Church Services This Week at Sullivan Hollow Second Ward Weber Heights Stake Ogden Utah 1-11-09

Priesthood Opening
Matthew 20:25-28

25 But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them.

26 But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be ^agreat among you, let him be your ^bminister;

27 And whosoever ^awill be chief among you, let him be your ^bservant:

28 Even as the ^aSon of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to ^bgive his life a ^cransom for many.

Elders' Quorum
Chapter 24: Leading in the Lord’s Way 281–91
The manual stated, "The Prophet Joseph Smith, who was living in Kirtland, was deeply concerned about the sufferings of the Saints in Missouri, and he longed to help them. In February 1834, the Lord revealed to him that he should organize a group of Saints to march to Jackson County. This group, called Zion’s Camp, was to help recover the lands and property illegally taken from Church members. (See D&C 103:21–40.) The camp was officially organized on May 6, 1834, and eventually included over 200 people. The marchers, who were armed and organized as a military body, arrived near Jackson County in the middle of June, after traveling more than 900 miles.

The members of the camp walked long distances each day, often in oppressive heat with only inadequate food and bad water to sustain them. The close association with one another over many weeks of travel, accompanied by weariness and hunger, led some of the men to quarrel with one another and criticize the Prophet.

Despite all the problems of this dangerous and difficult trip, Joseph Smith taught the members of the camp important principles of leadership as he led them day by day. Wilford Woodruff, a member of Zion’s Camp who later became the fourth President of the Church, declared: “We gained an experience that we never could have gained in any other way. We had the privilege of beholding the face of the Prophet, and we had the privilege of traveling a thousand miles with him, and seeing the workings of the Spirit of God with him, and the revelations of Jesus Christ unto him and the fulfillment of those revelations.”1

After the group arrived in Missouri, they began negotiations with state officials, but these attempts at peaceful resolution failed. When armed conflict seemed inevitable, the Prophet prayed for guidance and, on June 22, 1834, received a revelation disbanding the camp and declaring that Zion could not be redeemed at that time (see D&C 105). Concerning the members of the camp the Lord said, “I have heard their prayers, and will accept their offering; and it is expedient in me that they should be brought thus far for a trial of their faith” (D&C 105:19).

Zion’s Camp did not accomplish its political objectives, but it had long-lasting spiritual results."

Neal A. Maxwell said, "We can allow for the reality that God is more concerned with growth than with geography."(Notwithstanding My Weakness, Ensign, November 1976)

The manual continued, "In February 1835, when the Prophet organized the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and the Quorum of the Seventy, nine of the Twelve Apostles and all of the Seventy had served in Zion’s Camp. As recalled by Joseph Young, one of the original members of the Seventy, the Prophet explained to a group of these brethren: 'God did not want you to fight. He could not organize His kingdom with twelve men to open the Gospel door to the nations of the earth, and with seventy men under their direction to follow in their tracks, unless He took them from a body of men who had offered their lives, and who had made as great a sacrifice as did Abraham.'2

It was in Zion’s Camp that Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, Wilford Woodruff, and others gained practical training that enabled them to lead the Saints from Missouri to Illinois in 1839 and later to the Salt Lake Valley. From their experience with the Prophet, these brethren had learned to lead in the Lord’s way."

A good leader helps people learn, as Joesph Smith said, “correct principles, and they govern themselves.” (“The Organization of the Church,” Millennial Star, Nov. 15, 1851,339) Which goes along with D&C 58: 26
"26 For behold, it is not meet that I should command in all things; for he that is ^acompelled in all things, the same is a ^bslothful and not a wise servant; wherefore he receiveth no reward. "

People are taught and expected to do good on their own, rather than be instructed on every little point.

We struggle to teach children to think before they act. Have we sufficiently learned that lesson as we stumble into our sins.

Sunday School
The Doctrine and Covenants testifies of Christ and that he is our Savior.
Doctrine and Covenants 50:41-44

41 ^aFear not, little ^bchildren, for you are mine, and I have ^covercome the world, and you are of them that my Father hath ^dgiven me;

42 And none of them that my Father hath given me shall be ^alost.

43 And the Father and I are ^aone. I am ^bin the Father and the Father in me; and inasmuch as ye have received me, ye are in me and I in you.

44 Wherefore, I am in your midst, and I am the ^agood ^bshepherd, and the ^cstone of Israel. He that buildeth upon this ^drock shall never ^efall.

Doctrine and Covenants 76:22-24

22 And now, after the many testimonies which have been given of him, this is the ^atestimony, last of all, which we give of him: That he ^blives!

23 For we ^asaw him, even on the ^bright hand of ^cGod; and we heard the voice bearing record that he is the Only ^dBegotten of the Father—

24 That by ^ahim, and through him, and of him, the ^bworlds are and were created, and the ^cinhabitants thereof are begotten ^dsons and daughters unto God.

Doctrine and Covenants 19:16-19

16 For behold, I, God, have ^asuffered these things for all, that they might not ^bsuffer if they would ^crepent;

17 But if they would not repent they must ^asuffer even as I;

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—

19 Nevertheless, glory be to the Father, and I partook and ^afinished my preparations unto the children of men.

The pain was going to be so bad that even a god was scared of it.

He suffered for our sins AND our pains. He understands everything we go through and can uniquely succor us through our trials and anguish.

The Savior's path is constant. It does not change. We can choose to not obey Him, but that is not His path and will not get us to where He is. In order to get where we have to come back to His path.

Sacrament Service/Ward Conference
The gospel is not a spectator sport.

We may know how to live the gospel, but if we don't put it in action we will not understand the gospel. If we do put it in action we will be able to make sense of many other things in our life.

Do not pause on the path to look at the spacious building. Turn off the TV, Internet, texting, and find your family.

From the Bulletin So Simple: All cooks who really want tasty meals would NOT purposely omit any ingredient to step. All athletes who really want to achieve desired goals would not omit developing and repeatedly practicing basic fundamentals. And so it is with our desire to return back to Heavenly Father. We, too, must DELIBERATELY use and practice the basics consistently and with exactness. There is no shortcut.

Alma 37:6, 7:
"By small and simple things great things are brought to pass..."

THE key to happiness (Mosiah 2:41):
"...I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those who keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out faithful to the end they are received into heaven..."

We move towards that which we think of. Great people don't just have characteristics that make them great, they also DO things differently to achieve their dreams. Heance, set goals of things you wish to achieve. THEN cut those goals into daily smaller goals. Just like many small pieces are needed to make a bridge to cross rivers, so do many small goals make up our bridges to reach goals.

Let us set goals that stir our blood, excite our hearts, and invigorate our minds. Let us go forth boldly in our desires to be obedient so that the Lord cannot withhold any blessings. Please see D&C 82:10 and D&C 130:20, 21. Miracles, big and small, are hanging on the edge of Heaven, ready to leap into our laps.