Church Services This Week at Ridge Crest Ward Northridge Stake Layton Utah 28 June 2015

Sacrament Service

Several youth shared their experiences at daughters of Zion and Aaronic Priesthood Camp. One of the young men is leaving on his mission this week to Detroit Michigan.

Sunday School

My Lesson on “How can using scripture study skills help me learn more about the priesthood?”

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Have you learned anything this week in your personal studies?

Have you had any gospel conversations with friends or families that were interesting that you would like to share?

How can using scripture study skills help me learn more about the priesthood?

We have spent the last month studying about priesthood. Why have we spent so much time talking about something that only boys hold to a class that also had girls in it?  Why is this relevant to you young women..

You will be choosing a man whose name you will take. When you take his name, that signifies that you trust him to behave in way that keeps that name honorable.

The priesthood is to help him to keep that name honorable.  Learning about and using the priesthood teach men in ways very specific to them and uses their attributes of being a man.

You need to know how to help them to be their best in the priesthood and you need them to understand their duties in the priesthood to know how to help you be your best in motherhood, which is all women.

As we think about this let’s consider Heavenly Father and Heavenly Mother’s roles in the universe.

Why is the universe governed by our Heavenly Father? Why do the scriptures not say more about Heavenly Mother who is the Queen of the universe?

Let's read the part of the family proclamation to learn the role of a fathers and husbands.

“By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families.”

How does the world speak of women? Have you girls noticed how the world often treats women? How do you feel about that?

How does the world speak about God?

How would the world speak of a woman God if they knew about her?

Based on what we learned about the role of a father or husband why would Heavenly Father keep Mother hidden from being written much about our taught much about?  A father is to preside, provide, and protect.

He keeps Her hidden because She is critically important and sacred.  Her job is to nurture and His job is to provide for her and to protect her so she can do her job.

I program computers we write what is called computer code or instructions to the computer to tell it how to do stuff.  We protect that code because we do not want it altered or stolen and we do not want bad things done with our code. We protect that code through a big word called obfuscation. Which means to hide it or make it unrecognizable to others. If they do not know it is there or how to read it then they can't mess with it.

Is that code working and doing powerful stuff? Yes. Is it vital for the computer to work properly? Yes. But it is hidden.

I think Father has obfuscated mother from our view because she is that important.

Is she working and doing powerful things? Absolutely. Is She vitally important for things to work properly. Knowing the importance of earthly mothers I would say with certainty that Her role in our salvation is huge.

When I was a kid and onto when I was a teen I could sass my dad and I would likely get some level of trouble from my dad, but sometimes he would let it slide, but any trouble I got was nothing like he would give me if I sassed my mom.  And if I called my mom a disrespectful name, then I could be sure that my life was about to change in drastic ways.  This was because he would protect her from anything.

Let's read from the beginning of the lesson:

"One of the best ways to learn about the priesthood is to study the scriptures. Studying the scriptures involves more than just reading. In order to understand scriptures that teach about the priesthood, we can learn and apply scripture study skills such as defining difficult words and using footnotes and other study aids."

We learn about the priesthood through what is in the scriptures, but also by what is not in the scriptures. We do not hear about heavenly Mother in the scriptures. Why is that? I believe that is because women are sacred and they have a great work on earth and in the eternities that gets minimized and ridiculed by the world, so I think Father guards Mother against that.

I also believe the priesthood is primarily here to clear the way for mothers or the relief society to do their work.

Doctrine and Covenants 132:8

8 Behold, mine house is a house of order, saith the Lord God, and not a house of confusion.

Part of keeping order is that we have priesthood and motherhood.

The Lord gives us the scriptures to show us how things should be in order so that we can refer back to them as we fulfill our roles with the priesthood. That we might understand those roles . The Lord wants us to know how things work, so we can do things the way they work so we can be happy.

