Sunday, July 25, 2010

Church Services This Week at Sullivan Hollow Second Ward Weber Heights Stake Ogden Utah July 7-25-2010

Doctrine and Covenants 9:6
6 Do not amurmur, my son, for it is wisdom in me that I have dealt with you after this manner.

Some remarks were based on President Dieter F. Uchtdorf “You Are My Hands” April 2010 General Conference talk.

“True love requires action. We can speak of love all day long—we can write notes or poems that proclaim it, sing songs that praise it, and preach sermons that encourage it—but until we manifest that love in action, our words are nothing but ‘sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.’” - President Uctdorf

The teacher passed out this list of scriptures and quotes to help with our study of the lesson:
1.1 Kings 17:1
2. Helaman 10:4-5
3.1 Kings 17:2-5
4. Quote: Elder Gordon B. Hinckley said: "I draw strength from a simple statement made concerning the Prophet Elijah, who warned King Ahab of drought and famine to come upon the land. But Ahab scoffed. And the Lord told Elijah to go and hide himself by the brook Cherith, that there he should drink of the brook, and that he would be fed by the ravens. And the scripture records a simple and wonderful statement: 'So he went and did according unto the word of the Lord.' (1 Kings 17:5.)
"There was no arguing. There was no excusing. There was no equivocating. Elijah simply 'went and did according unto the word of the Lord.' And he was saved from the terrible calamities that befell those who scoffed and argued and questioned" (in Conference Report, Oct. 1971, 159; or Ensign, Dec. 1971, 12324).
5.1 Kings 17:4, 6
6. 1 Kings 17:7-13
7.1 Kings 17:13-14
8.1 Kings 17:15
9.1 Kings 17:16
10. 1 Kings 17:17-22
11. 1 Kings 18:1
12.1 Kings 18:17
13.1 Kings 18:18
14. 1 Kings 18:19-20
15.1 Kings 18:21
16. Matthew 6:24
17. Quote by Elder Neal A. Maxwell: "The stirring words of various prophets ... urge us to choose, to decide, and not to halt. ... Elijah's message has tremendous relevancy today, for all must finally choose between the gods of this world and the God of eternity" (That My Family Should Partake [ 1974], 22).
18. Kings 18:45

1 Kings 17:13-16
 13 And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son.
 14 For thus saith the Lord God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the Lord sendeth rain upon the earth.
 15 And she awent and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days.
 16 And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the Lord, which he spake by Elijah.

Often times the Lord requires and act of faith before he blesses us.  For example, as we read in Ether 12:5-6
 5 And it came to pass that Ether did prophesy great and marvelous things unto the people, which they did not believe, because they asaw them not.
 6 And now, I, Moroni, would speak somewhat concerning these things; I would show unto the world that afaith is things which are bhoped for and cnot seen; wherefore, dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no dwitness until after the etrial of your faith.

The Lord will not send a clap of thunder when a still small voice will do.

“When we hear the transcendent truths of the gospel of Jesus Christ, hope and faith begin to blossom inside of us.” (President Dieter F. Uctdorf, The Way of the Disciple, April 2009 General Conference)

Alma 32:21
 21 And now as I said concerning faith—afaith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye bhope for things which are cnot seen, which are true.

Too often we approach the gospel like a farmer who places a seed in the ground in the morning and expects corn on the cob by the afternoon.” (President Dieter F. Uctdorf, The Way of the Disciple, April 2009 General Conference)

“It is not enough merely to speak of Jesus Christ or proclaim that we are His disciples. It is not enough to surround ourselves with symbols of our religion. Discipleship is not a spectator sport. We cannot expect to experience the blessings of faith by standing inactive on the sidelines any more than we can experience the benefits of health by sitting on a sofa watching sporting events on television and giving advice to the athletes. And yet for some, ‘spectator discipleship’ is a preferred if not a primary way of worshiping.

Ours is not a secondhand religion. We cannot receive the blessings of the gospel merely by observing the good that others do. We need to get off the sidelines and practice what we preach.”

