Sunday 8/17/14 Lesson notes and announcements

A Note from our Stake President:

Earlier this week, President Livingston sent me the link to a talk recently

given by Sharon Eubank, director of Humanitarian Services and LDS

Charities. Along with the link, he also made this statement:

I wish that every woman I know would read this wonderful talk!

“This Is a Woman’s Church” - FairMormon

				“This Is a Woman’s Church” - FairMormon 2014 CONFERENCE Sharon Eubank August 8, 2014 “This Is a Woman’s Church” I have got to compliment FAIR. One of the greatest kickbacks that I got from this invi...
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In her address, Sister Eubank discusses the divine nature of women and

the important roles that we've been given.  She also suggests ways that

we might improve how we put this doctrine into practice. It does take

quite a bit of time to read or listen to the talk, but it is so worth it! 

An Eagle Project from Carson Moon: - DUE BY AUG.21^st !!!

You may have received a flyer on your door about this project.  Carson

Moon is raising funds for his Eagle scout project which is a monument

that welcomes people to Cedar Hills. It will be placed on the northeast

corner of Canyon Rd. and Canyon Heights Dr.

To raise money he is offering Flag Kits which are made to stand at the

curb. Each kit includes a 7.5’ sturdy white flag pole with gold vinyl ball

on top, a 3’x5’ poly-cotton US flag, an epoxy-coated rebar post, 

flag attachment hardware, and list of holidays- so you will know when to

put the flag on your curb. Each flag kit is $28.

Contact: Carson Moon – 801-425-1312 email: MoonDude12@gmail.com

by Thursday, Aug. 21. He will deliver your flag kit by Aug. 23.                                                                                                 

A Service Project Request from DeAnna Hildebrandt in Texas;

I am wondering if the Manila 10th ward can help a family here in Odessa that lost everything in

a home fire.  They are not LDS - but are in a great deal of need.  A woman in our ward heard

about this and helped a young woman head a project of collecting donations (this will be her

YW good works project).  

They are having trouble collecting clothes and shoes for the older boys.  School starts next

week - so it would help if some items could be collected by the end of this week and mailed

here.  I could other collected items back with me after Rhett's wedding (September 4th).

     Odessa Family of 11 Lose Everything in a House Fire, Please Help Donate

     the Garcia family lost everything including their two dogs in a house fire. 

     With the mother battling cancer, no home insurance or a steady source of income, 

     the Garcia’s have a great need at this time. We are working with the family to help  

     gather items needed in order to help them through this tragedy. Anything you can offer is appreciated.

Items needed

o Hygiene products

o Gently used clothes and shoes (sizes below)

o School uniforms (khaki pants and navy polo’s, sizes below)

o School supplies

o Canned food

o Blankets and pillows

o Toys and books

o Suitcases to help carry belongings in (they currently only have trash bags)

Children range from age 1 to 16. Girl’s sizes are 18-24mo, 4t, 8, and 12. 

   Boy’s shirt sizes adult small, medium and large, pant sizes 30x32, 29x34, 29x32, 

   youth boy sizes are 5t and 2t.

The three older boys all wear size 8 ½ men’s shoes and the younger boys wear youth size 10 ½ and 8. 

Girl’s shoe sizes are women’s size 5 and 4, youth sizes 10 and 4.

Mom wears a size 16 or 18 and shoe size 7; dad wears an XL shirt, 34x32 pants and shoe size 10.

LDS.org Update

Sisters, please take a moment to log onto LDS.org and update your personal information.

 (i.e. phone numbers, emails).  As you do your visiting teaching this

month, please remind the sisters you visit to do the same.

Thurs. Aug 21 -Ward House Kitchen Cleaning

Our ward has the opportunity to deep clean the kitchen in our church building on August 21 at

10 am. Please contact Valene Rose at 408-375-2275 if you are willing to help. It should take

about an hour.

