Church Services This Week at Oak Ridge Ward Layton North Stake Layton Utah 24 Sep 2017

Bulletin 

Dnc 4:4

4 For behold the field is white already to harvest; and lo, he that thrusteth in his sickle with his might, the same layeth up in store that he perisheth not, but bringeth salvation to his soul;

Sacrament Service 

First Speaker

1 Nephi 8:10, 19, 20, “Wandered off & were lost.”

8 And after I had traveled for the space of many hours in darkness, I began to pray unto the Lord that he would have mercy on me, according to the multitude of his tender mercies.

9 And it came to pass after I had prayed unto the Lord I beheld a large and spacious field.

10 And it came to pass that I beheld a tree, whose fruit was desirable to make one happy.

19 And I beheld a rod of iron, and it extended along the bank of the river, and led to the tree by which I stood.

20 And I also beheld a strait and narrow path, which came along by the rod of iron, even to the tree by which I stood; and it also led by the head of the fountain, unto a large and spacious field, as if it had been a world.

The iron rod is not the end goal.  The end gold is the tree of life.

Alma 36:3

3 And now, O my son Helaman, behold, thou art in thy youth, and therefore, I beseech of thee that thou wilt hear my words and learn of me; for I do know that whosoever shall put their trust in God shall be supported in their trials, and their troubles, and their afflictions, and shall be lifted up at the last day.

Next Speaker

One group didn’t try to get to the rod of iron.

One group got to the rod and then let go.

One group continually held fast, which was different than the 2nd group that merely got to the rod.

We can’t just cross the straight and narrow path frequently and expect to progress to the tree of life.

Sunday School

Lesson 36

Isaiah 11:11-12

11 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea.

12 And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.

Dnc 82:10

10 I, the Lord, am bound when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise.

Alma 32

16 Therefore, blessed are they who humble themselves without being compelled to be humble; or rather, in other words, blessed is he that believeth in the word of God, and is baptized without stubbornness of heart, yea, without being brought to know the word, or even compelled to know, before they will believe.

DnC 93

1 Verily, thus saith the Lord: It shall come to pass that every soul who forsaketh his sins and cometh unto me, and calleth on my name, and obeyeth my voice, and keepeth my commandments, shall see my face and know that I am;

What will president Monson give us to do in Conference?  What should we do in addition to what we should know?

Elders Quorum 

Fear is sometimes a motivation for us to do things in secular and spiritual life. 

We should strive to be driven by love and not by fear. 

“First, let us address the problem with fear. After all, who among us has never been compelled by fear to eat better, wear a seat belt, exercise more, save money, or even repent of sin?

“It is true that fear can have a powerful influence over our actions and behavior. But that influence tends to be temporary and shallow. Fear rarely has the power to change our hearts, and it will never transform us into people who love what is right and who want to obey Heavenly Father.

“People who are fearful may say and do the right things, but they do not feel the right things. They often feel helpless and resentful, even angry. Over time these feelings lead to mistrust, defiance, even rebellion.” (President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “Perfect Love Casteth Out Fear”, April 2017 General Conference)

Hosea 6

6 For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.

“Unrighteous Dominion”, Topical Guide.

This begs the question, is there righteous dominion?  If so, what is it?

“God motivates through persuasion, long-suffering, gentleness, meekness, and love unfeigned. God is on our side. He loves us, and when we stumble, He wants us to rise up, try again, and become stronger.

“He is our mentor.

“He is our great and cherished hope.

“He desires to stimulate us with faith.” (President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “Perfect Love Casteth Out Fear”, April 2017 General Conference)

Youth Fireside 

The stake presidency has challenged us to study the Book of Mormon more. 

The speaker shared with us possible side effects of a serious study of the Book of Mormon:

-A stronger testimony of and a closer relationship with Jesus Christ. 

-we become more like the Savior. 

-Answers to any question that arises about christ

-Answers to modern day problems you're experiencing

-Help to overcome the temptations of the adversary

-Your testimony of Joseph Smith. Will be solidified. 

“The golden question of the Book of Mormon is ‘Do you want to learn more of Christ?’” (President Ezra Taft Benson, “The Book of Mormon Is the Word of God”, April 1975 General Conference)

“I told the brethren that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book.” (“History of the Church, 4:461; from instructions given by Joseph Smith on Nov. 28, 1841, in Nauvoo, Illinois; reported by Wilford Woodruff.)

