Church Services This Week at Sullivan Hollow Second Ward Weber Heights Stake Ogden Utah 7-12-09

Stake Priesthood Meeting
The Second Coming

• Doctrine and Covenants 45
• Matthew 24 and 25
• Joseph Smith Translation of Matthew 24 and 25

" Judah must return, Jerusalem must be rebuilt, and the temple, and water come out from under the temple, and the waters of the Dead Sea be healed. It will take some time to rebuild the walls of the city and the temple, &c.; and all this must be done before the Son of Man will make His appearance, There will be wars and rumors of wars, signs in the heavens above and on the earth beneath, the sun turned into darkness and the moon to blood, earthquakes in divers places, the seas heaving beyond their bounds; then will appear one grand sign of the Son of Man in heaven. But what will the world do? They will say it is a planet, a comet, &c. But the
Son of Man will come as the sign of the coming of the Son of Man, which will be as the light of the morning cometh out of the east." (History of the Church Volume 5)

Alma 12:9
9 And now Alma began to expound these things unto him, saying: It is given unto many to ^aknow the ^bmysteries of God; nevertheless they are laid under a strict command that they shall not impart ^conly according to the portion of his word which he doth grant unto the children of men, according to the heed and diligence which they give unto him.

Ward Priesthood Opening
Enos 1:2-10

2 And I will tell you of the ^awrestle which I had before God, before I received a ^bremission of my sins.

3 Behold, I went to hunt beasts in the forests; and the words which I had often heard my father speak concerning eternal life, and the ^ajoy of the saints, ^bsunk deep into my heart.

4 And my soul ^ahungered; and I ^bkneeled down before my Maker, and I ^ccried unto him in mighty ^dprayer and supplication for mine own soul; and all the day long did I cry unto him; yea, and when the night came I did still raise my voice high that it reached the heavens.

5 And there came a ^avoice unto me, saying: Enos, thy sins are ^bforgiven thee, and thou shalt be blessed.

6 And I, Enos, knew that God ^acould not lie; wherefore, my guilt was swept away.

7 And I said: Lord, how is it done?

8 And he said unto me: ^aBecause of thy ^bfaith in Christ, whom thou hast never before heard nor seen. And many years pass away before he shall manifest himself in the flesh; wherefore, go to, thy faith hath made thee ^cwhole.

9 Now, it came to pass that when I had heard these words I began to feel a ^adesire for the ^bwelfare of my brethren, the Nephites; wherefore, I did ^cpour out my whole soul unto God for them.

10 And while I was thus struggling in the spirit, behold, the voice of the Lord came into my ^amind again, saying: I will visit thy brethren according to their diligence in keeping my commandments. I have ^bgiven unto them this land, and it is a holy land; and I ^ccurse it not save it be for the cause of iniquity; wherefore, I will visit thy brethren according as I have said; and their ^dtransgressions will I bring down with sorrow upon their own heads.

Elders' Quorum
Chapter 36: Receiving the Ordinances and Blessings of the Temple 412–22
It was proposed by a class member today that the temple is a perfectly designed school. Everyone can learn at the level they are at.

“Could we read and comprehend all that has been written from the days of Adam, on the relation of man to God and angels in a future state, we should know very little about it. Reading the experience of others, or the revelation given to them, can never give us a comprehensive view of our condition and true relation to God. Knowledge of these things can only be obtained by experience through the ordinances of God set forth for that purpose. Could you gaze into heaven five minutes, you would know more than you would by reading all that ever was written on the subject. … I assure the Saints that truth … can and may be known through the revelations of God in the way of His ordinances, and in answer to prayer. (History of the Church, 6:50–51; paragraph divisions altered; from a discourse given by Joseph Smith on Oct. 9, 1843, in Nauvoo, Illinois; reported by Willard Richards and Times and Seasons, Sept. 15, 1843, p. 331; this issue of the Times and Seasons was published late.)

Sunday School
Lesson 26: “Go Ye into All the World, and Preach My Gospel” 145

“Discouraged at being unable to secure a place to preach, Parley decided to leave Toronto. Before going he stopped at the Taylors to get some of his luggage and to say goodbye. While he was there, Leonora Taylor told her friend Mrs. Isabella Walton about Parley’s problem and said she was sorry he was leaving. ‘He may be a man of God,’ she said. Mrs. Walton replied that she had been inspired by the Spirit to visit the Taylors that morning because she was willing to let Elder Pratt stay at her home and preach. He did so and was eventually invited to attend a meeting of John Taylor’s group, in which John read the New Testament account of Philip’s preaching in Samaria. ‘Now,’ said he, ‘where is our Philip? Where is our receiving the Word with joy, and being baptized when we believed? Where is our Peter and John? Our apostles? Where is our Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands? …’ When Parley was invited to speak, he declared that he had answers to John Taylor’s questions.

