Church Services This Week at Ridge Crest Ward Northridge Stake Layton Utah 24 November 2013

Elders Quorum

We got a new Elders Quorum presidency and then the stake president shared a scripture and an explanation of it with us.

Never pass up an opportunity to teach.

Moses 1:39

39 For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.

If we did not have a life experience, we would never be able to control a physical body.  In order to master our bodies we must have experiences as our Father had.

Why me?  Why not me?  Why do I have to have this trial?  Why someone else and not me?  What will I learn from this trial.

Sunday School

Lesson 41 - Every Member a Missionary

If there is temple work, why should I do missionary work now?

Doctrine and Covenants 130:18-19
18 Whatever principle of intelligence we attain unto in this life, it will rise with us in the resurrection.
19 And if a person gains more knowledge and intelligence in this life through his diligence and obedience than another, he will have so much the advantage in the world to come.

Missionary work is as much for building our character as those we bring the gospel to.

Who is going to do the temple work if we stop doing missionary work?

We are commanded to share the gospel.  We are not commanded to convert anyone except ourselves.  We give others opportunities to use their agency positively.  We must take opportunities ourselves to make positive choices with our agency.

Sacrament Service

"There are many very good people who keep most of the Lord’s commandments with respect to the virtuous side of life, but who overlook His commandments in temporal things. They do not heed His warning to prepare for a possible future emergency, apparently feeling that in the midst of all this trouble “it won’t happen to us.” It is not always the other fellow’s problem. It is our problem also whenever there is economic trouble afloat.

“To prepare for the future is part of God’s eternal plan, both spiritually and temporally. To protect ourselves against reversals and hardships is only good sense.” (Mark E. Petersen, Blessings in Self-Reliance, General Conference April 1981)

Squirrels do not rely on someone else.  They work and work to gather nuts for the winter.

Doctrine and Covenants 58:26-27

26 For behold, it is not meet that I should command in all things; for he that is compelled in all things, the same is a slothful and not a wise servant; wherefore he receiveth no reward.
27 Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness;

"To work—honestly and productively—brings contentment and a sense of self-worth. Having done all we can to be self-reliant, to provide for our own needs and those of our family, we can turn to the Lord in confidence to ask for what we might yet lack.."(BISHOP H. DAVID BURTON, The Blessing of Work, Ensign December 2009)

Church Services This Week at Ridge Crest Ward Northridge Stake Layton Utah 17 November 2013

Elders Quorum

Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Lorenzo Snow Chapter 22

"If we understand each other and the real relationship which we hold to each other, we should feel different from what we do; but this knowledge can be obtained only as we obtain the Spirit of life, and as we are desirous of building each other up in righteousness" (Lorenzo Snow, Deseret News, Jan. 28, 1857, 371)

When we serve we create a holy place and a holy moment

Sunday School

Old Testament Chapter 40

Malachi 4:5-6

5 ¶Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord:
6 And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.

This prophecy is several places in the modern scriptures.  The Jews also find this prophecy to be of significance.  This often gets passed over by modern Christianity, yet this is a very important prophecy.

Doctrine and Covenants 110

Elijah, Elisha, Moses, and Jesus appear to Joseph Smith in the Kirtland temple.

“No work is more of a protection to this church than temple work and the genealogical research that supports it. No work is more spiritually refining. No work we do gives us more power” (“The Holy Temple,” Ensign,Feb. 1995, 36).

“...we should understand that in the work of redeeming the dead there are many tasks to be performed, and that all members should participate by prayerfully selecting those ways that fit their personal circumstances at a particular time. This should be done under the influence of the Spirit of the Lord and with the guidance of priesthood leaders who issue calls and direct the Church-administered portions of this work. Our effort is not to compel everyone to do everything, but to encourage everyone to do something.” (Elder Dallin H Oaks, FAMILY HISTORY: “IN WISDOM AND IN ORDER”, Ensign June 1989)

"There is need for constant improvement in all of our lives. There is need occasionally to leave the noise and the tumult of the world and step within the walls of a sacred house of God, there to feel His spirit in an environment of holiness and peace." (President Gordon B Hinckley, OF MISSIONS, TEMPLES, AND STEWARDSHIP, October 1995 General Conference)

Sacrament Service

The bishop welcomed a new 12 year old girl to the yw program.  He share with us her favorite things, that we might get to know her and ask her about her favorite things.  This reinforced the promoting I had in church last week.

