Church Services This Week at Ridge Crest Ward Northridge Stake Layton Utah 31 May 2015

Sacrament Service

Moses 1:39

39 For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.

“Opportunities come, and then they are gone. I believe that among the greatest lessons we are to learn in this short sojourn upon the earth are lessons that help us distinguish between what is important and what is not. I plead with you not to let those most important things pass you by as you plan for that illusive and nonexistent future when you will have time to do all that you want to do. Instead, find joy in the journey—now." (President Thomas S Monson, Finding Joy in the Journey, October 2008 General Conference)

Matthew 22:36-40

36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law?

37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

38 This is the first and great commandment.

39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

Small things in our lives can make big problems for us. We should never stop looking for ways we can improve our obedience to the commandments.

Helaman 5:12

12 And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.

"My beloved brothers and sisters, fear not. Be of good cheer. The future is as bright as your faith." (President Thomas S Monson, Be of Good Cheer, April 2009 General Conference)

Sunday School

My Lesson on reverence

{

What have you learned in your personal gospel study this week?

Have you had any gospel conversations with friends or family that you would like to share?

Did you all hear that Elder Perry died.  Any thoughts?

Did you all go to stake conference a couple weeks ago? What did they talk about in stake conference?

Here are a few things I heard:

They asked the question, "When was the last time you knelt in prayer and asked your father in heaven what he would like you to understand in your patriarchal blessing?"

Have any of you received your patriarchal blessings? What is a patriarchal blessing?

They quoted Bishop Gary E Stevenson, in his April 2014 talk Your Four Minutes

"I express my utmost confidence in your abilities. You have the Savior of the world on your side. If you seek His help and follow His directions, how can you fail?"

The Layton stakes are being shifted from the Ogden temple district to the Bountiful temple district. How do you guys feel about that.

We are going to talk about, "How does reverence help me receive revelation?"

What is reverence?

Psalms 46:10

10 Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.

Part of reverence is being still. Is there more to being still than just folding your arms and keeping your mouth quiet?

With that in mind, think again about "be still... And know that I am God."

Does anyone have the Come Follow Me manual on your device? Have you been to the Come Follow Me web site to see all the things they have there on gospel topics to help youth figure out gospel stuff?

Could someone read the quote on reverence fun the manual?

"When we are reverent, we show our love for God and are better able to receive personal revelation. A reverent attitude helps make us more sensitive to the still, small voice of the Spirit. If we treat sacred things with reverence, Heavenly Father will trust us and reveal to us additional truths."

Why would Heavenly Father wait for us to show reverence for what he has given us before giving us more?

Let's say a parent gives a child a knife when they are old enough and the parent had explained what a knife is, what it does and the consequences of not being careful with it. What if that child starts swinging it around and not respecting that they are holding a knife? Will the parent trust the child with an ax or a gun or even a crystal vase?

These are all things one should be careful with. The parent will likely not only not trust them with other dangerous or fragile things, but the parent will likely take back the thing the kid was entrusted with in the first place.

When we are playing with toys we perhaps can be somewhat casual, but when we are given a knife things just got serious, right?

The same is true of the gospel. We can be joking about video games or movies, but when someone brings up Jesus, things just got serious.  We are much more reverent when the topic of Jesus or other sacred things are brought up.

Give reverence to sacred things

Reverence can mean to hold something sacred.  We give reverence to the temple, the sacrament, and the Savior because these are things that we hold sacred.  Do you have anything else that you hold sacred?

Dnc 63:64

64 Remember that that which cometh from above is sacred, and must be spoken with care, and by constraint of the Spirit; and in this there is no condemnation, and ye receive the Spirit through prayer; wherefore, without this there remaineth condemnation.

Things that come from above must be spoken with  care. What does that mean?

The scripture also says to speak of sacred things by constraint of the spirit. What does that mean?

Some things we only talk about when the spirit tells us to.   What are examples of some sacred things the Lord might ask you not to speak of except when told to by the Spirit.

Things like visions or words of blessings (like patriarchal blessings or guidance received when ordained to a calling).   What about our sins and our repentance process?  Is that sacred? Kind of weird to think of our sins as sacred isn't it?

Nephi was constrained not to write about John's revelation because it was John's calling.

So that is a little about what reverence is, but how can reverence help us receive revelation? What do you think?

