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

 Elders Quorum

The discussion this week on Do Justly, Love Mercy, and Walk Humbly with God

By Elder Dale G. Renlund

 

You can find the link to his talk here:

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2020/10/55renlund?lang=eng

James 2:17

17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.

“To be sanctified through the blood of Christ is to become clean, pure, and holy. If justification removes the punishment for past sin, then sanctification removes the stain or effects of sin.” (D Todd Christofferson, “Justification and Sanctification”, Ensign June 2001)

“our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ do not want us to be paralyzed by continual uncertainty during our mortal journey, wondering whether we have done enough to be saved and exalted. They surely do not want us to be tormented by mistakes from which we have repented, thinking of them as wounds that never heal,27 or to be excessively apprehensive that we might stumble again.” (Elder Dale G. Renlund, “Do Justly, Love Mercy, and Walk Humbly with God”, October 2020 General Conference)

Perhaps sanctification is not always an immediate event.  Perhaps it is a process.

Perhaps we are sanctified to the degree where we are at and as we progress we are further sanctified.

Until we reach the final sanctification.

“To have a broken heart and a contrite spirit is to be broken down with deep sorrow for sin, to be 

humbly and thoroughly penitent, to have attained sincere and purposeful repentance. Such a status is a condition precedent to a valid baptism and consequent membership in the earthly kingdom of God. (D. & C. 20:37; 3 Ne. 9:20; 12:19; Moro. 6:2.) Acquirement of a broken heart and a contrite spirit is thus essential to salvation. (Hela. 8:15; Ps. 34:18; D. & C. 97:8.) Indeed, it was primarily for those in this condition of heart and mind that the very atoning sacrifice of Christ was worked out.” (Bruce R McConkie, “Mormon Doctrine”, 116)

Is there a difference between being harrowed and having Christlike sorrow / empathy?  When we feel the sting of our previous sins, maybe we are feeling compassion for those we hurt or others that are hurt in that way.  Or even compassion for others struggling with that sin.  Maybe the pain gives us opportunities to say thank you to the Savior for helping to make right what we did.

Perhaps the pain we feel of previous sin progresses and matures.

One person suggested, “Matthew 14:31- when Peter with tremendous faith was able to walk on water, still he faltered and began to sink. ‘…immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him…’

“Do we stretch forth our hands for Jesus? Peter must have walked with Jesus back to the boat with Jesus’ help.”

Sacrament Service

First Speaker

John 20:13-16

11 ¶ But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre,

12 And seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.

13 And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him.

14 And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus.

15 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away.

16 Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master.

Second Speaker

Charity is the noblest kind of love.

Ether 12:27

27 And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.

Gratitude symbolizes connection.

Gratitude is strongly tied to mental health.

A grateful person copes better with stress.

Gratitude begins with paying attention.

Gratitude brings higher energy levels.

Gratitude increases the capacity to love.

Gratitude allows one to enjoy life, in spite of challenges.

Gratitude is tied to grace.  It allows one to more easily give grace to others.  It also allows us to more easily receive grace from others.

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

 Sunday School

“When visions, dreams, tongues, prophecy, impressions or an extraordinary gift or inspiration convey something out of harmony with the accepted revelations of the Church or contrary to the decisions of its constituted authorities, Latter-day Saints may know that it is not of God, no matter how plausible it may appear. Also, they should understand that directions for the guidance of the Church will come, by revelation, through the head. All faithful members are entitled to the inspiration of the Holy Spirit for themselves, their families, and for those over whom they are appointed and ordained to preside. But anything at discord with that which comes from God through the head of the Church is not to be received as authoritative or reliable. In secular as well as spiritual affairs, Saints may receive Divine guidance and revelation affecting themselves, but this does not convey authority to direct others, and is not to be accepted when contrary to Church covenants, doctrine or discipline, or to known facts, demonstrated truths, or good common sense.”

....

“Be not led by any spirit or influence that discredits established authority, contradicts true scientific principles and discoveries, or leads away from the direct revelations of God for the government of the Church. The Holy Ghost does not contradict its own revealings. Truth is always harmonious with itself. Piety is often the cloak of error. The counsels of the Lord through the channel he has appointed will be followed with safety. Therefore, O! ye Latter-day Saints, profit by these words of warning.” (Joseph F. Smith, Anthon H. Lund, Charles W. Penrose, “A Warning Voice,” Improvement Era, Sept. 1913, 1148–49)

Church Handbook

38.8.45

Seeking Information from Reliable Sources

In today’s world, information is easy to access and share. This can be a great blessing for those seeking to be educated and informed. However, many sources of information are unreliable and do not edify. Some sources seek to promote anger, contention, fear, or baseless conspiracy theories (see 3 Nephi 11:30; Mosiah 2:32). Therefore, it is important that Church members be wise as they seek truth.

