Church at Home
The Lord has blessed us to be pretty healthy this winter. He has also so far blessed us to have the things we need during this craziness with the coronavirus. I want to be sure we show gratitude to him by not cutting our home Sacrament meeting too short.
I think we are being prepared for more that is coming and I think we need to take advantage of this time and practice.
In the 70s the Lord gave us FHE for us to learn a little about teaching our families at home. He also counseled us to have food storage to prepare for hard times like losing a job or natural disasters like tornadoes, floods, or viruses.
He gave us home and visiting teaching to teach it to others.
He gave us the Proclamation on the Family in 1995. reinforcing that parents are responsible for teaching their children.
“HUSBAND AND WIFE have a solemn responsibility to love and care for each other and for their children. “Children are an heritage of the Lord” (Psalm 127:3). Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, and to teach them to love and serve one another, observe the commandments of God, and be law-abiding citizens wherever they live. Husbands and wives—mothers and fathers—will be held accountable before God for the discharge of these obligations.”
Later He focused our home and visiting teaching into ministering.
Then he gave us Come Follow Me to learn even more about teaching our families at home, on our own.
Now we have this shut down to give us opportunity to ponder what is coming and remind us to do those things God has already shown us through his prophets. This also gives us opportunity to practice more intently and more focused holding meetings and teaching at home and ministering outside of church.
We read together the section from the new handbook of how the Sacrament is to be administered.
After the sacrament we watched a statement from President Nelson about the COVID-19 virus.
He said, “These unique challenges will pass in due time.”
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“...I see evidence of his hand in this holy work in so many ways.
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“So, during these uncertain times, be comforted by this promise from the Savior, He said, ‘I the Lord am bound when ye do what I say.’. I promise you that joy is always within the reach of everyone who will hear him and obey his laws.
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“...look for opportunities to serve those around you near and far.”
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“temporary changes in our normal routine may allow additional time to experience may help us experience how precious home-centered gospel study can be.”
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“That gospel provides certain hope and help to a troubled world.”
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”And I promise that you will receive comfort and peace as you continue to hear Him.”
We then watched a talk from Neal A Maxwell from October 1982 General Conference, “Be of Good Cheer”.
“My brothers and sisters, we are living in a time in which we shall see things both wonderful and awful. There is no way that we can be a part of the last days and have it otherwise. Even so, we are instructed by our Lord and Exemplar, Jesus Christ, to “be of good cheer.” (D&C 61:36; D&C 78:18.)”
“‘In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33; italics added.)”
“It was the same on another occasion when, of a night, the resurrected Jesus stood by an imprisoned Paul, instructing Paul to be of good cheer. (Acts 23:11.) Once again, the circumstances of the moment included Paul’s having been struck publicly on the mouth by order of Ananias. Forty individuals were plotting his death. He faced a trial for sedition. Why, therefore, should he be of good cheer? Because, Jesus announced, though in bad circumstances, Paul would soon take the good news of the gospel to Rome!”
“Instead, Jesus calls upon us to have a deliberate trust in God’s unfolding purposes, not only for all humankind but for us individually. And we are to be of good cheer in the unfolding process.”
“As with Paul, however, we may be perplexed, but we are not in despair. (See 2 Cor. 4:8.) For if we are prepared spiritually, we need not fear. (See D&C 38:30.)”
“Much sifting will occur because of lapses in righteous behavior which go unrepented of. A few will give up instead of holding out to the end. A few will be deceived by defectors. Likewise, others will be offended, for sufficient unto each dispensation are the stumbling blocks thereof! A few will stumble because, in their preoccupation with the cares of the world, they do not have oil in their lamps. And, again and again, those who refuse to eat their spiritual spinach will come off second when they wrestle with the world. Some, because of the scorn of the world, will grow ashamed and let go of the iron rod. (See 1 Ne. 8:28.) A few who have not been Saints, but merely tourists passing through, will depart from the path. A few, failing to be of good cheer, will even charge God foolishly. (See Job 1:22.)”
“Meanwhile, He who knows the path perfectly has promised, ‘Be of good cheer, for I will lead you along. The kingdom is yours … and the riches of eternity.’ (D&C 78:18.)”
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