Church Services This Week at Oak Ridge Ward Layton North Stake Layton Utah 27 Mar 2022

Sacrament Service
First Speaker
The Army of Helaman were not military-trained. They were also outnumbered. They should not have won.

Why Helaman's Army won :

• Alma 53:20 

20 And they were all young men, and they were exceedingly valiant for courage, and also for strength and activity; but behold, this was not all—they were men who were true at all times in whatsoever thing they were entrusted.

• Alma 56:47-48

47 Now they never had fought, yet they did not fear death; and they did think more upon the liberty of their fathers than they did upon their lives; yea, they had been taught by their mothers, that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them.

48 And they rehearsed unto me the words of their mothers, saying: We do not doubt our mothers knew it

• Alma 57:21

21 Yea, and they did obey and observe to perform every word of command with exactness; yea, and even according to their faith it was done unto them; and I did remember the words which they said unto me that their mothers had taught them.

There's a difference between conflict and bullying. 

Next Speaker 

Endowment can mean gift. 

Matthew 16:19

19 And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

Elders Quorum

Discussion was on The Temple and Your Spiritual Foundation  By President Russell M. Nelson

"If you and I are to withstand the forthcoming perils and pressures, it is imperative that we each have a firm spiritual foundation built upon the rock of our Redeemer, Jesus Christ."

"We are sparing no effort to give this venerable temple, which had become increasingly vulnerable, a foundation that will withstand the forces of nature into the Millennium. In like manner, it is now time that we each implement extraordinary measures—perhaps measures we have never taken before—to strengthen our personal spiritual foundations. Unprecedented times call for unprecedented measures."

Doctrine and Covenants 38:30

30 I tell you these things because of your prayers; wherefore, treasure up wisdom in your bosoms, lest the wickedness of men reveal these things unto you by their wickedness, in a manner which shall speak in your ears with a voice louder than that which shall shake the earth; but if ye are prepared ye shall not fear.

Dnc 132:15-16

15 Therefore, if a man marry him a wife in the world, and he marry her not by me nor by my word, and he covenant with her so long as he is in the world and she with him, their covenant and marriage are not of force when they are dead, and when they are out of the world; therefore, they are not bound by any law when they are out of the world.

16 Therefore, when they are out of the world they neither marry nor are given in marriage; but are appointed angels in heaven, which angels are ministering servants, to minister for those who are worthy of a far more, and an exceeding, and an eternal weight of glory.

"The spirit in each of us naturally yearns for family love to last forever. Love songs perpetuate a false hope that love is all you need if you want to be together forever. And some erroneously believe that the Resurrection of Jesus Christ provides a promise that all people will be with their loved ones after death." (President Russell M. Nelson, “Come, Follow Me”, April 2019 General Conference)

Church Services This Week at Oak Ridge Ward Layton North Stake Layton Utah 20 Mar 2022

Sacrament Service
First Speaker
A sister that recently returned from the Albuquerque New Mexico Mission spoke to us.

"God loves you and all His children. He is anxious to support you in your practical and specific challenges. You have been promised inspiration to know what to do and have been given the power to do it (see Doctrine and Covenants 43:15–16). He will help you as you try to recognize and understand the Spirit through diligent scripture study. He will guide you to people who will receive the message of the Restoration. He will give you power to deliver the message and to testify of Christ and His gospel. He will shower His blessings upon you through the gift of the Holy Ghost. He asks that you remain worthy of this gift and that you ask, seek, and knock (see Doctrine and Covenants 4:7; Matthew 7:7–8)." (“Preach My Gospel”, Chapter 4 - “How Do I Recognize and Understand the Spirit?”

1 Nephi 3:7

7 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto my father: I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them.

