Church Services This Week at Oak Ridge Ward Layton North Stake Layton Utah 28 February 2021

 Elders Quorum

The discussion this week on "Recommended to the Lord" By Elder Ronald A. Rasband.  You can find the link to his talk here:

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2020/10/16rasband?lang=eng  

“The doctrine that underlies the work in the holy temple, more than any other thing, sets The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints apart from and transcendent above every other religious organization on the face of the earth.” (President Boyd K. Packer, “Come to the Temple” , Ensign October 2007)

One of the great things of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the fairness to all mankind.  The opportunity that they all have to accept Christ no matter where they lived or when they lived, through temple ordinances.

The opposite of “holy” is “common” or “profane”. - Bible dictionary

The teacher said that when he was a youth that he and some friends went down for general conference.  He said that they ran into President Romney in the Hotel Utah, which is now the Joseph Smith Memorial building. One of his friends asked President Romney if it was true that the East doors of the temple would not be opened until the Savior returns.  President romney clarified that that was not true and that he had walked through them the week before.  The teacher said that we have a lot of rumors and traditions in the Church that are not doctrine.

“In your interview you have the opportunity to search your soul about your personal faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement. You have the blessing to express your testimony of the restored gospel; your willingness to sustain those whom the Lord has called to lead His Church; your faith in the doctrine of the gospel; your fulfillment of family responsibilities; and your qualities of honesty, chastity, fidelity, obedience, and observance of the Word of Wisdom, the law of tithing, and the sanctity of the Sabbath day. Those are bedrock principles of a life devoted to Jesus Christ and His work.” - From the talk

No matter the flaws of a person that the Lord calls, they are still called of God.

“I promise you as an Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ that as you strive to redouble your righteous efforts, you will feel renewed in your devotion to God the Father and Jesus Christ, you will feel an abundance of the Holy Ghost guiding you, you will be grateful for your sacred covenants, and you will feel peace knowing you are ‘recommended to the Lord.’” - from the talk

BLESSINGS OF MONTHLY TEMPLE PARTICIPATIONS 

1. If a man, you will become mighty, if a woman, powerful. 

2. It will serve as great "insurance" for your marriage. 

3. The blessing of the eternal Gods will be called down  upon you, and great spiritual growth will be yours. 

4. Unseen angels will watch over your loved ones when Satanic forces tempt them. 

5. Your families will draw close to the Lord and there will  be no empty chairs in the Celestial Kingdom. 

6. Your children will go on missions.

7.  Your children will get married in the temple. 

8.  The veil will be thin, you will have great spiritual growth and many spiritual experiences will distill on you. 

9.  You will be prepared for exaltation with a celestial body, celestial mind and a celestial personality. 

10. You will become receptive to divine guidance and you will receive spiritual perception to help you grapple with your problems and cares. 

11. You will see clearly how to make critical decisions that  weigh heavily on your mind. 

12. You will become Christ-like. 

Vaughan J. Featherstone; Talk at the Washington DC Temple Dedication

Sacrament Service

First Speaker

Building a fire with green wood is like building a testimony with false teachings.  It will not grow and last.

Next Speaker

“Except in the case of His only perfect Begotten Son, imperfect people are all God has ever had to work with. That must be terribly frustrating to Him, but He deals with it. So should we. And when you see imperfection, remember that the limitation is not in the divinity of the work.” (Elder Jeffrey R. Holland. “Lord, I Believe”, April 2013 General Conference)

Church Services This Week at Oak Ridge Ward Layton North Stake Layton Utah 21 February 2021

 Sunday School

What is a Witness?  What role do they play in God’s work?

“The law of witnesses has always been a part of the Lord’s work on earth. This law states that “in the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established” (2 Cor. 13:1; see also Deut. 17:6; Deut. 19:15; Matt. 18:15–16; John 8:12–29). This witness confirms that certain events took place and that God-given doctrine and principles are true.

“The first duty of a witness is to testify. A person who can testify to the truths of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ is speaking of things he or she knows to be true….

“Orson Pratt said: ‘A person can not be a witness to that which he merely believes. God requires mankind, or certain individuals among mankind, to be witnesses for him—witnesses of his existence—so that they can bear testimony to others’ (in Journal of Discourses, 16:209–10).” (Loren C Dunn, “Witnesses”, October 1995 General Conference)

1 Corinthians 2:12-13

12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.

13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

The eight witnesses may have had more of a physical witness of the BOM and the 3 may have had more of a spiritual witness.

Someone suggested that we don’t have more physical evidence of the things of God, because spiritual witnesses are more effective and physical witnesses are not very effective.