Bible Dictionary Melchizedek Priesthood

Let's read the entry in the Bible Dictionary and all the scriptures listed so we can see what the scriptures say about the priesthood.

D&C 42:11

“Again I say unto you, that it shall not be given to any one to go forth to preach my gospel, or to build up my church, except he be ordained by someone who has authority, and it is known to the church that he has authority and has been regularly ordained by the heads of the church”

Priesthood holders are to take the lead in their home. They are reasonable to call people together for prayer and Family home evening. Why not mom? Because she had her own responsibilities. She had been monitoring the welfare of the children all day and learning about their needs to council with the father in what the family needs.

Because of the way men were created for their responsibilities in life the Lord knew they would need the additional responsibility of leading their home to remind them the importance of home and family.

It is important that young women learn about the priesthood, because they have the responsibility of choosing who the man to lead her family in righteousness. When you take a man's lady name you are saying that you trust that his name is a name of honor and righteousness. That having his name as your name will never bring you shame.

Let's read some from Larry M Gibson, Fatherhood—Our Eternal Destiny during last general conference where he breaks down Doctrine and Covenants 20 and he talks about how Aaronic Priesthood holders can apply it to their lives.

“Invite all [of your family] to come unto Christ” (verse 59).

“Watch over [them] always, and be with and strengthen them” (verse 53).

“Preach, teach, expound, exhort, and baptize” members of your family (verse 46).

“Exhort them to pray vocally and in secret and attend to all family duties” (verse 47).

“See that there is no iniquity in [your family], neither hardness with each other, neither lying, backbiting, nor evil speaking” (verse 54).

“See that [your family meets] together often” (verse 55).

Assist your father in his duties as patriarch. Support your mother with priesthood strength when a father is not present (see verses 52, 56).

When asked, “ordain other priests, teachers, and deacons” in your family (verse 48).

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Elders Quorum

Church Services This Week at Ridge Crest Ward Northridge Stake Layton Utah 21 June 2015

Sacrament Service

Missionary that recently returned from serving in the Czechoslovak mission spoke to us.

He said that he heard a talk by Elder Bednar. Elder Bednar said that the question he gets most often as an apostle is, "How can we recognize the Holy Ghost?".

The missionary's father also spoke.

Doctrine and Covenants 8:2-3

2 Yea, behold, I will tell you in your mind and in your heart, by the Holy Ghost, which shall come upon you and which shall dwell in your heart.

3 Now, behold, this is the spirit of revelation; behold, this is the spirit by which Moses brought the children of Israel through the Red Sea on dry ground.

Sunday School

My teaching partner’s lesson on using stories to teach.

Elders Quorum

Teachings of President of the Church: Ezra Taft Benson Chapter 9 -  Book of Mormon

Doctrine and Covenants 20:8-9

8 And gave him power from on high, by the means which were before prepared, to translate the Book of Mormon;

9 Which contains a record of a fallen people, and the fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles and to the Jews also;

We proclaim bold things about the Book of Mormon, which are true, but we have to understand why that might offend some. We have to understand their love of the Bible and why being told there is something that is as true and sacred as the Bible is shocking to them.  We have to be able to describe our love for it.

Isaiah 29 is about the Book of Mormon

Church Services This Week at Ridge Crest Ward Northridge Stake Layton Utah 14 June 2015

Sacrament Service 

The ordinance of the sacrament makes the sacrament meeting the most sacred and important meeting in the Church.

“Sacrament meeting is not a time for reading books or magazines.” (Elder Dallin H Oaks, Sacrament Meeting and the Sacrament, October 2008 General Conference)

The Sacrament is the only ordinance we get to do for ourselves more than once.

"Socializing is an important aspect of our program as a church. We encourage the cultivation of friends with happy conversations among our people. However, these should take place in the foyer, and when we enter the chapel we should understand that we are in sacred precincts. All of us are familiar with the account in Exodus of the Lord’s appearance to Moses at the burning bush. When the Lord called, Moses answered, ‘Here am I’ (Ex. 3:4).