“For three weeks John Taylor attended Elder Pratt’s meetings, making detailed notes of his sermons and carefully comparing them with the scriptures. Gradually he became convinced that the true gospel of Jesus Christ was restored. He and his wife, Leonora, were baptized on 9 May 1836” (Church History in the Fulness of Times [Church Educational System manual, 1993], 157; see also Parley P. Pratt, Autobiography of Parley P. Pratt [1975], 134–40, 151).

Sacrament Service
Some of the youth and leaders reported on youth conference.

During part of youth conference they pulled handcarts to learn part of what it was like for the pioneers. They noted that their hands and feet were not frost bitten, it wasn't cold outside, and their bodies were not malnourished and fatigued, yet it was still hard. They imagined what it would be like to have a task so hard and have all of those other ailments as well.

At one point the women and girls took the carts alone while the men watched, since some of the pioneer women had to go it alone when their husbands and sons died.

Standards and Lifestyle
Do we find that many who state that the LDS lifestyle is too controlling and restrictive are ones that are bound by their own lifestyles and addictions and are generally not free to easily change the course they are on. Whether it be addictions they have bound themselves with or tattoos that they are not free to remove without great expense or single parenting or diseases or poverty. The last few things I listed can come upon a person just through life in general, but many times these trial happen through what we have chosen.

We are free to choose to do what we want, but are not free to choose the consequences of our choices.

From the Bulletin
Dear Brothers and Sisters,

As I think about his great country that we live in I am very grateful for all of the time and planning the Lord took in preparing this land for the restoration of His church in these latter days.

"Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord and the people whom He hath chosen for his own inheritance." (Psalms 33:12). As the Lord states in Psalms we are blessed individually and as a nation when we follow his commandments and remember him. It is my prayer that we remember this great land we live in and all of the people that have helped to prepare this land for us.

Adult Session Weber Heights Stake Conference Ogden Utah 10-25-08

First Councilor in the Stake Presidency
He related the story of Joseph Smith's Brother, Samuel, going on a mission. Through his entire mission he only gave away 2 Book of Mormons. He felt discouraged at time on his mission because of this and did not see the fruits his labors on his mission. One of those books was eventually shared by the man he gave it to with Brigham Young and Parley P. Pratt and their families were converted.

“Prepare well for a mission all your life, not just six months or a year before you go." (Ezra Taft Benson, Ensign, May 1986, p. 45)

As I was researching this quote I found that it was given in a talk at the same conference where the solemn assembly was held to sustain President Ezra Taft Benson. He was the prophet when my family joined the Church. What I hadn't realize that when we joined the Church had just been called as president of the Church a month before at General Conference. I recall many people kept mistakenly referring to President Kimball when they were trying to refer to President Benson and having to correct themselves. Much like I am doing now as I type and try to refer to President Benson and keep typing President Hinckley and how people recently have trouble making the shift from the prophet being Hinckley to being President Monson.

The speaker quoted from M. Russell Ballard's talk from the priesthood session of October 2002 General Conference where he talked of the bar being raised for those young men that can serve missions. The bar being a standard of worthiness. Elder Ballard also stated, "Consequently, if we are 'raising the bar' for your sons to serve as missionaries, that means we are also 'raising the bar' for you."

The speaker listed a few things that parents can do to prepare a missionary.

• Family Scripture Reading
• Seminary Attendance
• Teach them to do their laundry and cook simple meals
• Be a good home teacher

Sister missionaries can get into some homes where young men can not, but they are not under the same obligation to go on a mission as young men are.

He talked of couple missionaries and their value. He also talked of the blessings that we receive at home while they are in the mission field.

He read some of the opportunities for couple missionaries that are on the Church's web site.

He quoted from Elder Russel M. Nelson's talk, Senior Missionaries and The Gospel. "No senior missionary finds it convenient to leave. Neither did Joseph or Brigham or John or Wilford. They had children and grandchildren too. They loved their families not one whit less, but they also loved the Lord and wanted to serve Him. Someday we may meet these stalwarts who helped to establish this dispensation. Then will we rejoice that we did not seek the shadows when a call to missionary service came from the prophet, even in the autumn years of our lives."

2nd Speaker - Preparing Our Families to Receive Temple Blessings
She said that a parent's "paycheck" is seeing your child enter the celestial room of the temple after having received their endowments.

President Howard W. Hunter counseled, "Let us share with our children the spiritual feelings we have in the temple."

President Hinckley said, "If there were more temple work done in the Church, there would be less . . . selfishness, less . . . contention, less . . . demeaning [of] others. The whole Church would increasingly be lifted to greater heights of spirituality, love for one another, and obedience to the commandments of God" (Teachings, 622).

The speaker stated that the temple is a place for revelation. She also said that Satan tries to keep us from going to the temple.

