Sunday, September 25, 2011

Church Services This Week at Sullivan Hollow Second Ward Weber Heights Stake Ogden Utah September 9-25-2011

Elders Quorum
The lesson was taken from Elder Jeffrey R Halland’s general conference talk from April 2011, An Ensign to the Nations

A prophet is a teacher.  When we speak of false prophets, we are generally talking about false teachers.

“[A prophet] He was to be, above all, a preacher of righteousness. When the people had fallen away from a true faith in Jehovah, the prophets had to try to restore that faith and remove false views about the character of God and the nature of the Divine requirement. In certain cases prophets predicted future events, e.g., there are the very important prophecies announcing the coming of Messiah’s kingdom; but as a rule a prophet was a forthteller rather than a foreteller. In a general sense a prophet is anyone who has a testimony of Jesus Christ by the Holy Ghost, as in Num. 11:25–29; Rev. 19:10.” (Bible Dictionary, “Prophet”)

“A seer is a revelator and a prophet also’ (Mosiah 8:15–16), and when necessary he can use the Urim and Thummim or holy interpreters (Mosiah 8:13; 28:16). There have been many seers in the history of God’s people on this earth, but not so many as there have been prophets. ‘A seer is greater than a prophet … and a gift which is greater can no man have …’ (Mosiah 8:15–18).” (Bible Dictionary, “Seer”)

A revelator is one who receives revelation.  “The English word revelation is translated from a Greek word apocalypse, meaning to make known or uncover.”  Everyone who has received the gift of the Holy Ghost may receive revelation within the bounds of their stewardship.

“A dispensation of the gospel is a period of time in which the Lord has at least one authorized servant on the earth who bears the holy priesthood and the keys, and who has a divine commission to dispense the gospel to the inhabitants of the earth. When this occurs, the gospel is revealed anew, so that people of that dispensation do not have to depend basically on past dispensations for knowledge of the plan of salvation.” (Bible Dictionary, Dispensation)

The six dispensation of the earth.  Adam, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus Christ and the Apostles, Joseph Smith and other latter-day prophets.

Adam was not a failure.  He understood God's plan. Why would Father allow his plan to be frustrated?  Jesus and the atonement was not the backup plan. Jesus was chosen to be our savior before the earth was created.

Joseph smith searched out which church he should join with the resources he had and then asked Heavenly Father.

Somewhere I read a statement that the function of a newspaper is to comfort the afflicted and to afflict the comforted. In some respects, I think, this is what the Church is all about—to comfort the afflicted and to afflict the comforted.” (Harold B Lee, New Era January 1971, The Message My Dear Young Fellow Workers)

President Monson is not the prophet of just the church, but of the entire earth.

 2 And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.

Doctrine and Covenants 88:89
 89 For after your testimony cometh the testimony of earthquakes, that shall cause groanings in the midst of her, and men shall fall upon the ground and shall not be able to stand.

We should constantly be asking ourselves between conferences if we remember what was said by the prophets in the previous conferences. If we get to the point we can't remember then we should go back and review them.

Develop specific questions you want answered, ask father for the answer and pay attention for that answer in general conference. Even in he music.

Sunday School
3 questions to ask when studying the epistles
Who, where, and when? (one question)

What problems, issues, and questions do they cover?

How does it apply to me?

Why is Romans the first epistle in the New Testament?  Because it is the longest epistle?

Paul writes to the Romans, but he had never been there.  Who established the church in Rome?  There were 11 other apostles doing
the same thing as Paul.  We just don't have their records.

Romans 1:11
 11 For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established;

In addition to the spiritual gift to help them be more fully establish, it is possible that Paul wanted to use Rome as a jumping off place to get to Spain or other parts of Europe to expand the reach of the church to more people.

How many languages must Paul have spoken?

Ephesians 4: 13-14

 13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
 14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;

Romans 8:16-17
 16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
 17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.


Sacrament Service
Primary children put on a program today.


From the Bulletin
The scriptures are the touchstone for measuring correctness and truth, and they are clear that real happiness lies not in denying the justice of God or trying to circumvent the consequences of the sin but in repentance and forgiveness  through the atoning grace of the Son of God (see Alma 42). Scripture tutors us in principles and moral values essential to maintaining civil society, including integrity, responsibility, selflessness, fidelity, and charity. In scripture, we find vivid portrayals of the blessings that come from honoring true principles, as well as the tragedies that befall when individuals and civilizations discard them. Where scriptural truths are ignored or abandoned, the essential moral core of society disintegrates and decay is close behind. In time, nothing is left to sustain the institutions that sustain society. In the end, the central purpose of all scripture is to fill our souls with faith in God the Father and in His Son, Jesus Christ — faith that They exist; faith in the Father's plan for our immortality and eternal life; faith in the Atonement and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, which animates this plan of happiness; faith to make the gospel of Jesus Christ our way of life; and faith to come to know "the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom [He has] sent" (John 17:3).
Elder D. Todd Christofferson.

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