Monday, January 26, 2009

Church Services This Week at Sullivan Hollow Second Ward Weber Heights Stake Ogden Utah 1-25-09

Priesthood Opening
Matthew 6:24
24 ¶ aNo man can bserve two cmasters: for either he will dhate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and emammon.

Elders’ Quorum
Temples
-Who builds them? We do.
-Who goes? Worthy members of the Church.
-How are they built? With tithing funds. At times local members paid or supplied labor and materials in addition to their tithing responsibilities.
-Why are they built? So we have a place to go home to.
-What are they for? To Fulfill the plan of God to give everyone the opportunity to enter @ the gate, even when they had no opportunity on earth to hear the gospel.
-What temples are in the bible? The portable temple of Moses. The temple of Solomon.
-When are they built? When they are enough worthy members.

We discussed points from the pamphlet Preparing to Enter the Holy Temple, which is based on President Boyd K. Packer's book "The Holy Temple".

2 Nephi 12:2
2 And it shall come to pass in the last days, awhen the bmountain of the Lord’s chouse shall be established in the top of the dmountains, and shall be exalted above the hills, and all nations shall flow unto it.

People flow to the temple to be taught. Worthy members of the Church after they are dedicated, but also people who are not members of the Church come to open houses before their dedication to learn about temple and about the Church.

We are taught by symbols in the temple. If we prepare we can understand more of those symbols. Christ also taught with symbols through the use parables. Those who had not prepared did not understand.

Sunday School
Lesson 4: “Remember the New Covenant, Even the Book of Mormon” 16
The Lord can see the whole picture. We often get caught in the moment and what is happening right now. Often we don't care about the blessing around the corner.

Sacrament Service
The testimonies of three witnesses are at the beginning of the Book of Mormon states, "
Be it known unto all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people, unto whom this work shall come: That we, through the grace of God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, have seen the plates which contain this record, which is a record of the people of Nephi, and also of the Lamanites, their brethren, and also of the people of Jared, who came from the tower of which hath been spoken. And we also know that they have been translated by the gift and power of God, for his voice hath declared it unto us; wherefore we know of a surety that the work is true. And we also testify that we have seen the engravings which are upon the plates; and they have been shown unto us by the power of God, and not of man. And we declare with words of soberness, that an angel of God came down from heaven, and he brought and laid before our eyes, that we beheld and saw the plates, and the engravings thereon; and we know that it is by the grace of God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, that we beheld and bear record that these things are true. And it is marvelous in our eyes. Nevertheless, the voice of the Lord commanded us that we should bear record of it; wherefore, to be obedient unto the commandments of God, we bear testimony of these things. And we know that if we are faithful in Christ, we shall rid our garments of the blood of all men, and be found spotless before the judgment-seat of Christ, and shall dwell with him eternally in the heavens. And the honor be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, which is one God. Amen.
Oliver Cowdery
David Whitmer
Martin Harris"

The Encyclopedia of Mormonism states referring to David Whitmer's witness of the Book of Mormon, "Shortly before his death, Whitmer repeated once more, for the Richmond Conservator, what he had written in the Address: "I have never at any time denied that testimony or any part thereof, which has so long since been published with that Book, as one of the three witnesses. Those who know me best, well know that I have always adhered to that testimony." He died in Richmond, Missouri, on January 25, 1888, bearing testimony again on his deathbed of the authenticity of the Book of Mormon."

From the Bulletin
The Book of Mormon

"There are three great reasons why Latter-day Saints should make the study of the Book of Mormon a lifetime pursuit.

The first is that the Book of Mormon is the keystone of our religion. This was the Prophet Joseph Smith's statement. He testified that 'the Book of Mormon was the more correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion.' (Introduction to the Book of Mormon) A keystone is the central stone in an arch. It holds all the other stones in place, and if removed, the arch crumbles."

"The second great reason why we must make the Book of Mormon a center focus of study is that it was written for our day."

