Sunday, March 25, 2007

Sunday March 25, 2007

Testimony Meeting

Sunday School
Symbols used to represent Christ:
Rock Light Bread
Foundation Truth Sustenance

How does one demonstrate faith? Obedience.

Priesthood
Talk on Tithing from last conference.
Tithing is a commandment. Tithing is any increase (Income from a business, personal income, alimony...). Tithing is a lower law. The higher law is consecration, everyone having all things in common or giving all of your surplus to the Lord. Much like the Beatitudes. Ye heard that it was said...But I say unto you... Tithing would be the "Ye heard that it was said". Giving you surplus would be the "But I say unto you".

Sunday, March 18, 2007

Sunday March 18, 2007

Sacrament Meeting
The young women gave a musical program.

Sunday School
Parables
He taught in parables so that those who had the spirit would be able to understand and those who didn't would not. Those that understood would be accountable.

Seeds that fell by wayside - Birds came and ate them.
Seeds in Stony Places - No roots.
Seeds among thorns - Thorns choked them out.
Seeds in good soil - Bring forth fruit.

Seed = Word of God
Wayside = People that hear the Word and do not understand (lack of faith, sin, leaning on their own understanding)
Stony places = Hear and receive and don't allow it to take root (Accepted the gospel and then fell away)
Thorny places = Hear the word of God, but are distracted by the cares of the world (Accepted the gospel and then have worldly things pulls us away. Sin, temporal concerns, and such)

Priesthood
Ch 6 - Discovering the scriptures
Even after having read the scriptures 76 times President Kimball related to someone that they had explained a scripture in a way he had never considered. There is always more to learn. There is always something more to the scriptures that we have missed or a perspective that we have not looked at them from.

Friday, March 16, 2007

Sunday March 11, 2007

Sacrament Meeting
One would be lost on a journey without consulting an authoritative map. Yet, many go through life's unfamiliar journey using maps that only have partial information (Oprah, mediums, scholars) and refuse to consult the complete map (scriptures, prayer, prophets).

Scriptures are not designed to be a history.

Sunday School
Some think that religion is a burden and heavy. Because it requires us to limit our activities. Even though it frees us from the worries and troubles that can come with not limiting yourself.

Priesthood
Chapter 5 Spenser W Kimball manual - Prayer the Passport to Spiritual Power
-Prayer is not an optional activity.
-A brother shared what I think he said was a Japanese saying. When we pray our feet should be moving.
-"We are to live the gospel as honestly and earnestly as we pray." (Spencer W. Kimball Ensign, Oct. 1981, 6)

Thursday, March 08, 2007

Sunday March 4, 2007

Testimony Meeting
One brother talked about his being asked to come to Salt Lake City to speak at a Genesis Group meeting. I looked it up online when I got home and found that it was a group for African American members of the church. I didn't understand all of it, but it appeared that it was like a support group, since the Church has been historically predominantly white. The has been around since the early 70s.

Sunday School
We talked about treasures in heaven and what they might be. Treasures as in sealing up you treasures in Heaven and focusing on the treasures of earth. I figure they are probably the things that we can take with us, since earthly treasures are things we can't take. Things that we could take would be knowledge, character, joy, friendships, and families.

We read Matthew 6. We talked about the Lord's prayer. It was interesting to that just before Matthew goes into the prayer he records that the Savior said to avoid vain repetitions. Yet many people repeat this prayer.

Priesthood
March Ensign - First Presidency Message
Compassion