Saturday, September 30, 2006

September 30 - October 1, 2006

General Conference
Transcripts, audio, and video of conference can be found at http://www.lds.org/broadcast/gc/0,5161,7050,00.html

Saturday Morning Session
Topics covered in this session
-Sacramento Temple
-First Generation members. They are important to their posterity. They must be valiant.

Saturday Afternoon Session
Topics covered in this session
-The importance of the scriptures
-Elder Hales stated - "When we want to speak to him we pray. When we want him to speak to us we read our scriptures."
-Elder Wirthlin talked about the resurrection and those of his family who have passed on. The Lord was killed on a Friday and rose on a Sunday. Elder Wirthlin testified that many things will happen on this earth. Our friends and family will day, but Sunday will come.
-One speaker talked of air ports that were built over landfills. He said that if he went to those airports and started digging up the runways to find his old garbage they would be cross with him and perhaps ask why he would want to dig up some so beautiful and useful to get to his old garbage.
-Tithing.
-Elder Uckdorf spoke on righteous motives and testimonies. A testimony give proper perspective and motivation.
-Elder Scott talked about peace and happiness.

Priesthood Session
-Elder Eyring talked about the importance of strong priesthood quorums. He also talked about Deacon's quorum presidents stepping up and being a quorum leader and not just a 12 year old kid.
-Many of the talks talked about what it means to be men. President Hinckley closed the session and talked about the men of the church rising up. He talked of being men of God in our dress and in our speach. He talked about being men of God in getting education to provide for our families. It appears that as time goes on the plainess and blodness with which our leaders are addressing us is increasing. Just like the standard for young men serving missions it seems that just showing up for church is not enough. Many of the men of the church are letting pieces of the world take home in us.

Sunday Morning Session
-President Monson - Service
-Elder L. Tom Perry - Lots of media and technology that can confuse us with their messages. He also talked about the purpose of life and the restoration.
-Edgerly talked about honesty.
-Primary president talked about protecting children.
-Elder Nelson talked about the apostasy, the scattering of Israel, the gathering of Israel, and the restoration. He said that if there was no Book of Mormon then the gathering of Israel could not occur.
-President Hinckley talked about his health. He seemed positive and seemed to just want to address all of the speculation. He also talked about the pioneers.

Sunday Afternoon Session
-Elder Packer talked about standards and obedience. He said that if we are obedient we need not fear the things going on in the world around us.
-Elder Bednar talked of being offended. He talked about being offended is not something someone does to us, but a choice that we make. He said that there was a person that went inactive over milk, yet Brigham Young was publicly rebuked by Joseph Smith and he went on to be a Prophet. He quoted Neal A. Maxwell who said that the Church was not a rest home for the perfect.
-One of the speakers quote Neal A Maxwell when he talked of the song Ye Elders of Israel. The song says Babylon we bid thee farewell. Elder Maxwell said that too many leave, but keep a summer home there.
-Elder Holland talked about coming and listening to a prophet's voice. He became very emotional and fervent that he had never been associated with any group of men that were more in touch with what is going on in the world, in spite of murmurings by some that they are not. The same murmurings that have been had throughout time.

Sunday, September 24, 2006

Sunday September 24, 2006

Sacrament Meeting
Brother Gill got his mission call. He is going to the New York Rochester mission.

The youth speaker talked about a girl he knows who didn't know who the missionaries were or what they did. He said that one day when they came to her door she though they were collecting money for charity. She said that she opened the door, handed them a dollar and then closed the door. She later found the dollar under the corner of the welcome mat, so it wouldn't blow away. The speaker then said that his brother was getting ready to go on a mission, "so if he knocks on your door don't give him a dollar."

Another speaker talked of thinking about missionary work when the Savior said, "Lovest thou me? Feed my sheep." They also touched on "Every man who has been warned must warn his neighbor."

We are missionaries in all ways and in all places. Do our lives make us missionaries for good or for evil? You may be the only standard works anyone will ever read. Will they read his image in you?

Sunday school
DnC 45:32, 87:8, 101:22 - Stand ye in holy places. AND be not moved.

Isaiah is quoted in the scriptures more than any other prophet. If they are quoted that much and the Savior said Isaiah's words were great, then we will probably be accountable for learning and understanding them.

Priesthood
The lesson was based on M Russell Ballard's conference talk from April 2006. Creating a Gospel Sharing Home.

Our families can be lessons for those that come in our home. They will see the gospel in our lives and the effect it has upon us.