"The third reason that the Book of Mormon is of such value to Latter-day Saints is given in the same statement by the Prophet Joseph Smith cited previously. He said, 'I told the brethren that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book.' (Introduction to the Book of Mormon.) That is the third reason for studying the book. It helps us draw nearer to God. Is there not something deep in our hearts that longs to draw nearer to God, to be more like Him in our daily walk, to feel His presence with us constantly? If so, then the Book of Mormon will help us do so more than any other book. (Ezra Taft Benson, "The Keystone of Our Religion," Ensign, Jan 1992, 2.)

In Moroni 10:4-5 we find the Promise of the Book of Mormon.
4 And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would aask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not btrue; and if ye shall ask with a csincere heart, with dreal intent, having efaith in Christ, he will fmanifest the gtruth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.
5 And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may aknow the btruth of all things.

Moroni promises us that if you will ask God to know if the Book of Mormon is true He will give us an answer.

Monday, January 19, 2009

Church Services This Week at Sullivan Hollow Second Ward Weber Heights Stake Ogden Utah 1-18-09

Priesthood Opening
Mosiah 4:30
30 But this much I can tell you, that if ye do not awatch yourselves, and your bthoughts, and your cwords, and your deeds, and observe the commandments of God, and dcontinue in the faith of what ye have heard concerning the coming of our Lord, even unto the end of your lives, ye must perish. And now, O man, remember, and perish not.

Elders’ Quorum
Chapter 25: Truths from the Savior’s Parables in Matthew 13 292–305
A thorough knowledge of the scriptures allows us to teach other as opportunities come up without having to search around. It also gives us perspective and teach us as things come up in our lives.

Bearing testimony of Christ brings the spirit. The scriptures testify of Christ authoritatively and can bring to us and those we teach the spirit very powerfully.

Sunday School
Lesson 3: “I Had Seen a Vision” 11
What is the great apostasy? The mixing of Man’s teachings with the teachings of God in Church teachings. The removing the teachings of God from the Church.

In the 1300s the renaissance began and out of that came the reformation. There were not many advances in man’s knowledge and inventions before then. After that point God allowed man to move forward.

William Tyndale worked to get the Bible translated into English. He commented to the scholars of his day, "If God spare my life, ere many years I will cause a boy that driveth the plow to know more of the Scriptures than thou dost."

The common man was not given access to the scriptures before the reformation. God is the god of the common man.

On the one hand we had the pre-reformation church where they wanted their people to be ignorant and read the scriptures to them. On the other hand we have The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints today. The Church today constantly admonishes people to read the scriptures and teach them to their children. They also work to translate the scriptures into many many languages that more people would have the option to read them.

Why to start the Church in the United States? (See talk "Why 1820", Hyrum W. Smith,Rick's college, September 27, 1988) The United States was one of the only countries if not the only country that didn't have a state religion. It was the only place where a free thinking religion could get a foothold.

This land has been opened up several times as a sanctuary for religious people and then the people were destroyed when they turned their back on God (Jaredites, Lehites, and now the United States).

There is no way that the United States should've won the revolutionary war based on warfare of the time.

Sacrament Service

Virtue and Moral Excellence

”Live right by embracing virtue. Virtues are more than values—much more. Virtues mean not only excellence, but moral excellence. Virtuous men and women not only do good; they are goodness.”  (Bishop Keith B. McMullin - Second Counselor in the Presiding Bishopric, “Signposts for Your Future“, New Era January 2000)

“You precious young women, to begin with you must practice virtue in its highest sense. Virtue has many definitions, such as moral excellence, right action and thinking, goodness of character, or chastity in women.” (James E. Faust - Second Counselor in the First Presidency, “How Near to the Angels”, Ensign May 1998)

Mosiah 5:15
  15 Therefore, I would that ye should be steadfast and immovable, always abounding in agood works, that Christ, the bLord God Omnipotent, may cseal you his, that you may be brought to heaven, that ye may have everlasting salvation and eternal life, through the wisdom, and power, and justice, and mercy of him who dcreated all things, in heaven and in earth, who is God above all. Amen.

Modesty represents who we are and is a statement to others.

Actions are more powerful than words.

A missionary that just returned from the Baltimore mission spoke.

Prayer is not to change the will of God.