3rd Speaker - Wife of the President of the Ogden Mission
We get busy with the temporal things of the gospel that we sometimes miss the really great spiritual things.

D&C 19: 18
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—

How much suffering does it take to make a god tremble?

The mysteries of God are those things that can only be understood by revelation. You have to be willing to pray until you get an answer.


3th Speaker - President of the Ogden Mission
Two major things that hold missionaries back when they get to the field.

1. Unresolved moral issues from before their mission.
2. A lack of a work ethic.

We invite people to make commitments that will bring them in contact with the spirit. The spirit is what converts, not through detailing doctrine after doctrine.

The mission president stated that we cannot tell whose heart will open and whose will remain closed. It reminded me of the first real investigator I saw on my mission. I was there with my trainer and while the zone leaders were teaching the investigator. They were trying to commit him to baptism and he didn't feel like he was ready. As I listened to the guy talk I was thinking the missionaries were wasting their time. He just didn't seem like he was going to budge. They knelt down and asked him to offer a prayer and ask Heavenly Father if he should be baptized. He said he would pray, but he didn't yet feel baptism was the way to go. As he prayed he went silent. I opened my eyes a little to see what was going on and the guy was crying. He finished the prayer and said that he would be baptized. I was shocked. It is true. You just don't know whose heart will open.

4th Speaker - The Stake President
He stated that through pain and suffering comes growth.

2 Ne. 2: 11, 15

11 For it must needs be, that there is an ^aopposition in all things. If not so, my first-born in the wilderness, righteousness could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness, neither holiness nor misery, neither good nor bad. Wherefore, all things must needs be a compound in one; wherefore, if it should be one body it must needs remain as dead, having no life neither death, nor corruption nor incorruption, happiness nor misery, neither sense nor insensibility.

He spoke of "preventative medicine" for preventing spiritual infections.

He quoted from President Packer's talk, Our Moral Environment from General Conference April 1992, "The measure of our success as parents, however, 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."

Church Services This Week at Sullivan Hollow Second Ward Weber Heights Stake Ogden Utah 8-17-08

Priesthood Opening

1 Ne. 1: 1

1 I, Nephi, having been ^aborn of ^bgoodly ^cparents, therefore I was ^dtaught somewhat in all the learning of my father; and having seen many ^eafflictions in the course of my days, nevertheless, having been highly favored of the Lord in all my days; yea, having had a great knowledge of the goodness and the mysteries of God, therefore I make a ^frecord of my proceedings in my days.

The bishop reviewed how to bless a baby. He referred us to the Family Guidebook for instructions on how to do it. He wanted to remind us that those planning on blessing a child should arrange it with the bishop before arranging it with their extended families.

The church is unique in the way that we are organized to take care of and watch over each other. We should call our district leaders at the end of each month and tell them who we visited, who we missed, and any needs of the families that we are responsible for.

The bishop said that missionary opportunities many times come in the disguised in work clothes.

Elders' Quorum
Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith Chapter 15: Establishing the Cause of Zion p. 182–91
The logistics of physical, group Zion will be hard until we figure out the logistics of spiritual, individual Zion.

Sunday School
Book or Mormon Lesson 31: “Firm in the Faith of Christ” p138
Why the war chapters in the Book of Mormon?
Those chapters talk about fortifications in preparation for enemy attack. We are to fortify our homes against attacks from Satan and his influences.

Elder David O. McKay said: “There are … two conditions which may justify a truly Christian man to enter—mind you, I say enter, not begin—a war: (1) An attempt to dominate and to deprive another of his free agency, and, (2) Loyalty to his country. Possibly there is a third, [namely], Defense of a weak nation that is being unjustly crushed by a strong, ruthless one” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1942, 72).

The battle changes from battling in war to battling in politics. Moroni wins in battle and then a group rises up politically that is teaching against the doctrines of the church. Moroni raises up the title of liberty to remind everyone to defend their families and values.

Before making the title of liberty and also before going to battle as well he prayed. Before any battle we have in our lives we should pray first.

Sacrament Meeting
An experience with going to Lima, Peru. She went to the temple there.

1 John 4:18
18 There is no ^afear in ^blove; but perfect ^clove casteth out fear: because fear hath ^dtorment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

A missionary that just returned from a mission to Austria. He spoke about standard bearers in war. He also talked about Captain Moroni's title of liberty

President Hinckley gave us a standard to stand with when he gave us The Family: A Proclamation to the World.

Lot pitched his tent toward Sodom. Abraham pitched his toward the temple. I have often thought of it as simply putting the door of the tent facing in that direction. Was it perhaps putting his tent in that proximity as well. Did he put it close to Sodom to easily get back to the center of commerce and old friends and family? Perhaps Abraham knew there was trouble back there and that he wanted to have convenient access to the temple and church resources.

