant Of The Priesthood but all

of the standard works. Your testimony will grow, your affinity for feeling the Spirit,

and doing the will of the Father will become more prevalent. This I know to be

despite my imperfections. I leave that testimony with you in the name of Jesus

Christ, Amen.

Accountability For Our Actions, Accountability For Our Stake

2011-08-16T04:05:00.000-05:00

Brothers and Sisters,

Coming up in October of this year (2011) marks a pivotal and monumental time for me in my personal life. Next to the decision of marriage, I cannot see where there ever was a more important time in my life where a decision to own up for my sins, shortcomings, offenses, mistakes and any other word that could fit into the vocabulary of those who literally live with enmity between themselves and the Supreme Being, The Lord Jesus Christ, could mean so much. Indeed, could have so much more profound an impact on how the future of my life would pan out.

The scriptures remind us that, "...the natural man is an enemy to God..." and the scripture that reminds us of this, also tells us why, "...and has been from the fall of Adam...". (Mosiah 3:19) And though Adam did fall, there was a greater purpose behind all things that happened in that fashion. In short, the Book Of Mormon Prophet said it best, when he said, "Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy." (2nd Nephi 2:25)

This is a basic reminder of a common fault that all mankind has, but we sometimes forget that though we have made the mistake, we can correct it.

That brings me back to the first item on the list which is also the first word of the title of this blog entry. Where does accountability sit in the list of things that the scriptures list are needed to return to our Heavenly Father? Let us look back at the first scripture I mentioned in this blog. I encourage you to open to it in your personal scriptures, and if you do not have this scripture marked, mark it now. Turn to Mosiah 3:19. It reads as follows:

"For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father."

Let us first address the "...yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit...". I know in this day and age, the word "yield" or anything close to it, say "submit", is far from anything that any "Man" (Speaking more directly of the imperfection and impurity that we are naturally full of, and not so much towards gender) in this day and age would ever want to surrender. Our pride, indeed our very nature demands -the world might say- that we are opposed to anything that is something outside of what we can see, or touch and feel. Very rarely do we realistically wish to completely look far enough down the road to see just whether or not we can make it without putting our vehicle at a complete stop when the sign only reads "Yield". So what does the word "Yield" mean?

If we use Yield as a verb with reference to an object, some definitions read:

1) : "to give up, as to superior power or authority"

2) : "to give up or surrender (oneself)"

Now, if we use Yield as a verb without reference to an object, some definitions read:

1) : "to surrender or submit, as to superior power"

2) : "to give way to influence, entreaty, argument, or the like"

3) : "to give place or precedence"

In all of those definitions, you will notice "To give up", or "To surrender", and even, "To give way or place". Are those any words of which any man likes to use in reference to himself doing the will of another? If we yield to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, nothing but good can come of it. But why is that thought so unpopular?

Allow me to share with you, a powerful way that Elder Jeffrey Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles once shared the significance of yielding to the will of another. In his reference, he refers to the Savior, and we can tie that into yielding to the enticing of the Holy Spirit, because that Spirit helps us to know and then do the Lords will.

"I Have Suffered the Will of the Father"

Let me take a moment to set the stage. I use the word advisedly. I want to imply divine theater. Ralph Waldo Emerson once wrote, "If the stars should appear one night in a thousand years, how would men believe and adore; and preserve for many generations the remembrance of the city of God which had been shown [them]!" (Nature [1836], section 1).

In the spirit of that very provocative thought, I invite you to consider another startling--and much more important scene that should evoke belief and adoration, a scene which, like the stars at night, we have undoubtedly taken too much for granted. Imagine yourselves to be among the people of Nephi living in the land of Bountiful in approximately A.D. 34. Tempests and earthquakes and whirlwinds and storms, quickened and cut by thunder and sharp lightning, have enveloped the entire face of the land.

Some cities--entire cities--have burst into flames as if by spontaneous combustion. Others have disappeared into the sea, never to be seen again. Still others are completely covered over with mounds of soil, and some have been carried away with the wind.

The whole face of the land has been changed, the entire earth around you has been deformed. Then, as you and your neighbors are milling about the temple grounds (a place that has suddenly seemed to many like a very good place to be), you hear a voice and see a man clothed in a white robe descending out of heaven. It is a dazzling display. He seems to emanate the very essence of light and life itself--a splendor in sharp contrast to the three days of death and darkness just witnessed.

He speaks and says simply, with a voice that penetrates the very marrow of your bones, "I am Jesus Christ, whom the prophets testified shall come into the world" (3 Nephi 11:10).

There it is--or, more correctly speaking, there he is! He is the focal point and principal figure behind every fireside and devotional and family home evening held by those Nephites for the last six hundred years, and by their Israelite forefathers for thousands of years before that.

Everyone has talked of him and sung of him and dreamed of him and prayed--but here he actually is. This is the day, and yours is the generation. What a moment! But you find you are less inclined to check the film in your camera than you are to check the faith in your heart.

"I am Jesus Christ, whom the prophets testified shall come into the world." Of all the messages that could come from the scroll of eternity, what has he brought to us? Get a pencil. Where's my notebook? Turn on every tape recorder in town.

He speaks:

I am the light and the life of the world; . . . I have drunk out of that bitter cup which the Father hath given me, and have glorified the Father in taking upon me the sins of. the world, . . . I have suffered the will of the Father in all things from the beginning.

That is it. Just a few lines. Only fifty-two words. "And. . . when Jesus had spoken these words the whole multitude fell to the earth" (3 Nephi 11:11-12).

This introductory utterance from the resurrected Son of God constitutes my only text today. I have thought very often about this moment in Nephite history. I cannot think it either accident or mere whimsy that the Good Shepherd in his newly exalted state, appearing to a most significant segment of his flock, chooses first to speak of his obedience, his deference, his loyalty, and loving submission to his father. In an initial and profound moment of spellbinding wonder, when surely he had the attention of every man, woman, and child as far as the eye could see, his submission to his father is the first and most important thing he wishes us to know about himself.

Frankly, I am a bit haunted by the thought that this is the first and most important thing he may want to know about us when 'we meet him one day in similar fashion. Did we obey, even if it was painful? Did we submit, even if the cup was bitter indeed? Did we yield to a vision higher and holier than our own, even when we may have seen no vision in it at all?

One by one he invites us to feel the wounds in his hands and his feet and his side. And as we pass and touch and wonder, perhaps he whispers, "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me" (Matthew 16:24).

If such cross-bearing self-denial was, by definition, the most difficult thing Christ or any man has ever had to do, an act of submission that would, by the Savior's own account, cause him, "God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit" --if yielding and obeying and bowing to divine will holds only that ahead, then no wonder that even the Only Begotten Son of the true and living God "would that [he] might not drink the bitter cup, and shrink" (D&C 19:18)!

Even as we rehearse this greatest of all personal sacrifices, you can be certain that with some in this world it is not fashionable nor flattering to speak of submitting--to anybody or anything. At the threshold of the twenty-first century it sounds wrong on the face of it. It sounds feeble and wimpish. It just isn't the American way.

As Elder Neal A. Maxwell wrote recently,

In today's society, at the mere mention of the words obedience and submissiveness hackles rise and people are put on nervous alert. . . . People promptly furnish examples from secular history to illustrate how obedience to unwise authority and servility to bad leaders have caused much human misery and suffering. It is difficult, therefore, to get a hearing for what the words obedience and submissiveness really mean--even when the clarifying phrase, "to God," is attached. ["Not My Will, But Thine" (Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1988), p. 1]

(The will of the Father In All Things; Elder Jeffrey R. Holland BYU devotional 17th January 1989)

Accountability is shown of the Savior when he speaks about doing all that the Father has asked to be done. And the Savior, being that great and shining example to us all- indeed the Israelites forefathers, the Nephites and every man woman and child who has lived or ever will yet live. So what does Accountable mean? If we check our dictionaries, I feel the definition that will suffice is :

responsible to someone or for some action; answerable

The Lord is sure to help us answer for what we ourselves could not do. He led the way in that example, a great sacrifice it was.... a powerful and profound amount of pain and suffering to answer for our actions as mankind was from the beginning, an enemy to God.

Now that we have the understanding of yield, and submission, and accountability- I suppose we ought to know for what and unto what degree we are to be accountable for. The Lord, throughout the entire standard works of his Gospel, the Scriptures, gives us laws and commandments. We learn precepts, wisdom, traditions and the means of making them all to work for our benefit.

Did I just say benefit? Yes! The Gospel is for our benefit! Its not a code of restrictions, although some of the people in the world, perhaps a few of us here and there see the Gospel as a restrictive lifestyle as opposed to the real way it should be viewed- a real guide to the real path of happiness. Its no wonder why the scriptures, the word of God is referenced the way it is. As Nephi said:

"... I beheld that the rod of iron, which my father had seen, was the word of God, which led to the fountain of living waters, or to the tree of life; which waters are a representation of the love of God; and I also beheld that the tree of life was a representation of the love of God."

Every portion of his description was of a good thing. The word of God, the scriptures.... His very Gospel led to the tree of life: "The Love Of God." how much better could we hope to get? None.

Our beloved Stake President, President Shumway, has expressed the will of the Lord for the Lubbock Texas Stake- And make no mistake, it is the will of the Lord. All things in "The Vision Of The Vine" are in store for the Lubbock Texas Stake and the will of the Lord will happen whether we are on the bandwagon or not. Though this work is not going to be easy, it certainly will be worth it.

It reminds me of a phrase my Step-Father continually told me and my siblings growing up. In talking about all the work involved in the Gospel, he said that the Lord could probably be quoted somewhere along the lines of eternity as saying,

"I never said it would be easy, I only said it would be worth it."

Really, the keys to "The Vision Of The Vine" are told us not just by President Shumway's council, but also throughout the scriptures. No man can be taught a doctrine he is not willing to learn, and to learn something, one must understand it. You cannot understand something unless you dedicate some portion of time in studying it. It's a principle that we all know well, because it was the first thing that allowed us to take Moroni's challenge. Like our fore bearers, we read, then asked our Heavenly Father, in the name of Christ if those things of which we were reading were true. In doing so, we demonstrated to the Father that we were Humble enough to seek direction outside our own temporal wisdom.

Humility is the first of those three keys, and make no mistake, we cannot even touch the door handle of the next step, or key, in "The Vision Of The Vine" until we have adopted and put into action that first key.

The second key that President Shumway has said was crucial to "The Vision Of The Vine" , is one that we all should know well, because it is "The first law of Heaven" (Elder Jeffrey R. Holland; The will of the Father in all things: 17 Jan 1989) That first law of Heaven is "Obedience". We can all too easily push off the significance of just how important this law is, and in doing so, rob ourselves the chance to grow more- even when that law of obedience means throwing all we have thought was wisdom in us, and seeking for the wisdom of the Lord. To best illustrate this law, allow me to share another segment where Elder Jeffrey R. Holland talks about just how hard and uncomfortable that can be!

It is as follows:

As the Great Exemplar and Daystar of our lives, is it any wonder that Christ chooses first and foremost to define himself in relation to his father--that he loved him and obeyed him and submitted to him like the loyal son he was? And what he as a child of God did, we must try very hard to do also.

Obedience is the first law of heaven, but in case you haven't noticed, some of these commandments are not easy, and we frequently may seem to be in for much more than we bargained for. At least if we are truly serious about becoming a saint, I think we will find that is the case.

Let me use an example from what is often considered by foes, and even by some friends, as the most unsavory moment in the entire Book of Mormon. I choose it precisely because there is so much in it that has given offense to many. It is pretty much a bitter cup all the way around.

I speak of Nephi's obligation to slay Laban in order to preserve a record, save a people, and ultimately lead to the restoration of the gospel in the dispensation of the fulness of times. How much is hanging in the balance as Nephi stands over the drunken and adversarial Laban I cannot say, but it is a very great deal indeed.

The only problem is that we know this, but Nephi does not. And regardless of how much is at stake, how can. he do this thing? He is a good person, perhaps even a well-educated person. He has been taught from the very summit of Sinai "Thou shalt not kill." And he has made gospel covenants.

"1 was constrained by the Spirit that I should kill Laban; but . . . I shrunk and would that I might not slay him" (1 Nephi 4:10). A bitter test? A desire to shrink? Sound familiar? We don't know why those plates could not have been obtained some other way--perhaps accidentally left at the plate polishers one night or maybe falling out the back of Laban's chariot on a Sabbath afternoon.

For that matter, why didn't Nephi just leave this story out of the book altogether? Why didn't he say something like, "And after much effort and anguish of spirit, I did obtain the plates of Laban and did depart into the wilderness unto the tent of my father?" At the very least he might have buried the account somewhere in the Isaiah chapters, thus guaranteeing that it would have gone undiscovered up to this very day.

But there it is, squarely in the beginning of the book--page 8--where even the most casual reader will see it and must deal with it. It is not intended that either Nephi or we be spared the struggle of this account.

I believe that story was placed in the very opening verses of a 531-page book and then told in painfully specific detail in order to focus every reader of that record on the absolutely fundamental gospel issue of obedience and submission to the communicated will of the Lord. If Nephi cannot yield to this terribly painful command, if he cannot bring himself to obey, then it is entirely probable that he can never succeed or survive in the tasks that lie just ahead.

"I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded" (1 Nephi 3:7). I confess that I wince a little when I hear that promise quoted so casually among us. Jesus knew what that kind of commitment would entail, and so now does Nephi. And so will a host of others before it is over. That vow took Christ to the cross on Calvary, and it remains at the heart of every Christian covenant. "I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded." Well, we shall see.

Did you catch the significance of what Elder Holland was sharing?

That is just what Obedience is! Now, Am I, or anyone else on this planet perfect? Absolutely not. Can we do more to secure the blessings the Lord has prepared only through obedience to the principles of which He has set? You bet we can!

The Prophet Joseph Smith taught:

Joseph Smith taught the following in April 1843, later recorded in Doctrine and Covenants 130:20–21: “There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated—and when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated.”

He also taught in similar manner:

“All blessings that were ordained for man by the Council of Heaven were on conditions of obedience to the law thereof.” (Discourse given by Joseph Smith on July 16, 1843, in Nauvoo, Illinois; reported by Franklin D. Richards, in Franklin Dewey Richards, Scriptural Items, ca. 1841–44, Church Archives.)

That is a good measure of what Obedience is, but the Prophet Joseph Smith taught much more on that subject. I invite you to read about it, in The teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith, Chapter 13: Obedience, "When The Lord Commands, Do It."

The final of the three keys to "The Vision Of The Vine" is Teach (And might I add Live) the pure doctrine. There was a phrase mentioned by President Gordon B. Hinkley, in which he said, "Keep the doctrine pure." We are all teachers in some way and teachers can keep the doctrine pure by using the scriptures, as well as official words and documents that have been written and given to us from the prophets and apostles. They also share the fruits and blessings that will be received as the doctrine is taught with purity.

It is my testimony to you that we can see "The Vision Of The Vine" through. Plainview is that torch between the Lubbock and Amarillo Stakes, and when we adhere to the 3 Keys Of The Vision Of The Vine, Tied In harmony with our living the principles that President Shumway has placed great emphasis on, which I later drafted into a document I named "The Shumway Sequence" we will see the hand of the Lord work miracles in our lives. I know we will see it, but we must be willing to do all things the Lords way, as instructed to us through our beloved Stake President, President Shumway, and his wise counselors President Kimball and President McCombs. I know this to be true, down to the fibers of my soul. I leave that testimony with you, in the only name under Heaven in which mankind can be saved, even the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.

Lesson For 8/14/11 : Family Responsibilities

2011-08-13T23:39:00.000-05:00

Responsibilities of the Parents

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What responsibilities do husbands and wives share in raising their children?

Each person has an important place in his or her family. Through prophets the Lord has explained how fathers, mothers, and children should behave and feel toward one another. As husbands, wives, and children, we need to learn what the Lord expects us to do to fulfill our purpose as a family. If we all do our part, we will be united eternally.

For teachers: As with chapter 36, be sensitive to the feelings of those who do not have ideal situations at home. Emphasize that with guidance from the Lord and help from family members and the Church, single parents can successfully raise their children.

In the sacred responsibilities of parenthood, “fathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partners” (“The Family: A Proclamation to the World,” Ensign, Nov. 1995, 102). They should work together to provide for the spiritual, emotional, intellectual, and physical needs of the family.

Some responsibilities must be shared by the husband and the wife. Parents should teach their children the gospel. The Lord warned that if parents do not teach their children about faith, repentance, baptism, and the gift of the Holy Ghost, the sin will be upon the heads of the parents. Parents should also teach their children to pray and to obey the Lord’s commandments. (See D&C 68:25, 28.)

One of the best ways parents can teach their children is by example. Husbands and wives should show love and respect for each other and for their children by both actions and words. It is important to remember that each member of the family is a child of God. Parents should treat their children with love and respect, being firm but kind to them.

Parents should understand that sometimes children will make wrong choices even after they have been taught the truth. When this happens, parents should not give up. They should continue to teach their children, to express love for them, to be good examples to them, and to fast and pray for them.

The Book of Mormon tells us how the prayers of a father helped a rebellious son return to the ways of the Lord. Alma the Younger had fallen away from the teachings of his righteous father, Alma, and had gone about seeking to destroy the Church. The father prayed with faith for his son. Alma the Younger was visited by an angel and repented of his evil way of living. He became a great leader of the Church. (See Mosiah 27:8–32.)

Parents can provide an atmosphere of reverence and respect in the home if they teach and guide their children with love. Parents should also provide happy experiences for their children.

•
How can husbands and wives support each other in their roles? Where can single parents turn for support?

Responsibilities of the Father

•
What positive examples have you seen of fathers raising their children?

“By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families” (Ensign, Nov. 1995, 102). A worthy father who is a member of the Church has the opportunity to hold the priesthood, making him the priesthood leader of his family. He should guide his family with humility and kindness rather than with force or cruelty. The scriptures teach that those who hold the priesthood should lead others by persuasion, gentleness, love, and kindness (see D&C 121:41–44; Ephesians 6:4).

The father shares the blessings of the priesthood with the members of his family. When a man holds the Melchizedek Priesthood, he can share these blessings by administering to the sick and giving special priesthood blessings. Under the direction of a presiding priesthood leader, he can bless babies, baptize, confirm, and perform priesthood ordinations. He should set a good example for his family by keeping the commandments. He should also make sure the family prays together twice daily and holds family home evening.

