Sunday, August 27, 2006

Sunday August 27, 2006

Sacrament Meeting
Brother Burton got his mission called to the Salt Lake City mission.

The sister who spoke said that she had completed her college education at BYU, but found that her education was far from over. She now has the opportunity to be a stay at home mom. She is now learning time management, first aid, and finance.

A recent convert spoke. He had just submitted his mission papers. He said that spritual knowledge is also necessary. We need to learn how to learn at the spiritual level and not just physical knowledge of spiritual things.

The talks ran short, so President Sinclair shared a few things with us. He said that as his daughter is leaving for college he finds himself thinking about what he hadn't taught her to prepare her to be on her own.

Temples are to houses of learning. He encouraged us to do what we can to get there more frequently. There isn't the opportunity to raise our hands and ask questions, so we have to go back repeatedly to understand what we need to.

He told us that our stake and ward are only going to make as much progress as we are worthy.

Sunday School
Job
Characteristics
-Good man
-Wealth, but not caught up in it.
-Integrity
-Strengthened the weak.
-Compassionate
-Concerned for his enemies - forgave them.

Afflictions
-Loss of property and income
-Loss of children
-Illness and pain
-Restless sleep and nightmares.
-Accussations and loss of support of family and friends.
-Mocked and others delighted in his misery.
-Felt that God had forsaken him.

We talked about Satan's telling God that Job was only faithful because he was so blessed. It made me think about why was Satan given an audience with God? Why was God persuaded by him?

When God gives riches or good times we just accept them. When he gives us trials we sometimes get angry. Romans 8:28 - 28 And we know that all things work together for agood to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

Priesthood
The lesson was based on the talk by Elder Wirthlin - The Abundant Life.

My son was giving a scripture in Primary, so I didn't hear much of the lesson. He shared the firest sentance of Mosiah 2:41 - 41 And moreover, I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and ahappy state of those that keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are bblessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out cfaithful to the end they are received into dheaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of never-ending happiness. O remember, remember that these things are true; for the Lord God hath spoken it.

Post Church
I was watching BYU TV after church. I watched a talk by James and Colleen Harper titled Loving and Nurturing Teenagers given at the Family Expo on 4/5/1999. At the close of the talk Sister Harper comment that Grandchildren were our reward for not killing our teenagers.

Sunday, August 20, 2006

Sunday August 20, 2006

Stake Conference
It was held in the Pike Performing Arts Center. We have been doing that for several years. When we first got to Indy and all when I was growing up we had stake conference in the stake center. I'm not sure what has changed that makes that unfeasible anymore.

At last conference we were challenged to memorize the BOM seminary scripture mastery scriptures. The stake president showed a jar of candy where the young women had deposited a piece of candy for each scripture each young woman had memorize by the time girls' camp came along. They had, I think, 1390 pieces.

He talked of the blessings that we all have received in our families for being obedient. He then listed a lot of things that have been exceptional milestones. He said that he was not going to be bold enough to say that all these things were because we memorized the seminary scriptures.

-Stake has more than 4000 members.
-More perspective elders attending than ever.
-More people with endowments and current temple recommends.
-80% of primary children attend.

He related a story that a sister shared in testimony meeting. She got snowed in on a Sunday morning. Her husband had passed away years before and her kids were all grown. She didn't know how she would get to church. She then looked out and her home teacher and the missionaries shoveled the drive and sidewalk and so forth. She said that what they didn't know was she never uses that sidewalk. She put on her boots and coat and walked up and down that sidewalk in an expression of gratitude to them and to God.

He related 3 Nephi 17 to us. Specifically starting with the verses below.

5 And it came to pass that when Jesus had thus spoken, he cast his eyes round about again on the multitude, and beheld they were ain tears, and did look steadfastly upon him as if they would ask him to tarry a little longer with them.
6 And he said unto them: Behold, my bowels are filled with acompassion towards you.
He talked of us being observant of those around us and having compassion on them and tarrying a little longer if necessary.

Sister Schultz spoke. She commented that the final judgment is not the sum total of the good things and bad things we have done, but who we have become.

Elder Schultz of the second Quorum of the 70 spoke to us on eternal love. He talked of being grandparents and still holding hands when they go to the mall. He talked of a doctrine that is being propagated in the world. He said some are teaching that our family love is temporary and our relationship with Jesus will do away with the need for such things. There is also a trend for people to get married later and later. They want to finish education or buy things before they take on family responsibilities.

He listed rough requirements for the various kingdoms of glory.
Telestial - born
Terrestial - be a good person
Celestial - be a complete person by being sealed to a spouse.

Sunday, August 13, 2006

Sunday August 13, 2006

Sacrament Meeting
One of the youth spoke on seminary and the things he has gotten out of it. He said he learned more about the scripture stories that he heard when he was younger.

One of the Seminary teachers talked of the importance of pondering the scriptures as well as reading them. She also said that reading them aloud can reveal emphasis.

It is our job to put the scriptures in us. It is the Holy Ghost's job to pull them out.

The other seminary teacher said that seminary is preparing our kids for church service.

Sunday School
Proverbs and Ecclesiastes are called wisdom literature. The writers were not prophets, but possibly inspired men.

Seek after the word of God like we seek riches to make a living and we will gain knowledge and understanding.

Priesthood
Living by Faith
We rely too much on borrowed light. We check what people say in talks against what we already believe rather than praying about it.

It is good to believe, better to practice it.

We have lots of knowledge, but how we use it is wisdom.

Sunday, August 06, 2006

Sunday August 6, 2006

Sacrament Meeting
Someone bore testimony about the importance of having a ward family, especially when your blood family is away. He said he enjoyed the support that he received while his wife was out of town.

A black brother talked about joining the church in 1968 before he was able to have the priesthood. It seems to be a non issue for him, but I would still like to listen to a group of black brethren or even just one talk about joining the church in the 60's and before to find out what that was like for them. I would like to hear if they had trouble reconciling not having the priesthood. I would also like to know how white members of the church received them in comparison to how the rest of society was receiving them.

Another brother talked about how we should prove that we know things by our actions. At first I thought he was talking about proving that what we say we know is true to convince others, but then I caught on that he was talking about not having empty testimonies. About doing something with that testimony to show that we know it.

Sunday School
We covered 2 Chronicles 29–30; 2 Chronicles 32; 2 Chronicles 34 The subject that we explored in them was "Come to the House of the Lord".

Hezekiah, the king of Judah, reopened the temple. The priests and Levites are instructed to cleanse it and sanctify it. Another indication of the Levites special calling.

Some related that in the past someone had forced their way into the Washington DC temple and stayed in their for a couple of hours. Someone else said that after that they closed down the temple and redicated it.

Priesthood
The lesson was on the first presidency message for the month of August.

Pioneer - One who goes before to prepare or open the way for others to follow.

Moses literally opened the way for others to follow when he asked the Lord to part the Red Sea.
John the Baptist was a pioneer in that he prepared the way for the Lord.
John Tinsdale learned Greek and made the first translation of the Bible into English. Before then the general membership of the Catholic church was not allowed to read the Bible. Tinsdale stated to the Pope that he would cause the plow boy to know more about the scriptures than the Pope did.

Jesus is the greatest pioneer. He gave a new law and opened the way for repentance.

Sunday July 30, 2006

Nothing to report today. We were out of town and no meeting houses were close to us. We did a family home evening and had any of the kids bear their testimony that wanted to.