“The word disciple comes from the Latin [meaning] a learner. A disciple of Christ is one who is learning to be like Christ—learning to think, to feel, and to act [like] he does. To be a true disciple, to fulfill that learning task, is the most demanding regimen known to man. No other discipline compares … in either requirements or rewards. It involves the total transformation of a person from the state of the natural man to that of [a] saint, one who loves the Lord and serves with all of his heart, might, mind, and strength” (Chauncey C. Riddle, “Becoming a Disciple,” Ensign, Sept. 1974, 81).

From the Bulletin
"Perfection is worth striving for even if it is ultimately unattainable in this life, For it is through our struggle to become like the Savior and His Father that we ourselves become perfected. If we follow the pattern that Christ set for us, we will be responding to the scriptural mandate to "come unto Christ, and be perfected in him"(Moro. 10:32).
"Behold," said the Savior to the Nephites, "I am the light; I have set an example for you" (3 Ne. 18:16).He often told His disciples to "follow me" (Matt.4:19). His was a program of "do what I do" rather than "do what I say."
After He humbly ministered to His Apostles by kneeling before them and washing their feet, He taught them, "I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you" (John 13:15).
Of course, Jesus, who was our perfect model in all things, had His own perfect model. As He Himself taught, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise" (John 5:19).
So it is with members of the Church today. We can do nothing of ourselves in His work. But through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we can and should do the things our Savior would. He showed us the way to lead and guide one another in at least three significant ways during His mortal ministry." Elder Joseph B.Wirthlin, “Guided by His Exemplary Life”, Ensign, September 1995, 32

Sunday, July 18, 2010

Church Services This Week at Sullivan Hollow Second Ward Weber Heights Stake Ogden Utah July 7-18-2010

Alma 6:6
 6 Nevertheless the children of God were commanded that they should gather themselves together oft, and join in afasting and mighty prayer in behalf of the welfare of the souls of those who knew not God.

Priesthood vs keys of the priesthood
A bishop is a bishop for life and has those keys, but only the bishop called to preside over a body has those keys active.

Keys do not give one more priesthood, just authority to exercise parts of the priesthood.

Melchizedek Priesthood Offices
Apostle
70
Patriarch
High Priest
Elder

Aaronic Priesthood Offices
Bishop
Priest
Teacher
Deacon

Priesthood leaders are like the front of a flying V when birds fly.  The leader flies ahead taking the brunt of the work and gradually distribute the work to the rest of the workers.  Eventually that leader is released and someone else is called to take the lead.

Teachers can be home teachers.

Priests can baptize and witness baptisms.

One of the roles of priesthood is to guide our will to God’s.  Many times priesthood blessings have council on how to exercise our faith and/or align our will to His.

The teacher passed out this list of scriptures and quotes to help with our study of the lesson:
1. 1 Kings 11:29-32
2. Matthew 12:25
3. 1 Kings 12:3-4
4. 1 Kings 12:6-7
5. 2 Chronicles 10:7
6. 1 Kings 12:8-11
7. 1 Kings 12:12-17
8. 1 Kings 12:7
9. 1 Kings 11:29-31
10. 1 Kings 12:20, including footnote 20b
11. 1 Kings 11:38
12. 1 Kings 12:26-33
13. 1 Kings 13:33-34
14. 1 Kings 14:21-24
15. Helaman 14:30-31
16. Quote: President Ezra Taft Benson taught: "Often we spend great effort in trying to increase the activity levels in our stakes. We work diligently to raise the percentages of those attending sacrament meetings. We labor to get a higher percentage of our young men on missions. We strive to improve the numbers of those marrying in the temple. All of these are commendable efforts and important to the growth of the kingdom. But when individual members and families immerse themselves in the scriptures regularly and consistently, these other areas of activity will automatically come. Testimonies will increase. Commitment will be strengthened. Families will be fortified. Personal revelation will flow" (The Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson [ 1988], 44).