“Becoming Christlike is a lifetime pursuit and very often involves growth and change that is slow, almost imperceptible….
“For every Paul, for every Enos, and for every King Lamoni, there are hundreds and thousands of people who find the process of repentance much more subtle, much more imperceptible. Day by day they move closer to the Lord, little realizing they are building a godlike life. They live quiet lives of goodness, service, and commitment. They are like the Lamanites, who the Lord said “were baptized with fire and with the Holy Ghost, and they knew it not.” (3 Ne. 9:20; italics added.)” (President Ezra Taft Benson. “A Mighty Change of Heart”, Ensign October 1989)

Sacrament Service

First Speaker

A sister that recently returned from a mission to Brazil spoke to us.  She came home early due to Covid-19.

She talked about the chapter in the Preach My Gospel manual “How Do I Develop Christlike Attributes?”.  There are nine Attributes in there (Faith, Hope, Charity and Love, Virtue, Knowledge, Patience, Humility, Diligence, Obedience).

John 15:12-13

12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.

13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

Mosiah 28:3

3 Now they were desirous that salvation should be declared to every creature, for they could not bear that any human soul should perish; yea, even the very thoughts that any soul should endure endless torment did cause them to quake and tremble.

Moroni 7:45

45 And charity suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

Next Speaker

“We achieve that abundant life not by focusing on our own needs or on our own achievements but by becoming true disciples of Jesus Christ—by following in His ways and engaging in His work. We find the abundant life by forgetting ourselves and engaging in the great cause of Christ.

“And what is the cause of Christ? It is to believe in Him, love as He loved, and do as He did.” (Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “Believe, Love, Do”, October 2018 General Conference)

Church Services This Week at Oak Ridge Ward Layton North Stake Layton Utah 14 February 2021

 Elders Quorum

Discussion this week on "Waiting on the Lord" By Elder Jeffrey R. Holland

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2020/10/57holland?lang=eng

This was shared and I think it is an interesting thought to stop and think about a minute."This is where the hike changes from recreational to character building."

“With apologies to Elder Neal A. Maxwell for daring to modify and enlarge something he once said, I too suggest that “one’s life … cannot be both faith-filled and stress-free.” It simply will not work “to glide naively through life,” saying as we sip another glass of lemonade, ‘Lord, give me all thy choicest virtues, but be certain not to give me grief, nor sorrow, nor pain, nor opposition. Please do not let anyone dislike me or betray me, and above all, do not ever let me feel forsaken by Thee or those I love. In fact, Lord, be careful to keep me from all the experiences that made Thee divine. And then, when the rough sledding by everyone else is over, please let me come and dwell with Thee, where I can boast about how similar our strengths and our characters are as I float along on my cloud of comfortable Christianity.’(Elder Jeffrey R. Holland’s modification of Elder Neal A. Maxwell’s text; see Neal A. Maxwell, “Lest Ye Be Wearied and Faint in Your Minds,” Ensign, May 1991, 88.) ” - from the talk

If we want the blessings of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; it seems unlikely that we wouldn’t have to struggle a bit like Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

“My beloved brothers and sisters, Christianity is comforting, but it is often not comfortable. The path to holiness and happiness here and hereafter is a long and sometimes rocky one. It takes time and tenacity to walk it.” - from the talk

Alma 32:40-43

40 And thus, if ye will not nourish the word, looking forward with an eye of faith to the fruit thereof, ye can never pluck of the fruit of the tree of life.

41 But if ye will nourish the word, yea, nourish the tree as it beginneth to grow, by your faith with great diligence, and with patience, looking forward to the fruit thereof, it shall take root; and behold it shall be a tree springing up unto everlasting life.

42 And because of your diligence and your faith and your patience with the word in nourishing it, that it may take root in you, behold, by and by ye shall pluck the fruit thereof, which is most precious, which is sweet above all that is sweet, and which is white above all that is white, yea, and pure above all that is pure; and ye shall feast upon this fruit even until ye are filled, that ye hunger not, neither shall ye thirst.

43 Then, my brethren, ye shall reap the rewards of your faith, and your diligence, and patience, and long-suffering, waiting for the tree to bring forth fruit unto you.

“COVID and cancer, doubt and dismay, financial trouble and family trials. When will these burdens be lifted? The answer is “by and by.” And whether that be a short period or a long one is not always ours to say, but by the grace of God, the blessings will come to those who hold fast to the gospel of Jesus Christ. That issue was settled in a very private garden and on a very public hill in Jerusalem long ago.” - from the talk

Sacrament Service

First Speaker

The covenant path is the path that leads to eternal life.