Elder Oaks in last general conference had this to say about having reverence for the Sacrament :

"If the emblems of the sacrament are being passed and you are texting or whispering or playing video games or doing anything else to deny yourself essential spiritual food, you are severing your spiritual roots."

When we are irreverent when we ought to be paying close attention we are disconnecting from the spirit. What is critical to receiving revelation?... The spirit or the Holy Ghost, right?

So reverence helps us lock into the Holy Ghost and prepare to receive revelation.

Have any of you have experienced receiving inspiration from the Holy Ghost when you have been reverent that you would like to share?

Look up  reverence and revelation in true to the Faith and have class read.

}

Elders Quorum

The lesson was based on Elder David A Bednar, Therefore They Hushed Their Fears, April 2015 General Conference

Mosiah 23:27-28

27 But Alma went forth and stood among them, and exhorted them that they should not be frightened, but that they should remember the Lord their God and he would deliver them.

28 Therefore they hushed their fears, and began to cry unto the Lord that he would soften the hearts of the Lamanites, that they would spare them, and their wives, and their children.

What simple things in our lives are we refusing to do or give up and passing on a greater reward?

The wise man built his house upon a rock.   When we went to the beach we saw the water come in where we were standing and when it receded our feet started to slide and the water started to suck us out.

Endurance vs disciplined endurance. You can come to church and not do anything that would get you kicked out, but without engaging and magnifying or callings and stewardship then it is just endurance.

Church Services This Week at Ridge Crest Ward Northridge Stake Layton Utah 28 December 2014

Elders Quorum

Tad R Callister October 2014 General  Conference talk, “Parents: The Prime Gospel Teachers of Their Children”

Are schools and churches capable of teaching a child everything he needs to be successful in life?

The teacher said that he served his mission in the ghettos of Philadelphia and each family had satellite or cable TV.

He read a sorry from the talk of a mother raising her kids in the Detroit ghettos.   She was a maid for several affluent people and she noticed that they all had libraries in their homes.   She went home and turned off the TV and started buying them books.

In the home kids can be taught one on one much more often than at school or church. At home we are also not bound by a curriculum.   We can tailor lessons to the needs of the child.   Curriculum is critical in those other environment for learning to occurring in those settings.

Enos 1:3 -  wiki raising children

3 Behold, I went to hunt beasts in the forests; and the words which I had often heard my father speak concerning eternal life, and the joy of the saints, sunk deep into my heart.

He had often heard his father speak.

"I remember my father stretched out by the fireplace, reading the scriptures and other good books, and I would stretch out by his side. I remember the cards he would keep in his shirt pocket with quotes of the scriptures and Shakespeare and new words that he would memorize and learn. I remember the gospel questions and discussions at the dinner table." (Elder Callister)

Sunday School

My lesson on identify sacred things and treat them with reverence.

{

Have you had any questions come up in your personal study of the gospel that you would like to ask our discuss?

We are going to talk about having reverence for sacred things today.

What is reverence? Is it slightly different for a toddler than for a primary kid than for teenagers and adults?

A toddler might have good reverence if they fold their arms and be quiet.

A primary child might have good reverence if they find their arms, be quiet and she still.

How should our reverence be as those who have matured beyond a primary child?

What things should we have reverence for?

D&C 63:61

61 Wherefore, let all men beware how they take my name in their lips—

The lesson mentions that we should all be mindful that the names of Deity are sacred and that we should use them with reverence and respect.

What are examples of ways we should be cautious of how we take the lord's name to our lips?

-profanity

-blessing the sacrament when we are not worthy.

-partaking of the sacrament casually. Without thinking of the Savior and recommitting  to be better.

The names of Deity are sacred.   What does it mean for something to be sacred?

Elder Paul B Pieper, To Hold Sacred, General Conference April 2012

“Sacred means worthy of veneration and respect. By designating something as sacred, the Lord signals that it is of higher value and priority than other things. Sacred things are to be treated with more care, given greater deference, and regarded with deeper reverence. Sacred ranks high in the hierarchy of heavenly values.”

There are times we show extra reverence. One time would be when talking about Deity or when using their names.

Back in olden times you didn't speak the name of Jehovah ever.

Why should we be reverent when speaking of God?

There are things that are so important or sacred to us that we show reverence when they are discussed or what we are in their presence.

Here are a some scriptures that talk about being cautious as we speak of sacred things.