The father should spend time with each child individually. He should teach his children correct principles, talk with them about their problems and concerns, and counsel them lovingly. Some good examples are found in the Book of Mormon (see 2 Nephi 1:14–3:25; Alma 36–42).

It is also the father’s duty to provide for the physical needs of his family, making sure they have the necessary food, housing, clothing, and education. Even if he is unable to provide all the support himself, he does not give up the responsibility of the care of his family.

Responsibilities of the Mother

•
What positive examples have you seen of mothers raising their children?

President David O. McKay said that motherhood is the noblest calling (seeTeachings of Presidents of the Church: David O. McKay [2003], 156). It is a sacred calling, a partnership with God in bringing His spirit children into the world. Bearing children is one of the greatest of all blessings. If there is no father in the home, the mother presides over the family.

President Boyd K. Packer praised women who were unable to have children of their own yet sought to care for others. He said: “When I speak of mothers, I speak not only of those women who have borne children, but also of those who have fostered children born to others, and of the many women who, without children of their own, have mothered the children of others” (Mothers [1977], 8).

Latter-day prophets have taught, “Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children” (Ensign, Nov. 1995, 102). A mother needs to spend time with her children and teach them the gospel. She should play and work with them so they can discover the world around them. She also needs to help her family know how to make the home a pleasant place to be. If she is warm and loving, she helps her children feel good about themselves.

The Book of Mormon describes a group of 2,000 young men who rose to greatness because of the teachings of their mothers (see Alma 53:16–23). Led by the prophet Helaman, they went into battle against their enemies. They had learned to be honest, brave, and trustworthy from their mothers. Their mothers also taught them that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them (see Alma 56:47). They all survived the battle. They expressed faith in the teachings of their mothers, saying, “We do not doubt our mothers knew it” (Alma 56:48). Every mother who has a testimony can have a profound effect on her children.

Responsibilities of the Children

•
How do children help their parents build a happy home?

Children share with their parents the responsibilities of building a happy home. They should obey the commandments and cooperate with other family members. The Lord is not pleased when children quarrel (seeMosiah 4:14).

The Lord has commanded children to honor their parents. He said, “Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land” (Exodus 20:12). To honor parents means to love and respect them. It also means to obey them. The scriptures tell children to “obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right” (Ephesians 6:1).

President Spencer W. Kimball said that children should learn to work and to share responsibilities in the home and yard. They should be given assignments to keep the house neat and clean. (See Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Spencer W. Kimball [2006], 120.)

•
What should children do to honor and respect their parents?
•
What did your parents do that led you to honor and respect them?

Accepting Responsibilities Brings Blessings

•
What can each member of the family do to make home a happy place?

A loving and happy family does not happen by accident. Each person in the family must do his or her part. The Lord has given responsibilities to both parents and children. The scriptures teach that we must be thoughtful, cheerful, and considerate of others. When we speak, pray, sing, or work together, we can enjoy the blessings of harmony in our families. (See Colossians 3.)

•
What are some traditions and practices that can make home a happy place?

Additional Scriptures and Other Sources

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Proverbs 22:6 (train up a child)
•
Ephesians 6:1–3 (children are to obey parents)
•
D&C 68:25–28; Ephesians 6:4 (responsibilities of parents)
•
“The Family: A Proclamation to the World,” (available on LDS.org and in many Church publications, including Ensign, Nov. 1995, page 102;For the Strength of Youth [item number 36550], page 44; and True to the Faith [item number 36863], pages 59–61)
•
Family Guidebook (item number 31180)

Elder Marion D. Hanks dies at age 89

2011-08-09T07:06:00.000-05:00

Brethren,

The news I have here is sad news.... one of our great General Authorities, Elder Marion D. Hanks has passed away. (This happened Friday- But I got the news today. In light of getting this news, regardless of the hour, I knew the information needed to be shared.)

Before I list the story, here is some information to shed some brief light on the extent of Elder Hanks service just up until 1980:

He served for several years as a Presidential Appointee on the United States President’s Citizens Advisory Committee on Children and Youth, and on the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. In 1978 he was presented the Distinguished Service Award of the President’s Council “in recognition of outstanding contributions to the National Program of Physical Fitness and Sports.”

He has been a speaker and consultant at youth conferences throughout the United States and in foreign countries and has participated in a number of White House Conferences on Children and Youth.

In Scouting, Elder Hanks serves as a member of the National Executive Board, as Chairman of the National Camping and Outdoors Committee, and as a member of the Business and Finance Committees of the Boy Scouts of America. He has been awarded the Silver Beaver, the Silver Antelope, the Order of the Arrow, and in 1973 was presented the first honorary award of the National Eagle Scout Association “in recognition of his distinguished service to scouting.”

Past president of Salt Lake City Rotary Club, he was District Governor of Rotary for 1977–78.
Among his civic services, Elder Hanks was the first chairman of the Utah Committee on Children and Youth, board member of Weber State College and Southern Utah State College, and member of the Snow College Institutional Council. He currently serves on the Board of Trustees of Brigham Young University and the Church Board of Education. He has served on numerous civic boards and committees, and holds the Minuteman Award from the Utah National Guard.

Elder Hanks holds a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Utah. He has been for many years a teacher and has been awarded honorary degrees or awards from Utah State University, Weber State College and Ricks College. He and his family spent several years in England and Europe in Church leadership there.

During World War II Elder Hanks served aboard a submarine chaser in the Pacific. He has since visited servicemen at their bases in many parts of the world. He is now serving as Military Relations Representative of the Church; and has served as Director of the Youth Program, worldwide.

Elder Hanks married Maxine Christensen in the Mormon Temple in Hawaii. They are the parents of four married daughters and one son.

Here is the story:

A submarine chaser in the Navy during World War II, Elder Marion D. Hanks risked his life to fly into hot combat zones during the Vietnam War to minister to LDS soldiers.

When a few of the first letters he wrote back to the families of soldiers didn't arrive until after the soldiers were killed in action, Elder Hanks took to staying up late into the night dictating the letters. Each morning, he put the tapes on a plane back to Utah, where his secretary would immediately type and send the letters.

"I can tell you by experience in my own family that a letter from a General Authority who has recently visited your 'loved one' in the field in Vietnam is a morale-builder," Army Col. Russell Meacham said in the book Saints at War about the letter sent by Elder Hanks to Meacham's family.

Elder Hanks, who served for nearly 40 years as a General Authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, died Friday in Salt Lake City, a week after suffering a stroke, surrounded by family members who recalled his remarkable capacity for ministering to the one.

"His intellect was just incredible, enormous, but his ability to touch the individual person in a personal way was his greatest legacy," his son Richard D. Hanks said Friday night. "The person before him always had his full devotion."

A mentor to apostles, a teacher and an athlete, Elder Hanks was the oldest living member of the Quorum of the Seventy nearly 60 years after joining what then was the First Council of the Seventy on Oct. 4, 1953, at the tender age of 31, one of the youngest men called to serve as a General Authority in the latter half of the 20th Century.

"The church lost a valued and respected leader, educator and friend with the passing of Elder Marion D. Hanks," the church's First Presidency said in a statement released late Friday afternoon. "He was an admired leader who served in numerous church callings, including the Presidency of the First Quorum of the Seventy and as an Assistant to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. We extend our sincere condolences to his wife, Maxine, and their family."

In the early 1960s, Elder Hanks served as president of the British Mission. Among the missionaries he mentored were Elder Jeffrey R. Holland and Elder Quentin L. Cook, now both members of the church's Quorum of the Twelve.

"President Hanks had a profound influence on my life," Elder Holland once said, "as he did upon all the missionaries."

"Elder Hanks was the most incredible teacher and learner that I have ever known," said Richard G. Whitehead, who also served as a missionary under Elder Hanks.

"I don't know of anyone who has had an influence on me — or believes in youth — like this man," said Whitehead, now vice president of Institutional Advancement at Southern Virginia University. "He just had the capacity to instill in everyone the desire to do their best."

Whitehead recalled that Elder Hanks encouraged the missionaries to memorize worthwhile writings that could help shape their lives. "Thankfully, I did," Whitehead said Friday, recalling this quote from Samuel Johnson:

"The fountain of content must spring up in the mind, and he who hath so little knowledge of human nature as to seek happiness by changing anything but his own disposition, will waste his life in fruitless efforts and multiply the grief he proposes to remove."

Elder Hanks also served as an assistant to the Quorum of the Twelve from 1968 to 1976 and twice served in the presidency of the Seventy — from 1976 to 1980, and from 1984 until he was given emeritus status on Oct. 3, 1992.

Elder Hanks had been the oldest living member of the First Quorum of Seventy and the second-oldest General Authority. Former church patriarch Eldred G. Smith, also an emeritus General Authority, is 104.
Born in Salt Lake City on Oct. 13, 1921, Elder Hanks was a son of Stanley Alonzo and Maude Frame Hanks. His father was a prominent municipal judge who died when Elder Hanks was 2. His widowed mother reared six of the seven children to maturity. Elder Hanks was the youngest.

Elder Hanks returned from World War II to earn a law degree at the University of Utah. He and his wife, the former Maxine Christensen, are the parents of five children.

An author and compelling speaker, he also wrote the lyrics to one of the church's hymns, "That Easter Morn," was honored with the Silver Buffalo Award by the Boy Scouts of America and served as president of the Salt Lake Temple from 1982-85.

Asked in 1993 by Dennis Lythgoe of the Deseret News what he thought his epitaph could read, Elder Hanks was hesitant to answer but offered a few possibilities:

"A teacher affects eternity. (It's definitely the most fun I've ever had.)"

"We live on in the lives we have influenced for good."

"Through Christ he early caught a glimpse of what man might be. His generous investment as a teacher produced rich dividends in the lives of others."

"I know that thou canst do everything, and that no thought can be withholden from thee ... but now mine eye seeth thee. Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes." — Job 42:1-6.

"I would have ended my last general conference address with Job but didn't have the time. I think these verses mean that Job sees that what he did pales beside that of the Savior. If I had anything on my epitaph, I would be happy with these verses from Job."

Funeral services are being planned for Aug. 13.

After receiving emeritus status, Elder Hanks became chairman of the Ouelessebougou Mali-Utah alliance group, which has supported a program of community service for a consortium of villages in Mali, West Africa.
In addition, he chaired the International Enterprise Development Foundation, which assists people in the Philippines and Third World countries in establishing small-business and other economic improvement efforts.
In April 1993, he received an honorary doctorate of Christian service as the main speaker at BYU's graduation.

Elder Hanks had also continued as a public speaker in his later years. For example, in 2002, he gave a talk titled, "I Do Not Do My Work in the Spirit of Benefaction but of Atonement" (a quotation from Albert Schweitzer), at Utah Valley State College in Orem.

He received BYU's David M. Kennedy Public Service Award in 1995. When he received that award, Ray Hillam, Kennedy Center associate and emeritus BYU faculty member. said, "The career of Marion D. Hanks has been a career of service. We cannot recognize all of his accomplishments. They are legion. However, the center wishes to honor Marion D. Hanks for his service in two specific areas: refugee work and rural and free enterprise development."

LDS-oriented Southern Virginia University in Buena Vista has also honored Elder Hanks with its Leader-Servant Award.

Elder Hanks was executive director of the Priesthood Department at the time he received emeritus status. He had also been executive director of the Correlation Department and chairman of the Communications Coding Committee.

As a youth, he won the Utah State Marble Championship, attended West High School and was offered a basketball scholarship to the University of Utah, but declined to serve a church mission.
His mission to the Northern States was cut short by World War II. He served in the Navy where he was group leader of 600 LDS servicemen.

On another assignment, while on an extended tour through the South Pacific, he was the only LDS member aboard a submarine chaser. Appointed acting chaplain by the ship's captain, he conducted weekly services, attracting many of the crew. He achieved the rank of first class petty officer.

He received a law degree from the University of Utah. in 1948. While at the university, he was active in Delta Phi, the returned missionaries' social fraternity. He later was an adviser to this group.

He never practiced law, but worked for the church's seminary and institute system until becoming a general authority.

As a general authority, he served for a number of years as military relations representative of the church.
His service in the Navy is credited with his introduction to his wife-to-be, Maxine Christensen, who was living in Hawaii with her parents at the time. Their four-year courtship led to marriage in the Hawaii Temple on Aug. 27, 1949. They were the parents of four daughters and a son.

After returning from the service, Elder Hanks continued his schooling and entered the teaching profession, becoming a principal and teacher of the seminary at West High. He was also an instructor at the Institute of Religion at the University of Utah.

He held these positions at the time of his call to the First Council of the Seventy. He remained as an institute teacher until 1970.

"I grew up participating in all kinds of sports, partly because of the example of my brother, who was an outstanding athlete, and partly because it was born in us, I guess," Elder Hanks said in a 1984 Church News interview. He was a member of the 19th Ward basketball team that won the all-Church championship in 1947.

Elder Hanks also earned his Master M-Man award and during June conferences of the MIA performed a number of special services for the MIA general boards.

For a number of years at the Mission Home, Elder Hanks taught classes in the Book of Mormon and conducted a "difficult" questions class.

He was a popular fireside speaker at the time of his call as a general authority and was noted for his attention-holding style of speech and for his rapport with audiences, especially young people.

Elder Hanks was active in numerous civic programs and was especially active in Scouting. He formerly served on Scouting's National Executive Board and International Committee and also was a member of the National Advisory Board. In 1988, he received the Silver Buffalo, the highest honor of the Boy Scouts of America, for nationwide service to youth.

He also was chairman of the Deseret Gym board and in February 1995 spoke at the gym's 85th anniversary open house.

Elder Hanks and his wife also founded the Hanks Foundation, a Salt Lake humanitarian group.
**********

This news is monumental, and as sad as the loss is here for us, it’s only a temporary loss. We simply must recognize how the other side of the Veil now has another missionary ready to preach the gospel alongside other prophets and apostles who have also fulfilled their callings here on earth, to answer the call on the other side.

May our prayers be with the Hanks family, and may the Lord bless him forever!

"Love at Home—Counsel from Our Prophet" : Lesson For August 7th, 2011

2011-08-03T23:28:00.000-05:00

By President Thomas S. Monson

Love at Home

Blessed Family Life

“When we have sampled much and have wandered far and have seen how fleeting and sometimes superficial a lot of the world is, our gratitude grows for the privilege of being part of something we can count on—home and family and the loyalty of loved ones. We come to know what it means to be bound together by duty, by respect, by belonging. We learn that nothing can fully take the place of the blessed relationship of family life.”¹

Sharing Our Love

“Give your child a compliment and a hug; say, ‘I love you’ more; always express your thanks. Never let a problem to be solved become more important than a person to be loved. Friends move away, children grow up, loved ones pass on. It’s so easy to take others for granted, until that day when they’re gone from our lives and we are left with feelings of ‘what if’ and ‘if only.’ …

“Let us relish life as we live it, find joy in the journey and share our love with friends and family. One day, each of us will run out of tomorrows. Let us not put off what is most important.”²

Showing Our Love

“Brethren, let’s treat our wives with dignity and with respect. They’re our eternal companions. Sisters, honor your husbands. They need to hear a good word. They need a friendly smile. They need a warm expression of true love. …

“To you who are parents, I say, show love to your children. You know you love them, but make certain they know it as well. They are so precious. Let them know. Call upon our Heavenly Father for help as you care for their needs each day and as you deal with the challenges which inevitably come with parenthood. You need more than your own wisdom in rearing them.”³

Expressing Our Love

“To you parents, express your love to your children. Pray for them that they may be able to withstand the evils of the world. Pray that they may grow in faith and testimony. Pray that they may pursue lives of goodness and of service to others.

“Children, let your parents know you love them. Let them know how much you appreciate all they have done and continue to do for you.”⁴

What Is Most Important

“What is most important almost always involves the people around us. Often we assume that they must know how much we love them. But we should never assume; we should let them know. Wrote William Shakespeare, ‘They do not love that do not show their love.’ We will never regret the kind words spoken or the affection shown. Rather, our regrets will come if such things are omitted from our relationships with those who mean the most to us.”⁵

Bringing Heaven Closer

“May our families and homes be filled with love: love of each other, love of the gospel, love of our fellowman, and love of our Savior. As a result, heaven will be a little closer here on earth.

“May we make of our homes sanctuaries to which our family members will ever want to return.”⁶

A Prayer for Families

“Inasmuch as the family unit is under attack in the world today, and many things long held sacred are ridiculed, we ask Thee, our Father, to make us equal to the challenges we face, that we may stand strong for truth and righteousness. May our homes be havens of peace, of love and of spirituality.”⁷

Teaching from This Message

In one type of learning activity, “the teacher presents a question or situation and gives learners a short amount of time to freely suggest solutions or ideas” (Teaching, No Greater Call [1999], 160). As you read this article with the family, ask them to listen for counsel or ideas that impress them. Family members could then suggest ways to increase love in their home. Consider inviting the family to review these ideas in an upcoming family home evening.

Youth

Mother Rescued Us

By Patricia Auxier

When I was six, my little sister and I were watching our older sister’s basketball game. My dad left, and then we decided that we wanted to go home with him, so we ran after him in the rain. When we couldn’t find him, we went back to the gym to go home with our mom, but by the time we entered the gym, everyone in the building was gone.

I remember huddling in a doorframe, trying to get my little sister and me out of the rain, praying that someone would come. Then I remember hearing the door to our red van slam shut, and we went running toward the sound. Then came one of the most vivid childhood memories I have: our mother enfolding us in her arms “as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings” (3 Nephi 10:4). My mother had rescued us, and I never felt more secure than I did at that moment.

As I think of her influence on me, I see that my mother’s life has pointed me toward the Savior and has shown me what it means to “lift up the hands which hang down, and strengthen the feeble knees” (D&C 81:5). She relied on Jesus Christ, who gave her strength “beyond [her] own” (“Lord, I Would Follow Thee,” Hymns, no. 220).

I never felt more secure than I did at the moment my mother enfolded us in her arms.