“And the Lord said, ‘Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground’ (Ex. 3:5).

“We do not ask our people to remove their shoes when they come into the chapel. But all who come into the Lord’s house should have a feeling that they are walking and standing on holy ground and that it becomes them to deport themselves accordingly." (President Gordon B Hinckley, Reverence and Morality, April 1987 General Conference)

"Aaronic Priesthood holders represent the Savior when they prepare, bless, and pass the sacrament. As a priesthood holder extends his arm to offer us the sacred emblems, it is as if the Savior Himself were extending His arm of mercy, inviting each one of us to partake of the precious gifts of love made available through His atoning sacrifice—gifts of repentance, forgiveness, comfort, and hope." (Cheryl A Esplin, The Sacrament--a Renewal for the Soul, October 2014 General Conference)

Sunday School

My lesson on councils.

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What did we talk about last week?

Have you learned anything in your personal gospel study that you would like to share?

Have you have any gospel conversations with friends or family that you found interesting?

Today we are going to talk about:
How can I participate effectively in councils in the Church?

The Lord’s Church is governed through councils. Under the direction of priesthood leadership, leaders counsel together for the benefit of individuals, families, and the Church. Effective councils invite full expression from all council members, who seek to be united and guided by the Holy Ghost to build the kingdom of God. Learning how revelation is received in councils can help us participate effectively in council meetings, including presidency meetings, bishopric youth committee meetings, and family councils.

What councils have the youth participated in (for example, class and quorum presidencies or the bishopric youth committee)? How well do the youth understand the purposes of councils?

Ask the youth how those worked.

In my old ward I was on the ward council for a while.

We would talk about how to help those in our ward. Our ward, not as a group of church members, but as everyone in our ward boundaries.

Without giving confidential information about things that were discussed in your counsels, are there things you would like to share about the benefits you saw when working on a counsel?

Often things we talk about in counsels are sacred, so just like other sacred things we are careful what we share. How are things in counsels sacred?

Matthew 18:20
20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

Have you ever heard this scripture before? What are they usually talking about when they give this scripture?

Often I have heard people talk about why we go to church, but does this apply to counsels and how?

Here's another scripture that is usually use when talking about the importance of going to church.

Moroni 6:5

5 And the church did meet together oft, to fast and to pray, and to speak one with another concerning the welfare of their souls.

Think about this in the context of meeting together in counsels.

Why would it be less effective if one person made all of the decisions without counseling with others?

Even though we may be doing good things and avoiding bad things, do we still get caught up in our own way of thinking or how we think something should be done?

Have you ever had your mind on something and someone says something that really makes you think about something different?  Have you had an experience like that which you would like to share?

Counsels are like that. We bring together people that have different life experiences, which cause them to see things from a different perspective. Taking together helps us perhaps to see more.

Have your ever seen one of those pictures that are zoomed way in and it is hard to determine what the picture is? Then you zoom out a bit and the picture make more sense. When we meet in counsels it helps us is to see what we think we see another way and often it makes more sense.

In many ways the way we do teaching youth classes in the Church is a lot like a counsel. We all reason things out together through the input of all of us.

Jesus often taught by asking questions and having his students participate in thinking about issues and taking the issue or question out.

Luke 10:25-28

25 ¶And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?
26 He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou?
27 And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.
28 And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.

Is there anything you have thought about as we have talked that you would like to use when you participate in a counsel next?

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Elders Quorum

Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Ezra Taft Benson chapter 11

"Beware of those who would set up the dead prophets against the living prophets, for the living prophets always take precedence."

The Lord is the same yesterday, today, and forever, but we are not.

"Never let a problem to be solved become more important than a person to be loved." (President Thomas S Monson, Finding Joy in the Journey, October 2008 General Conference)

Someone shared their experience as a youth hearing President Kimball announce the building of the Missionary Training Center in Provo. That was the first I had heard about that. I had it in my head that the MTC had always been there, which obviously it has not. I just never thought about it.

