Church Services This Week at Sullivan Hollow Second Ward Weber Heights Stake Ogden Utah 3-28-10

Mormon 3:20

  20 And these things doth the Spirit manifest unto me; therefore I write unto you all. And for this cause I write unto you, that ye may know that ye must all stand before the ^ajudgment-seat of Christ, yea, every soul who belongs to the whole human ^bfamily of Adam; and ye must stand to be judged of your works, whether they be good or evil;

A lesson was based oon Elder D Todd Christofferson talk entitled Moral Discipline.

"Moral discipline is the consistent exercise of agency to choose the right" 

"The root of the word discipline is shared by the word disciple, suggesting to the mind the fact that conformity to the example and teachings of Jesus Christ is the ideal discipline that, coupled with His grace, forms a virtuous and morally excellent person."(Elder Christofferson)

Examples of moral discipline

• Giving up our passions (sports, recreation) on the sabbath. 
• Speaking reverently and not with sexual inuendo and profanity
• Moroni 1:2-3
    2 For behold, their ^awars are exceedingly fierce among themselves; and because of their ^bhatred they ^cput to death every Nephite that will not deny the Christ.
    3 And I, Moroni, will not ^adeny the Christ; wherefore, I wander whithersoever I can for the safety of mine own life.

"Mere wanting is hardly a proper guide for moral conduct"(Sarah E. Hinlicky, “Subversive Virginity,” First Things, Oct. 1998, 14.)

Obedience regardless of condition.  Much like the talk by Elder Dallin H. Oaks, Good, Better, Best

It is good to spend time with family on the sabbath, but do we break the sabbath to do so?  Do we skip out on our church responsibilities to go spend time with family on the sabbath? Do we watch sporting events or movies on the sabbath and justify it by spendng time with family?  Do we do activities that would otherwise be against our standards of proper sabbath observance because we do it with family?

The similitude of Moses delivering Israel from physical bondage as the savior would deliver us from spiritual bondage.

A teacher passed out a list of scriptures to go with their lesson.

Begin List

Bondage, Passover, and Exodus

1. 2 Nephi 3:10

2. Exodus 3:1-4

3. Exodus 3:5-10

4. D&C 90:24

5. Exodus 3:11

6. Exodus 4:1, 10

7. Exodus 3:12

8. Exodus 4:11-12

9. Hebrews 11:24-26

10. Exodus 5:1-9

11. Exodus 5:15-21

12. Exodus 5:22-23

13. Exodus 6:4-8

14. Exodus 6:9

15. Exodus 6:10-12

16. Exodus 12:12-13, 22-23

17. Exodus 12:24-27, 42

18. Exodus 13:1-10

19. 1 Corinthians 5:7

End List

From the Bulletin:

Think of the purest, most all-consuming love you can imagine. Now multiply that love by an infinite amount -- that is the measure of God's love for you.

God does not look on the outward appearance. I believe He doesn't care one bit if we live in a castle or a cottage, if we are handsome or homely, if we are famous or forgotten. Though we are incomplete, God loves us completely. Though we are imperfect, He loves us perfectly. Though we may feel lost and without compass, God's love encompasses us completely.

He loves us because He is filled with an infinite measure of holy, pure, and indescribable love. We are important to God not because of our resume but because we are His children He loves every one of us, even those who are flawed, rejected, awkward, sorrowful, or broken. God's love is so great that He loves even the proud, selfish, the arrogant, and the wicked.

What this means is that, regardless of our current state, there is hope for us. No matter our distress, no matter our sorrow, no matter our mistakes, our infinitely compassionate Heavenly Father desires that we draw near to Him so that He can draw near to us." President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "The Love of God," Ensign, November, 2009, 21 - 24.

Heavenly Father loves us and is waiting to help us. I hope that we can all feel His love as we enter this Easter season and have the opportunity to hear the words of our prophets.

Church Services This Week at Sullivan Hollow Second Ward Weber Heights Stake Ogden Utah 3-21-10

2 Nephi 32:3

  3 ^aAngels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ. Wherefore, I said unto you,^bfeast upon the ^cwords of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will ^dtell you all things what ye should do.

