Sacrament Service
Two youth reported on young men and young women camps that they went to this week.
First Speaker
Patriotism is gratitude.
2 Corinthians 3:17
17 Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
DnC 101:80
80 And for this purpose have I established the Constitution of this land, by the hands of wise men whom I raised up unto this very purpose, and redeemed the land by the shedding of blood.
The founding fathers were not perfect, but they were inspired.
Alma 46:12-14
12 And it came to pass that he rent his coat; and he took a piece thereof, and wrote upon it—In memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children—and he fastened it upon the end of a pole.
13 And he fastened on his head-plate, and his breastplate, and his shields, and girded on his armor about his loins; and he took the pole, which had on the end thereof his rent coat, (and he called it the title of liberty) and he bowed himself to the earth, and he prayed mightily unto his God for the blessings of liberty to rest upon his brethren, so long as there should a band of Christians remain to possess the land—
14 For thus were all the true believers of Christ, who belonged to the church of God, called by those who did not belong to the church.
Patriotism is standing up for what is right.
DnC 98:5-6
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;
Next Speaker
Land of the free, home of the brave.
Read the Declaration of Independence frequently.
The United States is a promised land.
Ether 2:12
12 Behold, this is a choice land, and whatsoever nation shall possess it shall be free from bondage, and from captivity, and from all other nations under heaven, if they will but serve the God of the land, who is Jesus Christ, who hath been manifested by the things which we have written.
“I will here say, before closing, that two weeks before I left St. George, the spirits of the dead gathered around me, wanting to know why we did not redeem them. Said they, ‘You have had the use of the Endowment House for a number of years, and yet nothing has ever been done for us. We laid the foundation of the government you now enjoy, and we never apostatized from it, but we remained true to it and were faithful to God.’ These were the signers of the Declaration of Independence, and they waited on me for two days and two nights. . . . I straightway went into the baptismal font and called upon brother McCallister to baptize me for the signers of the Declaration of Independence, and fifty other eminent men, making one hundred in all, including John Wesley, Columbus, and others; I then baptized him for every President of the United States, except three; and when their cause is just, somebody will do the work for them.” (Wilford Woodruff, September 1877)
Next Speaker
Memorize Scripture Mastery scriptures.
Memorized scriptures are like beloved family members.
Memorized scriptures become part of your life.
Fifth Sunday Lesson
1 Nephi 6
4 For the fulness of mine intent is that I may persuade men to come unto the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, and be saved.
5 Wherefore, the things which are pleasing unto the world I do not write, but the things which are pleasing unto God and unto those who are not of the world.
The first commandment is to love God.
The second is to love our neighbor.
Do your family members count as your neighbor, or are they
something more?
“This means we are commanded to love everyone, since Jesus’s parable of the good Samaritan teaches that everyone is our neighbor. But our zeal to keep this second commandment must not cause us to forget the first, to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind. We show that love by ‘keep[ing] [His] commandments.’ God requires us to obey His commandments because only through that obedience, including repentance, can we return to live in His presence and become perfect as He is.” (President Dallin H. Oaks, “Two Great Commandments”, October 2019 General Conference)
So how do we show love to God and to our neighbor?
Do those ever come into conflict?
“God’s laws are motivated entirely by His infinite love for us and His desire for us to become all we can become.” (President Russell M. Nelson, “The Love and Laws of God.”, BYU Speech 17 September 2019)
“The work of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is ultimately concerned with preparing the children of God for the celestial kingdom, and most particularly for its highest glory, exaltation or eternal life.” (President Dallin H. Oaks, “Two Great Commandments”, October 2019 General Conference)
“Abiding by God’s laws will keep you safe as you progress toward eventual exaltation” (President Russell M. Nelson, “The Love and Laws of God.”, BYU Speech 17 September 2019)
Exaltation is to become like God, with the exalted life and divine potential of our Heavenly Parents. That is the destiny we desire for all we love. Because of that love, we cannot let our love supersede the commandments and the plan and work of God, which we know will bring those we love their greatest happiness.
Is truth love?
What is our responsibility to our children and family when it comes to the Gospel and the two great commandments?
“Husband and wife have a solemn responsibility to love and care for each other and for their children. “Children are an heritage of the Lord” (Psalm 127:3). Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, and to teach them to love and serve one another, observe the commandments of God, and be law-abiding citizens wherever they live. Husbands and wives—mothers and fathers—will be held accountable before God for the discharge of these obligations.” (The Family Proclamation)
What if our children choose a different path?
No parent is perfect. Perfection does not come in this life.
Our examples and behavior should be consistent without being loud and in your face.
“Remember also that no home is a failure as long as that home doesn’t give up.” (President Harold B. Lee, “Maintain Your Place As a Woman”, Ensign February 1972)
The father ran to the prodigal son when the son was ready, not while the son was living riotously.