A young woman called to the California San Fernando mission spoke to us.

The Church recently crossed the fifteen million member mark, which is huge, but it is only a small fraction of the population of the world.

The youth programs of the Church were being adjusted and expanded long before the lower missionary ages were announced.

A young man called to the Ecuador Quinoa North Mission spoke to us.

Feast Week Northridge Stake Layton Utah 14 November 2013

Temples in Ancient and Modern Times

What is a dispensation?

“A gospel dispensation is a period of time in which the Lord has at least one authorized servant on the earth who bears the keys of the holy priesthood.”

...

“When the Lord organizes a dispensation, the gospel is revealed anew so that the people of that dispensation do not have to depend on past dispensations for knowledge of the plan of salvation. The dispensation begun by Joseph Smith is known as the ‘dispensation of the fulness of times.’” (The Guide to the Scriptures: Dispensation, LDS standard works)

Doctrine and Covenants 124:40-42

40 And verily I say unto you, let this house be built unto my name, that I may reveal mine ordinances therein unto my people;
41 For I deign to reveal unto my church things which have been kept hid from before the foundation of the world, things that pertain to the dispensation of the fulness of times.
42 And I will show unto my servant Joseph all things pertaining to this house, and the priesthood thereof, and the place whereon it shall be built.

"’Undoubtedly the knowledge of this law and of other rites and ceremonies was carried by the posterity of Adam into all lands, and continued with them, more or less pure, to the flood, and through Noah, who was a ‘preacher of righteousness,’ to those who succeeded him, spreading out into all nations and countries. … What wonder, then, that we should find relics of Christianity, so to speak, among the heathens and nations who know not Christ, and whose histories date back beyond the days of Moses, and even beyond the flood, independent of and apart from the records of the Bible.’

“The scholars of his time, he notes, took the position that ‘ ‘Christianity’ sprang from the heathen, it being found that they have many rites similar to those recorded in the Bible, &c.’ This jumping to conclusions was premature, to say the least, “for if the heathen have doctrines and ceremonies resembling … those … in the Scriptures, it only proves … that these are the traditions of the fathers handed down, … and that they will cleave to the children to the latest generation, though they may wander into darkness and perversion, until but a slight resemblance to their origin, which was divine, can be seen.’” (Hugh W. Nibley, “The Atonement of Jesus Christ, Part 2,” Ensign, Aug 1990, 30)

Temples of various kinds are all over the world.

There are several similarities between the Chinese new year and the Passover.  They put red and sometimes green paper on their doorpost when the big dragon comes through.  The tradition is that the dragon will pass by their home and not harm them if the their doorpost is decorated that way.

The temple is often called the mountain of the Lord.  Why?

Mountains can help us tell direction.  Keeping our focus on the temple helps us keep our lives going in the right direction.  Mountains are where prophets and the Savior went to talk to God.  Mountains can be private places.

The instructor recommended "The Message of the Joseph Smith Papyri an Egyptian Endowment", by Hugh Nibley.

It was proposed that the Lord often tries to get us to the point where we will sacrifice that which is most precious to us, much like he did with Abraham sacrificing Isaac.

The Israelites had temples in each of their communities.

Solomon's temple was significant because the ark of the covenant was there.

When the Babylonians come, after Jeremiah gets out of the pit, he takes the ark of the covenant and a group of people, and left.

Universities and religions have many left over ceremonies and such from the Mosaic law and temples.  Even in coronations of monarchs.

Exploring Book of Mormon Lands

If we aren't careful we can over exaggerate the amount of evidence of the Book of Mormon in central and south America.  There are some strong evidences, but there are also some weak links in some of the data.

Many feel the events of the Book of Mormon took place in Meso America.

Some wonder if the Olmechs are the Jaredites.

The great and majestic ruins are the older ones.  The newer ones are more simple and degenerate.