“I long have been impressed with the truth that meaningful prayer requires both holy communication and consecrated work. Blessings require some effort on our part before we can obtain them, and prayer, as ‘a form of work, … is an appointed means for obtaining the highest of all blessings’ (Bible Dictionary, ‘Prayer,’ 753). We press forward and persevere in the consecrated work of prayer, after we say ‘amen,’ by acting upon the things we have expressed to Heavenly Father.” (Elder David A. Bednar Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, “Ask in Faith”, Ensign May 2008)

From the Bulletin
Simply stated, “As soon as we learn the true relationship in which we stand toward God (namely, God is our Father, and we are his children), then at once prayer becomes natural and instinctive on our part” (Bible Dictionary, “Prayer,” 752).

We are promised that if we pray sincerely for that which is right and good and in accordance with God’s will, we can be blessed, protected, and directed (see 3 Nephi 18:20;D&C 19:38).

Revelation is communication from Heavenly Father to His children on earth. As we ask in faith, we can receive revelation upon revelation and knowledge upon knowledge and come to know the mysteries and peaceable things that bring joy and eternal life (see D&C 42:61). The mysteries are those matters that can only be know and understood by the power of the Holy Ghost (see Harold B. Lee, Ye Are the Light of the World [1974], 211).

The revelations of the Father and the Son are conveyed through the third member of the Godhead, even the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost is the witness of and messenger for the Father and the Son. He is part of THE Godhead.

Prayer is and should be a key part of the spiritual preparation for our day. During the course of the day, we keep a prayer in our heart for continued assistance and guidance -- even as Alma suggested: "Let all thy thoughts be directed unto the Lord" (Alma 37:36).

Prayer becomes more meaningful as we counsel with the Lord in all of our doings, as we express heartfelt gratitude, and as we pray for others with real intent and a sincere heart.

Sunday, January 11, 2009

Church Services This Week at Sullivan Hollow Second Ward Weber Heights Stake Ogden Utah 1-11-09

Priesthood Opening
Matthew 20:25-28
25 But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them.
26 But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be agreat among you, let him be your bminister;
27 And whosoever awill be chief among you, let him be your bservant:
28 Even as the aSon of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to bgive his life a cransom for many.

Elders' Quorum
Chapter 24: Leading in the Lord’s Way 281–91
The manual stated, "The Prophet Joseph Smith, who was living in Kirtland, was deeply concerned about the sufferings of the Saints in Missouri, and he longed to help them. In February 1834, the Lord revealed to him that he should organize a group of Saints to march to Jackson County. This group, called Zion’s Camp, was to help recover the lands and property illegally taken from Church members. (See D&C 103:21–40.) The camp was officially organized on May 6, 1834, and eventually included over 200 people. The marchers, who were armed and organized as a military body, arrived near Jackson County in the middle of June, after traveling more than 900 miles.

The members of the camp walked long distances each day, often in oppressive heat with only inadequate food and bad water to sustain them. The close association with one another over many weeks of travel, accompanied by weariness and hunger, led some of the men to quarrel with one another and criticize the Prophet.

Despite all the problems of this dangerous and difficult trip, Joseph Smith taught the members of the camp important principles of leadership as he led them day by day. Wilford Woodruff, a member of Zion’s Camp who later became the fourth President of the Church, declared: “We gained an experience that we never could have gained in any other way. We had the privilege of beholding the face of the Prophet, and we had the privilege of traveling a thousand miles with him, and seeing the workings of the Spirit of God with him, and the revelations of Jesus Christ unto him and the fulfillment of those revelations.”1

After the group arrived in Missouri, they began negotiations with state officials, but these attempts at peaceful resolution failed. When armed conflict seemed inevitable, the Prophet prayed for guidance and, on June 22, 1834, received a revelation disbanding the camp and declaring that Zion could not be redeemed at that time (see D&C 105). Concerning the members of the camp the Lord said, “I have heard their prayers, and will accept their offering; and it is expedient in me that they should be brought thus far for a trial of their faith” (D&C 105:19).

Zion’s Camp did not accomplish its political objectives, but it had long-lasting spiritual results."