UPCOMING CALENDAR ITEMS:

   Sept. 7 – Fast Sunday

   Sept. 8 -  Empty Nesters @ Mahaffeys – 7pm -  Their Palmyra Experience

   Sept.14-  Regional Conference

   Sept. 21- Ogden Temple Dedication

   Sept. 26- Fabulous Friday – 4-9pm – sign up & money to Jenni Ohlund by Sept. 7

                      sign up on blog:    www.manila10thwardreliefsociety.blogspot.com

   Sept. 28- Fast Sunday

   Oct. 4 – General Conference               

Birthdays:

Talitha Hudgins - Aug. 19

Sue Morgan - Aug. 26

Trudy Carter – Sept. 3

Michelle Dawson – Sept. 4

Christina McCullock – Sept. 4

Tasha Robins – Sept. 6

Candice Hanner – Sept. 9

 TEAM 6 -  Come and receive your blessings from cleaning the chapel on Sat. Aug. 23 at 9 am.

    McKinlay, Doug & Betty Jo                           McCullock, Christ & Christina

    Limon, Adam & Elisa                                    Michaelis, Aaron & Crystal

    Lyons, Jeff & Joanna                                     Mitchell, Rhett & Susan

    Lysy, Leslie                                                     Nettesheim, Pete & Amanda

    Maag, Troy & Annalisa                                  Warner, Ivan & Chell

    Matsuda, Gary & Jodee                                Wilkinson, Eric

    McCarty, Ken & Debbie                                Zeidner, Tim & Annalee

RS Lessons for the 4^th Sundays (TFOT)

August - The Cost and Blessings of Discipleship - Jeffrey Holland

September - Bear Up Their Burdens With Ease - David A Bednar

October - Grateful In Any Circumstances - Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Next Sunday's RS Lesson –  TFOT : The Cost and Blessings

   of Discipleship – by Jeffrey R. Holland

HIGHLIGHTS OF SUNDAY'S LESSON -   Taught by Kelly Schumacher

R.S. Lesson Notes from Teachings of Presidents of the Church, Joseph F.Smith

Aug. 17th, Ch. 18 – Living by Every Word that Proceeds from the Mouth of God.

“I am seeking after my own salvation and I know that I can find it only in obedience to

the laws of the Lord in keeping the commandments, in performing works of righteousness,

following in the footsteps of our file leader, Jesus, the exemplar and head of all.”

Joseph F. Smith saw it as his duty to raise a warning voice when people begin to drift away.

Sometimes that speaking out made him unpopular in some circles. But, he wanted to be a

watchman on the tower to sound the warning call to those who could not see the approaching

danger.

  “The Lord has given to man a code of laws that we call the gospel. Due to the lack of

inspiration and spiritual guidance, men may differ in relation to these laws and their application.

but there can hardly be a dispute in regard to the fact that such laws do exist, and that all who

seek entrance into that kingdom are subject to them.

  Opposition helps us sometimes to make our testimonies stronger as we stand up for our beliefs.

Last conference told us that this persecution will get worse and we need to stand up and not

be afraid.  Sometimes this will even be in our own families.

Keeping the Commandments is an expression of our love for the Lord.

She recommended an Ensign article by Randall K. Bennett: in the March 2012 LIAHONA – 

Follow the Prophet.. He told a story of selling his wife’s engagement ring to buy food storage

after hearing the Prophet tell people to get their food storage. Their hard choices reflected their

love of the Lord and their commitment to follow the Prophet.

She referenced D&C 132:8 and D&C  88:36-39.

The world offers us the gifts of:  Fortune, Fame, Popularity, Beauty…etc.

The Lord offers us the gifts of: Knowledge, Comfort, Quickening of the Mind, A place in the

   kingdom of God, Immortality, Glory, eternal life, and Having the presence of the Father &

   Son.

If we turn from the Lord’s commandments we cannot expect to receive his blessings.