“the Book of Mormon is the keystone of testimony. Just as the arch crumbles if the keystone is removed, so does all the Church stand or fall with the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon.” (President Ezra Taft Benson, “The Book of Mormon—Keystone of Our Religion”, October 1986 General Conference)

“the only problem the objector has to resolve for himself is whether the Book of Mormon is true. For if the Book of Mormon is true, then Jesus is the Christ, Joseph Smith was his prophet, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is true, and it is being led today by a prophet receiving revelation.” (President Ezra Taft Benson, “The Book of Mormon Is the Word of God”, April 1975 General Conference)

“If anyone is foolish enough or misled enough to reject 531 pages of a heretofore unknown text teeming with literary and Semitic complexity without honestly attempting to account for the origin of those pages—especially without accounting for their powerful witness of Jesus Christ and the profound spiritual impact that witness has had on what is now tens of millions of readers—if that is the case, then such a person, elect or otherwise, has been deceived; and if he or she leaves this Church, it must be done by crawling over or under or around the Book of Mormon to make that exit.” (Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, “Safety for the Soul”, October 2009 General Conference)

The Book of Mormon helping us with loneliness. 

{

Mormon 8:35-37

Mormon 8:3

} 

Dysfunctional families in the book of Mormon 

{

Laman and lemuel

Amulek’s family 

Alma the younger 

King lamoni”'s family 

} 

2 Nephi 26:24

Groups who react to the iron rod

Group 1

1 Nephi 8:23

Group 2

1 Nephi 8:24-25,28

Group 3

1 Nephi 8:30

“It is not just that the Book of Mormon teaches us truth, though it indeed does that. It is not just that the Book of Mormon bears testimony of Christ, though it indeed does that, too. But there is something more. There is a power in the book which will begin to flow into your lives the moment you begin a serious study of the book. You will find greater power to resist temptation. You will find the power to avoid deception. You will find the power to stay on the strait and narrow path.” ()

“My dear associates in the work of the Lord, I implore each of us to prayerfully study and ponder the Book of Mormon each day. As we do so, we will be in a position to hear the voice of the Spirit, to resist temptation, to overcome doubt and fear, and to receive heaven’s help in our lives.” (President Thomas S. Monson, “The Power of the Book of Mormon”, April 2017 General Conference)

DNC 135;

6 Hyrum Smith was forty-four years old in February, 1844, and Joseph Smith was thirty-eight in December, 1843; and henceforward their names will be classed among the martyrs of religion; and the reader in every nation will be reminded that the Book of Mormon, and this book of Doctrine and Covenants of the church, cost the best blood of the nineteenth century to bring them forth for the salvation of a ruined world; and that if the fire can scathe a green tree for the glory of God, how easy it will burn up the dry trees to purify the vineyard of corruption. They lived for glory; they died for glory; and glory is their eternal reward. From age to age shall their names go down to posterity as gems for the sanctified.

Church Services This Week at Oak Ridge Ward Layton North Stake Layton Utah 17 Sep 2017

Bulletin 

“Those who keep a book of remembrance are more likely to keep the Lord in remembrance in their daily lives. Journals are a way of counting our blessings and of leaving an inventory of these blessings for our posterity.”- President Spencer W Kimball 

Sacrament Service 

First Speaker

A missionary that recently returned from the Brazil Natal mission spoke to us.

Preach My Gospel chapter 6.

He spent some time in Little Rock, AR while he waited for his visa.

1 Thessalonians 5:14

14 Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men.

If we strive to gain knowledge, we will.

Next Speaker

“May we prepare to receive the personal revelation that comes in abundance during general conference. May our hearts be filled with deep determination as we raise our hands to sustain living prophets and apostles. May we be enlightened, uplifted, comforted, and strengthened as we listen to their messages. And may we be ready to recommit ourselves to the Lord Jesus Christ—His gospel and His work—and to live with renewed resolve in keeping His commandments and carrying out His will.” (President Thomas S. Monson, “Prophets to Guide Us”, Ensign September 2017)

Mosiah 2

10 I have not commanded you to come up hither that ye should fear me, or that ye should think that I of myself am more than a mortal man.

11 But I am like as yourselves, subject to all manner of infirmities in body and mind; yet I have been chosen by this people, and consecrated by my father, and was suffered by the hand of the Lord that I should be a ruler and a king over this people; and have been kept and preserved by his matchless power, to serve you with all the might, mind and strength which the Lord hath granted unto me.