Next  Speaker

“Meanwhile, the work of the Lord is steadily moving forward. Amid social distancing, face masks, and Zoom meetings, we have learned to do some things differently and some even more effectively. Unusual times can bring unusual rewards." (President Russell M Nelson, “Moving Forward”, October 2020 General Conference)

Doctrine and Covenants 84:88

88 And whoso receiveth you, there I will be also, for I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up.

Doctrine and Covenants 8:2

2 Yea, behold, I will tell you in your mind and in your heart, by the Holy Ghost, which shall come upon you and which shall dwell in your heart.

“There are two parts to your nature—your temporal body born of mortal parents, and your immortal spirit within. You are a son or daughter of God.

“Physically you can see with eyes and hear with ears and touch and feel and learn. Through your intellect, you learn most of what you know about the world in which we live.

“But if you learn by reason only, you will never understand the Spirit and how it works—regardless of how much you learn about other things.” (President Boyd K. Packer, “Personal Revelation:” , October 1994 General Conference)

“We all know that human judgment and logical thinking will not be enough to get answers to the questions that matter most in life. We need revelation from God. And we will need not just one revelation in a time of stress, but we need a constantly renewed stream. We need not just one flash of light and comfort, but we need the continuing blessing of communication with God.” ()

"We all know that human judgment and logical thinking will not be enough to get answers to the questions that matter most in life. We need revelation from God. And we will need not just one revelation in a time of stress, but we need a constantly renewed stream. We need not just one flash of light and comfort, but we need the continuing blessing of communication with God."  (President Henry B. Eyring, “Continuing Revelation”, October 2014 General Conference)

Sunday School 

"Remember, heaven is filled with those who have this in common: They are forgiven. And they forgive." (President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “The Merciful Obtain Mercy”, April 2012 General Conference)

Church Services This Week at Oak Ridge Ward Layton North Stake Layton Utah 13 Mar 2022

Sacrament Service

A sister got her mission call to the Philippines speaking Tagalog. 

First Speaker

Do you know when your temple recommend expires? 

Do our testimonies waiver in certain areas of God's work (family history, temple work, missionary work)? 

Instead of scrolling on Facebook, how about scrolling stories about deceased ancestors. 

How many of our deceased ancestors have been impacted by COVID? 

Next Speaker 

There are struggles you don't have to deal with, if we abide by the teachings of the Church and Christ. 

Elders Quorum

What percentage of the information you consume comes from a gospel source?

Church Services This Week at Oak Ridge Ward Layton North Stake Layton Utah 6 Mar 2022

Sacrament Service

The atonement is not just for repentance.  It is also for times like when you are feeling anxiety or depression.  Also times like when you are in the hospital and feeling low.

Mosiah 3:19 tells us that the atonement also helps us overcome our natural tendencies that weaken us.

19 For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father.

Sunday School

Young Men Teacher Council

We held teacher councils today with the youth.  I lead the discussion with the young men.

We talked about how we can be sensitive to those in the class that share things close to their heart.  We also talked about that sometimes the teacher will also share something close to their heart and we should be respectful of that as well.

Church Services This Week at Oak Ridge Ward Layton North Stake Layton Utah 27 Feb 2022

Sacrament Service

First Speaker

DnC 49:17 - before the world was made.

17 And that it might be filled with the measure of man, according to his creation before the world was made.

Moses 1:39

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

Next Speaker

Alma 32:21

21 And now as I said concerning faith—faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true.

Hope precedes faith and faith is the action that makes it a reality.

“May we press forward with love in our hearts, walking in the ‘brightness of hope’ that lights the path of holy anticipation we have been on now for 200 years. I testify that the future is going to be as miracle-filled and bountifully blessed as the past has been. We have every reason to hope for blessings even greater than those we have already received because this is the work of Almighty God, this is the Church of continuing revelation, this is the gospel of Christ’s unlimited grace and benevolence.” (Elder Jeffrey R Holland, “A Perfect Brightness of Hope”, April 2020 General Conference)

Next Speaker

He shared several interactions he had with different prophets throughout his life and work as a physician.