The Fall of Adam and Eve

1 Corinthians 11:11

 11 Nevertheless neither is the ^aman without the woman, neither the ^bwoman without the man, in the Lord.

Eating the fruit brought about death to mankind.  Physical death and spiritual death.  Adam, Eve, and their posterity would all die, separating their bodies from their spirits (physical death).  They would also no longer walk and talk face to face with God (spiritual death).

How can we give thanks to the lord for gifts?  Use then.  After each successful use, give thanks.

Joseph first asked for his brethren to bring Benjamin who was Joseph's brother from the same parents.

List of scriptures the teach passed out for the lesson.

Begin List

1. Genesis 40:14-15

2. Genesis 40:21, 23

3. Genesis 41:1,14

4. Genesis 41:1, 8-15

5. Genesis 41:16

6. Genesis 41:1-7,17-24

7. Genesis 41:25-32

8. Genesis 41:33-36

9. Genesis 41:37-43 

10. Genesis 42:1-3

11. Genesis 42:33-34; 43:2

12. Genesis 42:36, 38

13. Genesis 43:3-5, 11-14

14. Genesis 42:36

15. Genesis 37:5-11

16. Genesis 42:6; 43:26-28

17. Genesis 42:21

18. Genesis 45:1-3

19. Genesis 45:4-11, 14-15

20. Genesis 45:4-8

End List

Some temples look like fortresses. the temple is to be a stronghold for righteousness.

From the Bulletin

"I feel in my heart that we grow financially, spiritually, and in every way, as Latter-day Saints, by doing our duty. When we are obedient to the commandments of the Lord and generous with our time and our means, we grow in the spirit and testimony of the gospel, and I do not believe that we are ever poorer financially. I am a firm believer that the Lord opens up the windows of heaven when we do our duty financially and pours out upon us blessings of a spiritual nature, which are of far greater value than temporal things. But I believe He also gives us blessings of a temporal nature.." -- Gospel Standards, p.297, President Heber J. Grant

"Stand As a Witness by Sustaining the Living Prophets."

As you think of the word sustaining, ask yourself this question: Is sustaining the living prophets different from having a testimony that we have prophets? When we sustain, it means we do something about our belief. Our testimony of the prophet turns into action when we sustain him.

Elder David B. Haight said: "When we sustain the President of the Church by our uplifted hand, it not only signifies that we acknowledge before God that he is the rightful possessor of all the priesthood keys; it means that we covenant with God that we will abide by the direction and the counsel that comes through His prophet. It is a solemn covenant" President Hinckley said "The procedure of sustaining is much more than a ritualistic raising of the hand. It is a commitment to uphold, to support, to assist those who have been selected".

Think of playing a violin, if it is in tune you can move the bow across one string and the other strings vibrate. The harmonious strings not only help sustain the sound, but they enlarge and carry the sound.

As each of us listens to the prophet and responds to his message, if we are in tune we can carry his message with us. Others will feel the prophet's message because of the way we act. In this way the message doesn't end—it just begins.

President Janette Hales Beckham Ensign

Stake Conference Announcement

Brothers and Sisters of the Weber Heights Stake,

We would like to extend to each of you an invitation to attend our semi-annual Stake Conference on April 10th and 11th. We are blessed to have a visiting general authority, Elder Thomas Cherrington of the Seventy. We encourage everyone to personally prepare for this conference so that your hearts and minds will be receptive to the special messages that will be prepared for you. Please mark your calendars, plan to attend every meeting, come to the temple before hand and allow this conference to be an opportunity for you to strengthen your faith and your testimony.

Weber Heights Stake Presidency

Church Services This Week at Sullivan Hollow Second Ward Weber Heights Stake Ogden Utah 3-14-10

Matthew 25:40

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

Christ created the earth, under the direction of the father.

Man was the last creation on this earth.  Everything else was prepared
for him.

A tadpole will grow into a frog.  A calf will grow into a cow. A girl
becomes a woman.  We have the potential to become like God.

2 Nephi 2:25

  25 ^aAdam ^bfell that men might be; and men ^care, that they might have ^djoy.

