Church Services This Week at Sullivan Hollow Second Ward Weber Heights Stake Ogden Utah 01-31-10

What does it mean to sustain?  Bricks in a wall sustain each other.  If you remove several of them, others will fail under the weight of the load.

Fourfold mission of the church:

• Proclaim the Gospel
• Redeem the Dead
• Perfect the Saints
• Care for the poor and needy

Moses 5:16

  16 And Adam and Eve, his wife, ceased not to call upon God. And Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bare ^aCain, and said: I have gotten a man from the Lord; wherefore he may not reject his words. But behold, Cain ^bhearkened not, saying: Who is the Lord that I should ^cknow him?

How would it have been for Eve to go through birth for the first time?  No one else had gone through it.

Cain's sacrafice was rejected because the sacrafice was to be in similitude of the sacrafice of the son of god.

Cain would rule over Satan because he had a body and Satan does not.


Ephesians 2:19-20

  19 Now therefore ye are no more ^astrangers and foreigners, but ^bfellowcitizens with the ^csaints, and of the ^dhousehold of God;

  20 And are built upon the foundation of the ^aapostles and ^bprophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief ^ccorner stone;

The focus on raising the bar for missionaries was talked about.  (Elder M. Russell Ballard, The Greatest Generation of Missionaries, Ensign November 2002)  They talked about inserting the word family where the word missionary is in the talk and focusing on how families need to have the bar raised as well.


From the bulletin:

"Why should we love God? God the Eternal Father did not give that first great commandment because He needs us to love Him. His power and glory are not diminished should we disregard, deny, or even defile His name. His influence and dominion extend through time and space independent of our acceptance, approval, or admiration.

No, God does not need us to love Him. But oh, how we need to love God!

For what we love determines what we seek.

What we seek determines what we think and do.

What we think and do determines who we are - and who we will become.

We are created in the image of our heavenly parents; we are God's spirit children.

Therefore, we have a vast capacity for love—it is part of our spiritual heritage. What and how we love not only defines us as individuals; it also defines us as a church. Love is the defining characteristic of a disciple of Christ." - President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "The Love of God", Ensign, November 2009, 21 - 24.

Church Services This Week at Sullivan Hollow Second Ward Weber Heights Stake Ogden Utah 01-24-10

Luke 6:46

  46 ¶ And why ^acall ye me, ^bLord, Lord, and ^cdo not the things which I say?

Elder Tad R. Callister's Conference talk, Joseph Smith—Prophet of the Restoration

4 truths Joseph Smith learned.

1. God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, are two separate, distinct beings.
2. The Father and the Son have glorified bodies of flesh and bones.
3. God still speaks to man today.
4. The full and complete Church of Jesus Christ was not then upon the earth.

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.

What is so special about John 3:16 if we believe those that would tell us that His only begotten Son was himself.

Abraham offering up Isaac was in similitude of Heavenly Father offering up Christ.

"The scriptures give further evidence of this great truth: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son” (John 3:16). A father offering up his only son is the supreme demonstration of love that the human mind and heart can conceive and feel. It is symbolized by the touching story of Abraham and Isaac (see Genesis 22). But if the Father is the same being as the Son, then this sacrifice of all sacrifices is lost, and Abraham is no longer offering up Isaac—Abraham is now offering up Abraham." - Elder Callister

"One need but ask three questions, once proposed by President Hugh B. Brown, to arrive at that conclusion (see “The Profile of a Prophet,” Liahona, June 2006, 13; Ensign, June 2006, 37). First, does God love us as much today as He loved the people to whom He spoke in New Testament times? Second, does God have the same power today as He did then? And third, do we need Him as much today as they needed Him anciently? If the answers to those questions are yes and if God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, as the scriptures so declare (see Mormon 9:9), then there is little doubt: God does speak to man today exactly as Joseph Smith testified." - Elder Callister

Some call the Bible the authority, but who is it that has the authority to interpret that document?

Isaiah 28:10-13

  10 For precept must be upon precept, ^aprecept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:

  11 For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people.

  12 To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.

  13 But the word of the Lord was unto them precept upon precept, ^aprecept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and ^bfall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.

Had God appeared to man 100 years sooner, the man may have been killed sooner.  Look at the reformers and the Salem witch trials.  People were readily called heretics or witches by those that were scared of them.