"The Prophet Joseph Smith declared—and he never taught a more comforting doctrine—that the eternal sealings of faithful parents and the divine promises made to them for valiant service in the Cause of Truth, would save not only themselves, but likewise their posterity. Though some of the sheep may wander, the eye of the Shepherd is upon them, and sooner or later they will feel the tentacles of Divine Providence reaching out after them and drawing them back to the fold. Either in this life or the life to come, they will return. They will have to pay their debt to justice; they will suffer for their sins; and may tread a thorny path; but if it leads them at last, like the penitent Prodigal, to a loving and forgiving father's heart and home, the painful experience will not have been in vain. Pray for your careless and disobedient children; hold on to them with your faith. Hope on, trust on, till you see the salvation of God" (Orson F. Whitney, in Conference Report, Apr. 1929, 110).
"Let the father and mother, who are members of this Church and Kingdom, take a righteous course, and strive with all their might never to do a wrong, but to do good all their lives; if they have one child or one hundred children, if they conduct themselves towards them as they should, binding them to the Lord by their faith and prayers, I care not where those children go, they are bound up to their parents by an everlasting tie, and no power of earth or hell can separate them from their parents in eternity; they will return again to the fountain from whence they sprang" (Brigham Young, quoted in Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, comp. Bruce R. McConkie, 3 vols. [1954-56], 2:90—91).
"If you succeed in passing through these trials and afflictions and receive a resurrection, you will, by the power of the Priesthood, work and labor, as the Son of God has, until you get all your sons and
daughters in the path of exaltation and glory. This is just as sure as that the sun rose this morning over yonder mountains. Therefore, mourn not because all your sons and daughters do not follow in the
path that you have marked out to them, or give heed to your counsels. Inasmuch as we succeed in securing eternal glory, and stand as saviors, and as kings and priests to our God, we will save our
posterity" (Lorenzo Snow, in Collected Discourses, comp. Brian H. Stuy, 5 vols. [1987-921, 3:364).
"The measure of our success as parents ... will not rest solely on how our children turn out. That judgment would be just only if we could raise our families in a perfectly moral environment, and that now is not possible.
"It is not uncommon for responsible parents to lose one of their children, for a time, to influences over which they have no control. They agonize over rebellious sons or daughters. They are puzzled over why they are so helpless when they have tried so hard to do what they should.
"It is my conviction that those wicked influences one day will be overruled. ...
"We cannot overemphasize the value of temple marriage, the binding ties of the sealing ordinance, and the standards of worthiness required of them. When parents keep the covenants they have made at the altar of the temple, their children will be forever bound to them" (Elder Boyd K Packer, "Our Moral Environment," Ensign, May 1992, 68).
Many of the greatest people in the scriptures had children that strayed. Even God the Father.
Even if our family members stray, we have to stay at the tree. Lehi did not leave the tree.
1 Nephi 8
11 And it came to pass that I did go forth and partake of the fruit thereof; and I beheld that it was most sweet, above all that I ever before tasted. Yea, and I beheld that the fruit thereof was white, to exceed all the whiteness that I had ever seen.
12 And as I partook of the fruit thereof it filled my soul with exceedingly great joy; wherefore, I began to be desirous that my family should partake of it also; for I knew that it was desirable above all other fruit.
15 And it came to pass that I beckoned unto them; and I also did say unto them with a loud voice that they should come unto me, and partake of the fruit, which was desirable above all other fruit.
Poor trends in parenting:
In previous generations, when kids would leave the Church, parents would disown them.
Today, often when kids would leave the Church, parents leave with them as their empathy overwhelms their faith.
What are the truths we must hold to?
God is real.
Jesus Christ is your Redeemer.
God’s laws are eternal.
This is His Church.
His prophet lives on the earth today.
The Scriptures contain the word of Eternal Life.
He is coming.
Should we convince God to align with our feeling?
or
Should we align with God’s laws, regardless on how we feel about it?
The war in Heaven never stopped. It continues to be waged here on the Earth.
“As members of the Church, we are engaged in a mighty conflict. We are at war. We have enlisted in the cause of Christ to fight against Lucifer and all that is lustful and carnal and evil in the world. We have sworn to fight alongside our friends and against our enemies, and we must not be confused in distinguishing friends from foes.” (Elder Bruce R. McConkie, “Be Valiant in the Fight of Faith”, October 1974 General Conference)
Revelation 12:17
17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
"No man, having put his hand to the p!gy.gb, and looking back, is fit for
the kingdom of God." (Luke 9:62.)
"Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the
kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in
heaven." (Matt. 7:21.)
"These are they who are not valiant in the testimony of Jesus; wherefore, they obtain not the crown over the kingdom of our God." (D&C 76:79.)
“Wherefore, he that fighteth against Zion, both Jew and Gentile, both
bond and free, both male and female, shall perish; ...for they who are
not for me are against me, saith our God.” (2 Ne 10:16 )