***********************************************************************
The Shumway Sequence

1.ALWAYS STRIVING TO INCREASE TIME SPENT AROUND THE SPIRIT

“…Humble yourselves before the Lord…call upon His holy name…watch and pray continually… and thus be led by the Holy Spirit, becoming humble, meek, submissive, patient, full of love and all longsuffering.” (Alma 13:28)

2.ALL THINGS ACCOMPLISHED ACCORDING TO THE LORD’S TIMING

“Let not your minds turn back; and when ye are worthy, in mine own due time, ye shall see and know that which was conferred upon you.” (Doctrine & Covenants Section 67:14)

3.THERE IS SPECIAL SIGNIFICANCE IN THE SERVICE YOU ARE GIVING

“And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.” (Mosiah 2:17)

4.INCREASE OUR DESIRE TO HAVE A DEEPER LEVEL OF TRUST AND FAITH

“…exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words.” (Alma 32:27 –Faith)

“I say unto thee, put your trust in that Spirit which leadeth to do good- yea, to do justly, to walk humbly, to judge righteously ; and this is my Spirit.” (Doctrine & Covenants Section 11:12 – Trust)

5.IF YOU ARE HERE NOW, YOU ARE FOREORDAINED TO BE HERE.

“And this is the manner after which [we] were ordained – being called and prepared from the foundation of the world according to the foreknowledge of God, on account of their exceeding faith and good works; …therefore they having chosen good, and exercising exceedingly great faith, are called with a holy calling…which was prepared with, and according to, a preparatory redemption for such.” (Alma 13:3)

Home & Visiting Teaching Messages For August

2011-07-29T08:27:00.000-05:00

First Presidency Message

Love at Home—Counsel from Our Prophet

By President Thomas S. Monson

Love at Home

Blessed Family Life

Sharing Our Love

“Let us relish life as we live it, find joy in the journey and share our love with friends and family. One day, each of us will run out of tomorrows. Let us not put off what is most important.”²

Showing Our Love

Expressing Our Love

“Children, let your parents know you love them. Let them know how much you appreciate all they have done and continue to do for you.”⁴

What Is Most Important

Bringing Heaven Closer

“May our families and homes be filled with love: love of each other, love of the gospel, love of our fellowman, and love of our Savior. As a result, heaven will be a little closer here on earth.

“May we make of our homes sanctuaries to which our family members will ever want to return.”⁶

A Prayer for Families

Teaching from This Message

Youth

Mother Rescued Us

By Patricia Auxier

I never felt more secure than I did at the moment my mother enfolded us in her arms.

Children

Building a Happy Home

President Monson suggests ways we can build a happy home. Look through the article to find things you and your family can do to make a happy home.

Each time you find something you can do, write it in one of the spaces provided. After you have found your first item, draw the part of the home listed next to the line. Find at least five ways you can build a happy home and draw the whole house and your family in it.

1. Walls ______________________________________
2. Roof ______________________________________
3. Door ______________________________________
4. Windows ______________________________________
5. Family ______________________________________

***********************************************

Visiting Teaching Message

A Society of Holy Women

Study this material and, as appropriate, discuss it with the sisters you visit. Use the questions to help you strengthen your sisters and to make Relief Society an active part of your own life.

A Society of Holy Women

Faith • Family • Relief

Eliza R. Snow, second Relief Society general president, taught: “Paul the Apostle anciently spoke of holy women. It is the duty of each one of us to be a holy woman. We shall have elevated aims, if we are holy women. We shall feel that we are called to perform important duties. No one is exempt from them. There is no sister so isolated, and her sphere so narrow but what she can do a great deal towards establishing the Kingdom of God upon the earth.”¹

Sisters, we are not isolated nor is our sphere narrow. By accepting the gift of activity in Relief Society, we become part of what the Prophet Joseph described as a society “separate from all the evils of the world—choice, virtuous, and holy.”²

This society helps us strengthen our faith and grow spiritually by giving us leadership, service, and teaching opportunities. In our service a new dimension is added to our lives. We progress spiritually, and our sense of belonging, identity, and self-worth increases. We realize that the whole intent of the gospel plan is to provide an opportunity for us to reach our fullest potential.

Relief Society helps prepare us to receive the blessings of the temple, to honor the covenants we make, and to be engaged in the cause of Zion. Relief Society helps us increase our faith and personal righteousness, strengthen families, and seek out and help those in need.

The work of Relief Society is holy, and doing holy work creates holiness in us.

Silvia H. Allred, first counselor in the Relief Society general presidency.

From the Scriptures

Exodus 19:5; Psalm 24:3–4; 1 Thessalonians 4:7; Titus 2:3–4; Doctrine and Covenants 38:24; 46:33; 82:14; 87:8; Moses 7:18

From Our History

Speaking to the Female Relief Society of Nauvoo, the Prophet Joseph emphasized holiness, explaining that as sisters became pure and holy, they would have a marked influence upon the world. He explained: “Meekness, love, purity—these are the things that should magnify you. … This Society … shall have power to command queens in their midst. … The kings and queens of the earth will come unto Zion, and pay their respects.” Relief Society sisters living their covenants command the respect not only of noble people, but “if you live up to your privileges,” Joseph promised the sisters, “the angels cannot be restrained from being your associates.”³

As the sisters participated in the work of serving and saving others, they became personally sanctified. Lucy Mack Smith, the Prophet’s mother, shared the good Relief Society could accomplish: “We must cherish one another, watch over one another, comfort one another and gain instruction, that we may all sit down in heaven together.”⁴

What Can I Do?

1. How am I helping the sisters I watch over to cultivate and achieve “elevated aims”?
2. What am I doing to make my life “choice, virtuous, and holy”?

For more information, go to www.reliefsociety.lds.org.

The Shumway Sequence

1.ALWAYS STRIVING TO INCREASE TIME SPENT AROUND THE SPIRIT

“…Humble yourselves before the Lord…call upon His holy name…watch and pray continually… and thus be led by the Holy Spirit, becoming humble, meek, submissive, patient, full of love and all longsuffering.” (Alma 13:28)

2.ALL THINGS ACCOMPLISHED ACCORDING TO THE LORD’S TIMING

“Let not your minds turn back; and when ye are worthy, in mine own due time, ye shall see and know that which was conferred upon you.” (Doctrine & Covenants Section 67:14)

3.THERE IS SPECIAL SIGNIFICANCE IN THE SERVICE YOU ARE GIVING

“And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.” (Mosiah 2:17)

4.INCREASE OUR DESIRE TO HAVE A DEEPER LEVEL OF TRUST AND FAITH

“…exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words.” (Alma 32:27 –Faith) “I say unto thee, put your trust in that Spirit which leadeth to do good- yea, to do justly, to walk humbly, to judge righteously ; and this is my Spirit.” (Doctrine & Covenants Section 11:12 – Trust)

5.IF YOU ARE HERE NOW, YOU ARE FOREORDAINED TO BE HERE.

“And this is the manner after which [we] were ordained – being called and prepared from the foundation of the world according to the foreknowledge of God, on account of their exceeding faith and good works; …therefore they having chosen good, and exercising exceedingly great faith, are called with a holy calling…which was prepared with, and according to, a preparatory redemption for such.” (Alma 13:3)

When The Lord Commands

2011-07-28T08:53:00.000-05:00

          In April of 2010, at General Conference, there was a talk given by Bruce A. Carlson of The Second Quorum Of The Seventy, that i'm sure at the time I took note of, but failed to allow to sink into my mind. Perhaps this talk is much like what happens when we study the Standard Works, and stumble upon a scripture we easily could have read over a dozen times, and yet, the 13th time, we find it pivotal to our current situations.
          This talk, and many other great ones really hit home for me. We all know that our leaders, and the council they give us come down from the Lord. Revelation is one of the blessings, and foundational principles upon which we, as Sons and Daughters of a loving Heavenly Father can draw upon to know and execute the will of the Lord. I mentioned not too long ago, in a previous blog, a highlight from the "Shumway Sequence" (A Special Draft of 5 points our Stake President has given as revelatory field guidance for successful progression and expansion of the Lubbock Texas Stake.) which was:

"# 2. ALL THINGS ACCOMPLISHED ACCORDING TO THE LORD’S TIMING".

I submit that this principle goes hand in hand with the faithful execution of another principle, "Obedience To The Laws And Ordinances Of The Gospel." This is one of the "Lubbock Standard Of Success" (The entire Stake) items. Granted these items have been told us, for our stake, yet I submit and testify that if we obey, if we do the will of the Lord 100 %, and leave our will out of that plan, we simply will not, and cannot lose.

          It requires deep Faith, and great trust in the Lord to move forward, even when we may not see or exactly know what adversity we may very well wade through. The Shumway Sequence reminds us that we need to:

"# 4. INCREASE OUR DESIRE TO HAVE A DEEPER LEVEL OF TRUST AND FAITH."

          Now I submit the text of the talk I spoke of in the beginning.
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The story is told of two outdoor enthusiasts who hired a bush plane to fly them to a remote lake for their annual fishing trip. Following a successful outing, the pilot returned to retrieve them. However, he quickly informed the fishermen that his small plane would not support them, their equipment, and the added weight of the fish they had caught. A second flight would be required.

Now, the sportsmen were not interested in paying for a second round-trip. So after a promise to pack tightly and a small bonus payment, the pilot reluctantly agreed to attempt the flight.

The fishermen grinned knowingly as the pilot forced the aircraft into the air. However, seconds later the plane stalled and crashed into a large, flat swampy area at the end of the lake.

The plane had stalled as it flew because of a well-known phenomenon called “ground effect.” Ground effect is created when air is compressed between the aircraft’s wings and the earth’s surface—when they are in close proximity. In this case, as the bush plane inched its way upward out of ground effect, it was required to fly on its own power, which it simply could not do.

Fortunately there were no serious injuries, and after regaining their senses, one of the fishermen asked the other, “What happened?” The second replied, “We crashed on takeoff—about a hundred yards (91 m) from where we ended up last year!”

Like the two sportsmen, occasionally we believe that there must be an easier way, a shortcut or modification of the Lord’s commandments that will accommodate our individual circumstances. Thoughts such as these fail to acknowledge that strict obedience to God’s laws brings His blessings and failure to abide by His laws leads to foreseeable consequences.

At the time of his appointment as President of the Church, Harold B. Lee said: “The safety of the Church lies in the members keeping the commandments. … As they keep the commandments, blessings will come.”¹

When we choose to disobey a commandment, it is usually because (1) we have convinced ourselves that the commandment does not apply to us; (2) we do not believe that it is important; or (3) we are certain that it is too difficult to obey.

1. This Commandment Doesn’t Apply to Me

During the closing years of King Solomon’s reign, the Lord informed him through His prophet, “I will … rend the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant.”²

Shortly thereafter, the prophet Ahijah identified that servant as Jeroboam, an “industrious” man whom Solomon had made “ruler over all the charge of the house of Joseph.”³ Jeroboam’s duties required him to travel from the mountains of Ephraim, where he lived, to the capital of Jerusalem. During one of those trips, Ahijah met him along the road. Through Ahijah, the Lord said, “I will … give ten tribes to thee.”⁴ He also instructed Jeroboam, “If thou wilt … walk in my ways … to keep my statutes and my commandments, … I will be with thee … and will give Israel unto thee.”⁵

After hearing of Ahijah’s prophecy, Solomon sought to kill Jeroboam, so Jeroboam fled to Egypt.⁶ Upon Solomon’s death Jeroboam returned from exile to the northern part of Israel and began to lead the northern ten tribes.⁷

However, Jeroboam’s plan to rule the kingdom involved a mixture of good and evil. He established Shechem as the nation’s capital, a city of great religious significance to his people. But sadly he introduced satanic rituals into their worship.⁸

Jeroboam convinced himself that some of God’s commandments were not applicable to him. As a result of his actions, all of his descendants were slain, and because of the heathen practices he had introduced into their sacred ordinances, the ten tribes of Israel were eventually driven from their inheritance.⁹

Just as flying out of ground effect with more weight than an aircraft’s wings can sustain will lead to disastrous consequences, our partial or selective compliance with God’s laws will fail to bring the full blessings of obedience.

2. This Commandment Is Not Important

Decades later Naaman, a Syrian war hero, “a mighty man in valour,”¹⁰ traveled from his native country to Israel and approached the king, Jehoram, to be healed of leprosy.¹¹

Naaman was directed to the prophet Elisha. “And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, … and thou shalt be clean.”¹²

Despite this prophetic promise to be cured, Naaman was offended that Elisha did not greet him in person and even more insulted with the prophet’s direction to wash seven times in the small and muddy Jordan River. His pride demanded something more noteworthy and grand, something matching his stature and place in the community and nation.

Fortunately for Naaman, his servants convinced him that regardless of what the prophet asked him to do, if obeyed, it would bring the Lord’s blessings. Naaman washed himself in the Jordan River as directed and, as a result of his obedience, was cured of his leprosy.¹³

Obedience to the Lord’s commands, in spite of how trivial or unimportant we believe them to be, will surely bring His promised blessings.

3. This Commandment Is Just Too Hard

Following the Lord’s command, the prophet Lehi led his family into the wilderness. During the first few days of the journey, Lehi instructed his son Lemuel to be “firm and steadfast, and immovable in keeping the commandments of the Lord!”¹⁴

However, when the prophetic requirement came to return to Jerusalem to retrieve the brass plates, containing a “record of the Jews,”¹⁵ the two oldest boys rebelled, saying, “It is a hard thing.”¹⁶

Despite his older brothers’ murmuring, Nephi’s faith in and obedience to the Lord’s commands led to obtaining those brass plates. A nation was built, a language was preserved, and the gospel of Jesus Christ was taught for generations to come.

At times we may rationalize that the Lord will understand our disobedience because our special circumstances make adherence to His laws difficult, embarrassing, or even painful. However, faithful obedience, regardless of the apparent size of the task, will bring the Lord’s guidance, assistance, and peace.

The Prophet Joseph Smith petitioned the Lord on two occasions, asking if a prominent friend, Martin Harris, could take the first 116 handwritten pages of translated material from the book of Lehi from Harmony, Pennsylvania, back to Palmyra. Each time, the Lord counseled Joseph to avoid entrusting the manuscript to Mr. Harris.

Martin was seeking to use the translated material as evidence to stop his associates from spreading rumors about his friendship with Joseph Smith. On the third request the Lord granted Joseph’s appeal.¹⁷

Martin lost the manuscript, and as a result the plates were taken from the Prophet Joseph Smith for an extended period. This was a painful lesson for the Prophet Joseph, who said, “I made this my rule: When the Lord commands, do it.”¹⁸ This should and can be our rule as well.

The Lord’s response when we obey His commandments is sure. He has promised us, “If you keep my commandments and endure to the end you shall have eternal life.”¹⁹

Additionally He has counseled us, “I, the Lord, am merciful and gracious unto those who fear me, and delight to honor those who serve me in righteousness and in truth unto the end.”²⁰

Obedience to the Lord’s commandments provides us confidence in our chosen path, qualifies us for His guidance and direction as we pursue our efforts, and offers us the potential to become like our Savior, Jesus Christ, and return to our Father’s presence.

It is my prayer that each day will find us striving to be more obedient to the laws, ordinances, and commandments of the gospel of Jesus Christ in order that He may more fully bless our lives.

I testify that obedience to God’s commands brings the blessings of heaven; that our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, live; that the Book of Mormon is the word of God; and that President Thomas S. Monson is the Lord’s prophet for our day, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

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The Shumway Sequence

1.ALWAYS STRIVING TO INCREASE TIME SPENT AROUND THE SPIRIT “…Humble yourselves before the Lord…call upon His holy name…watch and pray continually… and thus be led by the Holy Spirit, becoming humble, meek, submissive, patient, full of love and all longsuffering.” (Alma 13:28)

2.ALL THINGS ACCOMPLISHED ACCORDING TO THE LORD’S TIMING “Let not your minds turn back; and when ye are worthy, in mine own due time, ye shall see and know that which was conferred upon you.” (Doctrine & Covenants Section 67:14)

3.THERE IS SPECIAL SIGNIFICANCE IN THE SERVICE YOU ARE GIVING “And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.” (Mosiah 2:17)

4.INCREASE OUR DESIRE TO HAVE A DEEPER LEVEL OF TRUST AND FAITH “…exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words.” (Alma 32:27 –Faith) “I say unto thee, put your trust in that Spirit which leadeth to do good- yea, to do justly, to walk humbly, to judge righteously ; and this is my Spirit.” (Doctrine & Covenants Section 11:12 – Trust)

5.IF YOU ARE HERE NOW, YOU ARE FOREORDAINED TO BE HERE. “And this is the manner after which [we] were ordained – being called and prepared from the foundation of the world according to the foreknowledge of God, on account of their exceeding faith and good works; …therefore they having chosen good, and exercising exceedingly great faith, are called with a holy calling…which was prepared with, and according to, a preparatory redemption for such.” (Alma 13:3)

Lesson For July 24th: "Become as a Little Child"

2011-07-24T01:22:00.000-05:00

Brethren,

I have been pondering the very deep meaning in the teaching of the Lord. This teaching is simple, yet profound as it will be found in Matthew 18:3 which reads...

"Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven."

The implications are broad,and not without longstanding need of continual reflection. But just what does He mean by that? When I reflect upon this, I also begin to think about the other admonition of the Savior, "Come Unto Me". In Quorum meetings I have mentioned this before, but when I consider the latter of the two well known, and frequently discussed admonitions of the Lord, I think of the gentle correction we as children all at one time were instructed. Whether upon the knee of a father or mother, we were corrected in a way, then after the correction came the outpouring of love. (See also D & C 121)

The same could be said of us, as we "...repent and come unto [Him].." going to Him we bring our sorrows, and being with Him, our hearts are full of inexpressible love!

So, what are some of those things that will help us qualify to become like a child? It is as King Benjamin said: "....and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father." (Mosiah 3:19)

This is no easy process Brethren, and will take a continual application of effort on our part, just like we are reminded on The Shumway Sequence #2, it will all happen, yet, :

2. ALL THINGS ACCOMPLISHED ACCORDING TO THE LORD’S TIMING

“Let not your minds turn back; and when ye are worthy, in mine own due time, ye shall see and know that which was conferred upon you.” (Doctrine & Covenants Section 67:14)

I have a testimony of this work. I know in my heart this is the TRUE gospel of Jesus Christ- Restored to the earth in the Latter-Days just as foretold by prophets of old. I know that Joseph Smith is The Prophet Of The Restoration, and my testimony of him as a Prophet of the Lord is as sure as the sunrise. Now Brethren, the official text for Sunday Lesson July 24th, 2011.

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Our Father in Heaven, in His great wisdom and love, sends His spirit sons and daughters to this earth as children. They come to families as precious gifts with a divine nature and destiny. Our Heavenly Father knows children are a key to helping us become like Him. There is so much we can learn from children.