Joseph F. Smith ends by saying: “I testify that the Lord has spoken in our day; that his message

is one of hope and joy and salvation; and I promise you that if you will walk in the light of

heaven, be true to your trust, and keep the commandments, you shall have peace and joy in

this life and eternal life to come.”

RS Lesson Notes from Sunday, August 10th and Announcments

August Relief Society Activity

The August Relief Society Activity will be on Thursday, August 14 at 7 pm.  There will be three mini classes on Quick/Healthy Meals, Freezer Jam and Canning Meat.  

LDS.org Update

Sisters, please take a moment to log onto LDS.org and update your personal information. (i.e. phone numbers, emails).  As you do your visiting teaching this month, please remind the sisters you visit to do the same.

Ward House Kitchen Cleaning

Our ward has the opportunity to deep clean the kitchen in our church building on August 21 at 10 am. Please contact Valene Rose at 408-375-2275 if you are willing to help. It should take about an hour.

Josh Ohlund's Eagle Scout Project

Hello,

 

My name is Joshua Ohlund and I am doing an Eagle project on the 12^th and 13^th of August (this month). I will be moving and organizing furniture and supplies into the new Lincoln Academy Charter School building. I would appreciate as many volunteers that can help as possible from 1 pm to 9 pm on August 12^th and from 8 a.m. till 6 p.m. or until we finish on August 13^th. The only requirement is to be able to lift more than 20 lbs. I would greatly appreciate as many volunteers as possible! Any time that you can spare to come to lend a hand, even 30 minutes, would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

 

Josh Ohlund

If you can help come to Lincoln Academy located at: 1582 West 3300 North Pleasant Grove UT, 84062

Birthdays:

Brenda Madsen - Aug. 13

Carly Hudgins - Aug. 16

Ellen Godfrey - Aug. 18

Talitha Hudgins - Aug. 19

Sue Morgan - Aug. 26

TEAM 5 -  Come and receive your blessings from cleaning the chapel on Sat. Aug. 16 at 9 am.

Lee, Scott & Cari

Carter, Marshall & Trudy

Daniels, Doug & Kristi

Gibbons, Gene & Evelyn

Gillman, Jim & Lauana

Greenwood, Ben

Horne, Mark & Lindsay

Horne, Scott & Mindy

Irwin, Keith & Ellen

Johnson, Wade & Stephanie

Rose, Floyd & Valene

Watson, Brandon & Rachael

New Move-Ins

Welcome to our newest family in the ward.

Anthony and Jaylin Rogers

8913 N Pine Hollow Dr.

They moved here from Highland.

They have 4 children, Taiden (14), Tavas (13), Ava (8) and Miles (6)

Jaylin enjoys baking ready, ASL and Deaf Culture and Movies and Plays.

Welcome to the ward!!

RS Lessons for the 4^th Sundays (TFOT) until Oct.-

For those of you keeping track – here is the schedule for the lessons on the 4^th Sunday.  All are taken from the April 2014 General Conference - 

August - The Cost and Blessings of Discipleship - Jeffrey Holland

September - Bear Up Their Burdens With Ease - David A Bednar

October - Grateful In Any Circumstances - Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Next Sunday's RS Lesson –  JFS #18- Living by Every Word the Proceeds by the Mouth of God

HIGHLIGHTS OF SUNDAY'S LESSON - 

R.S. Lesson Notes from Teachings of Presidents of the Church, Joseph F. Smith

Aug. 10^th, Ch. 17 – Sealing Power and Temple Blessings, taught by Mary Jones

Key – After this lesson think about what you are going to do, how has it changed your life?

The main purpose of Temple work is uniting families. “Before offering the dedicatory prayer in the Ogden Utah Temple, he said, “May I remind you that when we dedicate a house to the Lord, what we really do is dedicate ourselves to the Lord’s service, with a covenant that we shall use the house in the way he intends that it shall be used.”

“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet, before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: “And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite earth with a curse.”