“I am a BELOVED DAUGHTER of heavenly parents, with a divine nature and eternal destiny. As a disciple of Jesus Christ, I strive to become like Him. I seek and act upon personal revelation and minister to others in His holy name.” - Part of the Young Women Theme

“We were not placed on this earth to walk alone. What an amazing source of power, of strength, and of comfort is available to each of us. He who knows us better than we know ourselves, He who sees the larger picture and who knows the end from the beginning, has assured us that He will be there for us to provide help if we but ask. We have the promise: ‘Pray always, and be believing, and all things shall work together for your good.’” (Thomas S Monson, We Never Walk Alone, October 2013 General Conference)

“I will stand as a witness of God at all times and in all things and in all places.” - Part of the Young Women Theme

My thoughts

{

You do not know who God is working with or how He is working with them.  Don't cause your perception of them or your perception of their situation to get in God's way.

}

“When your home becomes a personal sanctuary of faith—where the Spirit resides—your home becomes the first line of defense.” (Russel M Nelson, “Embrace the Future with Faith”, October 2020 General Conference)

Everyone is on their own journey and their own pace and we need to be patient.

“Our Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ, will perform some of His mightiest works between now and when He comes again. We will see miraculous indications that God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, preside over this Church in majesty and glory. But in coming days, it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting, and constant influence of the Holy Ghost.” (President Russell M. Nelson, “Revelation for the Church, Revelation for Our Lives”, April 2018 General Conference)

Teach kids to work hard, because testimonies are hard work.

“In the gospel of Jesus Christ you have help from both sides of the veil, and you must never forget that. When disappointment and discouragement strike—and they will—you remember and never forget that if our eyes could be opened we would see horses and chariots of fire as far as the eye can see riding at reckless speed to come to our protection. They will always be there, these armies of heaven, in defense of Abraham’s seed.” (Jeffrey R Holland, “For Times of Trouble”, BYU devotional March 18, 1980)

Church Services This Week at Oak Ridge Ward Layton North Stake Layton Utah 7 February 2021

Sunday School

“At least six times in the Book of Mormon, the phrase ‘for a wise purpose’ is used in reference to the making, writing, and preserving of the small plates of Nephi (see 1 Ne. 9:5; W of M 1:7; Alma 37:2, 12, 14, 18). We know one such wise purpose—the most obvious one—was to compensate for the future loss of 116 pages of manuscript translated by the Prophet Joseph Smith from the first part of the Book of Mormon (see D&C 3, 10).

“But it strikes me that there is a ‘wiser purpose’ than that, or perhaps more accurately, a ‘wiser purpose’ in that. The key to such a suggestion is in Doctrine and Covenants 10:45 [D&C 10:45]. As the Lord instructs Joseph Smith on the procedure for translating and inserting the material from the small plates into what had been begun as the translation of the abridged large plates, he says, ‘Behold, there are many things engraven upon the [small] plates of Nephi which do throw greater views upon my gospel’ (emphasis added).

“So clearly this was not a quid pro quo in the development of the final Book of Mormon product. It was not tit for tat, this for that—116 pages of manuscript for 142 pages of printed text. Not so. We got back more than we lost. And it was known from the beginning that it would be so. We do not know exactly what we have missed in the lost 116 pages, but we do know that what we received on the small plates was the personal declarations of three great witnesses, three of the great doctrinal voices of the Book of Mormon, testifying that Jesus is the Christ.”(Elder Jeffrey R Holland, “For a Wise Purpose”, Ensign, Jan 1996, 13-14)

“Unwisely, we often write checks against our time accounts as we never would dare do, comparably, against our bank accounts. Sometimes we make so many commitments that they become like the vines in the allegory of Jacob, threatening to ‘overcome the roots,’ including the ‘roots’ of family relationships, friendships, and relationships with God.

On my office wall is a quote from Anne Morrow Lindbergh: ‘My life cannot implement in action the demands of all the people to whom my heart responds.’ For me, it is a needed reminder. A few years ago, already weary, I foolishly went late one afternoon to two different hospitals to give blessings to three individuals who were dying of cancer. Not only was I worn out, but worse, the last person really didn’t get much from me. Things had not been done in “wisdom and order.” I was running faster than my supply of strength and energy on that occasion. Those blessings would have been better given over two or three days, and I would have had more empathy and energy.” (Elder Neal A. Maxwell, “Wisdom and Order”, Ensign June 1994)

"Comparison is the thief of joy." Eleanor Roosevelt

Responsible delegation means not just throwing it to someone, but following up with them to see if they need help.

DnC 11:12-13

12 And now, verily, verily, I say unto thee, put your trust in that Spirit which leadeth to do good—yea, to do justly, to walk humbly, to judge righteously; and this is my Spirit.

13 Verily, verily, I say unto you, I will impart unto you of my Spirit, which shall enlighten your mind, which shall fill your soul with joy;

Sacrament Service

Repent without being self criticizing.

Heavenly Father is with us in hard times and also in fun times.