One thing that I have thought about is praying for our food wherever we are. One as a way to be thankful for our food wherever, but also as a way to show a good example to those around us. I thought I read a talk that mentioned this at one time where they were recommending that we not do prayers in restaurants. I think it could have the opposite effect on those around. It could actually alienate them. Also prayers are sacred and doing them in a public place may not be appropriate.

We talked a little about the huge impact a well adorned dorm room can have. Most dorm rooms are a little irreverent and having one that shows the importance of the savior to you could really stand out and bring conversation.

Monday, September 18, 2006

Sunday September 17, 2006

This week we visited my parents' ward in Elkhart, Indiana.

Sacrament Meeting
Individual worth
Women's roles necessary to God's plan. To help spirits live and help souls be lifted is her divine mission.

One of the speakers noted that J Edgar Hoover said that the cure for crime is not the electric chair, but the high chair.

Mission of the Relief Society:
To emphasize the divine worth of all women. To server and support each sister (active, inactive, or non member).

Sunday School
Stand ye in Holy Places. Take a holy place with you.

The lesson was on the first six chapters of Isaiah. The Savior said, "Great are the words of Isaiah." 3 Ne. 23: 1
Even though his words are great people avoid reading them, because they find them hard to understand.

When Nephi quoted the words of Isaiah the words were only about 150 years old. It would be akin to us quoting Joseph Smith or Brigham Young today.

A church leader once said that only the home can compare to the temple in sacredness.

Priesthood
In opening exercises the president of the South Bend, IN stake, Chester Gibson, spoke for a moment. He was my bishop when I was a teenager and when went on my mission.

President Gibson talked of how he saw worry on some of the face of the congregation today. He related the story of the Lord sleeping on the ship while it was storming. If the savior is resting calming through a storm, should we worry?

I think I have heard him say this before, but he said it again today. "Worry is interest paid on a debt before it is due." I like to add that it is interest paid on a debt that we may not owe.

The lesson in Elders' quorum was on Chapter 18 from the Wilford Woodruff manual.

Sunday, September 10, 2006

Sunday September 10, 2006

Sacrament Meeting
Temptation is part of God's plan, but is not of God.

One of the talks was based on H Bruce Hafen's conference talk from the last general conference. They related the part of the talk where as a you boy he was hunting with his new bow and arrow. He lost an arrow and was very concerned because he only had three and his mom wanted him home by dark. He knelt and prayed and when he opened his eyes the arrow was right near him.

Heavenly Father doesn't consider such things too trivial to get involved in. Do we consider the little things our children ask for too trivial to deal with?

How do we keep the light of Christ? Scripture, temple, service, and missionary work. We use it and fuel it at the same time.

Sunday School
The book of Hosea.
They used stories and similitudes since many of the people were not educated. They used things they were familiar with.

Priesthood
Lesson 17 in the Wilford Woodruff manual

One missionary related a similar experience to President Woodruff. He said that even though he had lived in a town where he went by a temple all the time it still caught his eye and made him feel nice to see it.

Sunday, September 03, 2006

Sunday September 3, 2006

Fast Sunday
Sacarment Meeting
The bishop bore his testimony and share a few thoughts. He said that he spoke with a friend of his and his friend said that he hasn't always gotten what he asked for, but always got what he needed.

A little boy got up and bore his testimony about that we all have trials in our lives. He must have been fix or six.

One lady got up and talked about how people watch us very closely, when we say that we are members of the church. They are curious about what a Mormon is. They will make judgements about the effectiveness of the church based on what they see and hear of us personally. We need to do better.

A black teenager got up and said that he was talking about going camping and such and some other kids said that he was being white. He questioned back if it wasn't okay for a black guy to go camping. He didn't say what the response was.

Sunday School
We talked about Jonah today. It was mentioned that Jonah being in the whale three days was in the similitude of Christ's death and resurrection.

The lesson quoted President Kimball:
“I believe the Lord can do anything he sets his mind to do. But I can see no good reason why the Lord would open doors that we are not prepared to enter” (“The Uttermost Parts of the Earth,” Ensign, July 1979, 9).

We also covered the book of Micah. I don't remember hearing much about Micah very often, but there are several prophecies about the temple and the last days.

Priesthood
The lesson was based on the September first presidency message titles The Father Who Cares by President Faust.

Veterat criminal court judge in the 50's wrote an article titled Nine Words That Can Stop Juvenile Delinquency. Those nine words are "Put father back at the head of the home."

There is no higher honor or responsibility that that of mother, but fathers need to do their job.

Fathers' first priority is to maintain their own physical and spiritual health.

If we do not discipline our children, society will in ways we will not like.

McArther said a soldier destroys in order to build, but a father only builds.