Church Services This Week at Ridge Crest Ward Northridge Stake Layton Utah 27 July 2014

Elders Quorum

The lesson was based on President Monson’s April 2014 General Conference talk titled Be Strong and of Good Courage

"We live in a world where moral values have, in great measure, been tossed aside, where sin is flagrantly on display, and where temptations to stray from the strait and narrow path surround us. We are faced with persistent pressures and insidious influences tearing down what is decent and attempting to substitute the shallow philosophies and practices of a secular society."

The world talks about not just there is no harm in foul language and pornography, but that there is value in them.  Logical arguments are created to try to show those things are valuable in telling a story or in speaking in general.  In reality, stories can be told and the message gotten across that a character is tough or wicked without the profanity.  It is lazy story writing that does otherwise.  Additionally, a person speaking that way does not portray themselves in a good light.  People are generally just too lazy to find the vocabulary to express themselves or are trying to make a splash with a vulgar or salacious word.

"We can help ourselves in our desire to do what is right if we put ourselves in places and participate in activities where our thoughts are influenced for good and where the Spirit of the Lord will be comfortable."

I think we serve missions and get moved around the country for school and work to give us perspective about the things other people and other church members have to deal with and the way they see things.

Sunday School

Old Testament Lesson 27, The Influence of Wicked and Righteous Leaders 1 Kings 12–14; 2 Chronicles 17; 20

Hand out from the instructor on historical leaders:

What are the attributes of righteous leaders?  What are the attributes of wicked leaders?

We sometimes perceive Israel as weak for stooping to the level of bringing out their idols.  But when we get stressed or celebrate we bring out our chocolate or our electronics or other things before we turn to God for strength or to give gratitude.

Take time to listen to the life experience of other people, especially older people.

Leaders should serve the people not assume the people should serve them.   Just like the example of King Benjamin who taught the people as he served with them in the fields.

We went over the story of Jehoshaphat in 2 Chronicles 20.

Sacrament  Service

Patriarchal blessings should be cherished and treasured.   The speaker proposed that a Patriarchal blessing helps us to grasp eternity.

It was proposed that our patriarchal blessing is our plan for our life from Heavenly Father.

Church Services This Week at Ridge Crest Ward Northridge Stake Layton Utah 20 July 2014

Elders Quorum

Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Fielding Smith Chapter 15

"Jessie often said of her husband [Joseph Fielding Smith]: ‘He is the kindest man I have ever known. I have never heard him speak an unkind word.’ He would respond, with a smile, ‘I don’t know any unkind words.’”

Would that our spouses could say the same of us.

Even though life is eternal do your best to get to know and glean as much experience and knowledge from older people including our parents and grandparents in this life.  Then we can apply that experience to our life now.

Constantly make deposits in your spouse's love account.  Your quality of life will grow over the years if that account is continually growing.

Sunday School

What strengths can be turned into weakness if we are not watchful?

Solomon was given great wisdom,  but it became a prideful thing for him,  even though it was given by the Lord.

He got to the point where he built a Temple for God and also a spacious mansion for himself.

Sacrament Service

A guy that returned from his mission to Houston,  Texas nine months ago spoke to us.

Doctrine and Covenants 121:7

7 My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment;

Life is but a small moment in eternity.  Our trials are generally small moments in our life when compared to the length of life in total.

Genesis 49 talks about the blessings and responsibilities of the tribe of Israel we belong to as defined in our patriarchal blessings define.

"Your patriarchal blessing is yours and yours alone. It may be brief or lengthy, simple or profound. Length and language do not a patriarchal blessing make. It is the Spirit that conveys the true meaning. Your blessing is not to be folded neatly and tucked away. It is not to be framed or published. Rather, it is to be read. It is to be loved. It is to be followed. Your patriarchal blessing will see you through the darkest night. It will guide you through life’s dangers. Unlike the struggling bomber of yesteryear, lost in the desert wastes, the sands and storms of life will not destroy you on your eternal flight. Your patriarchal blessing is to you a personal Liahona to chart your course and guide your way."  -  (President Thomas S Monson,  Your Patriarchal Blessing: A Liahona of Light, General Conference October 1986)

Church Services This Week at Ridge Crest Ward Northridge Stake Layton Utah 13 July 2014

Elders Quorum

Teachings of Presidents of the Church : Joseph Fielding Smith chapter 14 -  The gift of the Holy Ghost

Doctrine and Covenants 130:22

22 The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man’s; the Son also; but the Holy Ghost has not a body of flesh and bones, but is a personage of Spirit. Were it not so, the Holy Ghost could not dwell in us.