Neal A. Maxwell said, "We can allow for the reality that God is more concerned with growth than with geography."(Notwithstanding My Weakness, Ensign, November 1976)

The manual continued, "In February 1835, when the Prophet organized the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and the Quorum of the Seventy, nine of the Twelve Apostles and all of the Seventy had served in Zion’s Camp. As recalled by Joseph Young, one of the original members of the Seventy, the Prophet explained to a group of these brethren: 'God did not want you to fight. He could not organize His kingdom with twelve men to open the Gospel door to the nations of the earth, and with seventy men under their direction to follow in their tracks, unless He took them from a body of men who had offered their lives, and who had made as great a sacrifice as did Abraham.'2

It was in Zion’s Camp that Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, Wilford Woodruff, and others gained practical training that enabled them to lead the Saints from Missouri to Illinois in 1839 and later to the Salt Lake Valley. From their experience with the Prophet, these brethren had learned to lead in the Lord’s way."

A good leader helps people learn, as Joesph Smith said, “correct principles, and they govern themselves.” (“The Organization of the Church,” Millennial Star, Nov. 15, 1851,339) Which goes along with D&C 58: 26
"26 For behold, it is not meet that I should command in all things; for he that is acompelled in all things, the same is a bslothful and not a wise servant; wherefore he receiveth no reward. "

People are taught and expected to do good on their own, rather than be instructed on every little point.

We struggle to teach children to think before they act. Have we sufficiently learned that lesson as we stumble into our sins.

Sunday School
The Doctrine and Covenants testifies of Christ and that he is our Savior.
Doctrine and Covenants 50:41-44
41 aFear not, little bchildren, for you are mine, and I have covercome the world, and you are of them that my Father hath dgiven me;
42 And none of them that my Father hath given me shall be alost.
43 And the Father and I are aone. I am bin the Father and the Father in me; and inasmuch as ye have received me, ye are in me and I in you.
44 Wherefore, I am in your midst, and I am the agood bshepherd, and the cstone of Israel. He that buildeth upon this drock shall never efall.

Doctrine and Covenants 76:22-24
22 And now, after the many testimonies which have been given of him, this is the atestimony, last of all, which we give of him: That he blives!
23 For we asaw him, even on the bright hand of cGod; and we heard the voice bearing record that he is the Only dBegotten of the Father—
24 That by ahim, and through him, and of him, the bworlds are and were created, and the cinhabitants thereof are begotten dsons and daughters unto God.

Doctrine and Covenants 19:16-19
16 For behold, I, God, have asuffered these things for all, that they might not bsuffer if they would crepent;
17 But if they would not repent they must asuffer even as I;
18 Which asuffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit—and would that I might bnot drink the bitter cup, and shrink—
19 Nevertheless, glory be to the Father, and I partook and afinished my preparations unto the children of men.

The pain was going to be so bad that even a god was scared of it.

He suffered for our sins AND our pains. He understands everything we go through and can uniquely succor us through our trials and anguish.

The Savior's path is constant. It does not change. We can choose to not obey Him, but that is not His path and will not get us to where He is. In order to get where we have to come back to His path.

Sacrament Service/Ward Conference
The gospel is not a spectator sport.

We may know how to live the gospel, but if we don't put it in action we will not understand the gospel. If we do put it in action we will be able to make sense of many other things in our life.

Do not pause on the path to look at the spacious building. Turn off the TV, Internet, texting, and find your family.

From the Bulletin So Simple: All cooks who really want tasty meals would NOT purposely omit any ingredient to step. All athletes who really want to achieve desired goals would not omit developing and repeatedly practicing basic fundamentals. And so it is with our desire to return back to Heavenly Father. We, too, must DELIBERATELY use and practice the basics consistently and with exactness. There is no shortcut.

Alma 37:6, 7:
"By small and simple things great things are brought to pass..."

THE key to happiness (Mosiah 2:41):
"...I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those who keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out faithful to the end they are received into heaven..."

We move towards that which we think of. Great people don't just have characteristics that make them great, they also DO things differently to achieve their dreams. Heance, set goals of things you wish to achieve. THEN cut those goals into daily smaller goals. Just like many small pieces are needed to make a bridge to cross rivers, so do many small goals make up our bridges to reach goals.