The teacher passed out these scripture references and quote for the lesson:

Begin List

Lesson #11: How Can I Do This Great Wickedness

1. 1 Chronicles 5:1-2

2. Genesis 37:3-8

3. Genesis 37:13-14

4. Genesis 37:15-17

5. Genesis 37:21-22, 26-27

6. Genesis 37:28, 31-33

7. Genesis 39:1-6

8. Genesis 39:11-12

9. Genesis 39:13-20

10. Genesis 39:21-23

11. Romans 8:28

12. Elder Hartman Rector Jr. explained: "[The] ability to turn everything into something good appears to be a godly characteristic. Our Heavenly Father always seems able to do this. Everything, no matter how dire, becomes a victory to the Lord. Joseph, although a slave and wholly undeserving of this fate, nevertheless remained faithful to the Lord and continued to live the commandments and made something very good of his degrading circumstances. People like this cannot be defeated" (in Conference Report, Oct. 1972, 170; or Ensign, Jan. 1973, 130).

End List

Joseph had the birthright even though he was the younger brother.  Reuben lost the birthright through disobedience.  Judah was given the responsibility to rule.  Joseph was given the birthright.

Your actions speak so loud that I cannot hear your words.

1 Nephi 1:20

  20 And when the Jews heard these things they were angry with him; yea, even as with the prophets of old, whom they had ^acast out, and stoned, and slain; and they also ^bsought his life, that they might take it away. But behold, I, Nephi, will show unto you that the tender ^cmerciesof the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of ^ddeliverance.

Faith is like a muscle.  If you exercise it it grows.  If we do not it gets weak.

How do we develop any skill?  We study and practice.  The same is true in developing faith.

From the Bulletin

President Joseph F. Smith taught: "Faith is always a gift of God to man, which is obtained by obedience, as all other blessings-are." (Gospel Doctrine. P. 212)

"...Faith does not come without works; faith does not come without obedience to the commandments of God." (Conference Report, October 1903, p. 4)

Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, "I will try again tomorrow."

Church Services This Week at Sullivan Hollow Second Ward Weber Heights Stake Ogden Utah 3-7-10

Alma 26:12

  12 Yea, I know that I am ^anothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will ^bnot boast of myself, but I will ^cboast of my God, for in his ^dstrength I can do all ^ethings; yea, behold, many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land, for which we will praise his name forever.

President Eyring's conference talk, Be ready

Family Spiritual Preparedness
Family Home Evening
Scripture Study
Prayer
Compassionate service
Make home a sanctuary
Genealogy

Quorum Spiritual Preparedness
Home Teaching (visiting ward members)
Service
Magnify callings
Counsel and learn
Attend our Church meetings
Temple attendance
Support missionary work

Personal Spiritual Preparedness
Temple
Prayer
Organization
Balance
Scriptures
Education
Finances/job

Doctrine and Covenants 84:33

  33 For whoso is ^afaithful unto the obtaining these two ^bpriesthoods of which I have spoken, and the ^cmagnifying their calling, are ^dsanctified by the Spirit unto the ^erenewing of their bodies.

Doctrine and Covenants 121:34-36

  34 Behold, there are many ^acalled, but few are chosen. And why are they not chosen?

  35 Because their ^ahearts are set so much upon the things of this ^bworld, and ^caspire to the ^dhonors of men, that they do not learn this one lesson—

  36 That the ^arights of the priesthood are inseparably connected with the powers of heaven, and that the powers of heaven cannot be^bcontrolled nor handled only upon the ^cprinciples of righteousness.

Doctrine and Covenants 121:41-43

  41 No ^apower or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the ^bpriesthood, only by ^cpersuasion, by ^dlong-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned;

  42 By ^akindness, and pure ^bknowledge, which shall greatly enlarge the ^csoul without ^dhypocrisy, and without ^eguile—

  43 ^aReproving betimes with ^bsharpness, when ^cmoved upon by the Holy Ghost; and then showing forth afterwards an increase of ^dlovetoward him whom thou hast reproved, lest he esteem thee to be his enemy;

We are often better off putting off immediate gratification and working for the better later.