“Sometimes there are those who feel their earthly knowledge on a certain subject is superior to the heavenly knowledge which God gives to his prophet on the same subject. They feel the prophet must have the same earthly credentials or training which they have had before they will accept anything the prophet has to say that might contradict their earthly schooling. How much earthly schooling did Joseph Smith have? Yet he gave revelations on all kinds of subjects. … We encourage earthly knowledge in many areas, but remember if there is ever a conflict between earthly knowledge and the words of the prophet, you stand with the prophet and you’ll be blessed and time will show you have done the right thing.”

“Sometimes there are those who argue about words. They might say the prophet gave us counsel but that we are not obliged to follow it unless he says it is a commandment. But the Lord says of the Prophet, “Thou shalt give heed unto all his words and commandments which he shall give unto you.” (D&C 21:4.)

“… The prophet tells us what we need to know, not always what we want to know.”

“You may not like what comes from the authority of the Church. It may conflict with your political views. It may contradict your social views. It may interfere with some of your social life. … Your safety and ours depends upon whether or not we follow. … Let’s keep our eye on the President of the Church.” (President Harold B Less, General Conference October 1970, p. 152–153.)

Church Services This Week at Ridge Crest Ward Northridge Stake Layton Utah 7 June 2015

Sacrament Service

Stake Theme-

A person doesn't have to ask for our forgiveness and we do not have to tell them that we forgive them, but we do have to forgive them.

Imagine a man was shielded by God from having lots of big rocks fall in him. A relatively small rock hit him in the head and he wondered to God why he had to get hit by that relatively small rock.  The man loses consciousness.  When he wakes he notices all the blood.  He panics.  He is angry.  He rushes to stop the bleeding.  He gets to the hospital.  The doctors patch him up and tell him he will be fine.  While he is healing, he is angry that he has to go through such pain and the size of the scar that the injury will leave him with.  He focuses on all the time he is off work healing.

What kind of person is he during this time?  He does not remember all of the much bigger bigger rocks that fell around him without hitting him.  He only focuses on his pain and not on gratitude.  Even if he doesn’t know it was God that spared him, but a little gratitude, for his life and for no worse injuries, would change him into a different disposition than all the pain and anger he feels.  Thanking God would be great, but just acknowledging his situation with gratitude within himself and in his attitude would make a huge difference.

How often do we have things that hurt terribly and make us lose perspective and only focus on our pain?

Pay attention to coincidences in our lives and we can get a glimpse into the mysteries of God.

Sunday School

My partner's lesson on women and the priesthood.

A quarter is equal to two dimes and a nickel, but they are not the same.  It is difficult to use two dimes and a nickel in a machine that requires a quarter, even though they are equal.  Say you want to buy something that costs ten cents from one person and something that costs ten cents from another person and something else that costs five cents from yet another person.  This is somewhat difficult with a quarter, even though its value is the same as two dimes and a nickel.  You have to change it to not be a quarter any more.

Elders Quorum

First presidency message June - families can be together forever

If we don't pay attention to the moments we have we family or put off those moments they are quickly gone. This could be with siblings, children, parents, or grandparents time moves on, people get busy, or people die.

“Near the end of his life, one father looked back on how he had spent his time on earth. An acclaimed, respected author of numerous scholarly works, he said, ‘I wish I had written one less book and taken my children fishing more often.’

“Time passes quickly. Many parents say that it seems like yesterday that their children were born. Now those children are grown, perhaps with children of their own. ‘Where did the years go?’ they ask. We cannot call back time that is past, we cannot stop time that now is, and we cannot experience the future in our present state. Time is a gift, a treasure not to be put aside for the future but to be used wisely in the present.” (President Thomas S Monson, Dedication Day, October 2000 General Conference)