Transgression is a problem because prohibited.  Driving fast is against the law, but not inherently wrong in and of itself.  Sin is something that is wrong/bad.  This is the difference between "thou shall" and "you may choose for thyself".

Eve was the wife of Michael the Arch Angel and was his equal.

My daughter gave a talk today and below is the text of it.

"My talk is on gratitude.  What is gratitude?  Gratitude is a feeling of thanks for a blessing or benefit you have received.  Grateful people are quick to acknowledge the kindness or help they have received from our Heavenly Father and others.  

"The For the Strength of Youth book says...

"I know that if we have the spirit of gratitude we will be happier and we will make others happier."

Being spiritually prepared.

If your testimony is not fresh in your mind, it does you little good as a defense.

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.

Doctrine and Covenants 82:10

  10 I, the Lord, am ^abound when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no ^bpromise.

Church Services This Week at Sullivan Hollow Second Ward Weber Heights Stake Ogden Utah 01-17-10

1 Peter 3:15
  15 But ^asanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give ^ban answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the^chope that is in you with ^dmeekness and ^efear:

“Man, as a spirit, was begotten and born of heavenly parents, and reared to maturity in the eternal mansions of the Father, prior to coming upon the earth in a temporal [physical] body” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph F. Smith [1998], 335).

Some people believe that the earth was created by chance and that mankind came about by the accidental combining of the right elements over millions of years. In response, one writer said:

“When you can dump a load of bricks on a corner lot, and let me watch them arrange themselves into a house—when you can empty a handful of springs and wheels and screws on my desk, and let me see them gather themselves into a watch—it will [then] be easier for me to believe that all these thousands of worlds could have been created, balanced, and set in motion in their several orbits, all without any designing intelligence at all.

“Moreover, if there is no intelligence in the universe, then the universe created something greater than itself—for it created you and me” (Bruce Barton in E. Ernest Bramwell, comp. Old Testament Lessons [1934 seminary course], 4).
Earthly parents spend their time trying to raise their kids to get them out of the house. Heavenly Father spends his time trying to bring us back.
Heavenly Father may be specific in telling us that He created the earth through his son to make it clear they are two different individuals.

“The word create came from the [Hebrew] word baurau which does not mean to create out of nothing; it means to organize; the same as a man would organize materials and build a ship. Hence, we infer  that God had materials to organize the world out of chaos—chaotic matter” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, sel. Joseph Fielding Smith [1976], 350–51).

From the Bulletin Cover

Elder L. Tom Perry, of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles shared this with us, The law of the fast has three great purposes. First, it provides assistance to the needy through the contribution of fast offerings, consisting of the (minimum] value of meals from which we abstain. Second, a fast is beneficial to us physically. Third, it is to increase humility and spirituality on the part of each individual. An important reason for fasting is to contribute the amount saved from the meals not eaten to care for the poor and the needy.

One of the strongest admonitions the Lord has given to His children on earth is that we have the responsibility and obligation of caring for those in need. It was King Benjamin who said in his great address, "And now, for the sake of these things which I have spoken unto you—that is, for the sake of retaining a remission of your sins from day to day, that ye may walk guiltless before God—I would that ye should impart of your substance to the poor, every man according to that which he hath, such as feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and administering to their relief, both spiritually and temporally, according to their wants." (Mosiah 4:26.)

From the Bulletin Insert

"Aim at the sun, and you may not reach it [in this lifetime];; but your arrow will fly far higher than if aimed at an object on a level with yourself." (18th Century clergyman, Joel Hawes).

Matthew 6:33 states, "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness: and all these things shall be added unto you." Please not the order.

Have you ever wondered how super keenly interested Heavenly Father is in developing our character to become as He is? He is so incredibly dedicated to that goal that He sent another God, His Son, Jesus Christ to do for us something that NO ONE ELSE COULD DO – to atone for and suffer for you and me - to suffer for every pain, affliction, illness, and consequence of our repentant sins. (Alma 7:11,12) As we truly turn to Him humbly and obediently, He is able to do for us what no one else can.

With that infinite and intimate empathy, we have someone "in our corner" who completely "gets it" and is there to succor and aid us. No matter how hard I work to show my love and appreciation, I remain forever in awe, gratitude and in their debt for such gifts. Wow.!

