Sunday, December 29, 2013

Church Services This Week at Ridge Crest Ward Northridge Stake Layton Utah 29 December 2013

Joint Priesthood/Relief Society Meeting
There is a big push to hasten the work of the Lord right now.

What is the spirit of Elijah?
The people's hearts turning to their father's and to their children.  Through this desire the redemptive work for the dead is done.

Family history consultants and the high priest group leader help people get started with family history.

Sunday School
Zion
There are many different and accurate definitions of Zion.  Sometimes one meaning and sometimes more than one meaning at the same time

  • One heart and mind.
  • Gathering place of the saints of God.
  • All the saints of God everywhere.
  • Jackson county Missouri.
  • Jerusalem
  • A community of the saints of God obeying the law of consecration.

Doctrine and Covenants 105:6-13 - The saints had contentions and could not establish Zion in the sense of one heart and one mind.

We can try to establish Zion in our homes even if our communities or congregations are not there yet.  the process starts with individual families.

Doctrine and Covenants 52:14-15
14 And again, I will give unto you a pattern in all things, that ye may not be deceived; for Satan is abroad in the land, and he goeth forth deceiving the nations—
15 Wherefore he that prayeth, whose spirit is contrite, the same is accepted of me if he obey mine ordinances.
He shows us a pattern to not be deceived.  As Satan goes deceiving all people in all nations, the only way to understand what is real is to pray with a contrite spirit.
"Lesson number one for the establishment of Zion in the 21st century: You never ‘check your religion at the door.’ Not ever.
“My young friends, that kind of discipleship cannot be—it is not discipleship at all. As the prophet Alma has taught the young women of the Church to declare every week in their Young Women theme, we are ‘to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in,’ 13 not just some of the time, in a few places, or when our team has a big lead." (Elder Jeffrey R Holland, Israel, Israel, God Is Calling, 10 SEPTEMBER 2012)

Doctrine and Covenants 97:21
21 Therefore, verily, thus saith the Lord, let Zion rejoice, for this is Zion—the pure in heart; therefore, let Zion rejoice, while all the wicked shall mourn.

Doctrine and Covenants 64:34
 34 Behold, the Lord requireth the heart and a willing mind; and the willing and obedient shall eat the good of the land of Zion in these last days.

The Lord has given us instructions on how to be successful.  If we are obedient to the instructions he has given we will have be happy and have all we need.

Doctrine and Covenants 105:3
 3 But behold, they have not learned to be obedient to the things which I required at their hands, but are full of all manner of evil, and do not impart of their substance, as becometh saints, to the poor and afflicted among them;

Zion is a happy place.  Zion is a safe place.

Sacrament Service
Moroni 7:33
33 And Christ hath said: If ye will have faith in me ye shall have power to do whatsoever thing is expedient in me.

Moroni 7:48
 48 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure. Amen.

“It is only when we love God and Christ with all of our hearts, souls, and minds that we are able to share this love with our neighbors through acts of kindness and service—the way that the Savior would love and serve all of us if He were among us today.”(Elder M Russell Ballard, Finding Joy Through Loving Service, April 2011 General Conference)

John 13:34-35
 34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
 35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

“First, charity begins at home. The single most important principle that should govern every home is to practice the Golden Rule—the Lord’s admonition that “all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them” (Matthew 7:12). Take a moment and imagine how you would feel if you were on the receiving end of thoughtless words or actions. By our example, let us teach our family members to have love one for another.” (Elder M Russell Ballard, Finding Joy Through Loving Service, April 2011 General Conference)

“If we say that early death is a calamity, disaster, or tragedy, would it not be saying that mortality is preferable to earlier entrance into the spirit world and to eventual salvation and exaltation? If mortality be the perfect state, then death would be a frustration, but the gospel teaches us there is no tragedy in death, but only in sin. ‘… blessed are the dead that die in the Lord. …’ (See D&C 63:49.)” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Spencer W. Kimball, (2006); also Faith Precedes the Miracle, 100, 101, 102)

“... that the supreme sacrifice of His Son might be as complete as it was voluntary and solitary, the Father briefly withdrew from Jesus the comfort of His Spirit, the support of His personal presence. It was required, indeed it was central to the significance of the Atonement, that this perfect Son who had never spoken ill nor done wrong nor touched an unclean thing had to know how the rest of humankind—us, all of us—would feel when we did commit such sins. For His Atonement to be infinite and eternal, He had to feel what it was like to die not only physically but spiritually, to sense what it was like to have the divine Spirit withdraw, leaving one feeling totally, abjectly, hopelessly alone.” (Elder Jeffrey R Holland, “None Were With Him”, April 2009 General Conference)