This important truth was evidenced some years ago as a member of the Seventy was on assignment in Hong Kong. He visited a very humble ward that was struggling in many ways, unable to provide for its own needs. As the bishop described their situation, the General Authority felt the impression to have the members pay their tithing. The bishop, knowing their dire circumstances, was concerned about how he could carry out that counsel. He thought about it and decided he would approach some of the most faith-filled members of his ward and ask them to pay their tithing. The next Sunday he went to the Primary. He taught the children about the Lord’s law of tithing and asked if they would be willing to pay tithing on the money they earned. The children said they would. And they did.

The bishop later went to the adults in the ward and shared with them that for the past six months their faithful children had been paying tithing. He asked them if they would be willing to follow the example of these children and do the same. The people were so touched by the sacrifices the children were willing to make that they did what was necessary to pay their tithing. And the windows of heaven were opened. With the example of these faithful children, a ward grew in obedience and in testimony.

It was Jesus Christ Himself who taught us to look to children as an example. The New Testament records His answer when His Apostles disputed who should be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Jesus answered their question with a small yet powerful object lesson. He called a little child to Him and set him in the midst of them and said:

“Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.

“Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:3–4).

What is it we should learn from children? What qualities do they possess and what examples do they demonstrate that can help us in our own spiritual development?

These precious children of God come to us with believing hearts. They are full of faith and receptive to feelings of the Spirit. They exemplify humility, obedience, and love. They are often the first to love and the first to forgive.

Let me share some experiences of how children can bless our lives with their innocent yet powerful examples of Christlike attributes.

Todd, a little boy just two years old, recently went with his mother to an art museum that was showing a special exhibit of beautiful paintings of the Savior. As they walked past these sacred images, she heard her little boy reverently saying the name “Jesus.” She looked down to see him folding his arms and bowing his head as he viewed the paintings. Could we learn from Todd something about an attitude of humility, of reverence, and of love for the Lord?

Last fall I watched the example of a 10-year-old boy in Armenia. As we waited for sacrament meeting to begin, he noticed the oldest member of the branch arrive. He was the one who quickly went to her side, offering his arm to steady her faltering steps. He assisted her to the front row of the chapel, where she could hear. Could his small act of kindness teach us that those who are greatest in the Lord’s kingdom are those who look for opportunities to serve others?

Katie, a Primary-age girl, taught us as we saw her influence on her family. She attended Primary and was drawn to the teachings of the gospel. With growing faith and testimony, Katie left a note on her parents’ pillow. She wrote that the gospel truths had found a “home in her heart.” She shared her longing to be close to her Heavenly Father, to be obedient to His commandments, and to have their family sealed in the temple. The simple testimony of their sweet daughter touched her parents’ hearts in a powerful way. Katie and her family did receive sacred temple ordinances that bound their family together forever. Katie’s believing heart and example of faith helped bring eternal blessings to her family. Could her sincere testimony and desire to follow the Lord’s plan lead us to see more clearly what really matters most?

Our family is learning from a close relative, six-year-old Liam. This past year he has battled aggressive brain cancer. After two difficult surgeries, it was decided that radiation would also be necessary. During these radiation treatments, he was required to be all alone and lie absolutely still. Liam did not want to be sedated because he disliked the way it made him feel. He was determined that if he could just hear his dad’s voice over the intercom, he could lie still without the sedative.

During these anxious times, his dad spoke to him with words of encouragement and love. “Liam, although you can’t see me, I am right here. I know you can do it. I love you.” Liam successfully accomplished the 33 required radiation treatments while holding perfectly still, a feat his doctors thought would be impossible without sedation for one so young. Through months of pain and difficulty, Liam’s contagious optimism has been a powerful example of meeting adversity with hope and even happiness. His doctors, nurses, and countless others have been inspired by his courage.

We are all learning important lessons from Liam—lessons about choosing faith and trusting in the Lord. Just like Liam, we cannot see our Heavenly Father, but we can listen for His voice to give us the strength we need to endure the challenges of life.

Could Liam’s example help us to better understand King Benjamin’s words to become as a child—submissive, meek, humble, patient, and full of love? (see Mosiah 3:19).

These children are providing examples of some of the childlike qualities we need to develop or rediscover in ourselves in order to enter into the kingdom of heaven. They are bright spirits who are untarnished by the world—teachable and full of faith. It is no wonder the Savior has a special love and appreciation for little children.

Among the transcendent events of the Savior’s visit to the Americas, His tender ministry to the children stands apart. In a poignant way He reached out to each child.

“And he took their little children, one by one, and blessed them, and prayed unto the Father for them.

“And when he had done this he wept. …

“And he spake unto the multitude, and said unto them: Behold your little ones” (3 Nephi 17:21–23).

Elder M. Russell Ballard has taught us the importance of the Savior’s admonition to “behold your little ones” when he said: “Notice that He didn’t say ‘glance at them’ or ‘casually observe them’ or ‘occasionally take a look in their general direction.’ He said to behold them. To me that means that we should embrace them with our eyes and with our hearts; we should see and appreciate them for who they really are: spirit children of our Heavenly Father, with divine attributes” (“Behold Your Little Ones,” Tambuli, Oct. 1994, 40; emphasis added; “Great Shall Be the Peace of Thy Children,” Ensign, Apr. 1994, 59).

There is not a more perfect place to behold our little ones than in our families. Home is a place where we can all learn and grow together. One of our beautiful Primary songs teaches this truth:

God gave us families

To help us become what He wants us to be—

This is how He shares His love,

For the fam’ly is of God.

It is here in our families, in an atmosphere of love, where we see and appreciate in a more personal way the divine attributes of His spirit children. It is here in our families where our hearts can be softened and in humility we desire to change, to become more childlike. It is a process by which we can become more Christlike.

Have some of life’s experiences taken from you the believing heart and childlike faith you once had? If so, look around at the children in your life. And then look again. They may be children in your family, across the street, or in the Primary in your ward. If we have a heart to learn and a willingness to follow the example of children, their divine attributes can hold a key to unlocking our own spiritual growth.

I will always be grateful for the blessing of my own children. The example of each one has taught me lessons I need. They have helped me to change for the better.

I bear my humble but certain testimony that Jesus is the Christ. He is the one perfect Son—submissive, meek, humble, patient, and so full of love. May each of us have a heart to follow His example, to become as a little child, and thereby return to our heavenly home, I pray in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

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The Shumway Sequence

1.ALWAYS STRIVING TO INCREASE TIME SPENT AROUND THE SPIRIT

“…Humble yourselves before the Lord…call upon His holy name…watch and pray continually… and thus be led by the Holy Spirit, becoming humble, meek, submissive, patient, full of love and all longsuffering.” (Alma 13:28)

2.ALL THINGS ACCOMPLISHED ACCORDING TO THE LORD’S TIMING

“Let not your minds turn back; and when ye are worthy, in mine own due time, ye shall see and know that which was conferred upon you.” (Doctrine & Covenants Section 67:14)

3.THERE IS SPECIAL SIGNIFICANCE IN THE SERVICE YOU ARE GIVING

“And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.” (Mosiah 2:17)

4.INCREASE OUR DESIRE TO HAVE A DEEPER LEVEL OF TRUST AND FAITH

“…exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words.” (Alma 32:27 –Faith) “I say unto thee, put your trust in that Spirit which leadeth to do good- yea, to do justly, to walk humbly, to judge righteously ; and this is my Spirit.” (Doctrine & Covenants Section 11:12 – Trust)

5.IF YOU ARE HERE NOW, YOU ARE FOREORDAINED TO BE HERE.

“And this is the manner after which [we] were ordained – being called and prepared from the foundation of the world according to the foreknowledge of God, on account of their exceeding faith and good works; …therefore they having chosen good, and exercising exceedingly great faith, are called with a holy calling…which was prepared with, and according to, a preparatory redemption for such.” (Alma 13:3)

Lesson For June 19th, 2011 Is : "Chapter 36: The Family Can Be Eternal," Gospel Principles, (2009)

2011-06-15T22:53:00.000-05:00

The Importance of Families

• Why did our Heavenly Father send us to earth as members of families?

“Marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God. … The family is central to the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children” (“The Family: A Proclamation to the World,” Ensign, Nov. 1995, 102).

After Heavenly Father brought Adam and Eve together in marriage, He commanded them to have children (see Genesis 1:28). He has revealed that one of the purposes of marriage is to provide mortal bodies for His spirit children. Parents are partners with our Heavenly Father. He wants each of His spirit children to receive a physical body and to experience earth life. When a man and a woman bring children into this world, they help our Heavenly Father carry out His plan.

Every new child should be welcomed into the family with gladness. Each is a child of God. We should take time to enjoy our children, to play with them, and to teach them.

President David O. McKay said, “With all my heart I believe that the best place to prepare for … eternal life is in the home” (“Blueprint for Family Living,” Improvement Era, Apr. 1963, 252). At home, with our families, we can learn self-control, sacrifice, loyalty, and the value of work. We can learn to love, to share, and to serve one another.

Fathers and mothers are responsible to teach their children about Heavenly Father. They should show by example that they love Him because they keep His commandments. Parents should also teach their children to pray and to obey the commandments (see Proverbs 22:6).

• Why is the home the best place to prepare for eternal life?
• How can we help the youth of the Church understand the sacredness of the family and the marriage covenant?

The Eternal Family

Families can be together forever. To enjoy this blessing we must be married in the temple. When people are married outside the temple, the marriage ends when one of the partners dies. When we are married in the temple by the authority of the Melchizedek Priesthood, we are married for time and eternity. If we keep our covenants with the Lord, our families will be united eternally as husband, wife, and children. Death cannot separate us.

Loving Family Relationships

• How can we develop greater harmony in our homes?

Husbands and wives should be thoughtful and kind to each other. They should never do or say anything to hurt each other’s feelings. They should also try to do everything possible to make each other happy.

As parents come to know God and strive to be like Him, they will teach children to love one another. In the Book of Mormon, King Benjamin explained:

“Ye will not suffer your children … [to] fight and quarrel one with another. …

“But ye will teach them to walk in the ways of truth and soberness; ye will teach them to love one another, and to serve one another” (Mosiah 4:14–15).

As family members we can help each other feel confident by giving encouragement and sincere praise. Each child should feel important. Parents need to show they are interested in what their children do and express love and concern for their children. Children should likewise show their love for their parents. They should be obedient and try to live the kind of life that will bring honor to their parents and to their family name.

• What can parents do to encourage their sons and daughters to be good friends with one another? What can brothers and sisters do to nurture their friendship with one another?
• What can husbands and wives do to help each other be happy?

How to Have a Successful Family

• What are you doing to help strengthen your family and make it successful?

President Harold B. Lee taught, “The most important of the Lord’s work you will ever do will be within the walls of your own homes” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Harold B. Lee [2000], 134).

Satan knows how important families are to our Heavenly Father’s plan. He seeks to destroy them by keeping us from drawing near to the Lord. He will tempt us to do things that will draw our families apart.

The First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles declared, “Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities” (Ensign, Nov. 1995, 102).

All of us want to have happy, successful families. The following things will help us achieve this:

1. Have family prayer every night and morning (see 3 Nephi 18:21). Pray together as husband and wife.
2. Teach children the gospel every week in family home evening.
3. Study the scriptures regularly as a family.
4. Do things together as a family, such as work projects, outings, and decision making.
5. Learn to be kind, patient, long-suffering, and charitable (see Moroni 7:45–48).
6. Attend Church meetings regularly (see D&C 59:9–10).
7. Follow the counsel of the Lord in D&C 88:119: “Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing; and establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God.”
8. Keep a family history, perform temple work together, and receive the sealing ordinances of the temple.

The family is the most important unit in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Church exists to help families gain eternal blessings and exaltation. The organizations and programs within the Church are designed to strengthen us individually and help us live as families forever.

• What can families do to work through difficult times?
• What evidence have you seen that efforts such as family prayer, family scripture study, family councils, family meal times, and family home evening make a difference?

Additional Scriptures and Other Sources

• Moses 2:27–28 (man and woman created and blessed)
• Genesis 2:24 (man to cleave unto his wife)
• D&C 49:15–16 (God ordained marriage)
• Ephesians 6:4 (train children in righteousness)
• D&C 132:15–21 (eternal marriage)
• D&C 88:119–26 (instructions for a successful family)
• D&C 93:40–50 (the Lord commands parents to bring up their children in light and truth)
• “The Family: A Proclamation to the World” (available on LDS.org and in many Church publications, including Ensign, Nov. 1995, page 102; For the Strength of Youth: Fulfilling Our Duty to God [item number 36550], page 44; and True to the Faith: A Gospel Reference [item number 36863], pages 59–61)

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First Presidency Message For June (A little tardy)

2011-06-15T22:43:00.000-05:00

First Presidency Message

The Blessings of Tithing

By President Henry B. Eyring

First Counselor in the First Presidency

God’s purpose in giving us commandments is to bless us. He wants to give us eternal life, the greatest of all His gifts (see D&C 14:7). To receive the gift of living with Him forever in families in the celestial kingdom, we must be able to live the laws of that kingdom (see D&C 88:22).

He has given us commandments in this life to help us develop that capacity. The law of tithing is one of those preparatory commandments. The law is that we give to the Lord one-tenth of all our income. It is simple enough that even a child can understand it. I have seen children hand a bishop a tithing envelope that contains one-tenth of the coins they earned.

One of the blessings that comes from paying a full tithing is developing faith to live an even higher law. To live in the celestial kingdom, we must live the law of consecration. There we must be able to feel that all we are and all we have belong to God.

There are at least three ways that paying a full tithe in this life prepares us to feel what we need to feel to receive the gift of eternal life.

First, when we pay our tithes to the Church, our Heavenly Father pours out blessings upon us. Anyone who has consistently paid a full tithe knows that is true. The blessings are sometimes spiritual and sometimes temporal. They are given in the Lord’s time and according to what He knows is best for us.

As those blessings come, our faith is increased that God is the source of everything that is good in our lives. It becomes easier to see that consecration simply recognizes the truth that all of God’s creations are His. It makes us feel gratitude that He asks only 10 percent of what He has already given us. So we are better prepared to live the law of consecration when it will be asked of us.

Second, all of us who have paid a consistent full tithe feel greater confidence in asking God for what we and our families need. He has promised blessings even greater than we can receive when we have been faithful to our covenant to pay our tithes (see Malachi 3:10). So one of the great blessings of tithing is confidence in what the future holds. Whatever our circumstances may be, things will work out for the best. As we keep our promises, He will keep His. A feeling of peace is one of the great blessings of paying a full tithe. Those who have kept the commandment of tithing can testify that the blessing of peace is real and precious.

Third, those who pay tithing feel an increase in their love of God and of all God’s children. That increase of love comes from understanding how the Father uses the tithes we offer to bless people in this world and for eternity.

Through His authorized servants, He expends the tithes with great care. The tithe payer helps the Lord build temples, where families can be sealed forever. The tithe payer helps Him send the gospel to people everywhere. The tithe payer helps Him relieve hunger and suffering in His own way through His servants. Any of those servants can tell you how love increased because tithing was used to bless people. And so can the faithful tithe payer.

Tithing settlement is months in the future. I pray that you and your family will begin now to plan and prepare to qualify for the blessings that God pours out on all those who can declare to Him that they are full-tithe payers.

Teaching from This Message

• Sometimes the best way to teach a certain principle is to demonstrate it (see Teaching, No Greater Call [1999], 164). Consider asking a family member to demonstrate what one-tenth represents. He or she could demonstrate it by separating one item from a group of 10 items. To conclude, consider inviting a family member to show how to fill out a tithing slip.
• “Those you teach will benefit from each other’s participation” (Teaching, No Greater Call, 63). Invite family members to share what they believe President Eyring means by the statement “feel what we need to feel to receive the gift of eternal life.” Consider discussing the three ways in which paying tithing prepares us to feel what we need to feel to receive God’s blessings.

400th Anniversary Of The King James Version Of The Bible

2011-06-15T22:38:00.000-05:00

“It is not by chance or coincidence that we have the Bible today,” says Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. He explains that the Bible exists because of the obedience of righteous individuals who followed promptings to record sacred experiences and teachings, as well as the faith and courage of others who later sacrificed much to “protect and preserve” the Bible. Credit is also due, he says, to men such as John Wycliffe, William Tyndale, and Johannes Gutenberg, who translated and published the Bible in languages that ordinary people could understand and read. “I believe even the scholars of King James had spiritual promptings in their translation work,” he says.

Knowing the Scriptures

Read messages about the scriptures that today’s prophets and apostles have given during general conference.

“The Blessing of Scripture,” Elder D. Todd Christofferson
“‘My Words . . . Never Cease,’” Elder Jeffrey R. Holland
“Scriptural Witnesses,” Elder Russell M. Nelson
“Holy Scriptures: The Power of God unto Our Salvation,” Elder Robert D. Hales

May 2, 2011, marks the 400th anniversary of the first publication of the King James Version of the Bible. Throughout the world, people of many religious and nonreligious backgrounds are already commemorating the publication of the Bible with symposia, celebrations, concerts, speaking competitions, and more. Members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles suggest another way to mark the occasion: by developing a love for the Bible as we study the life and ministry of the Savior and the words of the ancient prophets and apostles.

“How grateful we should be for the Holy Bible,” Elder Ballard says. “I love the Bible, its teachings, its lessons, and its spirit. . . . I love the perspective and peace that come from reading the Bible.”

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles agrees. “We love and revere the Bible,” he says. “It is always identified first in our canon, our ‘standard works.’” He reminds us that the Restoration came about because Joseph Smith studied the Bible and exerted faith in the promise made in James 1:5 that God will answer our prayers.

Recalling the events of history that paved the way for the Restoration, Elder Robert D. Hales of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles speaks with gratitude for all who made possible the translation and publishing of the Bible. Because of their work, the King James Version of the Bible was available for anyone to read—and because it was available to young Joseph Smith, the true Church was restored to the earth. “Is it any wonder that the King James Version is the approved English Bible of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints today?” Elder Hales asks.

“We must ever remember the countless martyrs who knew of [the Bible’s] power and who gave their lives that we may be able to find within its words the eternal happiness and the peace of our Heavenly Father’s kingdom,” Elder Ballard says.

President Boyd K. Packer, President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, shares a story about viewing a centuries-old family Bible and finding a quote on the title page that said, “The fairest Impression of the Bible is to have it well printed on the Reader’s heart.” He follows with this scripture (2 Cor. 3:2-3): “Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men: Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in the tables of stone, but in fleshly tables of the heart.”