Church Services This Week at Sullivan Hollow Second Ward Weber Heights Stake Ogden Utah 01-10-10

The odds of a planet spontaneously creating itself and then being able to produce intelligent life that could survive and thrive are very unlikely.

Who is God?  He is all powerful, all knowing, but the most descriptive attribute is probably father.

God is very intimate and very personal and our lives.

When we comprehend God we begin to comprehend ourselves.-find this quote from Joseph Smith

if you don't see miracles in your life then something about you needs to change.

Sunday School

Moses 4:1-3

  1 And I, the ^aLord God, spake unto Moses, saying: That ^bSatan, whom thou hast commanded in the name of mine Only Begotten, is the same which was from the ^cbeginning, and he came before me, saying—Behold, here am I, send me, I will be thy son, and I will ^dredeem all mankind, that one soul shall not be lost, and surely ^eI will do it; wherefore ^fgive me thine honor.

  2 But, behold, my Beloved ^aSon, which was my Beloved and ^bChosen from the beginning, said unto me—^cFather, thy ^dwill be done, and the^eglory be thine forever.

  3 Wherefore, because that ^aSatan ^brebelled against me, and sought to destroy the ^cagency of man, which I, the Lord God, had given him, and also, that I should give unto him mine own power; by the power of mine Only Begotten, I caused that he should be ^dcast down;

Doctrine and Covenants 76

  25 And this we saw also, and bear record, that an ^aangel of God who was in authority in the presence of God, who ^brebelled against the Only Begotten ^cSon whom the Father ^dloved and who was in the bosom of the Father, was thrust down from the presence of God and the Son,

  26 And was called ^aPerdition, for the heavens ^bwept over him—he was ^cLucifer, a son of the morning.

  27 And we beheld, and lo, he is ^afallen! is fallen, even a son of the morning!

Abraham 3:27  27 And the ^aLord said: Whom shall I ^bsend? And one answered like unto the Son of Man: Here am I, send me. And ^canother answered and said: Here am I, send me. And the Lord said: I will ^dsend the first.

The sacrament prayers remind us each week how to return to him. We learned and retained by repetition.

In John Milton's Paradise Lost he quotes Lucifer as saying, “It is better to reign in hell than serve in heaven.”  That may be a very good incite into why Lucifer would propose another plan, especially they one he did, knowing everything he had know.

Satan's plan is still to take our agency.  We have things in our lives that continue to limit our agency (debt, addiction,...)

Sacrament Service

Exodus 20:3-4

  3 Thou shalt have ^ano other ^bgods before me.

  4 Thou shalt ^anot make unto thee any ^bgraven ^cimage, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that isin the water under the earth:

Idols are anything that interfere with us doing our duty. Idols replace thoughts of God in her mind and hearts. Idols replaced God in the way we use our time.

Do we spend more time picking what to wear, watching TV, or checking e-mail than we spend in prayer?

Is it a testimony?  Does it edify others or just give us a venue to vent our emotions? (See also, Is it a prayer, a testimony or a talk?)

From the Bulletin

"The shapes of the idols may have changed since the days of Moses, but the basic principle — allegiance to God above all else — is still the commandment."

President Spencer W. Kimball wrote: "There are unfortunately millions today who prostrate themselves before images of gold and silver and wood and stone and clay. But the idolatry we are most concerned with here is the conscious worshipping of still other gods. Some are of metal and plush and chrome, of wood and stone and fabrics. They are not in the image of God or of man, but are developed to give man comfort and enjoyment, to satisfy his wants, ambitions, passions and desires. Some are in no physical form at all, bur are intangible." Brother Dennis Largey, "Refusing to Worship Today's Graven Images," Ensign, February 1994, 9.

Church Services This Week at Sullivan Hollow Second Ward Weber Heights Stake Ogden Utah 1-3-10

Joshua 1:9
9 Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the ^aLord  thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest

"I have seen enough ups and downs throughout my life to know that winter will surely give way to the warmth and hope of a new spring. I am optimistic about the future. Brethren, for our part, we must remain steadfast in hope, work with all our strength, and trust in God." (President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Two Principles for Any Economy, October 2009 General Conference)

Elder Uchtdorf also spoke of two principles that sustained him during hard times: Work and Learn.