From the bulletin:

"It means God knows who I am."

Elder Bednar stated, "Recall how the Savior instructed His Apostles that He would not leave them comfortless. Not only would He send "another Comforter" (John 14:16), even the Holy Ghost, but the Savior said that He would come to them (see John 14:18). Let me suggest that one of the ways where by the Savior comes to each of us is through His abundant and tender mercies. For instance, as you and I face challenges and tests in our lives, the gift of faith and an appropriate sense of personal confidence that reaches beyond our own capacity are two examples of the tender mercies of the Lord. Repentance and forgiveness of sins and peace of conscience are examples of the tender mercies of the Lord. And the persistence and the fortitude that enable us to press forward with cheerfulness through physical limitations and spiritual difficulties are examples of the tender mercies of the Lord."

Recently, I asked Heavenly Father —almost on a whim — if He could make it so Melanie and I could have morning walks together. My commute and work schedule have always made that impossible for 30.5 years. Then, through awkward yet surprisingly simple means, HE made it possible. That is a simple example of how HE knows who I am.

From the Bulletin Insert:

Self-reliance is a simple concept that encourages each of us to take responsibility for our own needs — physical, emotional, spiritual, social and economic.
Church leader Elder Robert D. Hales outlines ways we can become self-reliant:

• Be ready for rainy-day emergencies.
• Avoid excessive debt; be content with what we have.
• Use the resources of the earth wisely; don't be wasteful.
• Prepare for the future by making spending and savings plans.
• Keep a family or personal budget.
• Teach children wise spending habits and help then save for the future.
• Obtain an education and/or vocational training.
• Find gainful employment.

Church Services This Week at Sullivan Hollow Second Ward Weber Heights Stake Ogden Utah 2-28-10

Isaiah 41:13
  13 For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.

Safety for the Soul - Elder Jeffrey R. Holland's October 2009 General Conference talk
Matt 24:24
  24 For there shall arise ^afalse ^bChrists, and ^cfalse prophets, and shall shew great ^dsignsand wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall ^edeceive the very ^felect.

Luke 21:26

  26 Men’s hearts ^afailing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be ^bshaken.

Abraham was told to sacrafice his son after being promised that his son was meant for a posterity for abraham.  It was probably also difficult since he was put up for sacrifice himself as a young man. Isaacs's sacrafice is in similitude of the savior's sacrifice.  Abrham was giving his son just as god gave his son.  It was also a likeness in that there was an offering provided in the place of Issac just as Jesus was sacrificed in our place that we might not have to be.


The following is a list the teacher handed out:
Begin List

1. Abraham 1:1, 5-8
2. Abraham 1:7, 12
3. Abraham 1:15-16, 20
4. Genesis 15:1-6
5. Genesis 16:1-3
6. D&C 132:34-35
7. Genesis 16:10-11
8. Genesis 17:15-16, 19, 21
9. Genesis 17:17
10. Genesis 22:1
11. Genesis 17:19
12. Genesis 22:2-3
13. Elder Dallin H. Oaks explained: "When they came to the prescribed place, Abraham built an altar and laid wood upon it. Then, the Bible says, 'Abraham ... bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood' (Genesis 22:9). What did Isaac think when Abraham did such a strange thing? The Bible mentions no struggle or objection. Isaac's silence can be explained only in terms of his trust in and obedience to his father" (in Conference Report, Oct. 1992, 51; or Ensign, Nov. 1992, 37).
14. Genesis 22: 8, 13
15. Elder Dallin H. Oaks said: "This story ... shows the goodness of God in protecting Isaac and in providing a substitute so he would not have to die. Because of our sins and our mortality, we, like Isaac, are condemned to death. When all other hope is gone, our Father in Heaven provides the Lamb of God, and we are saved by his sacrifice" (in Conference Report, Oct. 1992, 51; or Ensign, Nov. 1992, 37).
16. Genesis 22:11-12
17. Genesis 22:16
End List

Doctrine and Covenants 38:30

  30 I tell you these things because of your prayers; wherefore, ^atreasure up ^bwisdom 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.

