Sunday December 31, 2006

Sacrament Meeting
The home is the only place that compares to the sacredness of the temple. Things that we let into our homes can decrease how close our home is to being like the temple.

Setting goals keeps us focused and moving in the right direction.

Sunday School
Intro to the study of the New Testament for next year.

A Testament is a covenant with mankind and deity.

The teacher handed out a handout on Study Skills.

Study Skills
Before Reading

1. Prayer
1. Ezra 7:10
2. Get Background Information
1. Bible Dictionary
2. Section Headings
3. Ask Questions
1. Who wrote these verses?
2. To whom?
3. Why is this teaching includes in the scripoture?
4. What do I want to know or learn as I read today?
5. What would the Lord have me know or learn as I read today?
4. Read the chapter headings.

During Reading

1. Don't be afraid to stop
1. Don't be so caught up in getting through a chapter that you don't take time to stop or slow down in order to understand.
2. Look up the meaning of words you don't understand.
1. Also, looking up words that you do know can show you alternate meanings or giving you perspectives on words that you had not thought of before.
3. Use the study helps in the LDS editions of the scriptures.
4. Liken the scriptures.
1. Ask yourself how the fits in your own life or how the scripture possible is speaking to you and not just about others.
2. Example, Moses 1:39 - Insert your name in place of the word man.
5. Visualize
6. Look for connecting words (and, but, because, therefore, and nevertheless).
7. Look for patterns
1. If then patterns (Leviticus 26:3-4, 18, 23-24, 40-42).
8. Look for lists (Ten Commandments, Beatitudes).
9. Ask questions.
10. Questions in the scriptures and their answers.
1. 3 Nephi 27:27 - What manner of men ought ye to be? Even as I am.
11. Look for types and symbolic meaning.
1. Parables
2. 1 Nephi 11-14 - Lehi's vision
12. Write

After Reading

1. Ponder
1. Joshua 1:8
2. D&C 76:15-20;138:1-11
2. Liken the Scriptures to Yourself.
1. What Principles of the gospel are taught in the scriptures I just read?
2. How do those principles relate to my life?
3. Reread
4. Write
5. Apply
1. "Feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do." 2 Nephi 32:3

The instructor said that the New Testament is arranged by type of book and not Chronologically.

Third Hour
For the fifth Sunday third hour meeting the bishop talked about things he wanted to see changed in the ward. Points he covered were as follows:

• Not bringing food into the chapel.
• Be in seats ten minute early.
• Bear testimonies properly and end testimony meeting on time.
• Keeping our homes clear. Not that there aren't toys on the floor or something, but clean like not dirty.
• Stay in seats during sacrament. Very rairly should one have to leave the meeting. He talked about exceptions being people with health problems or people that have to take small children out to quiet them.
• Sit in the chapel and only open the overflow when necessary.
• The need to contribute to the ward mission fund since we have some many missionaries out and getting ready to go out.
• Dressing modestly.
  

Sunday December 24, 2006

Sacrament Meeting
The first councilor in the bishopric wrote a Christmas program again this year. He read from the scriptures. He also read some stories. One of the stories was about a boy who showed up for an auction every time to bid on bikes. He always bid one dollar and was always out bid. The auctioneer noticed that he got especially excited when the racer bikes came up. On one occasion the bidding went to eight dollars. The auctioneer called out, "Do I hear nine. Sold to the buy in the corner for nine dollars." He then took eight dollars out of his pocket and laid it on the counter and took the dollar from the boy. He gave it in pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters. He then rushed away. Suddenly he paused, carefully parked his bike, and ran up to the auctioneer and gave him a big hug.

The primary sang a song and the ward choir sang some too.

Sunday School
The Great and Dreadful Day of the Lord
Prophecy fulfilled:
-Malachi 4:5-6 -

5 ¶ Behold, I will ^asend you ^bElijah the prophet ^cbefore the coming of the ^dgreat and dreadful ^eday of the LORD:

6 And he shall ^aturn the ^bheart of the ^cfathers to the ^dchildren, and the heart of the ^echildren to their fathers, lest I come and ^fsmite the ^gearth with a ^hcurse.
-Elijah appeared to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery in the Kirtland temple on April 3, 1836 and restored the keys of sealing families together for eternity. D&C 110:13-15

Prophecies yet to be fulfilled:
Zachariah 12:2,3,8,9 - A battle will take place at Jerusalem. Jews will be under siege. God will show his power and deliver them.
D&C 45 -
Zachariah 14 - The Lord will stand on the Mount of Olives and it shall split in two. The Jews will flew into the passage that is created from that.
Zachariah 12:10 - The Jews will recognize the Lord.