His father was an office worker and could find no work in his field of expertise.  He went and did many manual labor jobs to continue to provide for his family.  He worked as a coal miner, a uranium miner, and other manual labor jobs.

"Pray as though everything depends on the Lord and work as though everything depends on you." (Author unknown)

If we put forth our best effort, the Lord will increase our capacity.

“Consider the power of the idea taught in our beloved song ‘I Am a Child of God’ … Here is the answer to one of life’s great questions, ‘Who am I?’ I am a child of God with a spirit lineage to heavenly parents. That parentage defines our eternal potential. That powerful idea is a potent antidepressant. It can strengthen each of us to make righteous choices and to seek the best that is within us. Establish in the mind of a … person the powerful idea that he or she is a child of God and you have given self-respect and motivation to move against the problems of life." (Dallin H. Oaks, “Powerful Ideas,” Ensign, Nov. 1995, 25.)

Moses Chapter 1

If Satan can convince us that we are not children of God then we lose perspective and hope.  Anything becomes ok to do since we are nothing.

From the Bulletin:

"When a new year comes, so often do new goals. Sadly, some of our goals fizzle before the month of January is over. To counter this, most goals require daily attention, planning, discipline and tracking — the things that eventually build greatness within us. Line upon line, great things are brought to pass (see Alma 37:6,7)." The Bishop

"Let us remember, too, that greatness is not always a matter of the scale of one's life, but of the quality of one's life. True greatness is not always tied to the scope of our tasks, but to the quality of how we carry out really matter now, things which will still matter a thousand years from now." President Spencer W. Kimball, "A Gift of Gratitude", Tambuli, Dec 1977, 1.

"A culture of planning and accountability makes good organizations (including individuals, families and wards) great and great organizations unstoppable." The Bishop

Church Services This Week at Sullivan Hollow Second Ward Weber Heights Stake Ogden Utah December 12-27-09

"It is in the book of Moroni: 'Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure. Amen.'1

"That ought to help you understand why any believing Latter-day Saint is an optimist about what lies ahead for him or her, however difficult the present may be. We believe that through living the gospel of Jesus Christ we can become like the Savior, who is perfect. Considering the attributes of Jesus Christ should quash the pride of the self-satisfied person who thinks he or she has no need to improve. And even the most humble person can take hope in the invitation to become like the Savior."

Elder David A. Bednar's talk from last General Conference, More Diligent and Concerned at Home

"President Thomas S. Monson recently counseled: “Often we assume that [the people around us] must know how much we love them. But we should never assume; we should let them know. . . . We will never regret the kind words spoken or the affection shown. Rather, our regrets will come if such things are omitted from our relationships with those who mean the most to us” (“Finding Joy in the Journey,” Liahona and Ensign, Nov. 2008, 86)." - Elder Bendar

"The hypocrisy in our lives is most readily discerned and causes the greatest destruction within our own homes. And children often are the most alert and sensitive when it comes to recognizing hypocrisy." - Elder Bednar

Zion-what is it? Different things at times.

• pure in heart
• beauty/church-stakes
• City of Enoch
• Jerusalem
• The New Jerusalem - Jackson County, Missouri
• The dwelling place of exaltation

A missionary who just returned from Ecuador spoke.

The Holy Ghost could be doing 1 billion other things, but he comes to witness to us personally.

None of us were born to be evil. We must choose to be more.

Life was never intended to be easy. Nothing that makes us stronger and helps us grow is easy.

From the Bulletin:

"Since no one is born with a testimony and we are, therefore, "converts" to the restored Gospel, let's never forget that we learn from "books," "others" and "many experiences." Let us learn our lessons well and also allow others space and forgiveness to learn their lessons (sometimes at our expense). Let that be one of our 365-day "Christmas gifts" to each other.

"Joseph Smith loved learning even though he had few opportunities for formal education. In his journals, he spoke happily of days spent in study and often expressed his love of learning. Joseph taught the Saints that knowledge was a necessary part of our mortal journey, for " a man is saved no faster than he [gains] knowledge," and that " whatever principle of intelligence we attain .. in this life, it will rise with us in the resurrection." During challenging times, it is even more important to learn. The Prophet Joseph taught, "Knowledge does away with darkness, [anxiety], and doubt; for these cannot exist where knowledge is." -President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "Two Principles for Any Economy", Ensign, Nov 2009.