Mosiah 2:11

11 But I am like as yourselves, subject to all manner of infirmities in body and mind; yet I have been chosen by this people, and consecrated by my father, and was suffered by the hand of the Lord that I should be a ruler and a king over this people; and have been kept and preserved by his matchless power, to serve you with all the might, mind and strength which the Lord hath granted unto me.

Sunday School

“Thus a complete restoration was required. God the Father and Jesus Christ called upon the Prophet Joseph Smith to be the prophet of this dispensation. All divine powers of previous dispensations were to be restored through him. This dispensation of the fulness of times would not be limited in time or in location. It would not end in apostasy, and it would fill the world.” (Elder Russell M. Nelson, “The Gathering of Scattered Israel”, October 2006 General Conference)

“Are you willing to have your will swallowed up in His?”

…

“When your greatest desire is to let God prevail, to be part of Israel, so many decisions become easier. So many issues become nonissues! You know how best to groom yourself. You know what to watch and read, where to spend your time, and with whom to associate. You know what you want to accomplish. You know the kind of person you really want to become.” (President Russell M. Nelson, “Let God Prevail”, October 2020 General Conference)

Church Services This Week at Oak Ridge Ward Layton North Stake Layton Utah 20 Feb 2022

Ward Conference

Sacrament Service

First Speaker

Declare the truths that are in Christ.

Enos 1:26

26 And I saw that I must soon go down to my grave, having been wrought upon by the power of God that I must preach and prophesy unto this people, and declare the word according to the truth which is in Christ. And I have declared it in all my days, and have rejoiced in it above that of the world.

“My dear brothers and sisters, the joy we feel has little to do with the circumstances of our lives and everything to do with the focus of our lives.” (President Russell M. Nelson, “Joy and Spiritual Survival”, October 2016 General Conference)

“Saints can be happy under every circumstance. We can feel joy even while having a bad day, a bad week, or even a bad year!” (President Russell M. Nelson, “Joy and Spiritual Survival”, October 2016 General Conference)

Make the Savior the center of our life and not just have him on the periphery.

Matthew 5:14-16

14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.

15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.

16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

Duty and love are mutually sustaining.

Next Speaker

Gen 3:1

1 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

Satan manipulates us step by step.  Hiding the putrid while accentuating the appealing.

Live in the world and not of the world.

Is it possible for us to stand in the lion’s den and have angels come and stand with us?  Is it possible to be in the furnace and have angels protect us so that we don’t even smell of smoke?

Anchor yourself in the rock of Jesus Christ.

Relief Society

“There has never been a time in the history of the world when knowledge of our Savior is more personally vital and relevant to every human soul. Imagine how quickly the devastating conflicts throughout the world—and those in our individual lives—would be resolved if we all chose to follow Jesus Christ and heed His teachings.” (President Russell M. Nelson, “Pure Truth, Pure Doctrine, and Pure Revelation”, October 2021 General Conference)

There is such a thing as right and wrong.

Alma 32

26 Now, as I said concerning faith—that it was not a perfect knowledge—even so it is with my words. Ye cannot know of their surety at first, unto perfection, any more than faith is a perfect knowledge.

27 But behold, if ye will awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words.

28 Now, we will compare the word unto a seed. Now, if ye give place, that a seed may be planted in your heart, behold, if it be a true seed, or a good seed, if ye do not cast it out by your unbelief, that ye will resist the Spirit of the Lord, behold, it will begin to swell within your breasts; and when you feel these swelling motions, ye will begin to say within yourselves—It must needs be that this is a good seed, or that the word is good, for it beginneth to enlarge my soul; yea, it beginneth to enlighten my understanding, yea, it beginneth to be delicious to me.

29 Now behold, would not this increase your faith? I say unto you, Yea; nevertheless it hath not grown up to a perfect knowledge.

The scriptures define the doctrine of Christ as exercising faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repenting, being baptized, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end.