3 Nephi 26:9-11

9 And when they shall have received this, which is expedient that they should have first, to try their faith, and if it shall so be that they shall believe these things then shall the greater things be made manifest unto them.

10 And if it so be that they will not believe these things, then shall the greater things be withheld from them, unto their condemnation.

11 Behold, I was about to write them, all which were engraven upon the plates of Nephi, but the Lord forbade it, saying: I will try the faith of my people.

Alma 12:9-11

9 And now Alma began to expound these things unto him, saying: It is given unto many to know the mysteries of God; nevertheless they are laid under a strict command that they shall not impart only according to the portion of his word which he doth grant unto the children of men, according to the heed and diligence which they give unto him.

10 And therefore, he that will harden his heart, the same receiveth the lesser portion of the word; and he that will not harden his heart, to him is given the greater portion of the word, until it is given unto him to know the mysteries of God until he know them in full.

11 And they that will harden their hearts, to them is given the lesser portion of the word until they know nothing concerning his mysteries; and then they are taken captive by the devil, and led by his will down to destruction. Now this is what is meant by the chains of hell.

Sacred things are withheld from those that are not prepared partially because with great power or knowledge comes great responsibility and they will be accountable for what they know.  They are also withheld because sacred things diminish in value to those that receive them when treated lightly.

What are some other things that are sacred and we’ll talk about what makes each one sacred and why we should pay close attention and up our reverence when they are discussed or when they are near?

How about the temple,  the Chapel , the sacrament, spiritual experiences, the Sabbath, our repentance and our sins, and the priesthood?  How about womanhood?

Womanhood

“Woman is God’s supreme creation. Only after the earth had been formed, after the day had been separated from the night, after the waters had been divided from the land, after vegetation and animal life had been created, and after man had been placed on the earth, was woman created; and only then was the work pronounced complete and good.” (President Gordon B Hinckley, “Our Responsibility to Our Young Women”, Ensign September 1988)

This type of talk might cause girls or women to gloat a bit and say, “That’s right women are the best.” or “Girl Power!”  Does that type of talk treat womanhood with respect and reverence and as something sacred or does it treat it with contention and arrogance?

What are some ways that men show their reverence for womanhood?

Do your fathers require you to show respect to your mother?  It is my opinion that all women are mothers.  I think this is supported by the fact that the Church gives gifts to all women on Mother’s Day.

What are some ways that women show their reverence for womanhood?

How do we treat something that is sacred?  How do we act around something that is sacred?

When we give reverence to sacred things we are more able to hear the promptings of the Holy Ghost.  The act of giving reverence is giving focused respectful attention to something.  This means that other distractions are blocked out.  This means that our agendas and pleasures are postponed or disregarded entirely.

The Sabbath

Why is the Sabbath sacred?

How do we treat the Sabbath as sacred.

The Chapel

Why is the chapel sacred?

How do we treat the chapel as sacred?

The Priesthood

Why is the priesthood sacred?

How do we treat the priesthood as sacred?

}

Sacrament Service

A young man recently called to serve a mission to Little Rock, Arkansas spoke to us.

Church Services This Week at Sullivan Hollow Second Ward Weber Heights Stake Ogden Utah 5-17-09

Elders Quorum
There are things that we would consider a persecution with the way certain people address our ideas and ideals. Do we do the same to others with the way we communicate about their ideas? How do we stand up for what is right and against what is wrong without attacking?

"What is man that the servant of God should fear him," (Letter from Joseph Smith and his counselors in the First Presidency to Heber C. Kimball and Brigham Young, Jan. 16, 1839, Liberty Jail, Liberty, Missouri, Church Archives)

Sunday School

Malachi 4
5 ¶ Behold, I will ^asend you ^bElijah the prophet ^cbefore the coming of the ^dgreat and dreadful ^eday of the Lord:

6 And he shall ^aturn the ^bheart of the ^cfathers to the ^dchildren, and the heart of the ^echildren to their fathers, lest I come and ^fsmite the ^gearth with a ^hcurse.

The Kirkland temple was a meeting place with a few more functions than we see today in meeting houses and less functions than we see in subsequent temples. There were no endowment or sealing rooms since those ordinances had not been revealed yet. The Kirkland temple could perhaps be termed a preparatory temple. The Lord taught the early saints line upon line what to do with the temple.

The Kirkland temple was built because the prophet needed a place to teach the people and the Lord needed a place to teach the prophet and the people. That temple was a little like a temple, a tabernacle, and a meetinghouse all-in-one.