Church Services This Week at Sullivan Hollow Second Ward Weber Heights Stake Ogden Utah 12-20-09

Alma 59:11-12

  11 And now, when Moroni saw that the city of Nephihah was ^alost he was exceedingly sorrowful, and began to doubt, because of the wickedness of the people, whether they should not fall into the hands of their brethren.

  12 Now this was the case with all his chief captains. They doubted and marveled also because of the wickedness of the people, and this because of the success of the Lamanites over them.

"God is responsible for the work accomplished by Joseph Smith—not Joseph Smith. The Lord is responsible for it, and not man." (Joseph F. Smith, Deseret Evening News, July 14, 1917, p. 9)

People are sometimes put off by how often we speak of Joseph Smith.  Even though the Lord did a lot of the foundation work, that we often need to review, through Joseph Smith, it was God's work and God's church.

Matthew 7:15-20

  15 ¶ Beware of ^afalse prophets, which come to you in ^bsheep’s clothing, but ^cinwardly they are ravening ^dwolves.

  16 Ye shall ^aknow them by their ^bfruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?

  17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth ^agood ^bfruit; but a ^ccorrupt tree bringeth forth ^devil fruit.

  18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.

  19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good ^afruit is ^bhewn down, and cast into the fire.

  20 Wherefore by their ^afruits ye shall know them.

"In this same period he established an organization which … has withstood every adversity and challenge and is as effective today in governing a worldwide membership … as it was in governing a membership of 300 in 1830." (Gordon B. Hinckley, “Joseph Smith Jr.—Prophet of God, Mighty Servant,” Ensign, Dec. 2005, pp. 4–6.)

President Monson's talk from the First Presidency Christmas Devotional 2008 was referenced.

Alma 1:4-5

  4 And he also testified unto the people that ^aall mankind should be saved at the last day, and that they ^bneed not fear nor tremble, but that they might lift up their heads and rejoice; for the Lord had ^ccreated all men, and had also ^dredeemed ^eall men; and, in the end, all men should have eternal life.

  5 And it came to pass that he did teach these things so much that many did believe on his words, even so many that they began to support him and give him ^amoney

The false doctrine Nehor teaches the people cited in this scripture discounts the fullness of the atonement and the sacredness for it to just be dispensed to those who are trying.  Also note that those that found his preaching pleasing paid him and provided for his support.

We only need to drop the last syllable from the spirit of Christmas and it becomes the spirit of Christ.

Church Services This Week at Sullivan Hollow Second Ward Weber Heights Stake Ogden Utah December 12-13-09

Doctrine and Covenants 4:3

3 Therefore, if ye have desires to serve God ye are ^acalled to the work;

Ephesians 4:29-32

  29 Let no corrupt ^acommunication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

  30 And ^agrieve not the holy ^bSpirit of God, whereby ye are ^csealed unto the day of redemption.

  31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and ^aanger, and clamour, and ^bevil ^cspeaking, be put away from you, with all ^dmalice:

  32 And be ye ^akind one to another, tenderhearted, ^bforgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.

Doctrine and Covenants 88:124

  124 Cease to be ^aidle; cease to be ^bunclean; cease to ^cfind fault one with another; cease to ^dsleep longer than is needful; retire to thy bed early, that ye may not be weary; arise early, that your bodies and your minds may be ^einvigorated.

3 Nephi 11:29

  29 For verily, verily I say unto you, he that hath the spirit of ^acontention is not of me, but is of the ^bdevil, who is the father of contention, and he stirreth up the hearts of men to contend with anger, one with another.

Doctrine and Covenants 101:32-33

  32 Yea, verily I say unto you, in that ^aday when the Lord shall come, he shall ^breveal all things—

  33 Things which have passed, and ^ahidden things which no man knew, things of the ^bearth, by which it was made, and the purpose and the end thereof—

2 Nephi 2:11-15

  11 For it must needs be, that there is an ^aopposition in all things. If not so, my first-born in the wilderness, righteousness could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness, neither holiness nor misery, neither good nor bad. Wherefore, all things must needs be a compound in one; wherefore, if it should be one body it must needs remain as dead, having no life neither death, nor corruption nor incorruption, happiness nor misery, neither sense nor insensibility.