“We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.” —Articles of Faith 1:4

Church Services This Week at Oak Ridge Ward Layton North Stake Layton Utah 13 Feb 2022

Sacrament Service 

First Speaker

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.

“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)

Next Speaker

Mosiah 18:21

21 And he commanded them that there should be no contention one with another, but that they should look forward with one eye, having one faith and one baptism, having their hearts knit together in unity and in love one towards another.

John 13:34

34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

“How grateful we are for the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. It tells us who we are. When we understand our relationship to God, we also understand our relationship to one another.” (Elder Dallin H. Oaks, “The Gospel Culture”, Ensign March 2012)

There is a divine pattern of loving each other and the Lord.

Next Speaker

Alma 37

35 O, remember, my son, and learn wisdom in thy youth; yea, learn in thy youth to keep the commandments of God.

Mosiah 2:17

17 And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.

Teacher Council (Sunday School)

Charity and Students that Don’t Participate or Are Unruly

When a kid is off topic or disruptive, attempt to take one thing they are saying and turn it into something relevant or at least instructive.

Don’t be laser focused on having to cover the material from the lesson.  Be aware of the needs of your students.  There may be something a student or the class is dealing with that you may be able to address for them.

Church Services This Week at Oak Ridge Ward Layton North Stake Layton Utah 6 Feb 2022

Sacrament Service

Be thankful for people that don’t pretend to be saints, but truly try to be saints.  Do your best to be one of those people.

Sunday School 

The book of Genesis covers a third of human time. Interesting that the book of Revelation as it describes the times of man doesn't spend much time on that time period either. 

Noah is the angel Gabriel. He appeared to Daniel, Zachariah, Mary, and Joseph Smith. 

Noah is the first prophet that did not know Adam. 

Noah had been preaching repentance for a hundred years and warning of what was coming.  His ministry was not a failure. Many were translated during that time. Many more did not listen, but he gave them opportunity and perhaps gave them something to ponder on the way out of this life for Christ to be able to teach them when separated from the temptations of the time that they lived. 

The flood was an act of mercy and love.

Church Services This Week at Oak Ridge Ward Layton North Stake Layton Utah 30 Jan 2022

Sacrament Service

First Speaker 

Doctrine and Covenants 6

4 Yea, whosoever will thrust in his sickle and reap, the same is called of God.

5 Therefore, if you will ask of me you shall receive; if you will knock it shall be opened unto you.

Doctrine and Covenants 42:61

61 If thou shalt ask, thou shalt receive revelation upon revelation, knowledge upon knowledge, that thou mayest know the mysteries and peaceable things—that which bringeth joy, that which bringeth life eternal.

Yoke ourselves to God and Jesus.

“You come unto Christ to be yoked with Him and with His power, so that you’re not pulling life’s load alone. You’re pulling life’s load yoked with the Savior and Redeemer of the world, and suddenly your problems, no matter how serious they are, become lighter.” (Elder Russell M. Nelson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, “The Mission and Ministry of the Savior,” Ensign, June 2005, 18.)

Mosiah 2:22

22 And behold, all that he requires of you is to keep his commandments; and he has promised you that if ye would keep his commandments ye should prosper in the land; and he never doth vary from that which he hath said; therefore, if ye do keep his commandments he doth bless you and prosper you.

Sometimes it's not the words that are said but the revelation we get while reading or hearing them. Things like scriptures, patriarchal blessings, talks,etc.

1 Nephi 8:23 - The Mist Of Darkness is Temptation

23 And it came to pass that there arose a mist of darkness; yea, even an exceedingly great mist of darkness, insomuch that they who had commenced in the path did lose their way, that they wandered off and were lost.