Members of the Church should seek out and share only credible, reliable, and factual sources of information. They should avoid sources that are speculative or founded on rumor. The guidance of the Holy Ghost, along with careful study, can help members discern between truth and error (see Doctrine and Covenants 11:12; 45:57). In matters of doctrine and Church policy, the authoritative sources are the scriptures, the teachings of the living prophets, and the General Handbook.

Sacrament Service

First Speaker

The topical guide has many entries on how we can get to know the Savior better.

2 Nephi 25:26

26 And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins.

Put God first in everything.  Before sports.  Before homework.  

Next Speaker

When the Lord has important things to say to his children as a whole, he reveals it to his prophet.

2 Nephi 28:19-20

19 For the kingdom of the devil must shake, and they which belong to it must needs be stirred up unto repentance, or the devil will grasp them with his everlasting chains, and they be stirred up to anger, and perish;

20 For behold, at that day shall he rage in the hearts of the children of men, and stir them up to anger against that which is good.

Amos 8:11-13

11 ¶ Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord:

12 And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, and shall not find it.

13 In that day shall the fair virgins and young men faint for thirst.

Today young people are being led by incorrect and harmful doctrines and are suffering and dying from not partaking of the living waters and chasing around after other solutions to their questions, their pain, and how to live life successfully.

1 Thessalonians 5:18-22

18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

19 Quench not the Spirit.

20 Despise not prophesyings.

21 Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.

22 Abstain from all appearance of evil.

Amos 3:7

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

DnC 21:4-6

4 Wherefore, meaning the church, thou shalt give heed unto all his words and commandments which he shall give unto you as he receiveth them, walking in all holiness before me;

5 For his word ye shall receive, as if from mine own mouth, in all patience and faith.

6 For by doing these things the gates of hell shall not prevail against you; yea, and the Lord God will disperse the powers of darkness from before you, and cause the heavens to shake for your good, and his name’s glory.

DnC 20:26

26 Not only those who believed after he came in the meridian of time, in the flesh, but all those from the beginning, even as many as were before he came, who believed in the words of the holy prophets, who spake as they were inspired by the gift of the Holy Ghost, who truly testified of him in all things, should have eternal life,

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

Elders Quorum

The discussion this week on Becoming like Him By Elder Scott D. Whiting

You can find the talk here:  https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/liahona/2020/11/13whiting?lang=eng

“To even the careful student of the life and ministry of Jesus Christ, the Savior’s admonition to be “even as I am” is daunting and seemingly unattainable. Perhaps you are like me—all too aware of your faults and failings, so you may find it mentally more comfortable to walk a path with no upward incline and little growth. “Surely, this teaching is unrealistic and hyperbole,” we rationalize as we comfortably choose the course of least resistance, thereby burning fewer calories of needed change.

“But what if becoming “even as [He is]” is not figurative, even in our mortal condition? What if it is, to some degree, attainable in this life and, indeed, a prerequisite to being with Him again? What if “even as I am” is exactly and precisely what is meant by the Savior? Then what? What level of effort would we be willing to give to invite His miraculous power into our lives so that we can change our very nature?” - from the talk

“As we ponder having been commanded by Jesus to become like Him, we see that our present circumstance is one in which we are not necessarily wicked, but, rather, is one in which we are so half-hearted and so lacking in enthusiasm for His cause—which is our cause, too! We extol but seldom emulate Him.” (Neal A. Maxwell, Even as I Am (1982), 16.)

“Our Christianity loves its ease and comfort too well to take up anything so rough and heavy as a cross.”(Charles M. Sheldon, In His Steps (1979), 185.)

Someone suggested that if we want to change something, then we should share it with our wives, so they can help us and also help us be accountable.

From Preach My Gospel:
6: How Do I Develop Christlike Attributes?

• Faith in Jesus Christ
  Faith leads to action, including repentance, obedience, and dedicated service. When you have faith in Jesus Christ, you trust the Lord enough to follow His commandments—even when you do not completely understand the reasons for them.

• Hope
  Hope is an abiding trust that the Lord will fulfill His promises to you. It is manifest in confidence, optimism, enthusiasm, and patient perseverance. It is believing and expecting that something will occur. When you have hope, you work through trials and difficulties with the confidence and assurance that all things will work together for your good.

• Charity and Love
  Charity is “the pure love of Christ” (Moroni 7:47). It includes God’s eternal love for all His children. We are to seek to develop that kind of love. When you are filled with charity, you obey God’s commandments and do all you can to serve others and help them receive the restored gospel.
  