A good leader
1. Gives service
2. Trusts and obeys the Lord

We are told to follow our leaders, but we are also told to not take their word for it, but study and ask the Lord ourselves.

Doctrine and Covenants 58:27-28
 27 Verily I say, men should be aanxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness;
 28 For the power is in them, wherein they are aagents unto themselves. And inasmuch as men do good they shall in nowise lose their breward.

The Youth Spectacular was this weekend.  Thoughts were given about it.

.Youth Spectacular Links
We do not sit for truth and righteousness. We stand for truth and righteousness.

Missionary that just returned from Slovenia spoke to us.  The whole country has 200 members.  60 of them are active.

Doctrine and Covenants 123:12-13
 12 For there are many yet on the earth among all sects, parties, and denominations, who are ablinded by the subtle bcraftiness of men, whereby they lie in wait to cdeceive, and who are only kept from the truth because they dknow not where to find it—
 13 Therefore, that we should waste and awear out our lives in bringing to light all the bhidden things of darkness, wherein we know them; and they are truly manifest from heaven—

A pioneer is not a woman who makes her own soap. She is one who takes up her burdens and walks toward the future. With vision and with courage she makes the desert bloom. (LAUREL THATCHER ULRICH, “A Pioneer Is Not a Woman Who Makes Her Own Soap, Ensign June 1978)

Elder David B. expanded it in this way, “‘A pioneer is not [necessarily] a woman who makes her own soap’ or a man who grubs sagebrush from the land. Pioneers are those who take up their burdens and walk toward the future. With vision and with courage they make the desert blossom and they press on toward new frontiers.” (David B. Haight, “A Call to Serve,” Ensign, Nov 1988, 82)

From the Bulletin:
"One hundred and fifty years ago our people were leaving Nauvoo and threading their way across the prairies of Iowa. None of us, I am confident, can appreciate the measure of sacrifice which they made in leaving their comfortable homes to brave the tempest of the wilderness on a journey that would not end until they reached this valley of the Great Salt Lake. Their suffering was immeasurable. They died by the hundreds for this cause of which each one of us is a part.
"I was in Palmyra this past summer and in Nauvoo, and in Council Bluffs, Iowa, which they had called Kanesville out of respect and love for a loyal friend. I stood where the Grand Encampment assembled when they reached the Missouri River. I have been over the trail from the Missouri to this valley a number of times. For me it is always a sacred experience. I am so deeply grateful for our inheritance...
"Ours is the blessing to live in a better season. The terrible persecutions of the past are behind us. Today we are looked upon with respect by people across the world. We must always be worthy of that respect. We must earn it, or we will not have it." President Gordon B. Hinckley, "Listen by the Power of the Spirit", Ensign, Nov. 1996, 4.

Sunday, July 11, 2010

Church Services This Week at Sullivan Hollow Second Ward Weber Heights Stake Ogden Utah July 7-11-2010

1 Nephi 16:2
 2 And it came to pass that I said unto them that I knew that I had spoken ahard things against the wicked, according to the truth; and the righteous have I justified, and testified that they should be lifted up at the last day; wherefore, the bguilty taketh the ctruth to be hard, for it dcutteth them to the very center.



You are not going to get any more out of coming to church and out of being a member of the Church than what you put into it.



Alma 13:3
 3 And this is the manner after which they were ordained—being acalled and bprepared from the cfoundation of the world according to the dforeknowledge of God, on account of their exceeding faith and good works; in the first place being left to echoose good or evil; therefore they having chosen good, and exercising exceedingly great ffaith, are gcalled with a holy calling, yea, with that holy calling which was prepared with, and according to, a preparatory redemption for such.

Who knows you better than God?  If you want the best things for yourself, you should listen to God.