Sacrament Service
1 Nephi 3:7 is an example of obedience to parents and God.
7 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto my father: I ^awill go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no ^bcommandments unto the children of men, save he shall ^cprepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them.

A missionary that just returned from Rochester, New York spoke.

Being reverent is more than being quiet. "Reverence is profound respect mingled with love," (David O. McKay, in Conference Report, Apr. 1967, 86)

Sunday's a different day. We do different things. We do things that draw us nearer to Christ. Even though we do that on other days, on Sunday it is our primary, and as much as possible, our only focus.

Satan creates a lot of noise in our lives that we can get too distracted to hear the spirit.

Doctrine and Covenants 9: 8
8 But, behold, I say unto you, that you must ^astudy it out in your ^bmind; then you must ^cask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your ^dbosom shall ^eburn within you; therefore, you shall ^ffeel that it is right.

Doctrine and Covenants 25:10
10 And verily I say unto thee that thou shalt lay aside the ^athings of this ^bworld, and ^cseek for the things of a ^dbetter.

Every good team needs a good coach.

When we come to church we should wear of the best clothes we have. Whatever our best is that is what we should be wearing.

From the Bulletin
We attend church to renew our covenants and to worship God, but our worship is genuine and meaningful only if we do it with an attitude of reverence. Such an attitude can also impact others who attend meetings with us. President Packer said, “Our sacrament and other meetings need renewed attention to assure that they are truly worship services in which members may be spiritually nourished and have their testimonies replenished and in which investigators may feel the inspiration essential to spiritual conversion.” 8

Feelings of reverence ought to be maintained at all times while at church, but particularly during the sacrament. Respectful, contemplative silence should be the norm. Elder Vaughn J. Featherstone of the Seventy commented: “We must prepare and then partake with a broken heart and contrite spirit. The spiritual preparation we make to partake of the sacrament is essential to receiving a remission of our sins.” 9

Priesthood holders who participate in this sacred ordinance should be especially mindful of the need to be reverent. I remember with a smile an incident from my youth when my father demonstrated his belief in this principle. I was a priest at the sacrament table, and my brother Marvin, a deacon, was sitting on the front row directly in front of me. As the bishop began the meeting by sharing the announcements, Marvin and another deacon continued to carry on an intense conversation. Suddenly, my father rose from his bench in the middle of the chapel, made his way to the aisle, and strode toward the front of the chapel. Poor Bishop Powell stopped speaking as my father walked to the front row and firmly took hold of my brother’s arm, stood him up, and escorted him back to the bench where our family was sitting. The bishop then continued with the announcements. I remember a very quiet congregation after that—particularly the row of deacons in front of me. From that time forth, my brother sat quietly in sacrament meeting and was especially reverent when performing his sacramental responsibilities. (Elder Keith L. Smith, "Reverence", Ensign 2003 July)

General Conference Saturday Morning Session 4-4-09

President Thomas S. Monson - Welcome to Conference
"Because of the passing of Elder Wirthlin, there exists a vacancy in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. After much fasting and prayer, we have called Elder Neil Linden Andersen to fill this vacancy."

"We now have approximately 53,000 missionaries serving in 348 missions throughout the world."

"The Perpetual Education Fund, established in 2001, continues to move forward. Since its inception, 35,600 young men and young women have been enrolled in the program and have trained to improve their skills and their employment opportunities. Thus far, 18,900 have finished that training. On average, with the 2.7 years of education they are now receiving, they are increasing their income by three to four times."

Elder Robert D. Hales - Becoming Provident Providers: Temporally and Spiritually
"Today I speak to all whose freedom to choose has been diminished by the effects of ill-advised choices of the past. I speak specifically of choices that have led to excessive debt and addictions to food, drugs, pornography, and other patterns of thought and action that diminish one’s sense of self-worth. All of these excesses affect us individually and undermine our family relationships."

"..additional debt is incurred when we cannot control our wants and addictive impulses."

"Being provident providers, we must keep that most basic commandment, 'Thou shalt not covet'(Exodus 20:17). Our world is fraught with feelings of entitlement."

"...we go into debt to buy...things we do not really need." "We give away some of our precious, priceless agency and put ourselves in self-imposed servitude."