  1 Corinthians 13:4-8
  4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,

5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;

6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;

7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

8 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.

Moroni 7:45-47
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.

46 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, if ye have not charity, ye are nothing, for charity never faileth. Wherefore, cleave unto charity, which is the greatest of all, for all things must fail—

47 But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him.

• Virtue
  Virtue originates in your innermost thoughts and desires. It is a pattern of thought and behavior based on high moral standards. Since the Holy Ghost does not dwell in unclean tabernacles, virtue is prerequisite to receiving the Spirit’s guidance. What you choose to think and do when you are alone and you believe no one is watching is a strong measure of your virtue.

• Knowledge

• Patience

• Humility

• Diligence

• Obedience

Developing Christlike Attributes

As you study and seek to develop the attributes described in this chapter and other attributes found in the scriptures, the following pattern may be helpful:

• Identify the attribute you wish to develop.

• Write a definition and description of the attribute.

• Record questions to answer as you study.

• List and study thoroughly passages of scripture that teach about the attribute.

• Record your feelings and impressions.

• Set goals and make plans to apply the attribute in your life.

• Pray for the Lord to help you develop the attribute.

• Evaluate your progress periodically in developing each attribute.

 

Sacrament Service

First Speaker

“Everyone needs good and true friends.” (Friend, For the Strength of Youth)

“To have good friends, be a good friend. Show genuine interest in others; smile and let them know you care about them.” (Friend, For the Strength of Youth)

 

“Alma did rejoice exceedingly to see his brethren; and what added more to his joy, they were still his brethren in the Lord;” (Part of Alma 17:2)

 

Next Speaker

He gave many examples of people ministering to his family by just being friends.

Avoid procrastination like the plague.

If the gospel is making you miserable, then you are doing it wrong.

Matthew 25:40

40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

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

 Sunday School

“Following the apostasy and disintegration of the Church He had organized while on the earth, the Lord reestablished the Church of Jesus Christ once again through the Prophet Joseph Smith. The ancient purpose remains: that is, to preach the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ and administer the ordinances of salvation—in other words, to bring people to Christ.”

...

“How does His Church accomplish the Lord’s purposes? It is important to recognize that God’s ultimate purpose is our progress. His desire is that we continue ‘from grace to grace, until [we receive] a fulness’ of all He can give. That requires more than simply being nice or feeling spiritual. It requires faith in Jesus Christ, repentance, baptism of water and of the Spirit, and enduring in faith to the end. One cannot fully achieve this in isolation, so a major reason the Lord has a church is to create a community of Saints that will sustain one another in the “strait and narrow path which leads to eternal life.” (Elder D. Todd Christofferson, Why the Church, General Conference October 2015)

A broken heart could be looked at like breaking a horse.  We don’t do it to be mean, but it does take work.  You have a much better relationship with the horse after they are broken.

Someone suggested that gratitude is righteous pride.

“The Lord Himself has stated that the Book of Mormon contains the ‘fulness of the gospel of Jesus

Christ.’ (D&C 20:9) That does not mean it contains every teaching, every doctrine ever revealed.

Rather, it means that in the Book of Mormon we will find the fullness of those doctrines required for

our salvation. And they are taught plainly and sim 1y so that even children can learn the ways of

salvation and exaltation. The Book of Mormon offers so much that broadens our understandings of the

doctrines of salvation.  Without it, much of what is taught in other scriptures would not be nearly so

plain and precious” (“The Keystone of Our Religion." Ensign, Jan. 1992, 5).

“In the twentieth section of the Doctrine and Covenants, the Lord devotes several verses to summarizing the vital truths which the Book of Mormon teaches. (See vs. 17–36.) It speaks of God, the creation of man, the Fall, the Atonement, the ascension of Christ into heaven, prophets, faith, repentance, baptism, the Holy Ghost, endurance, prayer, justification and sanctification through grace, and loving and serving God.

“We must know these essential truths. Aaron and Ammon and their brethren in the Book of Mormon taught these same kinds of truths to the Lamanite people (see Alma 18:22–39), who were ‘in the darkest abyss’ (Alma 26:3). After accepting these eternal truths, the Book of Mormon states, those converted Lamanites never did fall away. (See Alma 23:6.)

“If our children and grandchildren are taught and heed these same truths, will they fall away? We best instruct them in the Book of Mormon at our dinner table, by our firesides, at their bedsides, and in our letters and phone calls—in all of our goings and comings” (“A New Witness for Christ,” Ensign, Nov. 1984, 7).

Justification aligns ourselves with Christ.
Sanctification removes the sin.

If the Church is making you sad or miserable, you are not doing it right.