12 I say unto you that as I have been suffered to spend my days in your service, even up to this time, and have not sought gold nor silver nor any manner of riches of you;

“Despite any health challenges that may come to us, despite any weakness in body or mind, we serve to the best of our ability. I assure you that the Church is in good hands. The system set up for the Council of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve [Apostles] assures [us] that it will always be in good hands and that, come what may, there is no need to worry or to fear. Our Savior, Jesus Christ, whom we follow, whom we worship, and whom we serve, is ever at the helm.” (“Message from President Thomas S. Monson,” Church News, Feb. 3, 2013, 9.)

Amos 3:7

7 Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.

Doctrine and Covenants 1:38

38 What I the Lord have spoken, I have spoken, and I excuse not myself; and though the heavens and the earth pass away, my word shall not pass away, but shall all be fulfilled, whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same.

Sunday School 

As members of the Church we have a rescue mission.  To rescue and gather the house of Israel.

DnC 4

3 Therefore, if ye have desires to serve God ye are called to the work;

4 For behold the field is white already to harvest; and lo, he that thrusteth in his sickle with his might, the same layeth up in store that he perisheth not, but bringeth salvation to his soul;

DnC 18

10 Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God;

11 For, behold, the Lord your Redeemer suffered death in the flesh; wherefore he suffered the pain of all men, that all men might repent and come unto him.

12 And he hath risen again from the dead, that he might bring all men unto him, on conditions of repentance.

Dnc 81:5-6

5 Wherefore, be faithful; stand in the office which I have appointed unto you; succor the weak, lift up the hands which hang down, and strengthen the feeble knees.

6 And if thou art faithful unto the end thou shalt have a crown of immortality, and eternal life in the mansions which I have prepared in the house of my Father.

Elders Quorum 

My lesson chapter 18

{

Gordon B Hinckley Chapter 18 - Virtue—A Cornerstone on Which to Build Our Lives

Doctrine and Covenants 121:45-46

45 Let thy bowels also be full of charity towards all men, and to the household of faith, and let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God; and the doctrine of the priesthood shall distil upon thy soul as the dews from heaven.

46 The Holy Ghost shall be thy constant companion, and thy scepter an unchanging scepter of righteousness and truth; and thy dominion shall be an everlasting dominion, and without compulsory means it shall flow unto thee forever and ever.

Let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly.

What is virtue?

What is does the word garnish mean?  We could garnish our food plate, right?  How else do people garnish things?

Do we garnish our garbage bins when we take them to the road for the trash man to pick up?

We need to have thoughts that are worthy of a garnish.

How would we garnish our thoughts with virtue?

The scripture goes on to say that if we are filled with charity and our thoughts are garnished with virtue, then shall our confidence was strong in the presence of God.

Have you ever went to say a prayer or give a blessing and your confidence did not wax strong before God?  That is a rotten feeling.

On the other hand, have you ever given a prayer or a blessing where it just felt like all cylinders were firing?  You felt good about your behavior and your thoughts and you could feel the Spirit engaging.

Each of us in this room probably tend to be between 15 and 19 years old in our own minds.  We likely struggle to keep everyone around us from finding out that we are just pretending to be a grown up.

Somehow we have to have more moments where we actually are grown ups.

Paul said this to the saints at Corinth:

 11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. (1 Corinthians 13:11)

Take a moment and think about if you have any childish behaviors you are holding onto.  Think about the things you think about when you don’t have to think.

Think about how you treat the women in you life, the mothers of this earth, the daughters of Father.

Think about your behavior on the sabbath.  Do we sometimes behave like spoiled children on the sabbath?  Doing what we want to do, because we feel Church stuff is so boring?  Do we put family ahead of the commandment to keep the sabbath holy?

Virtue often tends to be given a feminine connotation in our culture.  Let’s make sure that we as Saints and Priesthood holders put that notion away.

We are to preside, provide, and protect.  If we do not preside with virtue, the women in our lives will be less virtuous.  If we do not provide an example of virtue, the world around us will become less virtuous.  If we do not stand strong and protect virtue, then Satan will trample virtue where we stand.

Paul continued speaking to the Corinthians:

“Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?

“If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are” (1 Corinthians 3:16–17).

What did Christ do to those that were defiling the temple in His day?

What should we be doing to thoughts, desires, and actions that defile the temple of God which houses our spirit?

I testify that we need to find those things that are stealing our virtue and crack the whip to drive them from our temple.

}

Church Services This Week at Oak Ridge Ward Layton North Stake Layton Utah 10 Sep 2017

Bulletin 

Dnc 18:15

15 And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father!

Sacrament Service 

First Speaker

A young man that recently returned from a mission to Independence Missouri spoke to us.

