Church Services This Week at Sullivan Hollow Second Ward Weber Heights Stake Ogden Utah September 9-5-2010

Doctrine and Covenants 19:15-19  15 Therefore I command you to repent—repent, lest I asmite you by the rod of my mouth, and by my wrath, and by my anger, and your bsufferings be sore—how sore you know not, how exquisite you know not, yea, how hard to bear you know not.
 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 lesson was based on Elder Quentin L. Cook’s conference talk, We Follow Jesus Christ, April 2010

Elder Cook quoted from James E. Talmage, Jesus the Christ, 613, “The Savior subsequently accomplished the Atonement. He took upon Himself the ‘burden of the sins of mankind’ and the ‘horrors that Satan . . . could inflict.’”

“The fundamental principles of our religion are the testimony of the Apostles and Prophets, concerning Jesus Christ, that He died, was buried, and rose again the third day, and ascended into heaven; and all other things which pertain to our religion are only appendages to it.” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith (2007), 49; see also Doctrine and Covenants 20:22–25)

Think of our arms and legs as appendages to our core.  We can survive without our arms and our legs, but maintaining that core is much easier with our appendages.  The same is true of the gospel.  The testimonies of Jesus Christ are the core.  Everything else is appendages, but make maintaining our testimonies much easier than without them.

“As we desire and seek, we should remember that acquiring a testimony is not a passive thing but a process in which we are expected to do something. Jesus taught, ‘If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself’ (John 7:17).” (Dallin H. Oaks, Testimony, General Conference April 2008)

“The Church is like a great caravan—organized, prepared, following an appointed course, with its captains of tens and captains of hundreds all in place.

What does it matter if a few barking dogs snap at the heels of the weary travelers? Or that predators claim those few who fall by the way? The caravan moves on.

Is there a ravine to cross, a miry mud hole to pull through, a steep grade to climb? So be it. The oxen are strong and the teamsters wise. The caravan moves on.

Are there storms that rage along the way, floods that wash away the bridges, deserts to cross, and rivers to ford? Such is life in this fallen sphere. The caravan moves on.

Ahead is the celestial city, the eternal Zion of our God, where all who maintain their position in the caravan shall find food and drink and rest. Thank God that the caravan moves on!” (Bruce R. McKonkie, The Caravan Moves On, ” Ensign, Nov 1984, 82)

The caravan moves on so if you aren't progressing you are digressing.

The teacher passed out this list of quotes and scriptures.
1. Hosea 1:2-3 2. Hosea 2:5, 13 3. Hosea 2:8-9 4. Hosea 2:6-13 5. Hosea 2:14-23 6. Quote: Elder Henry B. Eyring explained: "This was a love story. This was a story of a marriage covenant bound by love, by steadfast love.The Lord, with whom I am blessed to have made covenants, loves me, and you, ... with a steadfastness about which I continually marvel and which I want with all my heart to emulate" (Covenants and Sacrifice [address delivered at the Church Educational System Symposium, 15 Aug. 1995], 2). 7. Hosea 2:19 8. Hosea 2:20, 23 9. Hosea 3:1-2 10. Hosea 3:3 11. 1 Peter 1:18-19 12. Hosea 11:4

Matthew 11:28-30

 28 ¶ aCome unto me, all ye that blabour and are heavy laden, and I will give you crest.
 29 Take my ayoke upon you, and blearn of me; for I am cmeek and dlowly in eheart: and ye shall find frest unto your souls.
 30 For my yoke is aeasy, and my burden is light.

Alma 34:18  18 Yea, cry unto him for mercy; for he is amighty to save.

From the Bulletin "Perfection is worth striving for even if it is ultimately unattainable in this life. For it is through our struggle to become like the Savior and His Father that we ourselves become perfected. If we follow the pattern that Christ set for us, we will be responding to the scriptural mandate to "come unto Christ, and be perfected in him" (Moro. 10:32). "Behold," said the Savior to the Nephites, "I am the light; I have set an example for you" (3 Ne. 18:16). He often told His disciples to "follow me" (Matt. 4:19). His was a program of "do what I do" rather than "do what I say." After He humbly ministered to His Apostles by kneeling before them and washing their feet, He taught them, "I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you" (John 13:15).

Of course, Jesus, who was our perfect model in all things, had His own perfect model. As He Himself taught, "Verily, verily, I say unto you. The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise" (John 5:19).

So it is with members of the Church today. We can do nothing of ourselves in His work. But through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we can and should do the things our Savior would. He showed us the way to lead and guide one another in at least three significant ways during His mortal ministry." Elder Joseph B Wirthlin, "Guided by His Exemplary Life", Ensign, Sep. 1995, 32.