The best way for us to honor and remember those whose sacrifices not only allow us to read the Bible in our language, but also to enjoy the blessings of the Restoration of the gospel, is for us to know the Bible and its accompanying scriptural texts. By knowing and loving its teachings, we show our appreciation.

“Consider the magnitude of our blessing to have the Holy Bible and some 900 additional pages of scripture,” says Elder D. Todd Christofferson. “May we feast continuously on the words of Christ that will tell us all things we should do.”

The Bible and the Book of Mormon

As separate testaments of Jesus Christ, the Bible and the Book of Mormon support rather than supplant each other. Elder Russell M. Nelson explains, “Scriptural witnesses authenticate each other. This concept was explained long ago when a prophet wrote that the Book of Mormon was ‘written for the intent that ye may believe [the Bible]; and if ye believe [the Bible] ye will believe [the Book of Mormon] also.’ Each book refers to the other. Each book stands as evidence that God lives and speaks to His children by revelation to His prophets.”

Desire

2011-05-28T23:34:00.000-05:00

Dallin H. Oaks

Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

To achieve our eternal destiny, we will desire and work for the qualities required to become an eternal being.

I have chosen to talk about the importance of desire. I hope each of us will search our hearts to determine what we really desire and how we rank our most important desires.

Desires dictate our priorities, priorities shape our choices, and choices determine our actions. The desires we act on determine our changing, our achieving, and our becoming.

First I speak of some common desires. As mortal beings we have some basic physical needs. Desires to satisfy these needs compel our choices and determine our actions. Three examples will demonstrate how we sometimes override these desires with other desires that we consider more important.

First, food. We have a basic need for food, but for a time that desire can be overridden by a stronger desire to fast.

Second, shelter. As a 12-year-old boy I resisted a desire for shelter because of my greater desire to fulfill a Boy Scout requirement to spend a night in the woods. I was one of several boys who left comfortable tents and found a way to construct a shelter and make a primitive bed from the natural materials we could find.

Third, sleep. Even this basic desire can be temporarily overridden by an even more important desire. As a young soldier in the Utah National Guard, I learned an example of this from a combat-seasoned officer.

In the early months of the Korean War, a Richfield Utah National Guard field artillery battery was called into active service. This battery, commanded by Captain Ray Cox, consisted of about 40 Mormon men. After additional training and reinforcement by reservists from elsewhere, they were sent to Korea, where they experienced some of the fiercest combat of that war. In one battle they had to repel a direct assault by hundreds of enemy infantry, the kind of attack that overran and destroyed other field artillery batteries.

What does this have to do with overcoming the desire for sleep? During one critical night, when enemy infantry had poured through the front lines and into the rear areas occupied by the artillery, the captain had the field telephone lines wired into his tent and ordered his numerous perimeter guards to phone him personally each hour on the hour all night long. This kept the guards awake, but it also meant that Captain Cox had scores of interruptions to his sleep. “How could you do that?” I asked him. His answer shows the power of an overriding desire.

“I knew that if we ever got home, I would be meeting the parents of those boys on the streets in our small town, and I didn’t want to face any of them if their son didn’t make it home because of anything I failed to do as his commander.”¹

What an example of the power of an overriding desire on priorities and on actions! What a powerful example for all of us who are responsible for the welfare of others—parents, Church leaders, and teachers!

As a conclusion to that illustration, early in the morning following his nearly sleepless night, Captain Cox led his men in a counterattack on the enemy infantry. They took over 800 prisoners and suffered only two wounded. Cox was decorated for bravery, and his battery received a Presidential Unit Citation for its extraordinary heroism. And, like Helaman’s stripling warriors (see Alma 57:25–26), they all made it home.²

The Book of Mormon contains many teachings on the importance of desire.

After many hours of pleading with the Lord, Enos was told that his sins were forgiven. He then “began to feel a desire for the welfare of [his] brethren” (Enos 1:9). He wrote, “And … after I had prayed and labored with all diligence, the Lord said unto me: I will grant unto thee according to thy desires, because of thy faith” (verse 12). Note the three essentials that preceded the promised blessing: desire, labor, and faith.

In his sermon on faith, Alma teaches that faith can begin with “no more than [a] desire to believe” if we will “let this desire work in [us]” (Alma 32:27).

Another great teaching on desire, especially on what should be our ultimate desire, occurs in the experience of the Lamanite king being taught by the missionary Aaron. When Aaron’s teaching caught his interest, the king asked, “What shall I do that I may be born of God” and “have this eternal life?” (Alma 22:15). Aaron replied, “If thou desirest this thing, … if thou wilt repent of all thy sins, and will bow down before God, and call on his name in faith, believing that ye shall receive, then shalt thou receive the hope which thou desirest” (verse 16).

The king did so and in mighty prayer declared, “I will give away all my sins to know thee … and be saved at the last day” (verse 18). With that commitment and that identification of his ultimate desire, his prayer was answered miraculously.

The prophet Alma had a great desire to cry repentance to all people, but he came to understand that he should not desire the compelling power this would require because, he concluded, “a just God … granteth unto men according to their desire, whether it be unto death or unto life” (Alma 29:4). Similarly, in modern revelation the Lord declares that He “will judge all men according to their works, according to the desire of their hearts” (D&C 137:9).

Are we truly prepared to have our Eternal Judge attach this enormous significance to what we really desire?

Many scriptures speak of what we desire in terms of what we seek. “He that seeketh me early shall find me, and shall not be forsaken” (D&C 88:83).

“Seek ye earnestly the best gifts” (D&C 46:8).

“He that diligently seeketh shall find” (1 Nephi 10:19).

“Draw near unto me and I will draw near unto you; seek me diligently and ye shall find me; ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you” (D&C 88:63).

Readjusting our desires to give highest priority to the things of eternity is not easy. We are all tempted to desire that worldly quartet of property, prominence, pride, and power. We might desire these, but we should not fix them as our highest priorities.

Those whose highest desire is to acquire possessions fall into the trap of materialism. They fail to heed the warning “Seek not after riches nor the vain things of this world” (Alma 39:14; see also Jacob 2:18).

Those who desire prominence or power should follow the example of the valiant Captain Moroni, whose service was not “for power” or for the “honor of the world” (Alma 60:36).

How do we develop desires? Few will have the kind of crisis that motivated Aron Ralston,³ but his experience provides a valuable lesson about developing desires. While Ralston was hiking in a remote canyon in southern Utah, an 800-pound (360 kg) rock shifted suddenly and trapped his right arm. For five lonely days he struggled to free himself. When he was about to give up and accept death, he had a vision of a three-year-old boy running toward him and being scooped up with his left arm. Understanding this as a vision of his future son and an assurance that he could still live, Ralston summoned the courage and took drastic action to save his life before his strength ran out. He broke the two bones in his trapped right arm and then used the knife in his multitool to cut off that arm. He then summoned the strength to hike five miles (8 km) for help.⁴

What an example of the power of an overwhelming desire! When we have a vision of what we can become, our desire and our power to act increase enormously.

Most of us will never face such an extreme crisis, but all of us face potential traps that will prevent progress toward our eternal destiny. If our righteous desires are sufficiently intense, they will motivate us to cut and carve ourselves free from addictions and other sinful pressures and priorities that prevent our eternal progress.

We should remember that righteous desires cannot be superficial, impulsive, or temporary. They must be heartfelt, unwavering, and permanent. So motivated, we will seek for that condition described by the Prophet Joseph Smith, where we have “overcome the evils of [our lives] and lost every desire for sin.”⁵ That is a very personal decision. As Elder Neal A. Maxwell said:

“When people are described as ‘having lost their desire for sin,’ it is they, and they only, who deliberately decided to lose those wrong desires by being willing to ‘give away all [their] sins’ in order to know God.”

“Therefore, what we insistently desire, over time, is what we will eventually become and what we will receive in eternity.”⁶

As important as it is to lose every desire for sin, eternal life requires more. To achieve our eternal destiny, we will desire and work for the qualities required to become an eternal being. For example, eternal beings forgive all who have wronged them. They put the welfare of others ahead of themselves. And they love all of God’s children. If this seems too difficult—and surely it is not easy for any of us—then we should begin with a desire for such qualities and call upon our loving Heavenly Father for help with our feelings. The Book of Mormon teaches us that we should “pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that [we] may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ” (Moroni 7:48).

I close with a final example of a desire that should be paramount for all men and women—those who are currently married and those who are single. All should desire and seriously work to secure a marriage for eternity. Those who already have a temple marriage should do all they can to preserve it. Those who are single should desire a temple marriage and exert priority efforts to obtain it. Youth and young singles should resist the politically correct but eternally false concept that discredits the importance of marrying and having children.⁷

Single men, please consider the challenge in this letter written by a single sister. She pleaded for “the righteous daughters of God that are sincerely searching for a worthy helpmeet, yet the men seem to be blinded and confused as to whether or not it is their responsibility to seek out these wonderful, choice daughters of our Heavenly Father and court them and be willing to make and keep sacred covenants in the Lord’s house.” She concluded, “There are many single LDS men here that are happy to go out and have fun, and date and hang out, but have absolutely no desire to ever make any kind of commitment to a woman.”⁸

I am sure that some anxiously seeking young men would want me to add that there are some young women whose desires for a worthy marriage and children rank far below their desires for a career or other mortal distinctions. Both men and women need righteous desires that will lead them to eternal life.

Let us remember that desires dictate our priorities, priorities shape our choices, and choices determine our actions. In addition, it is our actions and our desires that cause us to become something, whether a true friend, a gifted teacher, or one who has qualified for eternal life.

I testify of Jesus Christ, whose love, whose teachings, and whose Atonement make it all possible. I pray that above all else we will desire to become like Him so that one day we can return to His presence to receive the fulness of His joy. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Temple Mirrors of Eternity: A Testimony of Family

2011-05-20T23:03:00.000-05:00

Brothers & Sisters,

As sensitive as this issue is, I wish to share with you something that I have never previously spoken of before. It fits with the topic of the lesson that we are scheduled to have on Sunday. As a young boy, twenty one years ago, I was struggling with the loss of my Father's direct influence in my life. My Mother and Father separated sometime between May 1989 and May of 1990. (I was between the age of 7-8). I can vividly remember the old house on "Marvin Street" in Tucson, which we lived after our retreat from California not 6 months after the devastating quake of 1989.

As luck would have it, my birthday came in 1990 as it has since May 22nd of 1982. I was so excited, because when I returned from playing at a best friends house, my mother gave me a card which came in the mail, from my Father. I was excited, energized, and full of joy not only because there was money inside of the card, but because of some much desired correspondence with my Dad. It meant the world to me. As life had in the cards for me, little did I know that the next time I would see my Father, I would be 18 years old. During the ten long years after my last birthday card, or even a card of any kind, I grew weak and weary inside. I began to know little about my Dad, and soon found many of the memories I had of him fled me. I missed him dearly in this long time without him in my life.

As luck also would have it, my Dad has now returned to Tucson, and become very integrated into the lives of my siblings, and I thank the Lord for that. Though my correspondence with him is still little, it is much more now than it ever has been.

I remember the absolute joy I had of watching my beautiful children get sealed to me and my wonderful wife, and though I have not spoken much about it, I hurt even more, deep inside because I was not sealed to my parents ever. I've never known the joy of a son being sealed to his Father, but I do know the joy, of a Father being sealed to his son. I pray one day, that treasured moment will come to pass, but until then, I pray for Him, and I pray for patience..... here is the Lesson:

Dear brothers and sisters, when our son was in the Provo Missionary Training Center, Sister Gong mailed fresh-baked bread to him and his missionary companions. Here are some of the missionary thank-you notes Sister Gong received: “Sister Gong, that bread was a taste of home.” “Sister Gong, all I can say is wow. That bread is the best thing to enter my mouth since my mother’s enchiladas.” But this is my favorite: “Sister Gong, the bread was wonderful.” He then jokingly continued, “Keep me in mind if things don’t work out between you and Mr. Gong.”

We love our missionaries—each elder, sister, and senior couple. We are eternally grateful to that special missionary who first brought the restored gospel of Jesus Christ to our family. I gratefully testify that an eternal perspective of gospel conversion and temple covenants can help us see rich blessings in each generation of our forever families.

The first convert in our Gong family to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is our mother, Jean Gong. As a teenager in Honolulu, Hawaii, she listened; she knew; she was baptized and confirmed; she is continuing in faith. Faithful Church members helped my mother so that she had gospel friends, Church callings, and continued nourishment by God’s good word. In today’s parlance each new convert, young single adult, those returning to Church activity, and others bless generations when they become fellow Saints in the household of God.¹

One family who nurtured my mother was that of Gerrit de Jong Jr. A linguist who loved the language of the heart and Spirit, Grandpa de Jong tickled my little boy imagination by sayings like “Blackberries when red are green.” Today, speaking of electronic handheld devices, I tell young friends, “Blackberries read in Church make green bishops blue.”

My parents, Walter and Jean Gong, were married three times: a Chinese ceremony for family, an American ceremony for friends, and a sacred ceremony in the house of the Lord for time and eternity.

Our Primary children sing: “I love to see the temple. I’m going there someday.”² Our youth pledge to “receive the ordinances of the temple.”³

I recently stood in a house of the Lord with a worthy couple there to receive blessings by covenant. I invited them to make their first honeymoon last 50 years, then after 50 years to begin their second honeymoon.

I found myself looking with this beautiful couple into the temple mirrors—one mirror on this side, one mirror on that side. Together the temple mirrors reflect back and forth images that stretch seemingly into eternity.

Temple mirrors of eternity remind us that each human being has “divine nature and destiny”; that “sacred ordinances and covenants available in holy temples make it possible for individuals to return to the presence of God and for families to be united eternally”;⁴ and that, growing together in love and faithfulness, we can give children roots and wings.

In temple mirrors of eternity, I reflected on First Dragon Gong, born a.d. 837 (late Tang dynasty) in southern China and the succeeding Gong family generations to my father, our family’s 32nd recorded generation. My brother, sister, and I are in our family’s 33rd generation; my sons and their cousins, the 34th generation; our grandson, the 35th recorded Gong family generation. In temple mirrors of eternity, I could not see a beginning or end of generations.

I then imagined not only a succession of generations but also a succession of family relationships. In one direction I saw myself as son, grandson, great-grandson, back to First Dragon Gong. In the mirrors in the other direction, I saw myself as father, grandfather, great-grandfather. I could see my wife, Susan, as daughter, granddaughter, great-granddaughter and, in the other direction, as mother, grandmother, great-grandmother.

In temple mirrors of eternity, I began to understand my wife and myself as children of our parents and parents to our children, as grandchildren of our grandparents and grandparents to our grandchildren. Mortality’s great lessons distill upon our souls as we learn and teach in eternal roles, including child and parent, parent and child.

Scripture describes our Savior as “the Father and the Son.”⁵ Having dwelt in flesh and subjected the flesh to the will of the Father, our Savior knows how to succor us, His people, in our pains, afflictions, temptations, sicknesses, even death.⁶ Having “descended below all things,”⁷ our Savior can bear our griefs and carry our sorrows. “He was wounded for our transgressions, … bruised for our iniquities … ; [with our Savior’s] stripes we are healed.”⁸

From the councils in heaven, our Savior sought only to do His Father’s will. This pattern of Father and Son can help explain the paradox “He that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.”⁹ The world pursues enlightened self-interest. Yet the power is not in us to save ourselves. But it is in Him. Infinite and eternal,¹⁰ only our Savior’s Atonement transcends time and space to swallow up death, anger, bitterness, unfairness, loneliness, and heartbreak.

Sometimes things go wrong even though we have done our very best. A Lamb innocent and pure, our Savior weeps with and for us. When we always remember Him,¹¹ He can stand with us “at all times and in all things, and in all places that [we] may be in.”¹² His “faithfulness is stronger than the cords of death.”¹³ In drawing us to Him, our Savior also draws us to our Father in Heaven. While some things are imperfect on earth, we can trust our Heavenly Father to complete “redemption’s grand design, where justice, love, and mercy meet in harmony divine!”¹⁴

A miracle of the images we discern in temple mirrors of eternity is that they—we—can change. When Jean and Walter Gong entered the new and everlasting covenant, they opened the way for ancestors (such as First Dragon Gong) to be sealed and for posterity to be born in the covenant. Please remember: as we reach out to each sister or brother, we bless generations.

The world is in commotion,¹⁵ but in His “only true and living Church,”¹⁶ there is faith and no fear. In the words of the Apostle Paul, I also solemnly testify:

“For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, …

“Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”¹⁷

I humbly witness: God lives. He “shall wipe away all tears from [our] eyes”¹⁸—except the tears of joy when we see through temple mirrors of eternity and find ourselves home, pure and clean, our family generations sealed by priesthood authority in love, to shout, “Hosanna, hosanna, hosanna.” In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Chapter 32: Tithes and Offerings

2011-04-16T23:03:00.000-05:00

Paying Tithes and Offerings

• How does our willingness to pay tithes and offerings show gratitude to our Heavenly Father for all His blessings to us?

We have been given commandments to help us prepare in every way to live in the presence of our Heavenly Father. He has given us a way to thank Him for our blessings. Willingly paying tithes and offerings is one way we thank Him. As we pay these offerings, we show that we love Him and will obey His counsel.

• In what ways does the payment of tithes and offerings help us thank our Heavenly Father?

Obeying the Law of Tithing

• What is an honest tithe?

Anciently, Abraham and Jacob obeyed the commandment to pay a tithe of one-tenth of their increase (see Hebrews 7:1–10; Genesis 14:19–20; 28:20–22).

In modern times the Prophet Joseph Smith prayed, “O Lord, show unto thy servants how much thou requirest of the properties of thy people for a tithing” (D&C 119, section introduction). The Lord answered: “This shall be the beginning of the tithing of my people. And after that, those who have thus been tithed shall pay one-tenth of all their interest annually; and this shall be a standing law unto them forever” (D&C 119:3–4). The First Presidency has explained that “one-tenth of all their interest annually” refers to our income (see First Presidency letter, Mar. 19, 1970).

When we pay tithing we show our faithfulness to the Lord. We also teach our children the value of this law. They will want to follow our example and pay tithing on any money they receive.

• In what ways is tithing a principle of faith more than a principle of finances?
• What can parents do to teach their children to pay tithing and understand its importance?

We Should Give Willingly

• Why is our attitude important as we pay tithing?