Priesthood
We met with the high priests since the elders' quorum presidency was out of town. We had the same lesson as last week, since the high priests were a week behind us.
Chapter 24 in the Wilford Woodruff manual.


My son gave scripture in primary, so I went there for post of this hour. He gave John 3:16 as his scripture on the topic of showing that God fulfilled his promise to send a savior.

Sunday December 17, 2006

Sacrament Meeting
The Relief Society president shared several stories of compassion.

The Bishop detailed the birth of the Savior through Luke and Isaiah and other scriptures. He then went on to summarize the rest of his life.

Sunday School
The teacher said that she grew up in another church and always felt that it was unfair that people in the bible had prophets to lead them and we didn't.

The teacher presented a time line of events:
721 BC - Assyria the greatest empire in the world.
612 BC - Had been since been destroyed by the Babylonians.
562 BC - Nebuchadnezzar died.
539 BC - Babylon fell to the Medes and the Persians under the leadership of Cyrus.
Cyrus commanded the temple to be rebuilt in Jerusalem. Possibly after seeing his name in one of Isaiah's prophecies, which was 150 years before Cyrus was born.

The Samaritans were in Jerusalem when the Jews returned. Samaritans were Jews that had intermarried with Gentiles. They wanted to help rebuild the temple, but the Jews refused because they felt that they were not true Israelites.

Priesthood
Chapter 24 - Teachings of Presidents of the Church Wilford Woodruff.
Preparing for the Second Coming
What is the Church doing to prepare for the second coming? It is preparing us as individuals.

You get out of the gospel what you put into it.

President Woodruff said that the time was near, but he was still planting cherry trees. We still need to live our lives and continue to progress and do good.

Sunday December 10, 2006

Sacrament Meeting
We visited my parent's ward this week.

Santa tells us to be good. Christ tells us what good is and to do it. Christ also tells us what bad is and how to avoid it.

Sunday School
Daniel 2
Daniel prayed to prepare to interpret the king's dream. He didn't just jump into it without seeking guidance.

Nebuchadnezzar went to his wise men to get answers. Daniel went to God. President Kimball, a modern day prophet gave an interpretation of the dream in a talk he gave in 1976. A summary of the interpretation follows.

Stone cut without hands - means it was not made by man.
Gold Head - Nebuchanezer, a world power.
All the pieces under that were the kingdoms that would take over and follow after.
The stone is the kingdom of God on earth and will break to pieces the worldly kinddoms.

Priesthood
Chapter 23 of the Wilford Woodruff manual - Unity
The godhead is one in purpose, even though its members are individuals.

When changes in programs and leadership come it may take us out of our comfort zone. That doesn't make it wrong. We are to stretch and grow.

Sunday December 3, 2006

Fast and Testimony Meeting
Lots of people in the ward seem to be having trials right now. Several are health related and several are home and family things. It is a hard thing to say, but it seems to be working as a catalyst to draw our members closer and also to bring people back to the church. Much like the trials my parents had when I was a kid caused them to seek out a church.

Sunday School
Daniel refused the king's meat because it violated the law of Moses and he then asked for things that were more healthy. Could this have been a precursor to the Word of Wisdom? Could this have been a part of the preparatory law preparing the people for the Word of Wisdom? The Word of Wisdom talks of hidden treasures of knowledge. The people talked of how Daniel was mentally sharper after the ten days.

Priesthood
Our lesson was based on the first presidency message from the December Ensign - Treasured Gifts - by President Thomas S. Monson.

The talk quoted a Christmas story about O. Henry. It was about a wife that sold her hair to pay for a chain for her husbands watch and her husband some his watch to pay for a comb for her hair. This story was contrasted against all of the things we see and hear about buying these extravagant gifts for people. I hear all year round commercial for jewelry and how buying these expensive jewelry pieces will "show her your love."