Let us set goals that stir our blood, excite our hearts, and invigorate our minds. Let us go forth boldly in our desires to be obedient so that the Lord cannot withhold any blessings. Please see D&C 82:10 and D&C 130:20, 21. Miracles, big and small, are hanging on the edge of Heaven, ready to leap into our laps.

Weber Heights Stake General Priesthood Meeting 1-11-09

Carl B. Cook spoke to us.

Experiences were shared about the Auckland, New Zealand mission. Many of the missionaries were from the pacific islands. One of those islands was Vanuatu. I recently watched a season of survivor that was played out on Vanuatu. I had never heard of that island before Survivor. Survivor makes their locations out as if they are deserted other than a few natives, but to think about the Church having a presence there and sending out missionaries was interesting.

“As the Lord’s servant, you are to do His work in His way and by His power. Some
missionaries feel confident that they know how to be successful. Others lack such confidence.
Remember, however, that your confidence and faith should be in Christ, not in yourself.
Rely on the Spirit rather than your own talents and abilities. Trust the Spirit to guide you
in every aspect of your work.” (Preach My Gospel. P97)

Helaman 10:7
  7 Behold, I give unto you apower, that whatsoever ye shall bseal on earth shall be sealed in heaven; and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven; and thus shall ye have power among this people.

The Preach My Gospel manual states under the topic of Faith in Jesus Christ Preach My Gospel, “Your faith will increase through diligent study, prayer, dedicated service, and obedience
to the promptings of the Holy Ghost and the commandments.” (Preach My Gospel, p116)

John 20:27-31
  27 Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and athrust it into my side: and be not bfaithless, but cbelieving
  28 And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. 
  29 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast aseen me, thou hast believed: bblessed are they that have not seen, and yet have cbelieved
  30 ¶ And many other asigns truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not bwritten in this book: 
  31 But these are awritten, that ye might bbelieve that Jesus is the cChrist, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have dlife through his ename.

When a missionary goes to the MTC it should not be a revelation.  It should be a review.

Alma 7:11
  11 And he shall go forth, suffering pains and aafflictions and btemptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will ctake upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.

Sunday, January 04, 2009

Church Services This Week at Sullivan Hollow Second Ward Weber Heights Stake Ogden Utah 1-4-09

Announcements
  • Wednesdays at 9pm - Basketball
  • January 11, 2009 7:15am - Weber Heights Stake General Priesthood Meeting
Priesthood Opening
Alma 57:25-27
25 And it came to pass that there were two hundred, out of my two thousand and sixty, who had fainted because of the loss of blood; nevertheless, according to the goodness of God, and to our great astonishment, and also the joy of our whole army, there was anot one soul of them who did perish; yea, and neither was there one soul among them who had not received many wounds.
26 And now, their apreservation was astonishing to our whole army, yea, that they should be spared while there was a thousand of our brethren who were slain. And we do justly ascribe it to the miraculous bpower of God, because of their exceeding cfaith in that which they had been taught to believe—that there was a just God, and whosoever did not doubt, that they should be preserved by his marvelous power.
27 Now this was the afaith of these of whom I have spoken; they are young, and their minds are bfirm, and they do put their trust in God continually.

Elders' Quorum
Our lesson was to focus on the basics in our lives. What are the basics?
  • Scripture Study
  • Prayer
  • Repentance/Atonement
  • Family Home Evening
  • Missionary Work
  • Temple Attendance
  • Home Teaching
  • Attending Our Meetings (Sunday, General Conference, Priesthood, and So Forth)
  • Service
These basics are simple and yet they get skipped. There are examples in scriptures of people being asked to do simple things and resisting them as well.

Alma 33:18-20
18 But behold, this is not all; these are not the only ones who have spoken concerning the Son of God.
19 Behold, he was spoken of by aMoses; yea, and behold a btype was craised up in the wilderness, that whosoever would look upon it might live. And many did look and live.
20 But few understood the meaning of those things, and this because of the hardness of their hearts. But there were many who were so hardened that they would not look, therefore they perished. Now the reason they would not look is because they did not believe that it would aheal them.