It is important to give willingly. “When one pays his tithing without enjoyment he is robbed of a part of the blessing. He must learn to give cheerfully, willingly and joyfully, and his gift will be blessed” (Stephen L Richards, The Law of Tithing [pamphlet, 1983], 8).

The Apostle Paul taught that how we give is as important as what we give. He said, “Let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7).

• What does it mean to you to be a “cheerful giver”?

Tithing and Other Offerings

• In what ways does the Church use tithing funds and other offerings?

As members of the Church, we give tithing and other offerings to the Lord.

Tithing

Tithing is used by the Church for many purposes. Some of these are to:

Build, maintain, and operate temples, meetinghouses, and other buildings.
Provide operating funds for stakes, wards, and other units of the Church. (These units use the funds to carry out the ecclesiastical programs of the Church, which include teaching the gospel and conducting social activities.)
Help the missionary program.
Educate young people in Church schools, seminaries, and institutes.
Print and distribute lesson materials.
Help in family history and temple work.

Other Offerings

Fast Offerings. Church members fast each month by going without food and drink for two consecutive meals. They contribute at least the amount of money they would have spent for the meals. They may give as generously as they are able. This offering is called the fast offering. Bishops use these fast offerings to provide food, shelter, clothing, and medical care for the needy.

As part of the fast day, members attend a meeting called the fast and testimony meeting, where they share with each other their testimonies of Christ and His gospel.

Other Donations. Church members may donate to other efforts of the Church, such as missionary work, the Perpetual Education Fund, temple construction, and humanitarian aid.

Service. Members also offer their time, skills, and goods to help others. This service allows the Church to help needy members and nonmembers around the world at community, national, and international levels, especially when disasters occur.

We Are Blessed When We Give Tithes and Offerings

The Lord promises to bless us as we faithfully pay our tithes and offerings. He said, “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith … if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it” (Malachi 3:10).

Latter-day revelation tells of another blessing for those who tithe: “Verily it is a day of sacrifice, and a day for the tithing of my people; for he that is tithed shall not be burned at his coming” (D&C 64:23).

The blessings we have been promised are both material and spiritual. If we give willingly, Heavenly Father will help us provide for our daily needs of food, clothes, and shelter. Speaking to Latter-day Saints in the Philippines, President Gordon B. Hinckley said that if people “will accept the gospel and live it, pay their tithes and offerings, even though those be meager, the Lord will keep His ancient promise in their behalf, and they will have rice in their bowls and clothing on their backs and shelter over their heads. I do not see any other solution. They need a power greater than any earthly power to lift them and help them” (“Inspirational Thoughts,” Ensign, Aug. 1997, 7). The Lord will also help us grow “in a knowledge of God, and in a testimony, and in the power to live the gospel and to inspire our families to do the same” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Heber J. Grant [2002], 124).

Those who pay their tithes and offerings are greatly blessed. They have a good feeling that they are helping to build the kingdom of God on earth.

• What are some blessings you, your family members, or your friends have received through the payment of tithing and other offerings?

Additional Scriptures

• D&C 119:1–4 (the law of tithing)
• Genesis 14:18–20; Alma 13:13–16 (Abraham paid tithes)

New Blog Address, Changes In The Ward & Newly Released & Called Brethren

2011-04-08T01:08:00.000-05:00

THE BLOG ADDRESS HAS CHANGED! THE NEW BLOG ADDRESS IS:

*****HTTP://THEVINEYARDOFTHEPLAINVIEWWARD.BLOGSPOT.COM*****

Brothers And Sisters,

Heretofore I have addressed, for the most part, most of these blog entries- starting by simply saying "Brethren". I wish now to exclaim, as I have at the beginning of this blog entry- all blogs from here on out, by saying "Brothers And Sisterss".

The reason for this change is, first of all, that I know many women read this blog, and according to statistics I can view, it sometimes is more frequently viewed by women than it is by men.

I realize that this blog is titled "The Elders Quorum Blog" , but hereafter it will not be labeled as such. It will now be called "The Vineyard Of The Plainview Ward". This change coming in light of the declaration given by our GREAT Stake President, President Shumway. I know that the change from Branch to Ward comes by approval (and I think he said by:) of the First Presidency. I know that this is the will of the Lord.

I will forever be placing messages here that are geared to benefit both the Brothers and Sisters in our Ward. A new feature, soon to come, will be the posting of the Visiting Teaching Message on the blog. I have always posted the First Presidency Message (Or similarly called Home Teaching Message) on the blog, and it is a fair proposal to also see some representation of the Sisters. This site will become an unofficial blog to benefit both those faithful readers the world over, and those living in and around the Plainview Ward.

Dear Sisters in Zion, unless otherwise noted and declared by the Relief Society President, all of the lessons posted here each week (which can be viewed in the left column on the blog home page) are the same lessons that you will be hear in Relief Society.

On Sunday, March 27th 2011- There were some changes made in "Branch Presidency" as well as in the High Priest Group. They are as follows:

Brother Sharp was released as the 1st Counselor in the Branch Presidency.
Brother Calderon was released as the 2nd Counselor in the Branch Presidency.
Brother Bird was released as the High Priest Group Leader.

The following Brethren were called to the following positions, and they are as follows:

Brother Sharp was called to be the High Priest Group Leader.
Brother Calderon was called to be the 1st Counselor in the Branch Presidency.
Brother Almaraz was called to be the 2nd Counselor in the Branch Presidency.

We have reached a fulfillment of our longing desire to first, find more people to help come to know the truth- to edify them with the doctrine of eternal salvation and exaltation, and secondly, to become greater in numbers (and certainly not just numbers alone.) I would be foolish to think that our growth would never have come this far when I was re-activated in October of 2008. I am grateful that doubt never had residence in my heart and soul. I am so excited to know of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and feel blessed with the responsibility that we have to share the "Good News Of Christ".

Brothers and Sisters, it is a blessing to be able to do this blog, and it is an even greater blessing to know that what has been posted here, since the dawn of this blog, has not only blessed local members, but also members and non-members the world over.

I know the Church is true. I know that both the Father and the Son appeared to Joseph Smith in that sacred grove, after Joseph followed the counsel given to all by James to "...let him ask of God..." when we did not know what to do. I know that the ancient Prophet Moroni appeared to Joseph Smith, and tutored him to a great degree- teaching him to have greater faith, to be a more humble man, and to live by every word of God. I know that by the gift and power of God, Joseph Smith translated the record kept by the Nephites, revealing the fulness of the Gospel. I know that if we are, much like President Shumway admonishes us to be, Humble, Obedient and Instructing others with true doctrine, no power on earth can stop the work of the Lord from moving forth. I feel blessed to know we are led by a Prophet, even Thomas S. Monson, who is faithful in doing all that the Lord asks of Him. I pray we all continue faithful as we heretofore have been. Such is my prayer and message, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

**To Visit The Blog, Visit The Following (And New) Web-Address: **

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* Attention Friends: Many Of You Get This Via E-Mail; I Encourage You To Visit The Actual Blog For Additional Interactive Features Such As Videos (And Many Of The Blog Entries Have Videos That Are Not Supported Through Email), News Alerts, (For Those In Plainview Branch) Lesson Schedules, Cleaning Schedules, Announcements And Much More. Find Interactive Links To Many Church Websites.

Lesson For 4-10-11 "Chapter 31: Honesty," Gospel Principles

2011-04-03T22:53:00.000-05:00

Brethren,

   Humbly I seek the direction of the Spirit before I take it upon myself to share the Lesson for next Sunday (Scheduled to be taught by President Derrick), and I wish to share with you a few things that have weighed upon my mind.
     I remember, as a member of the Branch - trying to re-develop a desire and personal affinity of the Gospel, it was requisite that I studied the Gospel regularly. I can also recall my desire to know more and more began to grow as I made it, an every day priority, to study upon the upcoming lessons. I made it a priority to frequently request the following weeks lesson in Sunday school (In Gospel Doctrine Class) so that I could fulfill my role as a Gospel Doctrine Listener and Obeyer. As I studied the following Sunday lesson during the week, I still learned many important things.
     At some point in my return to living the standard of truth, I saw the importance of my duty to understand the lesson for myself, and not just to learn for myself, but to also demonstrate my duty to the teacher to be ready to interact and be part of the classroom environment - answering questions that the teacher would ask. No, I did not wish to never give the chance to anyone else in the class to answer questions, but I did wish for the blessings of Heaven to come into my life as I better knew for myself the fulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
     I also understood, that as I studied the lessons, my ability to grow closer to my Heavenly Father and His son Jesus Christ, was magnified. The Spirit became more frequently visible (At least to notice the promptings much more often) because in learning the lessons and becoming more familiar with the doctrine, I grew in my ability to help serve others.
     If there is one thing that I ever wish to be able to hear any student in a class say, it is that they felt the Spirit, and their testimony was strengthened by their decision to attempt to learn all they could each week, by both being present for the lessons taught in class, and, studying that lesson in the week prior.
     Ours is the responsibility to come to know the truthfulness of the Gospel for ourselves. We must have a desire to grow closer to the Lord. The Lord will not drop just anything in our lap. No, its quite the contrary, and to illustrate that, I wish to share with you the admonition the Lord gave Oliver Cowdery when he was trying to understand why he could no longer translate as he did when he first commenced. In Section 9 of the Doctrine and Covenants, starting in verse 5, some wisdom is imparted unto us.

"And, behold, it is because that you did not continue as you commenced, when you began to translate, that I have taken away this privilege from you."

I believe (In part) that Oliver had a command of serious faith and because of that (or at least in part) he could do the work of translation. What may have happened, is he lost sight of the detailed requirement of continual application of the gift, (A round the clock appeal of continual faith) to get the job done right. The scriptures note his gift as "...this is the spirit of revelation..." (D & C 8:3) Then the Lord reminds him, before his application of his gift unto the desire to translate, when he says: "...this is thy gift; apply unto it, and blessed art thou...(D & C 8:4) He also reminds Oliver, "Oh, remember these words, and keep my commandments. Remember, this is your gift."(D & C 8:5)

Having that background, look back to Section 9: 7 when the Lord reminds him:

"Behold, you have not understood; you have supposed that I would give it unto you, when you took no thought save it was to ask me."

Likewise, we are admonished not to just ask for an understanding of all things when we put no effort into attempting to learn them for ourselves. It is our collective duty, to search the scriptures diligently by the Lord, and our wise Stake President- President Shumway, has oft reminded me of three things that will make our ability to live and learn in the Gospel better, and those are:

1) Be Humble

2) Be Obedient

3) Teach The Doctrine

Without living the Gospel, we can in no wise "Be Humble". Without regular learning of the Gospel, we can in no wise "Be Obedient" to a Gospel we do not know. Finally, without the former two items, not only can we not "Teach The Doctrine" , but we also can not live it.

I pray we take our duty to ourselves, our families, and most importantly to our God, with the utmost highest level of respect and regard- Let us learn the Gospel, and then teach it. To close this, I wish to share some more scriptures with you, and then the rest of this entry will be the actual Lesson for Sunday, April 10th 2011.

All seven of the following verses, constitute an entire Section in the Doctrine & Covenants, Section 4:

1) Now behold, a ^amarvelous work is about to come forth among the children of men.

2) Therefore, O ye that embark in the ^aservice of God, see that ye ^bserve him with all your heart, might, mind and strength, that ye may stand ^cblameless before God at the last day.

3) Therefore, if ye have desires to serve God ye are ^acalled to the work;

4) For behold the ^afield is white already to ^bharvest; and lo, he that thrusteth in his sickle with his might, the same layeth up in ^cstore that he perisheth not, but bringeth salvation to his soul;

5) And ^afaith, ^bhope, ^ccharity and ^dlove, with an ^eeye single to the ^fglory of God, ^gqualify him for the work.

6) Remember faith, ^avirtue, knowledge, ^btemperance, ^cpatience, ^dbrotherly ^ekindness, ^fgodliness, charity, ^ghumility, ^hdiligence.

7) ^aAsk, and ye shall receive; ^bknock, and it shall be opened unto you. Amen.

************************************

Now The Lesson:

Honesty Is a Principle of Salvation

• What would society be like if everyone were perfectly honest?

The 13th article of faith says, “We believe in being honest.” The Book of Mormon tells us about a group of people who were “distinguished for their zeal towards God, and also towards men; for they were perfectly honest and upright in all things; and they were firm in the faith of Christ, even unto the end” (Alma 27:27). Because of their honesty, these people were noted by their fellowmen and by God. It is important to learn what honesty is, how we are tempted to be dishonest, and how we can overcome this temptation.

Complete honesty is necessary for our salvation. President Brigham Young said, “If we accept salvation on the terms it is offered to us, we have got to be honest in every thought, in our reflections, in our meditations, in our private circles, in our deals, in our declarations, and in every act of our lives” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young [1997], 293).

God is honest and just in all things (see Alma 7:20). We too must be honest in all things to become like Him. The brother of Jared testified, “Yea, Lord, I know that thou … art a God of truth, and canst not lie” (Ether 3:12). In contrast, the devil is a liar. In fact, he is the father of lies (see 2 Nephi 9:9). “Those who choose to cheat and lie and deceive and misrepresent become his slaves” (Mark E. Petersen, in Conference Report, Oct. 1971, 65; or Ensign, Dec. 1971, 73).

Honest people love truth and justice. They are honest in their words and actions. They do not lie, steal, or cheat.

To Lie Is Dishonest

Lying is intentionally deceiving others. Bearing false witness is one form of lying. The Lord gave this commandment to the children of Israel: “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour” (Exodus 20:16). Jesus also taught this when He was on earth (see Matthew 19:18). There are many other forms of lying. When we speak untruths, we are guilty of lying. We can also intentionally deceive others by a gesture or a look, by silence, or by telling only part of the truth. Whenever we lead people in any way to believe something that is not true, we are not being honest.

The Lord is not pleased with such dishonesty, and we will have to account for our lies. Satan would have us believe it is all right to lie. He says, “Yea, lie a little; … there is no harm in this” (2 Nephi 28:8). Satan encourages us to justify our lies to ourselves. Honest people will recognize Satan’s temptations and will speak the whole truth, even if it seems to be to their disadvantage.

To Steal Is Dishonest

Jesus taught, “Thou shalt not steal” (Matthew 19:18). Stealing is taking something that does not belong to us. When we take what belongs to someone else or to a store or to the community without permission, we are stealing. Taking merchandise or supplies from an employer is stealing. Copying music, movies, pictures, or written text without the permission of the copyright owners is dishonest and is a form of theft. Accepting more change or goods than one should is dishonest. Taking more than our share of anything is stealing.

To Cheat Is Dishonest

We cheat when we give less than we owe, or when we get something we do not deserve. Some employees cheat their employers by not working their full time; yet they accept full pay. Some employers are not fair to their employees; they pay them less than they should. Satan says, “Take the advantage of one because of his words, dig a pit for thy neighbor” (2 Nephi 28:8). Taking unfair advantage is a form of dishonesty. Providing inferior service or merchandise is cheating.

We Must Not Excuse Our Dishonesty

• What happens to us spiritually when we excuse our dishonesty?

People use many excuses for being dishonest. People lie to protect themselves and to have others think well of them. Some excuse themselves for stealing, thinking they deserve what they took, intend to return it, or need it more than the owner. Some cheat to get better grades in school or because “everyone else does it” or to get even.

These excuses and many more are given as reasons for dishonesty. To the Lord, there are no acceptable reasons. When we excuse ourselves, we cheat ourselves and the Spirit of God ceases to be with us. We become more and more unrighteous.

We Can Be Completely Honest

• What does it mean to be completely honest?

To become completely honest, we must look carefully at our lives. If there are ways in which we are being even the least bit dishonest, we should repent of them immediately.

When we are completely honest, we cannot be corrupted. We are true to every trust, duty, agreement, or covenant, even if it costs us money, friends, or our lives. Then we can face the Lord, ourselves, and others without shame. President Joseph F. Smith counseled, “Let every man’s life be so that his character will bear the closest inspection, and that it may be seen as an open book, so that he will have nothing to shrink from or be ashamed of” (Gospel Doctrine, 5th ed. [1939], 252).

• In what ways does our honesty or dishonesty affect how we feel about ourselves?

Additional Scriptures

• D&C 50:17 (speak only by the spirit of truth)
• D&C 76:103–6 (destination of liars)
• D&C 42:27 (commandment not to speak evil of neighbors)
• Exodus 20:15–16 (commandments not to steal and not to bear false witness)
• D&C 42:20, 84–85; 59:6 (forbidden to steal)
• D&C 3:2 (God is honest)
• D&C 10:25–28 (Satan deceives)

* Attention Friends: Many Of You Get This Via E-Mail; I Encourage You To Visit The Actual Blog For Additional Interactive Features Such As Videos (And Many Of The Blog Entries Have Videos That Are Not Supported Through Email), News Alerts, (For Those In Plainview Branch) Lesson Schedules, Cleaning Schedules, Announcements And Much More. Find Interactive Links To Many Church Websites. To Visit The Blog, Visit The Following Web-Address: HTTP://PLAINVIEWEQ.BLOGSPOT.COM For Additional Testimony From Personal Members Of The Branch, Visit The (Un-Official) Plainview-Review Branch Blog At The Following Web-Address: HTTP://PLAINVIEWREVIEW.BLOGSPOT.COM

Christlike Qualities In Captain Moroni - Part Two

2011-03-30T23:00:00.000-05:00

Brethren,

I do a great deal of pondering on those qualities I mentioned concerning the great Captain Moroni in Part One of this series. Getting to this portion of the story concerning the great Captain, we have a little study aid that can be found on the Book Of Mormon study videos- I believe originally made for seminary classes. Indeed, that is where I remember first seeing the two videos that will follow my initial text. Care to know how Moroni is described in the Book Of Mormon? Open your scriptures to Alma Chapter 48.

Starting in verse 11, the scriptures tell us:

"And Moroni was a strong and a mighty man; he was a man of a perfect understanding; yea, a man that did not delight in bloodshed; a man whose soul did joy in the liberty and the freedom of his country, and his brethren from bondage and slavery;" (Alma 48:11)

"Yea, a man whose heart did swell with thanksgiving to his God, for the many privileges and blessings which he bestowed upon his people; a man who did labor exceedingly for the welfare and safety of his people." (Alma 48:12)

"Yea, and he was a man who was firm in the faith of Christ, and he had sworn with an oath to defend his people, his rights, and his country, and his religion, even to the loss of his blood." (Alma 48:13)

"Yea, verily, verily I say unto you, if all men had been, and were, and ever would be, like unto Moroni, behold, the very powers of hell would have been shaken forever; yea, the devil would never have power over the hearts of the children of men." (Alma 48:17)

"Behold, he was a man like unto Ammon, the son of Mosiah, yea, and even the other sons of Mosiah, yea, and also Alma and his sons, for they were all men of God." (Alma 48:18)

I hope you can see for yourself, just how great a man Moroni was, both in good faith and character, giving mercy to those whom would listen to the counsel of the Lord, and honorably dealing with all men, regardless of their particular roots.... be it Nephite, Lamanite, Zoramite... etc.