JST Genesis 50

32 And out of weakness shall he be made strong, in that day when my work shall go forth among all my people, which shall restore them, who are of the house of Israel, in the last days.

33 And that seer will I bless, and they that seek to destroy him shall be confounded; for this promise I give unto you; for I will remember you from generation to generation; and his name shall be called Joseph, and it shall be after the name of his father; and he shall be like unto you; for the thing which the Lord shall bring forth by his hand shall bring my people unto salvation.

DnC 5

9 Behold, verily I say unto you, I have reserved those things which I have entrusted unto you, my servant Joseph, for a wise purpose in me, and it shall be made known unto future generations;

10 But this generation shall have my word through you;

DnC 135

3 Joseph Smith, the Prophet and Seer of the Lord, has done more, save Jesus only, for the salvation of men in this world, than any other man that ever lived in it. In the short space of twenty years, he has brought forth the Book of Mormon, which he translated by the gift and power of God, and has been the means of publishing it on two continents; has sent the fulness of the everlasting gospel, which it contained, to the four quarters of the earth; has brought forth the revelations and commandments which compose this book of Doctrine and Covenants, and many other wise documents and instructions for the benefit of the children of men; gathered many thousands of the Latter-day Saints, founded a great city, and left a fame and name that cannot be slain. He lived great, and he died great in the eyes of God and his people; and like most of the Lord’s anointed in ancient times, has sealed his mission and his works with his own blood; and so has his brother Hyrum. In life they were not divided, and in death they were not separated!

DnC 121

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

DnC 122

7 And if thou shouldst be cast into the pit, or into the hands of murderers, and the sentence of death passed upon thee; if thou be cast into the deep; if the billowing surge conspire against thee; if fierce winds become thine enemy; if the heavens gather blackness, and all the elements combine to hedge up the way; and above all, if the very jaws of hell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good.

The young man talked about teaching people from the Community of Christ church (former RLDS) in Missouri.

Sunday School 

Teaching in the Savior's Way 

Elders Quorum 

Teachings of Presidents of the Church:  Gordon B Hinckley Chapter 15 “The Holy Priesthood”

Matthew 16:19

19 And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

Priesthood holders should use the priesthood more in the home. 

3 Nephi 8

1 And now it came to pass that according to our record, and we know our record to be true, for behold, it was a just man who did keep the record—for he truly did many miracles in the name of Jesus; and there was not any man who could do a miracle in the name of Jesus save he were cleansed every whit from his iniquity

“… I lift a warning voice to all, boys and men, to shun sin. Transgression is incompatible with divine authority. Avoid pornography as you would avoid the plague. Avoid sexual sin of any degree. Shun dishonesty and deceit. I plead with you to rein in any element of pride or vain ambition. I ask you to look into yourselves to see that there is no attitude of dominion or compulsion over your wives or your children. …

“… I am satisfied that our Father in Heaven is not pleased with any man or boy who accepts ordination and then indulges in evil. In the very process of accepting ordination he enters into an oath and covenant between himself and his God. (Gordon B Hinckley, “Only upon Principles of Righteousness,” Ensign, Sept. 1992, 70.)

Young Adult Fireside 

An Evening with Elder David A. Bednar, Worldwide Devotional for Young Adults, 10 September 2017, Apex North Carolina Stake Center

“To you I say with all of the energy of which I am capable, do not become a weak link in your chain of generations. You come to this world with a marvelous inheritance. You come of great men and women, of men of bravery and courage, of women of accomplishment and of tremendous faith. Never let them down. Never do anything which would weaken the chain of which you are a fundamental part.” (Gordon B. Hinckley, “Chains” (Ricks College devotional, Sep. 7, 1999), video.byui.edu; see also “Ricks College Devotional, September 7, 1999,” Discourses of President Gordon B. Hinckley, Volume 1: 1995–1999 [2005], 471–77.)

“The decisions you make now will determine much of what will follow during your life and throughout eternity.”(For the Strength of Youth (2001), 2.)

Dnc 128:18

18 I might have rendered a plainer translation to this, but it is sufficiently plain to suit my purpose as it stands. It is sufficient to know, in this case, that the earth will be smitten with a curse unless there is a welding link of some kind or other between the fathers and the children, upon some subject or other—and behold what is that subject? It is the baptism for the dead. For we without them cannot be made perfect; neither can they without us be made perfect. Neither can they nor we be made perfect without those who have died in the gospel also; for it is necessary in the ushering in of the dispensation of the fulness of times, which dispensation is now beginning to usher in, that a whole and complete and perfect union, and welding together of dispensations, and keys, and powers, and glories should take place, and be revealed from the days of Adam even to the present time. And not only this, but those things which never have been revealed from the foundation of the world, but have been kept hid from the wise and prudent, shall be revealed unto babes and sucklings in this, the dispensation of the fulness of times.