2 Kings 5:9-13
9 So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariot, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha.
10 And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and awash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be bclean.
11 But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the Lord his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper.
12 Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them, and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage.
13 And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some agreat thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean?

If we could be involved in some great thing that would change the course of history, would we do it? We have those opportunities in our homes all the time and we neglect to do them.

Sunday School
We talked about the video The Mountain of the Lord which culminates in placing the cap stone on the Salt Lake temple.

"The Book of Mormon is the 'keystone' of our religion, and the Doctrine and Covenants is the capstone, with continuing latter-day revelation. The Lord has placed His stamp of approval on both the keystone and the capstone." (Ezra Taft Benson, "The Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants," Ensign, May 1987, 83)

"The keystone and the capstone teach us about the cornerstone of our religion, which is the Savior." (L. Tom Perry, "The Doctrine and Covenants-- The Capstone of Our Religion," Fireside at Brigham Young University on 4 March 2001)

Cornerstone - Can't build a building foundation without it.
Keystone - Can't have an opening in a building without it.
Capstone - A building is not complete without it.

"The book of Doctrine and Covenants is one of the standard works of the Church in company with the Holy Bible, the Book of Mormon, and the Pearl of Great Price. However, the Doctrine and Covenants is unique because it is not a translation of an ancient document, but is of modern origin and was given of God through his chosen prophets for the restoration of his holy work and the establishment of the kingdom of God on the earth in these days. In the revelations one hears the tender but firm voice of the Lord Jesus Christ, speaking anew in the dispensation of the fulness of times; and the work that is initiated herein is preparatory to his second coming, in fulfillment of and in concert with the words of all the holy prophets since the world began."
(Explanatory Introduction to the Doctrine and Covenants, third paragraph)

The Doctrine and Covenants is a unique book of scripture in that it was not translated, but the words of a prophet recorded in the language they were received.

The sections of the Doctrine and Covenants are answers to prayers...detailed answers to prayers. Revelation to the Church did not end with the last section of the Doctrine and Covenants. We have living prophets that speak to us every six months in general conference and each month in our magazines.

Who are the messages of the Doctrine and Covenants for? Everyone.
Doctrine and Covenants 1:1-4
1 aHearken, O ye people of my bchurch, saith the voice of him who dwells on high, and whose ceyes are upon all men; yea, verily I say: Hearken ye people from afar; and ye that are upon the islands of the sea, listen together.
2 For verily the avoice of the Lord is unto all men, and there is none to bescape; and there is no eye that shall not see, neither cear that shall not hear, neither dheart that shall not be penetrated.
3 And the arebellious shall be bpierced with much csorrow; for their iniquities shall be dspoken upon the housetops, and their secret acts shall be revealed.
4 And the avoice of warning shall be unto all people, by the mouths of my disciples, whom I have bchosen in these clast days.

Doctrine and Covenants 1:25
25 And inasmuch as they aerred it might be made known;

That we might know our errors. Some of those errors might be our misinterpretation of scripture.

Doctrine and Covenants 1:26
26 And inasmuch as they sought awisdom they might be binstructed;

That we might learn if we seek it.

Doctrine and Covenants 1:27
27 And inasmuch as they sinned they might be achastened, that they might brepent;

That we might be chastened and repent, not be chastened and be punished.

From the Bulletin
  • The "8W" formula: Work Will Win When Wishy Washy Wishing Won't
  • Ponder on this for a while. When we go to the temple, we trade in commandments for covenants.
  • We must be very DELIBERATE about our lives and HONEST with God to have improvements and success in our lives. Plan. Do. Check. Adjust. Not just because this is a new year, but due to eternal principles, people who have specific goals based on righteous, daily-lived principles are happy, achieve many things, receive abundant blessings, and so forth.
  • When we live in HIS commandments, we are blessed. When we choose not to live His commandments, we are not blessed. (Summary of D&C 82:10)
  • When we want a specific blessing, we must live the laws that trigger the release of those blessings. (Summary of D&C 130:20,21)