Sunday, May 17, 2009

Church Services This Week at Sullivan Hollow Second Ward Weber Heights Stake Ogden Utah 5-17-09

Elders Quorum
There are things that we would consider a persecution with the way certain people address our ideas and ideals. Do we do the same to others with the way we communicate about their ideas? How do we stand up for what is right and against what is wrong without attacking?

"What is man that the servant of God should fear him," (Letter from Joseph Smith and his counselors in the First Presidency to Heber C. Kimball and Brigham Young, Jan. 16, 1839, Liberty Jail, Liberty, Missouri, Church Archives)

Sunday School
Malachi 4
5 ¶ Behold, I will asend you bElijah the prophet cbefore the coming of the dgreat and dreadful eday of the Lord:
6 And he shall aturn the bheart of the cfathers to the dchildren, and the heart of the echildren to their fathers, lest I come and fsmite the gearth with a hcurse.

The Kirkland temple was a meeting place with a few more functions than we see today in meeting houses and less functions than we see in subsequent temples. There were no endowment or sealing rooms since those ordinances had not been revealed yet. The Kirkland temple could perhaps be termed a preparatory temple. The Lord taught the early saints line upon line what to do with the temple.

The Kirkland temple was built because the prophet needed a place to teach the people and the Lord needed a place to teach the prophet and the people. That temple was a little like a temple, a tabernacle, and a meetinghouse all-in-one.

Sacrament Service
1 Nephi 3:7 is an example of obedience to parents and God.
7 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto my father: I awill go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no bcommandments unto the children of men, save he shall cprepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them.

A missionary that just returned from Rochester, New York spoke.

Being reverent is more than being quiet. "Reverence is profound respect mingled with love," (David O. McKay, in Conference Report, Apr. 1967, 86)

Sunday's a different day. We do different things. We do things that draw us nearer to Christ. Even though we do that on other days, on Sunday it is our primary, and as much as possible, our only focus.

Satan creates a lot of noise in our lives that we can get too distracted to hear the spirit.

Doctrine and Covenants 9: 8
8 But, behold, I say unto you, that you must astudy it out in your bmind; then you must cask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your dbosom shall eburn within you; therefore, you shall ffeel that it is right.

Doctrine and Covenants 25:10
10 And verily I say unto thee that thou shalt lay aside the athings of this bworld, and cseek for the things of a dbetter.

Every good team needs a good coach.

When we come to church we should wear of the best clothes we have. Whatever our best is that is what we should be wearing.

From the Bulletin
We attend church to renew our covenants and to worship God, but our worship is genuine and meaningful only if we do it with an attitude of reverence. Such an attitude can also impact others who attend meetings with us. President Packer said, “Our sacrament and other meetings need renewed attention to assure that they are truly worship services in which members may be spiritually nourished and have their testimonies replenished and in which investigators may feel the inspiration essential to spiritual conversion.” 8

Feelings of reverence ought to be maintained at all times while at church, but particularly during the sacrament. Respectful, contemplative silence should be the norm. Elder Vaughn J. Featherstone of the Seventy commented: “We must prepare and then partake with a broken heart and contrite spirit. The spiritual preparation we make to partake of the sacrament is essential to receiving a remission of our sins.” 9

Priesthood holders who participate in this sacred ordinance should be especially mindful of the need to be reverent. I remember with a smile an incident from my youth when my father demonstrated his belief in this principle. I was a priest at the sacrament table, and my brother Marvin, a deacon, was sitting on the front row directly in front of me. As the bishop began the meeting by sharing the announcements, Marvin and another deacon continued to carry on an intense conversation. Suddenly, my father rose from his bench in the middle of the chapel, made his way to the aisle, and strode toward the front of the chapel. Poor Bishop Powell stopped speaking as my father walked to the front row and firmly took hold of my brother’s arm, stood him up, and escorted him back to the bench where our family was sitting. The bishop then continued with the announcements. I remember a very quiet congregation after that—particularly the row of deacons in front of me. From that time forth, my brother sat quietly in sacrament meeting and was especially reverent when performing his sacramental responsibilities. (Elder Keith L. Smith, "Reverence", Ensign 2003 July)

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