Sunday, December 22, 2013

Church Services This Week at Ridge Crest Ward Northridge Stake Layton Utah 22 December 2013

Elders Quorum
The lesson based on D Todd Christofferson’s October 2013 General Conference talk, The Moral Force of Women
Indentured servants were also called redemptioners.  They had to redeem a debt or purchase their freedom.

What is the value that the Savior redeems us for?  The worth of a soul.  The worth of one soul is eternal life.

The Church's website, Mormon.org, has the phrase right now "Christmas is..."

Jesus was born in the spring when we are thawing out from winter and things get warmer and arguably better from there.  We celebrate his birth just after the winter solstice.  Days start getting longer and we begin to come out from days with more darkness than light and things start to get lighter and arguably better.

Sunday School
Lesson 45 Doctrine and Covenants and Church History: The Family is Ordained of God
There are a lot of complicated social and political issues right now.  There are only complicated because they are worked on by society by removing God from the equations.  The problems don't make sense because we have taken data (God) that is necessary to solve the problem out.

Elder Oaks used the term homogenize to describe what the world is doing with gender today.

We tend to focus on what the world thinks and that The Family a Proclamation to the World is a statement against the ideas of the world.  Those ideas are seeping into the Church and many Church members have ideas that are not in accord with the proclamation.

Sacrament service
There was a small Christmas program

Sunday, December 15, 2013

Church Services This Week at Ridge Crest Ward Northridge Stake Layton Utah 15 Dec 2013

Elders Quorum
Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Lorenzo Snow - Chapter 24 Reflections on the Mission of Jesus Christ
What places do you visit that brings to your remembrance good memories or bring back feelings of sacred experiences?

The secret of prosperity is doing the will of the Father.  He has created a plan for us to guide us on how life works and how eternity work.  If we follow his instructions we prosper, even in trials.

Those that speak in general conference spend hours in prayer and fasting to know what to speak about.  To think that we can get everything out of those talks by casually watching them once is foolishness.

Sunday School
Lesson. 44 Doctrine and Covenants and Church History  - Being Good Citizens
Doctrine and Covenants 58:21-22
21 Let no man break the laws of the land, for he that keepeth the laws of God hath no need to break the laws of the land. 22 Wherefore, be subject to the powers that be, until he reigns whose right it is to reign, and subdues all enemies under his feet.
Doctrine and Covenants 98:4-7
4 And now, verily I say unto you concerning the laws of the land, it is my will that my people should observe to do all things whatsoever I command them. 5 And that law of the land which is constitutional, supporting that principle of freedom in maintaining rights and privileges, belongs to all mankind, and is justifiable before me. 6 Therefore, I, the Lord, justify you, and your brethren of my church, in befriending that law which is the constitutional law of the land; 7 And as pertaining to law of man, whatsoever is more or less than this, cometh of evil.
Doctrine and Covenants 134:3,5-6
3 We believe that all governments necessarily require civil officers and magistrates to enforce the laws of the same; and that such as will administer the law in equity and justice should be sought for and upheld by the voice of the people if a republic, or the will of the sovereign.
5 We believe that all men are bound to sustain and uphold the respective governments in which they reside, while protected in their inherent and inalienable rights by the laws of such governments; and that sedition and rebellion are unbecoming every citizen thus protected, and should be punished accordingly; and that all governments have a right to enact such laws as in their own judgments are best calculated to secure the public interest; at the same time, however, holding sacred the freedom of conscience.
6 We believe that every man should be honored in his station, rulers and magistrates as such, being placed for the protection of the innocent and the punishment of the guilty; and that to the laws all men owe respect and deference, as without them peace and harmony would be supplanted by anarchy and terror; human laws being instituted for the express purpose of regulating our interests as individuals and nations, between man and man; and divine laws given of heaven, prescribing rules on spiritual concerns, for faith and worship, both to be answered by man to his Maker.

Elder Ezra Taft Benson served as Secretary of the Agriculture while serving as an apostle.

Being involved in the community allows you to interact with and influence people you otherwise would not.

