Sunday February 25, 2007

Sacrament Meeting
The bishop challenged everyone in the ward to pray twice a day, morning and night. He said that there are things that are only withheld from us because we don't take the time to ask Heavenly Father for them.

Sunday School
The Beatitudes

Ye heard that it was said?:	But I say unto you:
Thou shalt not kill.(Matt 5:21)	Do not get angry.(Matt 22)
Thou shalt not commit adultary.(Matt 5:27)	Avoid lustful thoughts.(Matt 5:28)
Perform oaths unto the Lord.(Matt 5:33)	Keep your word.(Matt 5:34-37)
An eye for an eye.(Matt 5:38)	Turn the other cheek.(Matt 5:39-40)
Love thy neighbor and hate thy enemy.(Matt 5:43)	Love your enemies.(Matt 5:44-47)

Priesthood
Talk from last conference M Russle Ballard Oh Be Wise.

Sunday February 18, 2007

Sacrament Meeting
A return missionary who served as a Cambodian speaking missionary in Tacoma, WA and Boston, MA spoke to us today.

Sunday School
We talked about the miracles that Jesus performed. Why would Jesus have told the people he healed to tell no one. Ordinences, like healing the sick, are sacred. We should not speak lightly of them. We should not speak of them to just anyone in any situation.

Priesthood
We talked about repentance and the miracle of forgiveness.
We listed the steps of repentance:
1. Godly sorrow/Appropriate guilt
2. Confession
3. Restitution
4. Forsaking the sin

There was a discussion about whether one who is convicted of murder can be forgiven of that. There were many scriptures shared about the condemnation of murderers. It was also brought out that it is not our place to judge. It was stated that we don't know the killers state of mind or the circumstances of the death and until the judgement comes we should not give up on people.

Sunday February 11, 2007

Sacrament Meeting
One of the youth spoke on dating. He shared things from the For the Strength of Youth Pamphlet.

Don't date someone that you do not consider marriage material. The pamphlet says "Date only those that have high standards and in whose company you can maintain your standards." He also said that you should be someone worth Marrying and you find people to date.

He talked about the council to not date before 16. The pamphlet states not only that you wait until 16, but that those early dating experiences should be in group. It also states that "...good friendships can and should be developed at every age."

Sunday School
Many people don't take Jesus literally when they read Jesus' words. When He says that he is the Son of God. When he says that baptism is necessary for eternal life. When he says that keeping the commandments is necessary to have eternal life. When he says that we should be like him.

Priesthood
We usually think of the symbolism of the sacrament being the body and the blood. Another way to look at it might be from the standpoint of the statements he made of him being the bread of life and living water.

Jesus is the God of the old testament. Jehovah is Jesus. Although that does not mean that they are the same entity. God the Father in the New Testament is not Jehovah.

Sunday February 4, 2007

Testimony Meeting
One of the youth bore testimony about prayer. He said he has thought a lot about the hymn "Did You Think to Pray". He said that he thought about the line "When your heart is filled with anger" a couple of times this week. He said that he prayed and it restored his heart to a good place.

Sunday School
Being Born Again
John 3
One must be born of the water and the spirit (v5). Baptism is a requirement.

Evidences of being born again:

1. Experience a mighty change in our hearts.
1. Mosiah 5
   2 And they all cried with one voice, saying: Yea, we believe all the words which thou hast spoken unto us; and also, we know of their surety and truth, because of the Spirit of the Lord Omnipotent, which has wrought a mighty ^achange in us, or in our hearts, that we have no more disposition to do ^bevil, but to do good continually.
2. Alma 5
   