Watch these two videos (And if you are getting this by auto email post, you will have to go to the blog site to watch them) and see if you can't come to the conclusion that Moroni was an honorable man of God.

PART ONE

PART TWO

Brethren, I bear you my testimony, that I know the Book Of Mormon to be true. I know that many great men and women in both these the latter-days and in times before- fought to preserve these records so that we could have an understanding... and a chance to have and partake of the fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

This I gratefully share with you all, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

* Attention Friends: Many Of You Get This Via E-Mail; I Encourage You To Visit The Actual Blog For Additional Interactive Features Such As Videos (And Many Of The Blog Entries Have Videos That Are Not Supported Through Email), News Alerts, (For Those In Plainview Branch) Lesson Schedules, Cleaning Schedules, Announcements And Much More. Find Interactive Links To Many Church Websites. To Visit The Blog, Visit The Following Web-Address: HTTP://PLAINVIEWEQ.BLOGSPOT.COM For Additional Testimony From Personal Members Of The Branch, Visit The (Un-Official) Plainview-Review Branch Blog At The Following Web-Address: HTTP://PLAINVIEWREVIEW.BLOGSPOT.COM

Film about Joseph Smith Now Available Online

2011-03-28T18:04:00.000-05:00

People around the world now have a new way to learn about Joseph Smith, the founder and first president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. A film called Joseph Smith: The Prophet of the Restoration is now available online, marking the first time the Church has shared a full-length film on the Internet.

A similar film has been shown since 2005 in Salt Lake City and 19 Church visitors’ sites around the world. Now the film is available to everyone on MormonChannel.org/Joseph and has been revised to be more easily understood by a wider audience.

Ron Munns, who produced the original film, said, “The first Joseph Smith film was excellent and was well received by many. However, some parts were not easily understood if you did not already know the story.
Everyone comes to the film with different backgrounds and knowledge, and we wanted to make sure that every person who sees the film walks away with a better understanding of the Prophet Joseph and what he did.”

The film will also help people better understand Latter-day Saint belief in modern prophets, the purpose of temples, and the eternal nature of family relationships. There is also additional context around historical events such as the First Vision — when God the Father and Jesus Christ appeared to Joseph Smith when he was 14 years old.

“Our hope is that people who aren’t familiar with the story will come away with an increased understanding of the role Joseph Smith played in restoring the Church of Jesus Christ,” John Garbett, who produced the new movie, said.

Garbett said this focus on Joseph’s prophetic role prompted many of the changes. For example, a scene showing a leg operation Joseph had as a young boy was removed because it was less essential to the purpose of the film.

“There is less focus on Joseph the man and more focus on Joseph the prophet. It’s the same story, just with a different emphasis,” Garbett said. “There are some things in the old version that people might miss, but there are things in the new version that people will be thrilled to see.”

Those who have seen the film will notice that the revised version has a new narrator: an actress representing Lucy Mack Smith, Joseph’s mother.

“We chose this device to tell the story because Lucy Mack Smith was an eyewitness to everything that happened,” Garbett said. “This is a mother talking about her son in her own words.”

The revised version is five minutes shorter than the original, and about 40 percent of the movie is new. Footage from the first version was re-edited to fit the revised storyline, and Garbett and his team also shot some new scenes. Regardless of where the footage came from, the crew took great care to ensure that every moment of the film has the same look and feel.

“Someone who sees the movie will not be able to tell what was shot then and what was shot now,” Garbett said.

David Nielson, managing director of the Church’s Media Services Department, said he is thrilled that the movie will now be available online.

“The beauty of having the new Joseph film available on the Internet is that you can see it at home at a time that is convenient for you,” Nielson said. “Even if you have seen the previous version, don’t miss the opportunity to see the new one. It will help enhance your understanding of the life and mission of Joseph Smith.”
Munns too is excited to have the film seen by a wider audience.

“This is a version that can be easily shared by Church members with their friends not of our faith,” he said.
The full-length version of Joseph Smith: The Prophet of the Restoration can be seen on MormonChannel.org/Joseph. The revised film can also be seen in the Legacy Theater at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building in Salt Lake City and at some Church visitors' centers. Currently, the film is only in English but may expand to additional languages in the future.

* Attention Friends: Many Of You Get This Via E-Mail; I Encourage You To Visit The Actual Blog For Additional Interactive Features Such As Videos (And Many Of The Blog Entries Have Videos That Are Not Supported Through Email), News Alerts, (For Those In Plainview Branch) Lesson Schedules, Cleaning Schedules, Announcements And Much More. Find Interactive Links To Many Church Websites. To Visit The Blog, Visit The Following Web-Address: HTTP://PLAINVIEWEQ.BLOGSPOT.COM For Additional Testimony From Personal Members Of The Branch, Visit The (Un-Official) Plainview-Review Branch Blog At The Following Web-Address: HTTP://PLAINVIEWREVIEW.BLOGSPOT.COM

Lesson 3-27-11 - "Of Things That Matter Most"

2011-03-22T22:16:00.000-05:00

It’s remarkable how much we can learn about life by studying nature. For example, scientists can look at the rings of trees and make educated guesses about climate and growing conditions hundreds and even thousands of years ago. One of the things we learn from studying the growth of trees is that during seasons when conditions are ideal, trees grow at a normal rate. However, during seasons when growing conditions are not ideal, trees slow down their growth and devote their energy to the basic elements necessary for survival.

At this point some of you may be thinking, “That’s all very fine and good, but what does it have to do with flying an airplane?” Well, let me tell you.

Have you ever been in an airplane and experienced turbulence? The most common cause of turbulence is a sudden change in air movement causing the aircraft to pitch, yaw, and roll. While planes are built to withstand far greater turbulence than anything you would encounter on a regular flight, it still may be disconcerting to passengers.

What do you suppose pilots do when they encounter turbulence? A student pilot may think that increasing speed is a good strategy because it will get them through the turbulence faster. But that may be the wrong thing to do. Professional pilots understand that there is an optimum turbulence penetration speed that will minimize the negative effects of turbulence. And most of the time that would mean to reduce your speed. The same principle applies also to speed bumps on a road.

Therefore, it is good advice to slow down a little, steady the course, and focus on the essentials when experiencing adverse conditions.

The Pace of Modern Life

This is a simple but critical lesson to learn. It may seem logical when put in terms of trees or turbulence, but it’s surprising how easy it is to ignore this lesson when it comes to applying these principles in our own daily lives. When stress levels rise, when distress appears, when tragedy strikes, too often we attempt to keep up the same frantic pace or even accelerate, thinking somehow that the more rushed our pace, the better off we will be.

One of the characteristics of modern life seems to be that we are moving at an ever-increasing rate, regardless of turbulence or obstacles.

Let’s be honest; it’s rather easy to be busy. We all can think up a list of tasks that will overwhelm our schedules. Some might even think that their self-worth depends on the length of their to-do list. They flood the open spaces in their time with lists of meetings and minutia—even during times of stress and fatigue. Because they unnecessarily complicate their lives, they often feel increased frustration, diminished joy, and too little sense of meaning in their lives.

It is said that any virtue when taken to an extreme can become a vice. Overscheduling our days would certainly qualify for this. There comes a point where milestones can become millstones and ambitions, albatrosses around our necks.

What Is the Solution?

The wise understand and apply the lessons of tree rings and air turbulence. They resist the temptation to get caught up in the frantic rush of everyday life. They follow the advice “There is more to life than increasing its speed.”¹ In short, they focus on the things that matter most.

Elder Dallin H. Oaks, in a recent general conference, taught, “We have to forego some good things in order to choose others that are better or best because they develop faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and strengthen our families.”²

The search for the best things inevitably leads to the foundational principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ—the simple and beautiful truths revealed to us by a caring, eternal, and all-knowing Father in Heaven. These core doctrines and principles, though simple enough for a child to understand, provide the answers to the most complex questions of life.

There is a beauty and clarity that comes from simplicity that we sometimes do not appreciate in our thirst for intricate solutions.

For example, it wasn’t long after astronauts and cosmonauts orbited the earth that they realized ballpoint pens would not work in space. And so some very smart people went to work solving the problem. It took thousands of hours and millions of dollars, but in the end, they developed a pen that could write anywhere, in any temperature, and on nearly any surface. But how did the astronauts and cosmonauts get along until the problem was solved? They simply used a pencil.

Leonardo da Vinci is quoted as saying that “simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.”³ When we look at the foundational principles of the plan of happiness, the plan of salvation, we can recognize and appreciate in its plainness and simplicity the elegance and beauty of our Heavenly Father’s wisdom. Then, turning our ways to His ways is the beginning of our wisdom.

The Power of Basics

The story is told that the legendary football coach Vince Lombardi had a ritual he performed on the first day of training. He would hold up a football, show it to the athletes who had been playing the sport for many years, and say, “Gentlemen, … this is a football!” He talked about its size and shape, how it can be kicked, carried, or passed. He took the team out onto the empty field and said, “This is a football field.” He walked them around, describing the dimensions, the shape, the rules, and how the game is played.⁴

This coach knew that even these experienced players, and indeed the team, could become great only by mastering the fundamentals. They could spend their time practicing intricate trick plays, but until they mastered the fundamentals of the game, they would never become a championship team.

I think most of us intuitively understand how important the fundamentals are. It is just that we sometimes get distracted by so many things that seem more enticing.

Printed material, wide-ranging media sources, electronic tools and gadgets—all helpful if used properly—can become hurtful diversions or heartless chambers of isolation.

Yet amidst the multitude of voices and choices, the humble Man of Galilee stands with hands outstretched, waiting. His is a simple message: “Come, follow me.”⁵ And He does not speak with a powerful megaphone but with a still, small voice.⁶ It is so easy for the basic gospel message to get lost amidst the deluge of information that hits us from all sides.

The holy scriptures and the spoken word of the living prophets give emphasis to the fundamental principles and doctrines of the gospel. The reason we return to these foundational principles, to the pure doctrines, is because they are the gateway to truths of profound meaning. They are the door to experiences of sublime importance that would otherwise be beyond our capacity to comprehend. These simple, basic principles are the key to living in harmony with God and man. They are the keys to opening the windows of heaven. They lead us to the peace, joy, and understanding that Heavenly Father has promised to His children who hear and obey Him.

My dear brothers and sisters, we would do well to slow down a little, proceed at the optimum speed for our circumstances, focus on the significant, lift up our eyes, and truly see the things that matter most. Let us be mindful of the foundational precepts our Heavenly Father has given to His children that will establish the basis of a rich and fruitful mortal life with promises of eternal happiness. They will teach us to do “all these things … in wisdom and order; for it is not requisite that [we] should run faster than [we have] strength. [But] it is expedient that [we] should be diligent, [and] thereby … win the prize.”⁷

Brothers and sisters, diligently doing the things that matter most will lead us to the Savior of the world. That is why “we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, … that [we] may know to what source [we] may look for a remission of [our] sins.”⁸ In the complexity, confusion, and rush of modern living, this is the “more excellent way.”⁹

So What Are the Basics?

As we turn to our Heavenly Father and seek His wisdom regarding the things that matter most, we learn over and over again the importance of four key relationships: with our God, with our families, with our fellowman, and with ourselves. As we evaluate our own lives with a willing mind, we will see where we have drifted from the more excellent way. The eyes of our understanding will be opened, and we will recognize what needs to be done to purify our heart and refocus our life.

First, our relationship with God is most sacred and vital. We are His spirit children. He is our Father. He desires our happiness. As we seek Him, as we learn of His Son, Jesus Christ, as we open our hearts to the influence of the Holy Spirit, our lives become more stable and secure. We experience greater peace, joy, and fulfillment as we give our best to live according to God’s eternal plan and keep His commandments.

We improve our relationship with our Heavenly Father by learning of Him, by communing with Him, by repenting of our sins, and by actively following Jesus Christ, for “no man cometh unto the Father, but by [Christ].”¹⁰ To strengthen our relationship with God, we need some meaningful time alone with Him. Quietly focusing on daily personal prayer and scripture study, always aiming to be worthy of a current temple recommend—these will be some wise investments of our time and efforts to draw closer to our Heavenly Father. Let us heed the invitation in Psalms: “Be still, and know that I am God.”¹¹

Our second key relationship is with our families. Since “no other success can compensate for failure”¹² here, we must place high priority on our families. We build deep and loving family relationships by doing simple things together, like family dinner and family home evening and by just having fun together. In family relationships love is really spelled t-i-m-e, time. Taking time for each other is the key for harmony at home. We talk with, rather than about, each other. We learn from each other, and we appreciate our differences as well as our commonalities. We establish a divine bond with each other as we approach God together through family prayer, gospel study, and Sunday worship.

The third key relationship we have is with our fellowman. We build this relationship one person at a time—by being sensitive to the needs of others, serving them, and giving of our time and talents. I was deeply impressed by one sister who was burdened with the challenges of age and illness but decided that although she couldn’t do much, she could listen. And so each week she watched for people who looked troubled or discouraged, and she spent time with them, listening. What a blessing she was in the lives of so many people.

The fourth key relationship is with ourselves. It may seem odd to think of having a relationship with ourselves, but we do. Some people can’t get along with themselves. They criticize and belittle themselves all day long until they begin to hate themselves. May I suggest that you reduce the rush and take a little extra time to get to know yourself better. Walk in nature, watch a sunrise, enjoy God’s creations, ponder the truths of the restored gospel, and find out what they mean for you personally. Learn to see yourself as Heavenly Father sees you—as His precious daughter or son with divine potential.

Rejoice in the Pure Gospel

Brothers and sisters, let us be wise. Let us turn to the pure doctrinal waters of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. Let us joyfully partake of them in their simplicity and plainness. The heavens are open again. The gospel of Jesus Christ is on earth once more, and its simple truths are a plentiful source of joy!

Brothers and sisters, indeed we have great reason to rejoice. If life and its rushed pace and many stresses have made it difficult for you to feel like rejoicing, then perhaps now is a good time to refocus on what matters most.

Strength comes not from frantic activity but from being settled on a firm foundation of truth and light. It comes from placing our attention and efforts on the basics of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. It comes from paying attention to the divine things that matter most.

Let us simplify our lives a little. Let us make the changes necessary to refocus our lives on the sublime beauty of the simple, humble path of Christian discipleship—the path that leads always toward a life of meaning, gladness, and peace. For this I pray, as I leave you my blessing, in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen.

New Mormon Messages Video: "You Will Be Freed"

2011-03-20T02:03:00.000-05:00

This Is A Video That Means More To Me Than I Can Ever Express.

Stay True Brethren!

* Attention Friends: Many Of You Get This Via E-Mail; I Encourage You To Visit The Actual Blog For Additional Interactive Features Such As Videos (And Many Of The Blog Entries Have Videos That Are Not Supported Through Email), News Alerts, (For Those In Plainview Branch) Lesson Schedules, Cleaning Schedules, Announcements And Much More. Find Interactive Links To Many Church Websites. To Visit The Blog, Visit The Following Web-Address: HTTP://PLAINVIEWEQ.BLOGSPOT.COM For Additional Testimony From Personal Members Of The Branch, Visit The (Un-Official) Plainview-Review Branch Blog At The Following Web-Address: HTTP://PLAINVIEWREVIEW.BLOGSPOT.COM

Christlike Qualities In Captain Moroni - Part One

2011-03-20T01:38:00.000-05:00

Brethren,

I began to ponder this evening / early morning, the account of which I have poured my thoughts through over the past few days of my scripture study.

Many of us are adequately familiar with the Moroni, who delivered the Plates Of Brass to the young Prophet Joseph Smith Jr. Rightly so, as this Moroni was, prior to Joseph Smith, the one to place them into the earth which makes up part of what we know as the Hill Cumorah.

This Moroni is one whom was a valiant man of God, but the Moroni I speak of, is the righteous Moroni whom we are introduced to in Chapter 43 of Alma. This is the Moroni that most of the youth, of this, our great church- The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints- are very familiar with. Such integrity and honor rested upon the heart and soul of this man... and it must have been very apparent to all who knew him and all who read of him to this day.

Moroni was a man completely void of any pusillanimous description, and certainly could never be described as anything close to it. Even more unique to his particular story being told in the scriptures, is where he bursts on to the scene with such efficacy in casting asunder all the feeble carnal strategists, and then almost without a real notice of transition, seems to abscond into the night without much mention of his post Nephite Army leading life.

All this being said, there is much mentioned of Moroni that I feel I have overlooked and failed to actually weigh in of its true significance. If you don't have your scriptures now, go get them, and grab a colored pencil.

The first characteristic I wish for you to weigh in on, that Moroni "MUST" of had, was a level of "Trust" previously never seen before. This distinction I make, because of what is mentioned in Alma, Chapter 43: 17.

It simply reads, "And Moroni took all the command, and the government of their wars. And he was only twenty and five years old when he was appointed chief captain over the armies of the Nephites."

Ponder that as you mark it in your scriptures, and somewhere on there, place the word "Trust".

The next characteristic I wish for you to consider, is "Faith." You may even wish to also add his respect for the Lord's admonishment to have all things in order. In the same Chapter of Alma (43), in reading verses 19 through 22, you gain and appreciate Moroni being prepared for all things which certainly he was diligent in trying to be; as his preparedness frustrated and circumvented the vast numbers of Lamanites that stood under the command of Zerahemnah. Even the Zoramites and the Amalekites were frustrated by the smarts of Moroni.

Moroni had "Trust" not just invested in him by the very people he served, but he also had "Trust" and "Faith" that the Lord had the order of things carefully articulated to work perfectly when all his commandments were followed faithfully. Being a great strategist, Moroni certainly could have tried to figure much about the tactics of the Lamanites, and their plans himself. But now look to verse 23 in Alma, chapter 43:\

"...and Moroni, also, knowing of the prophecies of Alma, sent certain men unto him that he should inquire of the Lord whither the armies of the Nephites should go to defend themselves against the Lamanites."