"In the last days churches will become more similar and the only difference will be authority." - unknown

“As Church members, we live under the banner of many different flags. How important it is that we understand our place and our position in the lands in which we live! We should be familiar with the history, heritage, and laws of the lands that govern us. In those countries that allow us the right to participate in the affairs of government, we should use our free agency and be actively engaged in supporting and defending the principles of truth, right, and freedom” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1987, 87; or Ensign, Nov. 1987, 72).

Sacrament Service
Acknowledge,receive,and give to learn how to be charitable.

Acknowledge what God has given us. Acknowledge His intimate and modest ways he gives to us.

Receive what God has given us with gratitude.

We must learn how to gratefully receive and then we give.

Sunday, December 08, 2013

Church Services This Week at Ridge Crest Ward Northridge Stake Layton Utah 8 Dec 2013

Elders Quorum
Chapter 23 - Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Lorenzo Snow
The constitution is an inspired and sacred document.

In spite of only having an elementary education, Joseph Smith was intelligent and well spoken.

He was also teachable.  He was taught by heavenly messengers, but he also had educated people enter his life and he learned from them.  One of those people was his wife Emma.  She was educated and he was not.  He was able to learn from her to the betterment of his ability to do the Lord's work.  It would've been easy to be resentful of her education, but he learned from her.

Sunday School
Lesson 43 - The Whole Armor of God
Doctrine and Covenants 27, Ephesians 6
Feet, same, Doctrine and Covenants 39:6, 2 Nephi 25:26, Alma 56:47-48, The preparation of the Gospel of peace
Loins, same, Doctrine and Covenants 93:24, John 8:32, , gird with truth
Head/Helmet, Same, Helaman 5:9, , , helmet of salvation
Sword, Word of God,  1 Nephi 15:23-24, , , sword of the spirit and word of God
Shield, Above All, Alma 57:25-26, Doctrine and Covenants 84:88, , shield of faith
Breastplate of righteousness,

"How will you resist his aggressive tactics? Put on the whole armor of God." (Robert D Hales, STAND STRONG IN HOLY PLACES, April 2013 General Conference)

We use our feet to walk and stand.  Your feet are the foundation of your body.  Your feet move you.

"What is the gospel of peace? The whole core and center of the gospel of peace was built around the person of Him who was cradled in the manger." (Harold B. Lee, “Feet Shod with the Preparation of the Gospel of Peace,” Speeches of the Year, 1954, pp. 2–4, 6–7.)

If your loins are girded it protects vital organs.  It also protects our reproductive powers and virtue.

If we know and abide by truth you will be safe from harm and you will remain virtuous.

Our minds are bombarded all the time with vulgarity and inappropriate sexuality.  We must protect our heads.  Our mouth is part of our heads and we must guard that what comes out of our mouths is virtuous.

The Savior never taught the doctrine that we say what we want to say and if someone gets offended, then that is their problem.  He taught us to speak with love and virtue.

When he tells us to put on our armor, he does not say we will never get hit, just that we will survive and conquer.

Sacrament Service

Sunday, December 01, 2013

Church Services This Week at Ridge Crest Ward Northridge Stake Layton Utah 1 Dec 2013

Elders Quorum
What does it mean to be sanctified?  To be made pure or holy.  Sanctification is often compared or even confused with justification, which is bringing us back in harmony with God.


Sanctification = To be made holy.
Justification = To be brought back in harmony with God.


Ether 12:27
27 And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.


The only way we become sanctified and like Christ is to already be working with him, walking with him, and learning from Him.


Men and women often see things differently and behave differently because their defaults are set differently.  It is very hard to change our default settings.



Sunday School
Doctrine and Covenants 1:38
38 What I the Lord have spoken, I have spoken, and I excuse not myself; and though the heavens and the earth pass away, my word shall not pass away, but shall all be fulfilled, whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same.


When people reject our doctrine and try to contend with us, we just present what we can, but we need not make excuses.  The universe works the way it works, whether they accept it or not.


In 1971 Church magazines began.


Doctrine and Covenants 84:109-110
109 Therefore, let every man stand in his own office, and labor in his own calling; and let not the head say unto the feet it hath no need of the feet; for without the feet how shall the body be able to stand?
110 Also the body hath need of every member, that all may be edified together, that the system may be kept perfect.


Sacrament service
Testimonies