Church Services This Week at Ridge Crest Ward Northridge Stake Layton Utah 10 November 2013

Elders Quorum

Chapter 21 Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Lorenzo Snow

Genesis 25:29-34

29 And Jacob sod pottage: and Esau came from the field, and he was faint:

30 And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage; for I am faint: therefore was his name called Edom.

31 And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy birthright.

32 And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me?

33 And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he sware unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob.

34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentils; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright.

For what do we give up our privileges, such as personal revelation?

Often we set aside personal revelation and our duties because we are too busy or because we have pleasures we would like to partake of instead.

Luke 4:5-8

5 And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.

6 And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it.

7 If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine.

8 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

Doctrine and Covenants 93:29

29 Man was also in the beginning with God. Intelligence, or the light of truth, was not created or made, neither indeed can be.

"There is rapidly coming something that will try you, perhaps as you have never been tried before,” (President Lorenzo Snow, Deseret Semi-Weekly News, June 4, 1889, 4)

"Investment debt should be fully secured so as not to encumber a family’s security. Don’t invest in speculative ventures. The spirit of speculation can become intoxicating. Many fortunes have been wiped out by the uncontrolled appetite to accumulate more and more. Let us learn from the sorrows of the past and avoid enslaving our time, energy, and general health to a gluttonous appetite to acquire increased material goods." (Elder N Elden Tanner, CONSTANCY AMID CHANGE, October 1979 General Conference)

How do we overcome our temporal needs and still remain spiritual?

People sometimes say they need to put off having kids until they are financially ready.   Many of those same people will go on a vacation or buy a car that is more expensive than they need or buy a big TV and often time on credit.  Were they financially ready for those luxuries?

Sunday School

The Four-Fold Mission of the Church

#3 Redeem the Dead

Doctrine and Covenants 2

1 Behold, I will reveal unto you the Priesthood, by the hand of Elijah the prophet, before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.

2 And he shall plant in the hearts of the children the promises made to the fathers, and the hearts of the children shall turn to their fathers.

3 If it were not so, the whole earth would be utterly wasted at his coming.

Elijah is an Old Testament prophet, yet very important in our day.

Malachi 4:5-6

5  Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord:

 6 And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.

1 Corinthians 15:29

29 Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? why are they then baptized for the dead?

Joseph Smith history 1:36-39

36 After telling me these things, he commenced quoting the prophecies of the Old Testament. He first quoted part of the third chapter of Malachi; and he quoted also the fourth or last chapter of the same prophecy, though with a little variation from the way it reads in our Bibles. Instead of quoting the first verse as it reads in our books, he quoted it thus:

37 For behold, the day cometh that shall burn as an oven, and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly shall burn as stubble; for they that come shall burn them, saith the Lord of Hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.

38 And again, he quoted the fifth verse thus: Behold, I will reveal unto you the Priesthood, by the hand of Elijah the prophet, before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.

39 He also quoted the next verse differently: And he shall plant in the hearts of the children the promises made to the fathers, and the hearts of the children shall turn to their fathers. If it were not so, the whole earth would be utterly wasted at his coming.

Utterly wasted could mean for naught rather than to mean to be destroyed.  If the sealing power were not available then the mission of the Earth would be a frustrated or wasted.

My own impressions outside of the lesson I had during the lesson.

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Toddlers and grandparents in the ward should know each other.  Toddlers should feel loved by everyone in the ward, so as they grow and life weighs on them and the world makes them feel unloved, the Church will be a place they remember where they have felt love.

This is true for teenagers as well.  If the teens come to church and people know their name and know about what is important to them, they will feel loved.

Made me think of ELDER S. GIFFORD NIELSEN’s October 2013 General Conference talk where he quote Elder Russell M Nelson, “Elder Russell M. Nelson wisely contributed, ‘Until you know a person’s name and face, the Lord cannot help you know his or her heart.’”

}

Sacrament Service

A missionary the recently returned from a mission in Mexico spoke to us.  He talked about conversion.   How to be converted, how to stay converted, and how to be more converted.

3 Nephi 6:14

14 And thus there became a great inequality in all the land, insomuch that the church began to be broken up; yea, insomuch that in the thirtieth year the church was broken up in all the land save it were among a few of the Lamanites who were converted unto the true faith; and they would not depart from it, for they were firm, and steadfast, and immovable, willing with all diligence to keep the commandments of the Lord.