Magnifying callings
Magnifying starts with light.  Without light you can see nothing,  Magnified or not.

"Brethren, when we stand before the Lord to be judged, will He look upon the positions we have held in the world or even in the Church? Do you suppose that titles we have had other than 'husband,' 'father,' or 'priesthood holder' will mean much to Him? Do you think He will care how packed our schedule was or how many important meetings we attended? Do you suppose that our success in filling our days with appointments will serve as an excuse for failure to spend time with our wife and family?" (President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "Lift Where You Stand", General Conference October 2008)

From the Bulletin:

"Self-Control."

"When we think of self control, often we think of the thing the commandments "restrict" us from doing. This is true in a sense, because it does require self-control to not do things that are not allowed in the commandments, but it has a greater meaning in things we can do. For example it takes self control to finish goals that you have started. Take school for example, it requires little to start college, but it requires great self-control to finish college. Life is a test of not only what we will give up for the Lord and the gospel, but what we will do for Him. Every time we show self-control by doing and not just being. we become something more than we currently are, and we become a little more like our Heavenly Father."

"When we love the Lord, obedience ceases to be a burden. Obedience becomes a delight." Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin.

Church Services This Week at Sullivan Hollow Second Ward Weber Heights Stake Ogden Utah 2-21-10

Doctrine and Covenants 6:32-37

  32 Verily, verily, I say unto you, as I said unto my disciples, where two or three are gathered together in my name, as^atouching ^bone thing, behold, there will I be in the ^cmidst of them—even so am I in the ^dmidst of you.

  33 ^aFear not to do ^bgood, my sons, for whatsoever ye ^csow, that shall ye also reap; therefore, if ye sow ^dgood ye shall also reap good for your ^ereward.

  34 Therefore, fear not, little ^aflock; do good; let earth and hell combine against you, for if ye are ^bbuilt upon my rock, they cannot prevail.

  35 Behold, I do not condemn you; go your ways and ^asin no more; perform with soberness the work which I have commanded you.

  36 ^aLook unto me in every ^bthought; ^cdoubt not, fear not.

  37 ^aBehold the wounds which pierced my side, and also the prints of the ^bnails in my hands and feet; be faithful, keep my commandments, and ye shall ^cinherit the ^dkingdom of heaven. Amen.

2 Nephi 2:27

  27 Wherefore, men are ^afree according to the ^bflesh; and ^call things are ^dgiven them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to ^echoose ^fliberty and eternal ^glife, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be^hmiserable like unto himself.

We have the freedom to choose, if we choose poorly our freedom becomes more limited.

Moses 1:6

  6 And I have a work for thee, Moses, my son; and thou art in the ^asimilitude of mine ^bOnly ^cBegotten; and mine Only Begotten is and shall be the ^dSavior, for he is full of ^egrace and ^ftruth; but there is ^gno God beside me, and all things are present with me, for I ^hknow them all.

If you skip breakfast you lose access to energy later in the day.  When we skip scripture study we can lose access to revelation.  We are free to choose our behavior.  By what we choose we are choosing the potential consequences.

2 Peter 2:19
  19 While they promise them ^aliberty, they themselves are the ^bservants of ^ccorruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in ^dbondage.

Doctrine and Covenants 58:42
  42 Behold, he who has ^arepented of his ^bsins, the same is ^cforgiven, and I, the Lord, remember them no more.

Alma 26:22

  22 Yea, he that ^arepenteth and exerciseth faith, and bringeth forth good ^bworks, and prayeth continually without ceasing—unto such it is given to know the ^cmysteries of God; yea, unto such it shall be ^dgiven to ^ereveal things which never have been revealed; yea, and it shall be given unto such to bring thousands of souls to repentance, even as it has been given unto us to bring these our brethren to repentance.

Lot points the door of his tent toward Sodom.  Then he is in the gates.  Then his is living in Sodom and horrible things happen to his family.

2 Nephi 28:20-21

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

  21 And others will he ^apacify, and lull them away into carnal ^bsecurity, that they will say: All is well in Zion; yea, Zion prospereth, all is well—and thus the ^cdevil ^dcheateth their souls, and leadeth them away carefully down to hell.