Doctrine and Covenants 88:83

83 He that seeketh me early shall find me, and shall not be forsaken.

Next Speaker

Genesis 1:1

1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

Moses 1:32

32 And by the word of my power, have I created them, which is mine Only Begotten Son, who is full of grace and truth.

The Old Testament has many more references to the second coming than the New Testament

"As we go forward together, I invite you to think about the majestic manner by which the Lord governs His Church. When a President of the Church passes away, there is no mystery about who is next called to serve in that capacity. There is no electioneering, no campaigning, but only the quiet workings of a divine plan of succession put in place by the Lord Himself." (President Russell M. Nelson, “As We Go Forward Together”, April 2018 General Conference)

The Old Testament is a treasure chamber that is dimly lit. We must work to find the treasures.

Isaiah 51:6

6 Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath: for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment, and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner: but my salvation shall be for ever, and my righteousness shall not be abolished.

Joint EQ / RS

These are some notes I took previously on the Utah Area videos that we were discussing today:
Elder D Todd Christofferson - The role of Area Presidencies and Aligning with the Brethren

Time stamp 1:41 - 1:55 - “Each of the 22 areas is presided over by area presidency, consisting of 3 70s.  Occasionally joined by a 4th 70, as is the case with the Utah area at present.”

Time stamp - 2:21 - 2:37 - “...for day to day supervision, one member of the 12 and one or two members of the presidency of the 70 are assigned to each area.  Currently, I am assigned to oversea or be first contact in the 12 for the Utah area.”

Time stamp - 3:12 - 3:33 - 

Time stamp - 3:40 - 3:55 - “The organization of the Church into areas, as I’ve been describing, is key to aligning our efforts everywhere in the world with the prophetic council of The First Presidency and Quorum of the 12”

Time stamp 3:55-4:17

Dnc 107:23

23 The twelve traveling councilors are called to be the Twelve Apostles, or special witnesses of the name of Christ in all the world—thus differing from other officers in the church in the duties of their calling.

DnC 107:25

25 The Seventy are also called to preach the gospel, and to be especial witnesses unto the Gentiles and in all the world—thus differing from other officers in the church in the duties of their calling.

Time stamp 4:25-5:02

Timestamp 5:57-6:14 - “There is obviously room for adjustment and adaptation or what the Lord calls the differences of administration.  According as the Lord will.  Suiting his mercies according to the conditions of the children of men.”

Timestamp 7:14-7:36  - “For our own efforts in the Lord’s cause to succeed in our stakes and wards and homes, it will be important to keep things as simple as possible.  Complex approaches that require excessive time and means are not sustainable.  We can’t confuse business and tasks with spiritual growth and confersion.”

President Kevin W. Pearson Area Vision: Place Christ and Scared Covenants at the Center of Our Lives

Timestamp 0:23-0:28  - “The Lord with bless you and your families for your faithfulness and consecration.”

Timestamp 0:57-1:25  - “We fully embrace the alignment with priesthood keys just taught by elder Christofferson.  And urge each of you to seek that same alignment with living prophets in your personal lives and in your leadership roles.  There is great spiritual power available to us and through us as we align our lives with the Savior and his living servants.

Timestamp 1:51-2:06  - “The Lord has blessed his saints here with extraordinary prosperity, which in turn has provided His Church with the resources and capacity to advance his work across the earth.”

Timestamp 2:16-2:34  - “As we continue to help individuals and families place the Savior and sacred covenants at the center of their lives, the Lord will continue to pour out his blessings upon his saints here in Utah and across the Earth.”

Timestamp 2:38-3:02  - 

“I invite you to consider the blessings promised to covenant-keeping disciples of Jesus Christ. For example, Nephi ‘beheld the church of the Lamb of God [in the latter days], and its numbers were few, … the saints of God, were also upon all the face of the earth; and their dominions … were small.’

“He also ‘beheld the power of the Lamb of God, that it descended upon the saints of the church of the Lamb, and upon the covenant people of the Lord, … and they were armed with righteousness and with the power of God in great glory.’ (Elder David A Bednar, “With the Power of God in Great Glory”, October 2021 General Conference)

Timestamp 3:06-3:19 - 

“We are bound securely to and with the Savior as we faithfully remember and do our best to live in accordance with the obligations we have accepted.” (Elder David A Bednar, “With the Power of God in Great Glory”, October 2021 General Conference)

Timestamp 3:34-4:35 -

“We invite you to align yourself with these same priorities.”