  12 Wherefore, it must needs have been created for a thing of naught; wherefore there would have been no ^apurpose in the end of its creation. Wherefore, this thing must needs destroy the wisdom of God and his eternal purposes, and also the power, and the mercy, and the ^bjustice of God.

  13 And if ye shall say there is ^ano law, ye shall also say there is no sin. If ye shall say there is no sin, ye shall also say there is no righteousness. And if there be no righteousness there be no happiness. And if there be no righteousness nor happiness there be no punishment nor misery. And if these things are not ^bthere is no God. And if there is no God we are not, neither the earth; for there could have been no creation of things, neither to act nor to be acted upon; wherefore, all things must have vanished away.

  14 And now, my sons, I speak unto you these things for your profit and ^alearning; for there is a God, and he hath ^bcreated all things, both the heavens and the earth, and all things that in them are, both things to act and things to be ^cacted upon.

  15 And to bring about his eternal ^apurposes in the end of man, after he had ^bcreated our first parents, and the beasts of the field and the ^cfowls of the air, and in fine, all things which are created, it must needs be that there was an opposition; even the ^dforbidden ^efruit in ^fopposition to the ^gtree of life; the one being sweet and the other bitter.

Abraham 3:25

  25 And we will ^aprove them herewith, to see if they will ^bdo all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them;

Alma 34:32

  32 For behold, this ^alife is the time for men to ^bprepare to meet God; yea, behold the day of ^cthis life is the day for men to perform their ^dlabors.

Doctrine & Covenants 19:16-19

  16 For behold, I, God, have ^asuffered these things for all, that they might not ^bsuffer if they would ^crepent;

  17 But if they would not repent they must ^asuffer even as I;

  18 Which ^asuffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit—and would that I might ^bnot drink the bitter cup, and shrink—

  19 Nevertheless, glory be to the Father, and I partook and ^afinished my preparations unto the children of men.

The Living Christ:  The Testimony of the Apostles

From the Bulletin:
"Having overcome the world, Christ possesses a redeeming power that is all-embracing and all-encompassing in its scope. There are many dimensions to that power. Most important is the redeeming power of the great Atonement that paid the price for our sins — our individual sins as well as the sins of all mankind. Even the smallest sin we commit opens an infinite gulf between God and us, and it takes an infinite Atonement to overcome that. Only one who is "infinite and eternal" (Alma 34:14), as Amulek said, could pay that price.
In a most personal way, the Savior pleads for us before the Father's throne. The Doctrine and Covenants says He is our advocate with the Father, standing before the Father and saying, "Father, behold the sufferings and death of him who did no sin, in whom thou avast well pleased; behold the blood of the Son....
"Wherefore, Father, spare these my brethren that believe on my name" (D&C 45: 4-5). Elder Bruce D. Porter, "The Prince of Glory," Ensign, December 2009, 26-30.


29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which Is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.
30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you with all malice:
32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.
-Ephesians 4:29-32

First Presidency Christmas Devotional December 6, 2009

First Presidency Christmas Devotional
President Dieter F. Uchtdoft (Text of his talk)
"All of these spectacular displays and decorations that compete for our attention can be beautiful and uplifting, but if that’s all we see, then we’re missing something that’s in plain sight. Sometimes, despite our best intentions, we become so preoccupied with responsibilities, commitments, and the stress of our many tasks that we fail to see with our hearts that which is essential and most sacred."

President Henry B. Eyring (Text of his talk)
"Jehovah, out of His great love for the Father and for us, volunteered to come down from His exalted place as the perfect Firstborn in the spirit world to face the trials we would face and to save us if we loved Him enough to keep the commandments He would give us. At the heart of those commandments, we were to love the Father and His son and all of God’s other children. Hearing that story so filled our hearts with love for the Father and His Son that we shouted for joy and worshipped them."

Isaiah 9:6
  6 For unto us a ^achild is ^bborn, unto us a ^cson is given: and the ^dgovernment shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, ^eCounsellor, The ^fmighty ^gGod, The ^heverlasting Father, The Prince of ⁱPeace.

President Thomas S Monson (Text of his talk)
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.

"May there be love and kindness and peace within your hearts and homes. May even those whose hearts are heavy rise with the healing which comes alone from Him who comforts and assures."