“Behold, I will reveal unto you the Priesthood, by the hand of Elijah the prophet, before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.  And he shall plant in the hearts of the children the promises made to the fathers, and the hearts of the children shall turn to their fathers.  If it were not so, the whole earth would be utterly wasted at his coming.”

Temple work is the hope of the dead and the safety of the living.

“It is by virtue of this authority that ordinances are performed in the temples for both the living and the dead.” We must be willing to repent.

“To prepare for salvation in its fullest, we must receive temple ordinances through the sealing power.  The Lord has given unto us privileges and blessings, and the opportunity of entering into covenants, accepting ordinances that pertain to our salvation beyond what is preached in the world, beyond the principles of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, repentance from sin and baptism for the remission of sins and the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost; and these principles and covenants are received nowhere else but in the temple of God.

“Temple work is so interwoven with the plan of salvation, that one cannot exist without the other.  In other words, there can be no salvation where there are no temple ordinances peculiarly belonging to the Temple.”

Pray and you will be led to where to do family history work.

“I have heard it said many times by those who oppose this work that it is impossible for one person to stand vicariously for another.  Those who express themselves in the way overlook the fact that the entire work of salvation is a vicarious work, Jesus Christ standing as the propitiator, redeeming us from death, for which we were not responsible, also redeeming us from the responsibility of our own sins, on condition of our repentance and acceptance of the gospel.  He has done this on a grand infinite scale and the same principle he has delegated authority to the members of his Church to act for the dead who are helpless to perform the saving ordinances for themselves.”

Many stories and comments were shared from the sisters.

Lesson Notes from August 3rd - and Announcements

August Relief Society Activity

The August Relief Society Activity will be on Thursday, August 14 at 7 pm.  There will be three mini classes on Quick/Healthy Meals, Freezer Jam and Canning Meat.  

LDS.org Update

Sisters, please take a moment to log onto LDS.org and update your personal information. (i.e. phone numbers, emails).  As you do your visiting teaching this month, please remind the sisters you visit to do the same.

New Move-Ins

Welcome to our newest family in the ward.

Ryan and Kimberly Burt

3577 W. Cascade Springs Cv. (basement)

They moved here from Omaha, NE.

They have 4 boys and a girl on the way.

Noah(8) Jaxon(7), Collin (5), Scotty (2)

Kimberly hobbies are running, outdoors and reading.

Ogden Temple Open House

For anyone who is interested in getting tickets to the Ogden temple open house, there are tickets available by calling 1-855-537-2000.

Stake Announcements

Due to a scheduling conflict the Stake RS Humanitarian Night on Oct. 28 has been cancelled. We will let you know when a new date is scheduled.

Birthdays:

                   Lindsay Horne - Aug. 7

                   Brenda Madsen - Aug. 13

                   Carly Hudgins - Aug. 16

                   Ellen Godfrey - Aug. 18

                   Talitha Hudgins - Aug. 19

                   Sue Morgan - Aug. 26     

RS Lessons for the 4^th Sundays (TFOT) until Oct.-

For those of you keeping track – here is the schedule for the lessons on the 4^th Sunday.  All are taken from the April 2014 General Conference - 

August - The Cost and Blessings of Discipleship - Jeffrey Holland

September - Bear Up Their Burdens With Ease - David A Bednar

October - Grateful In Any Circumstances - Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Next Sunday's RS Lesson –  TFOT #17 - Sealing Power and Temple Blessings

HIGHLIGHTS OF SUNDAY'S LESSON - 

August 3^rd – Being Committed – Where Is Our Heart? by Melissa Schow

Based off 3 talks: Pres. Monson, Elder Holland, Pres. Uchtdorf

Pres. Monson says that we live in a time where Satan entices us greatly and can lead to our destruction.  Our faith will be challenged – we must have moral courage – even if that means standing alone.