Timestamp 4:37-5:12

Timestamp 5:15:5:26

“What would unprecedented efforts look like in your life…in your family…or in your Church service?  

Timestamp 6:28-6:55

Timestamp 7:06-7:13 - We simply need to stay on the covenant path and keep the Savior at the center of our lives.”

Timestamp 7:44-7:57 - 

“Ours is not a religion of rationalization nor a religion of perfectionism, but a religion of redemption — redemption through Jesus Christ.” (Elder D Todd Christofferson, “The Love of God”, October 2021 General Conference)

Timestamp 8:05-8:25 - “We need to remain worthy to return often to the temple, to be reminded of these sacred covenants and blessings.  Everything we do and learn in the temple if focused on the Savior Jesus Christ.  The covenants we make in the temple bind us to Him and with Him.”

Timestamp 8:30-9:13 - 

First Presenter

What Does aligning to the Lord mean? 

When we align to the Lord, we don't try to make him conform to us. 

One could think of aligning as justification. Justification is a word we use when creating documents.  It is also a word that we use to talk about being lined up with God.  This also could be thought of as unity. We all align to the lord and as a consequence we align to each other. 

John 15:9–10

9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.

10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.

Mosiah 2:41

41 And moreover, I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out faithful to the end they are received into heaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of never-ending happiness. O remember, remember that these things are true; for the Lord God hath spoken it.

Moses 1:39 - if we align with the lord we will be working towards his work and glory. 

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

Next Presenter

“Ours is not a religion of rationalization nor a religion of perfectionism, but a religion of redemption — redemption through Jesus Christ.” (Elder D. Todd Christofferson, “The Love of God”, October 2021 General Conference)

Rather than turn away from the Lord's council and try to find fulfillment in other places, we should take the council and not be ashamed and angry. 

Next Presenter

God is not finished with me yet. 

Don't complain about the service you give or when you are asked to increase your offering of service. 

 

Church Services This Week at Oak Ridge Ward Layton North Stake Layton Utah 23 Jan 2022

 Sacrament Meeting

First Speaker

Have deep, meaningful conversations. 

Next Speaker 

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.

Elders Quorum 

Lesson based on the talk by Camille N. Johnson - “Invite Christ to Author Your Story”. 

What kind of personal narrative are you writing for your life?

What tools did we use to become who we are? One tool could be to look at others that are doing well. 

"Trials are the elements of the plot that make our favorite stories compelling, timeless, faith promoting, and worthy of telling." 

Stake presidents review patriarchal blessings as they are given during their tenure. 

Doctrine and Covenants 58:26-28

26 For behold, it is not meet that I should command in all things; for he that is compelled in all things, the same is a slothful and not a wise servant; wherefore he receiveth no reward.

27 Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness;

28 For the power is in them, wherein they are agents unto themselves. And inasmuch as men do good they shall in nowise lose their reward.

God knows what we will become. Does that mean that we are predestined to be that? If someone showed me as a child that I would be an engineer or a doctor or whatever, do I instantly become that thing. We still have to do the work to reach that destination. 

"Because the Holy Ghost works in perfect unity with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, we know that the manifestations of the Holy Ghost are reliable. Why, then, are we sometimes resistant to asking for this kind of heavenly help, truth manifest to us by the Holy Ghost? Why do we put off asking a question to which we do not know the answer when the witness not only is friendly but will always tell the truth?" 

Doctrine and Covenants 50:21-23

21 Therefore, why is it that ye cannot understand and know, that he that receiveth the word by the Spirit of truth receiveth it as it is preached by the Spirit of truth?

22 Wherefore, he that preacheth and he that receiveth, understand one another, and both are edified and rejoice together.

23 And that which doth not edify is not of God, and is darkness.