Elders Quorum
Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Fielding Smith chapter 6, The Significance of the Sacrament
Physical and spiritual death came upon mankind because of the fall. Jesus overcame physical death for all regardless of their choices. He overcame spiritual death for all that choose to partake of that. It requires baptism to covenant with Christ and then repenting when we fall short of that covenant and partake of the sacrament to renew that covenant.
Partaking of the sacrament replaced partaking of the paschal lamb. We no longer sacrifice an animal and consume it, but we still consume something as part of the ordinance.
It’s the duty of the members of the Church to walk humbly and faithfully in the knowledge and understanding of the atonement of Jesus Christ. … I have the feeling, I’d like to be wrong but I don’t think I am, that a very, very large percentage of the members of the Church do not realize what it means to eat a little morsel of bread, drink a little cup of water in remembrance of the shedding of the blood of our Savior, Jesus Christ, and his sacrifice upon the cross. (From the manual)
When we sin we put value to that thing we sin with above the Lord. If we always remember Him, we remember His value and the value of what he has for us. If we remember that value, then the worth of that sin has perspective.
In order to have a miracle happen in our lives we have to be there. We have to show up
Sunday School
Lesson 11 - Joseph sold into Egypt
Joseph was the 11th born of Jacob, but the 1st born of Rachel.
Joseph's brothers thought Joseph thought he was better than them because of what he shared about his dreams. His father was also put off by it. It made his brothers angry.
The first dream was about Joseph delivering his family temporally. The second is about delivering them spiritually.
The dreams are a type of Christ as he delivers his people temporally and spiritually.
The second dream includes his father and mother.
The brother's reject him and try to kill him prompted by Judah. Much like the Jews (the house of Judah), killed the Savior and the leaders of the Jews were jealous and threatened by Him.
We should be careful not to confuse reverence for the Lord's perfection with an excuse that we can not be perfect because we are not Jesus. We can do what our best and be more that what we are, even if we are not the Son of God. We can draw on the strength of the Son of God and be a little closer to perfect every day.
Joseph was tempted with great temptation, at a much smaller degree, similar to that which the Savior was tempted.
Ephraim's responsibility in the last days is to spread the Gospel.
Sacrament Service
A missionary that just returned from the Missouri Saint Louis mission spoke to us.
2 Nephi 10:24
24 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, reconcile yourselves to the will of God, and not to the will of the devil and the flesh; and remember, after ye are reconciled unto God, that it is only in and through the grace of God that ye are saved.
Elder Gene R Chidester of the seventy spoke to us.
John 15:16
16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.
Look for the word chosen in your patriarchal blessing. Chosen means you have a responsibility.
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