Bulletin
Isaiah 9:6
6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
Sacrament Service
First Speaker
Work and Self Reliance
DnC 60:13
13 Behold, they have been sent to preach my gospel among the congregations of the wicked; wherefore, I give unto them a commandment, thus: Thou shalt not idle away thy time, neither shalt thou bury thy talent that it may not be known.
Next Speaker
“A trek back to our Heavenly Father is the most important trek of our lives, and it continues each day, each week, each month, and each year as we increase our faith in Him and in His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ.
“We must be careful where our footsteps in life take us.” (Elder M. Russell Ballard, “The Trek Continues!”, October 2017 General Conference)
“I want to say right here, that my faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ as taught by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is as strong today, nay, it is if possible stronger than it was the day I was first baptized. I pay my tithes and offerings, keep the word of wisdom, I go to bed early and rise early, I try in my feeble way to set a good example to all.”(Jane Manning James autobiography, ca. 1902, Church History Library, Salt Lake City; see also James Goldberg, “The Autobiography of Jane Manning James,” Dec. 11, 2013, history.lds.org.)
“Many of us are on amazing journeys of discovery—leading to personal fulfillment and spiritual enlightenment. Some of us, however, are on a trek that leads to sorrow, sin, anguish, and despair.
“In this context, please ask yourself: What is your final destination? Where are your footsteps taking you? And is your journey leading you to that ‘multiplicity of blessings’ the Savior has promised?” (Elder M. Russell Ballard, “The Trek Continues!”, October 2017 General Conference)
Next Speaker
“My brothers and sisters, there is no tomorrow to remember if we don’t do something today.”
…
“Let us relish life as we live it, find joy in the journey, and share our love with friends and family. One day each of us will run out of tomorrows.” (President Thomas S. Monson, “Finding Joy in the Journey”, October 2008 General Conference)
Sunday School
Dnc 97:21
21 Therefore, verily, thus saith the Lord, let Zion rejoice, for this is Zion—the pure in heart; therefore, let Zion rejoice, while all the wicked shall mourn.
Moses 7:19
19 And Enoch continued his preaching in righteousness unto the people of God. And it came to pass in his days, that he built a city that was called the City of Holiness, even Zion.
Article of Faith 10
We believe in the literal gathering of Israel and in the restoration of the Ten Tribes; that Zion (the New Jerusalem) will be built upon the American continent; that Christ will reign personally upon the earth; and, that the earth will be renewed and receive its paradisiacal glory.
Hebrews 12:22-23
22 But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,
23 To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,
Even when our lives are busy and hectic, we can feel the spirit, especially in our homes.
The people bring the spirit or drive away the spirit in the home by their choices.
Elders Quorum
My Lesson Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Gordon B Hinckley, Chapter 24
Chapter 24 - The Atonement of Jesus Christ: Vast in Its Reach, Intimate in Its Effect
From the manual:
“On January 1, 2000, President Gordon B. Hinckley led the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in publishing their unified testimony of the Savior. In this message, titled ‘The Living Christ,” they declared: ‘We offer our testimony of the reality of His matchless life and the infinite virtue of His great atoning sacrifice. None other has had so profound an influence upon all who have lived and will yet live upon the earth.’”
In 1995, we had the family proclamation given. Then in 2000 we were given The Living Christ document. One could say that The Living Christ is also a proclamation. Any thoughts on why they were both given around the same time? Any thoughts on why they needed to spell out these things in this way when these doctrines were already given throughout the scriptures and modern revelation?
Perhaps these documents are for a broader audience than those already familiar with scripture and prophets. The prophet is the prophet for the whole earth. Perhaps the message would be more likely revived in a concise document for those not actively studying.
A few months after “The Living Christ” was given, President Hinckley shared some things about The Savior:
“Jesus is my friend.”
“He is my exemplar.”
“He is my healer.”
“He is my leader.”
“He is my Savior and my Redeemer.”
“He is my God and my King.”
“None other can take His place. None other ever will.”
What experiences have you had with Christ that make you think He is my…?
Let’s read about The Savior’s struggle as he played and let’s try to identify with what he was going through in small measure by thinking of our prayers that we pray to Father with the burdens we carry.
Page 325, Heading “Suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane”:
“There followed the suffering of Gethsemane, “which suffering,” He said, “caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit” (D&C 19:18).
“In the Garden of Gethsemane, He suffered so greatly that he sweat drops of blood as He pleaded with His Father. But this was all a part of His great atoning sacrifice.
“[I once sat] in the shadow of an old olive tree [in the Garden of Gethsemane] and read of that terrible wrestling of the Son of God as He faced the certain future, sweating drops of blood and praying to His Father to let the cup pass if it might—but saying, Nevertheless, Thy will be done, not mine. . . . I had an overwhelming feeling that He wasn’t making His plea, He wasn’t facing that ordeal in terms of the physical pain He was about to face, the terrible, brutal crucifixion on the cross. That was part of it, I am sure. But in large measure it was, I think, a sense on His part of His role in the eternal welfare of all of the sons and daughters of God, of all generations of time.
“Everything depended on Him—His atoning sacrifice. That was the key. That was the keystone in the arch of the great plan which the Father had brought forth for the eternal life of His sons and daughters. Terrible as it was to face it, and burdensome as it was to realize it, He faced it, He accomplished it, and it was a marvelous and wonderful thing. It is beyond our comprehension, I believe. Nevertheless, we glimpse it in small part and must learn to appreciate it more and more and more.”
For some reason as. I read this I thought about the ferventness of the Savior’s prayer as compared to how fervent my prayers are not at times.
I also thought about all of the trials I have gone through and him carrying all of those at that time in Gethsemane. I thought of all my sins and the Savior carrying all of those at that time in Gethsemane. I also thought of some people that had struggles more intense than mine and the Savior carrying all of those in addition to mine in Gethsemane. Job, Joseph and the men in Liberty Jail, the saints constantly being moved from placed to place, the sins of Saul and of Alma the younger and of Alma the elder before they repented.
My struggles aren’t anything like The Savior’s, but sometimes they feel very heavy and often it should be necessary to put a lot of effort into praying for understanding of Father’s will.
I thought about the Savior as our example in how to pray. Often we think of that example as being the Lord’s Prayer: “Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.”, but His prayer in the garden seems very instructive as well for determination to get an answer and determination to do God’s will.
It made me ponder on how I go about my prayers when I need an answer or need to get through a struggle. The Savior’s example reminds us that one of the purposes of prayer is to align our will to His, not change His to ours.
It made me reflect on something I heard recently, “You can’t expect a $1000 answer from a 2 cent prayer.”
President Hinckley said - Page 326:
“I remember being with President Harold B. Lee . . . in the Garden of Gethsemane in Jerusalem. We could sense, if only in a very small degree, the terrible struggle that took place there, a struggle so intense, as Jesus wrestled alone in the spirit, that blood came from every pore (see Luke 22:44; D&C 19:18). We recalled the betrayal by one who had been called to a position of trust. We recalled that evil men laid brutal hands upon the Son of God. We recalled that lonely figure on the cross, crying out in anguish, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (Matt. 27:46). Yet, courageously, the Savior of the world moved forward to bring about the Atonement in our behalf.”
No comments:
Post a Comment