The Holy Ghost is a personage of spirit.  A spirit means he does not have a physical body,  but the word personage indicates in the image of a person.  It appears that he needs to be a spirit in order to perform his duties for mankind.  Likely once the Earth in perfected and his work is done he will get a body.

The instructor talked about being at the temple yesterday. He said that there was a wedding and the wedding party was irreverent. I have noticed that most times I have witnessed a wedding group at the temple their overall behavior is inappropriate for the temple and rude to those around them.  It is very difficult at times when with family and friends to remember to be reverent.  It is something we all should be aware of.

He talked about how easily our behavior can drown out the Spirit, even in a holy place.

Reverence can help bring the Spirit. Reverence is more than being quiet. Reverence is our mental state.   Reverence is our language and speech.  We should work to develop reverence as part of our character, so it isn’t something we have to consciously focus on.

The Holy Ghost can't guide us if we are determined to follow our agenda no matter what.

Sunday School

Psalms are like, and can be hymns. Hymns are like, and can be prayers.

The teacher spent the time having us share hymns that we like that are based on Psalms.

Sacrament Service

Patriarchal blessings are personal scripture.

“A religion that does not require the sacrifice of all things never has power sufficient to produce the faith necessary [to lead] unto life and salvation; "(Joseph Smith, In Lectures on Faith, comp. N. B. Lundwall, Salt Lake City: N. B. Lundwall, n.d., p. 58.)

"Once there was a man who dreamed that he was in a great hall where all the religions of the world were gathered. He realized that each religion had much that seemed desirable and worthy.

He met a nice couple who represented The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and asked, ‘What do you require of your members?’

‘We do not require anything,’ they replied. ‘But the Lord asks that we consecrate all.’" (President Dieter F Uchtdorf, Come, Join With Us, October 2013 General Conference)

It is true that pretty much anyone can be a member of the Church, even if they do not give it their all.  Nonetheless, if we are to become like God and to live where he lives we have to learn to put forth great effort and make many sacrifices.

Have a good attitude about your home teaching and about having home teachers.

Church Services This Week at Ridge Crest Ward Northridge Stake Layton Utah 6 July 2014

Elders Quorum

Teachings of Presidents of the Church : Joseph Fielding Smith chapter 13 - Baptism

We were taught by a new elder who is leaving on his mission this week.

Pay attention at baptisms since the Spirit can be so strong.   Be prepared to be taught by it.

Baptism symbolizes birth, death, and resurrection.

Baptism is not complete without the ordinance of the gift of the Holy Ghost.

When we are baptized, we are resurrected into a spiritual life.

"I know that little children who have not reached years of accountability, and hence are not guilty of sin, are … redeemed through the blood of Christ, and it is solemn mockery to contend that they need baptism, denying the justice and mercy of God [see Moroni 8:20–23]." - From the manual

Doctrine and Covenants 29:46-47

46 But behold, I say unto you, that little children are redeemed from the foundation of the world through mine Only Begotten;
47 Wherefore, they cannot sin, for power is not given unto Satan to tempt little children, until they begin to become accountable before me;

Mosiah 18:8-10

8 And it came to pass that he said unto them: Behold, here are the waters of Mormon (for thus were they called) and now, as ye are desirous to come into the fold of God, and to be called his people, and are willing to bear one another’s burdens, that they may be light;

9 Yea, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in, even until death, that ye may be redeemed of God, and be numbered with those of the first resurrection, that ye may have eternal life—

10 Now I say unto you, if this be the desire of your hearts, what have you against being baptized in the name of the Lord, as a witness before him that ye have entered into a covenant with him, that ye will serve him and keep his commandments, that he may pour out his Spirit more abundantly upon you?

Sunday School

When David saw Bathsheba bathing he was home when he should have been with his armies in the battle.  Do we have times when we have time on our hands,  perhaps when we should be doing our duty?   At those times do we sometimes get distracted and perhaps drop into idleness.

When we stumble across salacious things we should not dig into and find more information about it.   When there are tantalizing headlines if we read more,  especially on the Internet, it is easy to follow on to other more tantalizing and inappropriate places and before we know it we are too deep.

Sacrament Service

Testimonies

The theme for the stake is to obtain and read our patriarchal blessing.