   12 And according to his faith there was a mighty ^achange wrought in his heart. Behold I say unto you that this is all true.
   13 And behold, he ^apreached the word unto your fathers, and a mighty change was also wrought in their hearts, and they humbled themselves and put their ^btrust in the true and ^cliving God. And behold, they were faithful until the ^dend; therefore they were saved.
   14 And now behold, I ask of you, my brethren of the church, have ye ^aspiritually been ^bborn of God? Have ye received his image in your countenances? Have ye experienced this mighty ^cchange in your hearts?
   26 And now behold, I say unto you, my brethren, if ye have experienced a ^achange of heart, and if ye have felt to sing the ^bsong of redeeming love, I would ask, ^ccan ye feel so now?
2. Be changed from carnal to righteous state.
1. Mosiah 27
   25 And the Lord said unto me: Marvel not that all mankind, yea, men and women, all nations, kindreds, tongues and people, must be ^aborn again; yea, ^bborn of God, ^cchanged from their carnal and ^dfallen state, to a state of righteousness, being redeemed of God, becoming his ^esons and daughters;
3. Become God's sons and daughters
1. Mosiah 27:25
2. Mosiah 5
   7 And now, because of the covenant which ye have made ye shall be called the ^achildren of Christ, his sons, and his daughters; for behold, this day he hath spiritually begotten you; for ye say that your hearts are ^bchanged through faith on his name; therefore, ye are ^cborn of him and have become his ^dsons and his daughters.
4. Become new creatures
1. Mosiah 27
   26 And thus they become new creatures; and unless they do this, they can in ^anowise inherit the kingdom of God.
5. Have the image of God engraven upon our countenances.
1. Alma 5
   14 And now behold, I ask of you, my brethren of the church, have ye ^aspiritually been ^bborn of God? Have ye received his image in your countenances? Have ye experienced this mighty ^cchange in your hearts?
   19 I say unto you, can ye look up to God at that day with a pure heart and clean hands? I say unto you, can you look up, having the ^aimage of God engraven upon your countenances?
6. Repent so our garments are purified until they are cleansed from all stain through the blood of Christ.
1. Alma 5
   21 I say unto you, ye will know at that day that ye cannot be ^asaved; for there can no man be saved except his ^bgarments are washed white; yea, his garments must be ^cpurified until they are cleansed from all stain, through the blood of him of whom it has been spoken by our fathers, who should come to redeem his people from their sins.
   33 Behold, he sendeth an invitation unto ^aall men, for the ^barms of mercy are extended towards them, and he saith: Repent, and I will receive you.
   34 Yea, he saith: ^aCome unto me and ye shall partake of the ^bfruit of the tree of life; yea, ye shall eat and drink of the ^cbread and the waters of life ^dfreely;
2. Alma 22
   18 O God, Aaron hath told me that there is a God; and if there is a God, and if thou art God, wilt thou make thyself known unto me, and I will give away all my sins to know thee, and that I may be raised from the dead, and be saved at the last day. And now when the king had said these words, he was struck ^aas if he were dead.

Priesthood
Jesus is our sure foundation. What is it like to have a house that is not on a sure foundation. Here are a few foundations that I have heard of recently that were not sure.

1. A house that build on land that was not properly researched and now the house is sinking into the water table.
2. Houses built on ice that are dropping into the sea due to climate changes. Not only were they built on ice, but right on the coast of the ocean.
3. House built on the banks of a river. When spring rains come of melting snow they find their yards, basements, and other areas of their property flooded.
4. Building an entire city in a bowl surrounded by the ocean and a large lake that has been damned up.

Someone read from the definition of grace in the bible dictionary. He said that when he was a young man he memorized it to think about during the passing of the sacrament.

Saturday February 3, 2007

There was a black history event at the building where the White River ward meets. They had an hour and a half meeting that I think was supposed to be an hour. A few people spoke. There was a black lady from the Zionsville ward, member of a bishopric in one of the wards in the stake, and Brother Gill from our ward. A black brother from the stake high council conducted the meeting. President Cowley spoke last. The stake president was going to be there and speak, but he got called away on business. He talked about black friends he had growing up. He also talk about being a military kid in the south. He said that they built a special school for the military kids because they did not want them segregated. They wanted them to not have any division in the ranks.

There were at least two black people that were not members of the church.

After that meeting we all went to the cultural hall. They had displays with things that are happening in the church in Africa. They had printouts of various famous black people. They had African art displays.

There were also food samples and the Gills played some jazz.

They had a black lady from town who does bible readings come in and do a reading.