I'd say that was a great measure of Faith, seeing as prior to this, Alma was not so much involved in the matters of temporal welfare as he was the spiritual matters.

"...it came to pass that the sons of Alma did go forth among the people, to declare the word unto them. And Alma, also, himself, could not rest, and he also went forth.

Now, we shall say no more concerning their preaching, except that they preached the word, and the truth, according to the Spirit of prophecy and revelation; and they preached after the Holy Order of God by which they were called." (Alma 43: 1-2)

So, mark Faith by verse 23, as you have now seen that even the great leader and strategist that he was, he was humble enough and had Faith that the Lord would direct him, through his prophet Alma, to do what was best in defending what was at the heart of his later known, and well rehearsed story of the "Title of Liberty".

We get a clear understanding, in verse 30, of Alma chapter 43, of the only reason that the Nephites were fighting the Lamanites, Zoramites and Amalekites. It reads:

"...knowing that it was the only desire of the Nephites to preserve their lands, and their liberty, and their church..."

The next quality we should attribute to Moroni, can be his ability to "Inspire" the people towards the righteous cause of which they should stand for always. And though verse 30 does give us a general idea of what the Nephites fought for, it is described in detail in verse 45, even after the Lamanites were said to have been "...fight[ing] exceedingly; yea, never had the Lamanites been known to fight with such exceedingly great strength and courage, no, not even from the beginning." (Alma 43:43)

Just how well did Moroni's chief opponent inspire his armies?

"And they [The Lamanites] were inspired by the Zoramites and the Amalekites, who were their chief captains and leaders, and by Zerahemnah, who was their chief captain, or their chief leader and commander; yea, they did fight like dragons, and many Nephites were slain by their hands...." (Alma 43:44)

But the Inspiration given by Moroni, and through the Holy Ghost which will accompany any who keep the commandments, was enough to supplant any existing fear, and remind the Nephites again, just what they were doing. The next verse, says it all:

"Nevertheless, the Nephites were inspired by a better cause, for they were not fighting for monarchy nor power but they were fighting for their homes and their liberties, their wives and their children, and their all, yea, for their rites of worship and their church."

To end the entry of this blog, but certainly not the end of the many great characteristics Moroni had, he exhibited one thing that im sure many other men never could in battle, "Mercy".

"Therefore the armies of Moroni encircled them about, yea, even on both sides of the river, for behold, on the east were the men of Lehi. Therefore when Zerahemnah saw the men of Lehi on the east of the river Sidon, and the armies of Moroni on the west of the river Sidon, that they were encircled about by the Nephites, they were struck with terror. Now Moroni, when he saw their terror, commanded his men that they should stop shedding their blood." (Alma 43: 52-54)

Lesson For 3-20-2011 Chapter 30: Charity

2011-03-17T07:52:00.000-05:00

What Is Charity?

• How would you define charity?

The life of the Savior reflects His pure love for all people. He even gave His life for us. Charity is that pure love which our Savior Jesus Christ has. He has commanded us to love one another as He loves us. The scriptures tell us that charity comes from a pure heart (see 1 Timothy 1:5). We have pure love when, from the heart, we show genuine concern and compassion for all our brothers and sisters.

Charity Is the Greatest of All Virtues

The prophet Mormon tells us, “Wherefore, cleave unto charity, which is the greatest of all, for all things must fail—but charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever” (Moroni 7:46–47; see also 1 Corinthians 13; 2 Nephi 26:30; Moroni 7:44–45, 48).

The Savior gave us the example of His life to follow. He was the Son of God. He had perfect love, and He showed us how to love. By His example, He showed us that the spiritual and physical needs of our fellowmen are as important as our own. Before He gave His life for us, He said:

“This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.

“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:12–13).

Speaking to the Lord, Moroni said:

“I remember that thou hast said that thou hast loved the world, even unto the laying down of thy life for the world. …

“And now I know that this love which thou hast had for the children of men is charity; wherefore, except men shall have charity they cannot inherit that place which thou hast prepared in the mansions of thy Father” (Ether 12:33–34).

It may not be necessary for us to give our lives as the Savior did. But we can have charity if we make Him the center of our lives and follow His example and teachings. Like the Savior, we too can bless the lives of our brothers and sisters here on earth.

• Why is charity the greatest of all virtues?

Charity Includes Giving to the Sick, Afflicted, and Poor

The Savior gave us many teachings in the form of stories or parables. The parable of the good Samaritan teaches us that we should give to those in need, regardless of whether they are our friends or not (see Luke 10:30–37; see also James E. Talmage, Jesus the Christ, 3rd ed. [1916], 430–32). In the parable, the Savior said that a man was traveling to another city. On the road he was attacked by bandits. They stole his clothes and money and beat him, leaving him half dead. A priest came along, saw him, and passed him by. Then a temple attendant walked over, looked at him, and went on. However, a Samaritan, who was despised by the Jews, came along, and when he saw the man he felt compassion (see the picture in this chapter). Kneeling beside him, the good Samaritan bandaged his wounds and took him on a donkey to an inn. He paid the innkeeper to take care of the man until he recovered.

Jesus taught that we should give food to the hungry, shelter to those who have none, and clothes to the poor. When we visit the sick and those who are in prison, it is as if we were doing these things for Him instead. He promises that as we do these things, we will inherit His kingdom. (See Matthew 25:34–46.)

We should not try to decide whether someone really deserves our help or not (see Mosiah 4:16–24). If we have taken care of our own family’s needs first, then we should help all who need help. In this way we will be like our Father in Heaven, who causes rain to fall on the just and on the unjust alike (see Matthew 5:44–45).
President Thomas S. Monson reminded us that there are those who need more than material goods:

“Let us ask ourselves the questions: ‘Have I done any good in the world today? Have I helped anyone in need?’ [Hymns, no. 223]. What a formula for happiness! What a prescription for contentment, for inner peace—to have inspired gratitude in another human being.

“Our opportunities to give of ourselves are indeed limitless, but they are also perishable. There are hearts to gladden. There are kind words to say. There are gifts to be given. There are deeds to be done. There are souls to be saved” (in Conference Report, Oct. 2001, 72; or Ensign, Nov. 2001, 60).

• In the parable of the good Samaritan, how would you describe those who passed the injured man? How would you describe the Samaritan? In what ways can we apply the message of this parable in our lives?

Charity Comes from the Heart

• How can we love people in spite of their sins and faults?

Even when we give to those in need, unless we feel compassion for them we do not have charity (see 1 John 3:16–17). The Apostle Paul taught that when we have charity we are filled with good feelings for all people. We are patient and kind. We are not boastful or proud, selfish or rude. When we have charity we do not remember or rejoice in the evil others have done. Neither do we do good things just because it is to our advantage. Instead, we share the joy of those who live by truth. When we have charity we are loyal, we believe the best of others, and we are kind to them. The scriptures teach that “charity never faileth.” (See 1 Corinthians 13:4–8.)

The Savior was our example of how to feel toward and treat others. He despised wickedness, but He loved sinners in spite of their sins. He had compassion for children, the elderly, the poor, and the needy. He had such great love that He could beg our Heavenly Father to forgive the soldiers who drove the nails into His hands and feet (see Luke 23:34). He taught us that if we do not forgive others, our Father in Heaven will not forgive us (see Matthew 18:33–35). He said: “I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you. … For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye?” (Matthew 5:44, 46). We must learn to feel toward others as Jesus did.

Developing the Virtue of Charity

• How can we become more charitable?

For teachers: Under the heading “Developing the Virtue of Charity,” each of the first four paragraphs teaches one way we can become more charitable. If the setting allows for small group discussion, consider dividing class members or family members into groups of four. Assign one of the four paragraphs to each member of each group. Invite participants to study their assigned paragraphs individually. Ask them to think of examples, from the lives of people they know or people in the scriptures, that represent this way of becoming charitable. Then ask them to share their examples with each other in their groups.

One way we can become charitable is by studying the life of Jesus Christ and keeping His commandments. We can study what He did in certain situations and do the same things when we are in the same kinds of situations.

Second, when we have uncharitable feelings, we can pray to have greater charity. Mormon urges us, “Pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love [charity], which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ” (Moroni 7:48).

Third, we can learn to love ourselves, which means that we understand our true worth as children of our Heavenly Father. The Savior taught that we must love others as we love ourselves (see Matthew 22:39). To love ourselves, we must respect and trust ourselves. This means that we must be obedient to the principles of the gospel. We must repent of any wrongdoings. We must forgive ourselves when we have repented. We will come to love ourselves better when we can feel the deep, comforting assurance that the Savior truly loves us.
Fourth, we can avoid thinking we are better than other people. We can have patience with their faults. Joseph Smith said, “The nearer we get to our heavenly Father, the more we are disposed to look with compassion on perishing souls; we feel that we want to take them upon our shoulders, and cast their sins behind our backs” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith [2007], 428–29).

In the Book of Mormon we read of Enos, a young man who wanted to know that his sins had been forgiven. He tells us:

“My soul hungered; and I kneeled down before my Maker, and I cried unto him in mighty prayer and supplication for mine own soul; and all the day long did I cry unto him; yea, and when the night came I did still raise my voice high that it reached the heavens.

“And there came a voice unto me, saying: Enos, thy sins are forgiven thee, and thou shalt be blessed” (Enos 1:4–5).

The Lord explained to Enos that because of his faith in Christ his sins had been forgiven. When Enos heard these words he no longer was concerned about himself. He knew the Lord loved him and would bless him. He began instead to feel concern for the welfare of his friends and relatives, the Nephites. He poured out his whole soul unto God for them. The Lord answered and said they would be blessed according to their faithfulness in keeping the commandments they had already been given. Enos’s love increased even further after these words, and he prayed with many long strugglings for the Lamanites, who were the enemies of the Nephites. The Lord granted his desires, and he spent the rest of his life trying to save the souls of the Nephites and the Lamanites. (See Enos 1:6–26.)

Enos was so grateful for the Lord’s love and forgiveness that he willingly spent the rest of his life helping others receive this same gift. Enos had become truly charitable. We too can do so. In fact, we must do so to inherit the place that has been prepared for us in our Father’s kingdom.

Additional Scriptures

• Colossians 3:12–14 (charity is the bond of perfectness)
• Alma 34:28–29 (our prayers are vain if we do not act charitably)
• 1 Corinthians 12:29–13:3 (definition of charity)
• D&C 121:45–46 (let us be full of charity toward all people)

Church’s Missionaries in Japan All Safe and Accounted For!

2011-03-13T05:53:00.000-05:00

My dear brethren,

Over the past few years, we have begun to see many of the prophetic signs given by prophets of old concerning earthquakes in diverse places come to pass, and our hearts and souls have been poured out in support through prayer, and the rapid response of both rescue workers- and other great people across the world of all faiths.

We see fulfillment of these prophetic disasters, and become quite perplexed, and suffer from the pains of knowing that good men, women and children have died or are suffering.

I know not all of us are able to do much outside of prayer (For various financially rooted hardships) but I wish to emphasize the power of prayer. Prayer is our means of communication with the Lord, and is also a commandment given of the Lord; It is no commandment to bind us down, or take away from free time, no it is all the more opposite of that. In praying, we receive blessings that simply don't come any other way. Even though our appeals to our Father in Heaven are already known before our knees hit the ground, know that He rejoices when we lift our hearts and souls up asking for his help. He acts on fulfillment of promises he makes, of that we can be absolutely certain. Remember, in all things the Lord keeps his end of the agreement!

When addressing how he keeps his end of the agreement, the Lord said, " I, the Lord, am bound when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise." (D & C 82:10)

In a great scriptural example of the power of prayer, we see what can happen when we do not follow the admonition to pray always. Allow me to address a story from the Book of Ether. I have mentioned this story a few times in blogs, and in classes taught, but for the purpose of placing emphasis on them, allow me yet again to remind everyone.

Many of us are very familiar with the great story of the Jaredites, both from their humble beginnings, and their horrible tragic end. This is a story that has been known since King Limhi was brought, with his people, to join the Nephites while they were under the reign of the final King of the Nephites, Mosiah. Mosiah was the seer of which Ammon said could translate the 24 plates found by the people of King Zeniff (Who was the Father of King Noah, who was the Father of King Limhi) as they sent out parties in an attempt to find the land of Zarahemla, but found only the land of Desolation.

In this great account, we see the faith of both the brother of Jared, and Jared himself, as they began to appeal to the Lord for help and direction in the face of many others who sought to build the infamous tower of Babel. The curse of the Lord came upon the people, to scatter them all- and to confound their language. Where does it begin? Lets start in Ether, Chapter 1 Verse 34. (The portions highlighting where prayer played a role, are emphasized in bold, italicized, underlined print.)

"And the brother of Jared being a large and mighty man, and a man highly favored of the Lord, Jared, his brother, said unto him: Cry unto the Lord, that he will not confound us that we may not understand our words." (Ether 1: 34)

"And it came to pass that the brother of Jared did cry unto the Lord, and the Lord had compassion upon Jared; therefore he did not confound the language of Jared; and Jared and his brother were not confounded." (Ether 1:35)

"Then Jared said unto his brother: Cry again unto the Lord, and it may be that he will turn away his anger from them who are our friends, that he confound not their language." (Ether 1: 36)

"And it came to pass that the brother of Jared did cry unto the Lord, and the Lord had compassion upon their friends and their families also, that they were not confounded." (Ether 1: 37)

"And it came to pass that Jared spake again unto his brother, saying: Go and inquire of the Lord whether he will drive us out of the land, and if he will drive us out of the land, cry unto him whither we shall go. And who knoweth but the Lord will carry us forth into a land which is choice above all the earth? And if it so be, let us be faithful unto the Lord, that we may receive it for our inheritance." (Ether 1: 38)

So what happened? It then reads,

"And it came to pass that the brother of Jared did cry unto the Lord according to that which had been spoken by the mouth of Jared." (Ether 1: 39)

And what was the end result? The record says,

"And it came to pass that the Lord did hear the brother of Jared, and had compassion upon him..." (Ether 1: 40)

It should be mentioned that not every person who prays unto the Lord will receive a response anything like unto this, but what should be understood about all our prayers is the bold, italicized and underlined portion of the last verse mentioned above (Verse 40) that, "the Lord did hear" his prayer. So let us diligently pray unto the Lord for the relief of these good people in Japan, both member and non-member alike.

We need not be utterly discouraged by disaster, and to know why I say that, seek out the 24th chapter of Matthew. The Apostles had many questions for the Lord, but the answer he gave following their appeal for enlightenment; "And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?" (Matthew 24: 3)

The Master then said:

"And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places."

(Matthew 24: 6-7)

The focal point of those verses, is where he said, "...see that ye be not troubled..."

Let us all see to it that we are not troubled, and trust and believe that the Lord has everything under control. Let us keep faith and hope, and never fail to remember that the Lord is mindful of everyone, just as we all should be. We are commanded to love our neighbor, and in praying for our dear brethren across the world, surely the Lord will hear us. Of that we can be sure, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Below is the recent press release from the church about the disaster in Japan.

12 March 2011 — Salt Lake City

Church leaders confirmed this morning that all missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints serving in Japan are safe and accounted for. The Church had been working diligently to make contact with missionaries in Sendai despite difficulty with communication systems and traveling in and around the city. Families and friends of the missionaries in the Sendai area had been anxiously awaiting word that their loved ones were safe. The Church released a statement yesterday saying, "our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Japan following the recent devastating earthquake and tsunami."

The Church is assessing the needs of its members and others in the communities impacted by the earthquake. Hundreds of individuals have been confirmed dead and tens of thousands have been displaced. Hundreds of homes and buildings have been destroyed and strong aftershocks continue to shake the area. The 8.9 magnitude quake was the strongest quake on record in Japan.

The Vine In The Vineyard Of The Lord : The Plainview Branch

Why Didn’t They Know?

Lesson For 8/21/11 - The Oath And Covenant Of The Priesthood

Accountability For Our Actions, Accountability For Our Stake

Lesson For 8/14/11 : Family Responsibilities

Responsibilities of the Parents

Responsibilities of the Father

Responsibilities of the Mother

Responsibilities of the Children

Accepting Responsibilities Brings Blessings

Additional Scriptures and Other Sources

Elder Marion D. Hanks dies at age 89

"Love at Home—Counsel from Our Prophet" : Lesson For August 7th, 2011

By President Thomas S. Monson

Love at Home

Blessed Family Life

Sharing Our Love

Showing Our Love

Expressing Our Love

What Is Most Important

Bringing Heaven Closer

A Prayer for Families

Teaching from This Message

Mother Rescued Us

Home & Visiting Teaching Messages For August

First Presidency Message

Love at Home—Counsel from Our Prophet

By President Thomas S. Monson

Love at Home

Blessed Family Life

Sharing Our Love

Showing Our Love

Expressing Our Love

What Is Most Important

Bringing Heaven Closer

A Prayer for Families

Teaching from This Message

Mother Rescued Us

Building a Happy Home

***********************************************

Visiting Teaching Message

A Society of Holy Women

A Society of Holy Women

From the Scriptures

From Our History

What Can I Do?

When The Lord Commands

1. This Commandment Doesn’t Apply to Me

2. This Commandment Is Not Important

3. This Commandment Is Just Too Hard

Lesson For July 24th: "Become as a Little Child"

Lesson For June 19th, 2011 Is : "Chapter 36: The Family Can Be Eternal," Gospel Principles, (2009)

The Importance of Families

The Eternal Family

Loving Family Relationships

How to Have a Successful Family

Additional Scriptures and Other Sources

First Presidency Message For June (A little tardy)

First Presidency Message

The Blessings of Tithing

By President Henry B. Eyring First Counselor in the First Presidency

Teaching from This Message

400th Anniversary Of The King James Version Of The Bible

Knowing the Scriptures

The Bible and the Book of Mormon

Desire

Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

Temple Mirrors of Eternity: A Testimony of Family

Chapter 32: Tithes and Offerings

Paying Tithes and Offerings

Obeying the Law of Tithing

We Should Give Willingly

Tithing and Other Offerings

Tithing

Other Offerings

We Are Blessed When We Give Tithes and Offerings

Additional Scriptures

New Blog Address, Changes In The Ward & Newly Released & Called Brethren

Lesson For 4-10-11 "Chapter 31: Honesty," Gospel Principles

Honesty Is a Principle of Salvation

By President Henry B. Eyring

First Counselor in the First Presidency