Beware of Pride - President Ezra Taft Benson, Ensign, May 1989

Alma 26:12

  12 Yea, I know that I am ^anothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will ^bnotboast of myself, but I will ^cboast of my God, for in his ^dstrength I can do all ^ethings; yea, behold, many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land, for which we will praise his name forever.

From the Bulletin:

Integrity means always doing what is right, regardless of the immediate consequences. It means being righteous from the very depth of our soul, not only in our actions, but, more importantly, in our thoughts and in our heart. Personal integrity implies such trustworthiness that we are incapable of being false to a trust or covenant.

We all have within us the ability to know what is right and good. Having received the Spirit of Christ to know good from evil, we should always choose the good. We need not be misled, even though fraud, deception, deceit, and duplicity often seem to be acceptable in our world. Lying, stealing, and cheating are commonplace. Integrity, a firm adherence to the highest moral and ethical standards, is essential to the life of a true Latter-day Saint.

The consummate reward of integrity is the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost (see D&C 121:46). The Holy Ghost does not attend us when we do evil. But when we do what is right, he can dwell with us and guide us in all we do.

Let us strive for personal, practical integrity in every endeavor, regardless of how mundane or inconsequential it may seem. Te small matters accumulate to shape the direction of our lives.

Integrity, a firm adherence to the highest moral and ethical standards, is essential to the life of a true Latter-day Saint. Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin, "Priceless Integrity"

Church Services This Week at Sullivan Hollow Second Ward Weber Heights Stake Ogden Utah 2-14-10

Doctrine and Covenants 33:12

  12 Behold, verily, verily, I say unto you, this is my ^agospel; and remember that they shall have faith in me or they can in nowise be saved;

Why did we come to earth?  To learn to be like God and thus be happy and have joy.

We were going to make mistakes and a way to fix those mistakes needed to be provided.

The first born knows us the best.  The only who knows us better are our parents.

The Abrahamic covenant

Earthly blessings of the Abrahamic covenant

1. A promised land to live in. (Abraham 2:6, 19; Genesis 12:7; 17:8)
2. A great posterity. Abraham 2:9–10; Genesis 12:2–3; 17:2, 4–6)
3. The gospel of Jesus Christ and the priesthood for Abraham and his posterity. (Abraham 2:9–11; Genesis 17:7)

Eternals parallels

1. The celestial kingdom. (D&C 88:17–20)
2. Eternal marriage and eternal increase. (D&C 132:19–22)
3. Exaltation and eternal life. (D&C 132:23–24)

Responsibilities

1. Help all of God's children receive the full blessings of the gospel. (Abraham 2:9, 11)
2. Obey God's commandments. (Genesis 18:19)

We are the hands of the Lord.

Mosiah 2:17

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


From the Bulletin:

I have learned that it is by serving that we learn how to serve. When we are engaged in the service of our fellowmen, not only do our deeds assist them, but we put our own problems in a fresher perspective. When we concern ourselves more with others, there is less time to be concerned with ourselves. In the midst of the miracle of serving, there is the promise of Jesus, that by losing ourselves, we find ourselves. (See Matt. 10:39.)
Not only do we "find" ourselves in terms of acknowledging guidance in our lives, but the more we serve our fellowmen in appropriate ways, the more substance there is to our souls. We become more significant individuals as we serve others. We become more substantive as we serve others—indeed, it is easier to "find" ourselves because there is so much more of us to find!
George MacDonald observed that "it is by loving and not by being loved that one can come nearest to the soul of another." (George MacDonald Anthology, Geoffrey Bles, London, 1970.) Of course, we all need to be loved, but we must be giving and not always receiving if we want to have wholeness in our lives and a reinforced sense of purpose.
Spencer W. Kimball, "Small Acts of Service", Ensign, Dec 1974, 2

Church Services This Week at Sullivan Hollow Second Ward Weber Heights Stake Ogden Utah 2-7-10

John 3:16

  16 ¶ For ^aGod so ^bloved the ^cworld, that he ^dgave his ^eonly begotten ^fSon, that whosoever ^gbelieveth in him should not perish, but have^heverlasting ⁱlife.