The bishop counseled us to calendar our lives with priorities so that our lives don't get filled with uncalendared non priorities.

From the Bulletin:
President Ezra Taft Benson taught, "If Book of Mormon prophets saw our day and chose those things which would be of greatest worth to us, is not that how we should study the Book of Mormon? We should constantly ask, "Why did the Lord inspire [this prophet] to include that in his record? What lesson can I learn from that to help me live in this day

and age?"

What do we learn from the "sons of Helaman?" At least three things:

1. COURAGE

'And they were all young men" Mormon said, "and they were exceedingly valiant for courage, and also for strength and activity" (Alma 53:20). The courage to follow of prophets changes

everything. Elder Eyring states that "Every time in my life when I have chosen to delay following inspired counsel or decided that I was an exception,I came to know that I had put myself in harm's way.

2. TRUST IN THE LORD

"To trust,"stated Elder Richard G.Scott,"means to obey willingly without knowing the end form the beginning. To be productive, your trust in the lord must be more powerful and enduring than your confidence in your own personal feelings and experience."

"If all matters were immediately resolved at your first petition, you could not grow. Your father in heaven and Jesus love you perfectly. They would not require you to experience a moment more of difficulty than is absolutely needed for your personal benefit or for that of those you love.

3.FAITH AND TRUST INSTILLED BY THEIR MOTHERS

"Yea, and they did obey and observe to perform every word of command with exactness; yea and even according to their faith it was done unto them and I did remember the word which they said unto me that their mother had taught them (Alma 57:21) "Motherhood is near to divinity,

it is the highest, holiest service to be assumed by mankind.

(Conference Report 1942)

Sunday May 20, 2007

Sacrament Meeting
The first speaker was one of the young women. She chose 4 standards (agency, media, repentance, and education) from the For the Strength of Youth pamphlet to speak on.

Below is what the pamphlet says on each subject with comments I noted from the speaker.

Agency and Accountability
Pamphlet- "Choose righteousness and happiness, no matter what your circumstances. Take responsibility for the choices you make. Develop your abilities and talents, and use them for good. Avoid idleness and be willing to work hard."

Education
Pamphlet- "Prepare to be an influence for good in the world. Obtain an education, and be enthusiastic about learning. Attend seminary."
Speaker - She noted that being diligent in your school work is very important education also means seeking after spiritual knowledge. She also quoted Alma 37: 35"O, remember, my son, and ^alearn^bwisdom in thy ^cyouth; yea, learn in thy youth to keep the commandments of God."

Entertainment and the Media
Pamphlet - "Choose uplifting entertainment. Avoid anything that is vulgar, immoral, violent, or pornographic in any way. Commit to keeping God’s standards."

Speaker - She quoted the 13th Article of Faith. "^aWe believe in being ^bhonest, true, ^cchaste, ^dbenevolent, virtuous, and in doing ^egood to all men; indeed, we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul—We believe all things, we ^fhope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to ^gendure all things. If there is anything ^hvirtuous, ⁱlovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things."Repentance
Pamphlet - "Through the Savior’s Atonement, you can receive forgiveness and be cleansed from your sins when you repent. Confess your sins to the Lord and to those you have wronged. If the sins are serious, you also need to confess them to your bishop."

Second speaker
Young Woman Personal Progress program
The true measure of growth is not how tall you are, but what is in your heart.Third speaker
Duty to God program for young men
The program is for young men to learn how to serve God and be good men. One aspect of this is when young men reach a certain age they are expected to help visit everyone in their congregation. He also quoted Alma 37: 35.

The folly of youth is not what is expected. They may still act foolishly at times, but this program let's them know that is not what is expected of them.

Sunday School
Luke 15 and Matthew 18:11-14
Prodigal son
We get very caught up in how much work it is to take care of the 99 that we don't go after the 1.

Ten Lepers
Nine were healed skin deep, but only one was made whole.

Priesthood
The reality of Satan. He seeks to make everyone miserable like unto himself (2 Ne. 2: 27).

His tactics are like the frog in boiling water. He slowly turns up the heat and you don't even notice. He gives you little temptations. If you give into it, then the next things is slightly bigger and more severe of a sin. We get use to things being shown to us that are sinful and we resist it less. Gradually the frog is boiled, because he doesn't realize the water is getting hot.

One does not yield to a henous sin without having first yielded to smaller ones.
Satan can not force us to do anything. Through using our agency, free will, we are more powerful than he is. To bolster our will, we should call upon God through Christ when those temptations start and be prepared to listen to the promptings we receive from him.

Right decisions are easier to make before we are in the depths of temptation.
Satan knows that where we were weak before we will be vulnerable again. We must fortify our weaknesses. We must be extra cautious around temptations that have tripped us up before.

When cows break through the fence they will again return to the spot in the fence that they broke before, so the owner of the cow must be very carefull to put extra fortifications in that area.