Doctrine and Covenants 75:2-5

2 Hearken, O ye who have given your names to go forth to proclaim my gospel, and to prune my vineyard.

3 Behold, I say unto you that it is my will that you should go forth and not tarry, neither be idle but labor with your might—

4 Lifting up your voices as with the sound of a trump, proclaiming the truth according to the revelations and commandments which I have given you.

5 And thus, if ye are faithful ye shall be laden with many sheaves, and crowned with honor, and glory, and immortality, and eternal life.

Church Services This Week at Ridge Crest Ward Northridge Stake Layton Utah 3 November 2013

Teachers Quorum

Prepare spiritually and temporally.   The goal is self reliance and to build your character.

Sunday School

How do we become self reliant?  Be prepared.

Doctrine and Covenants 38:30

30 I tell you these things because of your prayers; wherefore,treasure up wisdom in your bosoms, lest the wickedness of men reveal these things unto you by their wickedness, in a manner which shall speak in your ears with a voice louder than that which shall shake the earth; but if ye are prepared ye shall not fear.

We become self reliant by preparing.  We prepare our testimonies.  We prepare our minds.   We prepare hearts and our character.

Jacob 2:17-19

17 Think of your brethren like unto yourselves, and be familiar with all and free with your substance, that they may be rich like unto you.

18 But before ye seek for riches, seek ye for the kingdom of God.

19 And after ye have obtained a hope in Christ ye shall obtain riches, if ye seek them; and ye will seek them for the intent to do good—to clothe the naked, and to feed the hungry, and to liberate the captive, and administer relief to the sick and the afflicted.

Doctrine and Covenants 49:19-20

19 For, behold, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the air, and that which cometh of the earth, is ordained for the use of man for food and for raiment, and that he might have in abundance.
20 But it is not given that one man should possess that which is above another, wherefore the world lieth in sin.

Being self reliant means being Christ reliant.  If we follow his example and instructions we will succeed.

Doctrine and Covenants 42:42

 42 Thou shalt not be idle; for he that is idle shall not eat the bread nor wear the garments of the laborer.

“Our primary purpose was to set up … a system under which the curse of idleness would be done away with, the evils of a dole abolished, and independence, industry, thrift and self respect be once more established amongst our people. The aim of the Church is to help the people to help themselves. Work is to be re-enthroned as the ruling principle of the lives of our Church membership” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1936, 3).

"Now, a word to us seasoned brethren: retirement is not part of the Lord’s plan of happiness. There is no sabbatical or retirement program from priesthood responsibilities—regardless of age or physical capacity. While the phrase “been there, done that” may work as an excuse to avoid skateboarding, decline the invitation for a motorbike ride, or bypass the spicy curry at the buffet, it is not an acceptable excuse for avoiding covenant responsibilities to consecrate our time, talents, and resources in the work of the kingdom of God." (President Dieter F Uchtdorf, October 2009 General Conference)

Doctrine and Covenants 29:34

34 Wherefore, verily I say unto you that all things unto me are spiritual, and not at any time have I given unto you a law which was temporal;

"We have been taught to store a year’s supply of food, clothing, and, if possible, fuel—at home. There has been no attempt to set up storerooms in every chapel. We know that in the crunch our members may not be able to get to the chapel for supplies.

Can we not see that the same principle applies to inspiration and revelation, the solving of problems, to counsel, and to guidance?

We need to have a source of it stored in every home, not just in the bishop’s office.

If we do not do that, we are quite as threatened spiritually as we should be were we to assume that the Church should supply all material needs." (Elder Boyd K Packer, Solving Emotional Problems in the Lord’s Own Way, General Conference April 1978)

"Work is always a spiritual necessity even if, for some, work is not an economic necessity." (Elder Neal A Maxwell, Put Your Shoulder to the Wheel, General COnference April 1998)

Sacrament Service

We got a new bishopric.  Testimonies were from the leadership.

CES Devotional

Elder Russell D Osguthorpe

Many people know what they should do, but do not have the will to do it.

We can change our desires and behavior.

When we take the sacrament...still willing to take his name upon us.