The teacher handed out this list of scriptures and quotes to go with the lesson:
1. 1 Kings 2:2-3
2. 1 Kings 3:5
3. 1 Kings 3:9
4. 1 Kings 3:28; 4:29
5. 1 Kings 3:7-8
6. 1 Kings 3:11-12
7. D&C 46:13-26
8. 1 Kings 3:14
9. D&C 46:8-12
10. 1 Kings 3:13-14
11. 1 Kings 3:16-22
12. 1 Kings 3:23-28
13. 1 Kings 6:7
14. 1 Kings 6:11-13
15. D&C 97:15-17
16. Quote by President Ezra Taft Benson:
"In the peace of these lovely temples, sometimes we find solutions to the serious problems of life. Under the influence of the Spirit, sometimes pure knowledge flows to us there. Temples are places of personal revelation. When I have been weighed down by a problem or a difficulty, I have gone to the House of the Lord with a prayer in my heart for answers. These answers have come in clear and unmistakable ways" ("What I Hope You Will Teach Your Children about the Temple," Ensign, Aug. 1985, 8).
17. 1 Kings 11:1-2
18. 1 Kings 11; 9-14

“We generally think of Satan attacking us at our weakest spot. … But weakness is not our only vulnerability. Satan can also attack us where we think we are strong—in the very areas where we are proud of our strengths. He will approach us through the greatest talents and spiritual gifts we possess. If we are not wary, Satan can cause our spiritual downfall by corrupting us through our strengths as well as by exploiting our weaknesses” (Elder Dallin H. Oaks, “Our Strengths Can Become Our Downfall,” Ensign, Oct. 1994, 12).

1 Kings 3:5-9
 5 ¶ In aGibeon the Lord bappeared to Solomon in a cdream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee.
 6 And Solomon said, Thou hast shewed unto thy servant David my father great mercy, according as he walked before thee in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with thee; and thou hast kept for him this great kindness, that thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day.
 7 And now, O Lord my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a alittle child: I know not how to go out or come in.
 8 And thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a agreat people, that cannot be bnumbered nor counted for multitude.
 9 Give therefore thy servant an aunderstanding bheart to judge thy people, that I may cdiscern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?

Solomon's gift of wisdom was a spiritual gift.  If we are unrighteous that gifts will function less well and may not function at all.  We must also exercise the gifts to learn how to use them.

Solomon wanted the temple to help the non believers too.
1 Kings 8:41-43
 41 Moreover concerning a astranger, that is not of thy people Israel, but cometh out of a far bcountry for thy name’s sake;
 42 (For they shall hear of thy great name, and of thy strong ahand, and of thy stretched out arm;) when he shall come and pray toward this house;
 43 Hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place, and do according to all that the stranger calleth to thee for: that all people of the earth may aknow thy name, to bfear thee, as do thy people Israel; and that they may know that this house, which I have builded, is called by thy name.

Moses 1:39
 39 For behold, this is my awork and my bglory—to bring to pass the cimmortality and deternal elife of man.

Immortality is living forever.
Eternal life is living with god.

Moses 6:34
 34 Behold my aSpirit is upon you, wherefore all thy words will I justify; and the bmountains shall flee before you, and the crivers shall turn from their course; and thou shalt abide in me, and I in you; therefore dwalkwith me.

Mosiah 2:24
 24 And secondly, he doth arequire that ye should do as he hath commanded you; for which if ye do, he doth immediately bbless you; and therefore he hath paid you. And ye are still indebted unto him, and are, and will be, forever and ever; therefore, of what have ye to boast?

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.

God isn't just there to punish us if we do evil.  He is our father and cares for us.

Jesus came to atone for our sins and also to teach us of true personal
nature of God the father.

From the Bulletin:
"God's commandments are not given to limit or punish us. They are exercises that create character and sanctify souls. If we disregard them, we become spiritually flabby and weak and without defense. If we keep them, we can become spiritual giants, strong and bold in righteousness."

"Joseph Smith said, '[God] never will institute an ordinance or give a commandment to His people that is not calculated in its nature to promote that happiness which He has designed, and which will not end in the greatest amount of good and glory to those who become the recipients of his law and ordinances."

"Day-to-day obedience to God's commandments is indispensable, and it protects us during mortality and prepares us for the tremendous adventure that awaits us on the other side of the veil." Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin, Ensign, Nov 1999.