"When our boys were young, we had a family council and set a goal to take a 'dream vacation' down the Colorado River. When any of us wanted to buy something during the next year, we would ask each other, 'Do we really want to buy that thing now, or do we want to take our dream trip later?' This was a wonderful teaching experience in choosing provident living. By not satisfying our every immediate want, we obtained the more desirable reward of family togetherness and fond memories for years to come."

"...addiction is the craving of the natural man, and it can never be satisfied."

“Wherefore, do not spend money for that which is of no worth, nor your labor for that which cannot satisfy. Hearken diligently unto me, and remember the words which I have spoken; and come unto the Holy One of Israel, and feast upon that which perisheth not, neither can be corrupted” (2 Nephi 9:51).

Sister Margaret S. Lifferth - Respect and Reverence
"...reverence for God is strengthened as we show respect for each other."

"Ask yourself these questions: Am I an example of respect in my home by the way I treat those I love the most? What is my demeanor during a sports event? If my child has a disagreement with a teacher, coach, or peer, do I listen to both sides of the issue? Do I show respect for the property of others as well as take care of my own? How do I respond to others with whom I disagree in matters of religion, lifestyle, or politics?"

"Reverence is profound respect mingled with love."(David O. McKay, in Conference Report, Apr. 1967, 86.)

"Reverence Invites Revelation." (Boyd K. Packer, "Reverence Invites Revelation," Ensign, Nov. 1991, 21–23.)

"...reverence will increase if our socializing is done in the foyer and if sacrament meeting begins with the prelude music, not the opening prayer."

"Texting or reading e-mails in a Church meeting is not only irreverent, it is distracting and signals a lack of respect for those around us. So we exemplify reverence by participating in the meeting, listening to the speakers, and singing the hymns of Zion together."

Michael A. Neider - Revealed Quorum Principles
"As bearers of the holy priesthood, we should see that the sisters are not the only examples of virtue. "

"And let every man ^aesteem his brother as himself, and practise ^bvirtue and holiness before me." (Doctrine and Covenants 38:24)

"Brethren, we should be earnest students of revealed priesthood and quorum principles."

"Teaching of fundamentals is urgent. That we might better understand our task and our opportunity" (Thomas S. Monson, "Back to Basics," regional representative's seminar, Apr. 3, 1981, 2. )

"Bishops, do not overlook the strength and skill of your Aaronic Priesthood quorum and Young Women class presidencies."

Allen F. Packer - Finding Strength in Challenging Times!
"We must know—and know that we know."

"As we tugged back and forth, amid all the noise I heard a voice yelling, 'Packer, tackle him!' That was enough to bring me to my senses, so I dropped him on the spot.

I have wondered how I heard that voice above all the other noise. I had become acquainted with the voice of the coach during the practices, and I had learned to trust it. I knew that what he taught worked.

We need to be acquainted with the promptings of the Holy Ghost, and we need to practice and apply gospel teachings until they become natural and automatic."

“A testimony of the gospel is a personal witness borne to our souls by the Holy Ghost that certain facts of eternal significance are true and that we know them to be true." (Dallin H. Oaks, “Testimony,” Liahona and Ensign, May 2008, 26.)

"Testimony is to know and to feel, conversion is to do and to become.” (Dallin H. Oaks, quoted in Kenneth Johnson, “Coming to Know for Ourselves,” Ensign, July 2008, 29)

"This witness is not limited to the leaders but is available to all men, women, youth, and even little children. Having the capacity to receive personal inspiration will be necessary in the coming days."

Elder D. Todd Christofferson - The Power of Covenants
3 Nephi 27:20
20 Now this is the commandment: ^aRepent, all ye ends of the earth, and come unto me and be ^bbaptized in my name, that ye may be ^csanctified by the reception of the Holy Ghost, that ye may stand ^dspotless before me at the last day.

"Our access to [moral and spiritual] power is through our covenants with [God]. A covenant is an agreement between God and man, an accord whose terms are set by God"

"Divine covenants make strong Christians."

Elder Henry B. Eyring - Adversity
"Particularly when the comfortable times have gone on for a while, the arrival of suffering or the loss of material security can bring fear and sometimes even anger."

"The very opportunity for us to face adversity and affliction is part of the evidence of Their infinite love. God gave us the gift of living in mortality so that we could be prepared to receive the greatest of all the gifts of God, which is eternal life."

Doctrine and Covenants 121:7-8,10
“My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment;
“And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy foes.
“Thou art not yet as Job;”