“There has got to be a welding together and a joining together of parents and children and children and parents until the whole chain of God’s family shall be welded together into one chain, and they shall all become the family of God and His Christ.” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph F. Smith [2011], 411)

“If Elijah had not come, we are led to believe that all the work of past ages would have been of little avail, for the Lord said the whole earth, under such conditions, would be utterly wasted at his coming. Therefore his mission was of vast importance to the world. It is not the question of baptism for the dead alone, but also the sealing of parents and children to parents, so that there should be a ‘whole and complete and perfect union, and welding together of dispensations, and keys, and powers, and glories,’ from the beginning down to the end of time.”(Doctrines of Salvation, 2:121–22.)

Malachi 4

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.

“Some of you are first-generation members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Whether you are a recent or a long-time convert, you are the lifeblood of the Church and the salvation of your present and future families. You are the first link in the chain of your generations.

“Deceased family members who precede you in the chain of your generations are praying for your help, and those who will come after you are counting on your faithfulness. You indeed have the power to become strong welding links. Remember, it begins with you. And with the Lord’s help, you can do it.” (Elder David A. Bednar, “It Begins With You”, ChurchOfJesusChrist.org)

“We certainly were not perfect parents, but we received the spiritual gifts we needed and found ‘help … beyond [our] own.’” 

…

To you who have experienced the heartache of a divorce in your family or felt the agony of violated trust, please remember it begins again with you! One link in the chain of your generations may have been broken, but the other righteous links and what remains of the chain are nonetheless eternally important. You can add strength to your chain and perhaps even help to restore the broken links. That work will be accomplished one by one.

(David A. Bednar, “A Welding Link”, An Evening with Elder David A. Bednar Worldwide Devotional for Young Adults • September 10, 2017 • Apex North Carolina Stake Center)

2 Nephi 2

25 Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy.

26 And the Messiah cometh in the fulness of time, that he may redeem the children of men from the fall. And because that they are redeemed from the fall they have become free forever, knowing good from evil; to act for themselves and not to be acted upon, save it be by the punishment of the law at the great and last day, according to the commandments which God hath given.

Church Services This Week at Oak Ridge Ward Layton North Stake Layton Utah 03 Sep 2017

Bulletin 

“Repentance is a divine process. It is the way we change, grow, and get better through the redeeming and strengthening power of the atonement of Jesus Christ. “ - Elder Kim B Clark 

Sacrament Service 

Testimonies

Sunday School 

How does someone succeed a prophet who has passed away? 

Dnc 128:21

21 And again, the voice of God in the chamber of old Father Whitmer, in Fayette, Seneca county, and at sundry times, and in divers places through all the travels and tribulations of this Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints! And the voice of Michael, the archangel; the voice of Gabriel, and of Raphael, and of divers angels, from Michael or Adam down to the present time, all declaring their dispensation, their rights, their keys, their honors, their majesty and glory, and the power of their priesthood; giving line upon line, precept upon precept; here a little, and there a little; giving us consolation by holding forth that which is to come, confirming our hope!

Dnc 107:20-24

20 The power and authority of the lesser, or Aaronic Priesthood, is to hold the keys of the ministering of angels, and to administer in outward ordinances, the letter of the gospel, the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins, agreeable to the covenants and commandments.

21 Of necessity there are presidents, or presiding officers growing out of, or appointed of or from among those who are ordained to the several offices in these two priesthoods.

22 Of the Melchizedek Priesthood, three Presiding High Priests, chosen by the body, appointed and ordained to that office, and upheld by the confidence, faith, and prayer of the church, form a quorum of the Presidency of the Church.

23 The twelve traveling councilors are called to be the Twelve Apostles, or special witnesses of the name of Christ in all the world—thus differing from other officers in the church in the duties of their calling.

24 And they form a quorum, equal in authority and power to the three presidents previously mentioned.

Elders Quorum 

What signs of the last days have we seen?

Being lax in preparation for disaster or the end times is similar to when the eclipse happened. Many people waited until a couple of days before the eclipse to think about looking for proper sunglasses. Many couldn't find glasses and couldn't see the eclipse. 

The things that we watch or listen to, do they contain profanity, even if no one says swear words in there?