Elders' Quorum
I gave a lesson today. It was based on Elder Dallin H Oaks' October 2009 conference talk, Love and Law.
"The love of God does not supersede His laws and His commandments, and the effect of God’s laws and commandments does not diminish the purpose and effect of His love."

Some feel that accepting Jesus by a single prayer or voice confession is enough to supersede God's law with God's love.

I was listening to a country song I hadn't heard in a while (A Father's Love by George Strait) the other day and it seemed to take the above notion a step farther.  The song tells about a boy doing something bad and waiting to get his punishment from his father.  The father then comes in and tells him that father's love their kids no mater what.  After the boy grows has a son, his boy gets in trouble too.  He then tells him that father's love their kids no matter what.  Later he has a dream that he was outside the pearly gates.  He is confused because he has done things he is not proud of.  He then hears a voice telling him that father love their children no matter what.  The implication being that no matter what he did God loved him and was going to let him into Heaven.

The sentiment that father's love their kids no matter what is sweet and true, but let's not get the idea that God's love let's us off when we are deliberately disobedient and unrepentant.  

Matthew 7:21

  21 ¶ Not every one that ^asaith unto me, ^bLord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that ^cdoeth the ^dwill of my Father which is in^eheaven.

"... the kingdom of glory to which the Final Judgment assigns us is not determined by love but by the law that God has invoked in His plan to qualify us for eternal life..." - Elder Oaks

Hebrew 12:6

6 For whom the Lord loveth he ^achasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.

"Real love does not support self-destructing behavior" (Russell M. Nelson, “Teach Us Tolerance and Love,” Ensign, May 1994, 71)

Sunday School
One the teacher handed out a list of 15 scriptures and quotes.  I have included the list below.

1. Moses 8.20-22

2. Moses 8.23-24

3. Hebrew1 1:7

4. President Ezra Taft Benson said, "The revelation to produce and store food maybe as essential to our temporal welfare today as boarding the ark was to the people in the days of Noah"( in Conference Report, Oct.1987, 61; or Ensign, Nov.1987,49)

5. Elder W. Don Ladd taught: "When it starts raining it is too late to begin building the ark...We...need to listen to the Lord's spokesmen.  We need to calmly continue to move ahead and prepare for what will surely come.  We need not panic or fear, for if we are prepared, sp iritually and temporally, we and our families will survive any flood.  Our arks will float on a sea of faith if our works have been steadily and surely preparing for the future"( in Conference Report, Oct. 1994, 37; or Ensign, Nov.1 994, 29).

6. President Spencer W. Kimball explained  that when Noah built the ark, "there was no evidence of rain and flood...His warnings were considered irrational. .. How foolish to build an ark on dry ground with the sun shining and life moving forward as usual!  But time ran out. The ark was finished.  The floods came.  The disobedient and rebellious were drowned.  The miracle of the ark followed the faith manifested in its building"(Faith Precedes the Miracle [1972], 5-6).

7. Genesis7 .23

8. Genesis8 :8

9. Genesis8 :9-11

10. Genesis8 :12

11. Genesis8 .20

12. Joseph Smith Translation Genesis 9 :4

13. Genesis1 1.4

14. Mosiah1 8:8-10

15. Genesis1 1:5-9

We are sometimes considered foolish, paranoid, or weird for food storage much like people thought of Noah.

From the Bulletin:

Where there is no vision, the people perish; but he who keeps the law [of God, which includes that of manl-blessed (happy, fotunate, and enviable) is he. (Proverbs 29:18 )

We have chosen, as a ward, to seek and achieve lofty goals in 2010.  All goals are well within (!!) our reach as we:

• obey God with exactness and consistency;
• unswervingly "do the basics;"
• eagerly serve and forgive one another;
• think, talk and act as if Jesus were at our sides.

Nothing is impossible to God and us, His servants, as (1) we have a vision, (2) pray like everything rests on Him, and (3) work like everything rest on us. We SHALL succeed.

We each OWN a piece of the success process.

Let us press on in such a worthy cause.