What can I do to improve?  Elder Holland talked about even being abused and facing it with courage and courtesy.  Our hearts need to be committed.

Video was shown of Pres. Monson’s account of when he went into the Navy “Dare To Stand Alone”.  He talked about being courageous and determined – but alone.  Our faith will be challenged.

It’s hard to know today what is black and white – there is lots of gray area in the world.  What voices are we listening to?  Do we listen to the voices in our head? Or the voices of other people?  Jacob:7 – talks about Sherom in verses 4 and 5 and how Sherom hoped to shake him from his faith.  Who are our Sherom’s?

Pre. Monson talked about the adversary and how he will use ridicule and mockery.  What are examples of what can lead us astray?  TV, computer/internet, fashion, Facebook and social media, cell phones.

We can choose how we react and respond.  Examples of Standing Alone given by Heidi Hall and others.

Three areas that we can become firm and committed to:

1)  Prayer – Jacob:7, verse 12

2) Study the Words of God – Jacob:7, 10-12. We should strive to not just read but study the words.

3)  Commit our heart to the Lord – we can’t serve two Masters.  Pres. Benson talked about our ancestors looking down on us.  Pres. Uchtdorf talked about being Disciples of Christ and not having to choose over and over again but making a decision once and for all.

Listen to our silent voices – Be Awake and not Weary of Well-Doing.

Challenge – look at the three points above and find where you need to improve and do it!

Announcement

August Relief Society Activity

The August Relief Society Activity will be on Thursday, August 14 at 7 pm.  There will two mini classes on Quick/Healthy Meals and Canning - Freezer Jam and Canning Meat.  

Sunday Lesson Notes - July

HIGHLIGHTS OF SUNDAY'S LESSON - 

R.S. Lesson Notes from Teaching for Our Times, May Ensign

July 27^th - A Priceless Heritage of Hope by Pres. Henry B. Eyring, taught by Liz Walbom

Who were the pioneers in your life?  You have the power to affect so many people! Whoever you are and wherever you may be, you hold in your hands the happiness of more people than you can now imagine. .. You have the opportunity to show many people the way to greater happiness.  When you choose whether to make or keep a covenant with God, you choose whether you will leave an inheritance of hope to those who might follow your example.

Story of Heinrich Eyring – his ancestor.  Like Heinrich Eyring, my ancestor, you may be the first in your family to lead the way to eternal life along the path of sacred covenants made and kept with diligence and faith.

The greatest of all the blessings of God, eternal life, will come to us only as we make covenants offered in the true Church of Jesus Christ by His authorized servants.  Because of the Fall, we all need the cleansing effects of baptism and the laying on of hands to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Parents whose children have gone astray – the Lord has given us a source of hope…He has made promises to us as we keep trying to gather people to Him, even when they resist His invitation to do so.    Their resistance saddens Him, but He does not quit, not should we. No one is lost until we stop looking or give up!

We can depend on that unfailing desire of the Savior to bring all of Heavenly Father’s spirit children back to their home with Him.  Blessings are promised IF we chose righteousness.

Every person born into the world receives the Light of Christ, which helps us see and feel what is right and what is wrong.  We are given the opportunity to choose here on earth.  We feel the effect of our choices.  If we choose the right, we will find happiness – in time.  If we choose evil, there comes sorrow and regret – in time.  Those effects are sure.  Yet they are often delayed for a purpose.  If the blessings were immediate, choosing the right would not build faith.  And since sorrow s also sometimes great delayed, it takes faith to feel the need to seek forgiveness for sin early rather than after we feel its sorrowful and painful effects.

Family member must make their own choices – we can’t force them!  What can we do for family members who have strayed?  We can pray, invite them, love unconditionally, share experiences, live your life as an example, keep open the lines of communication, put their name in the Temple.

When your children are young – pray, read Scriptures, sharing testimonies – these are things that they will remember and may bring them back.  In Time – may be beyond the veil.  We must pay attention!

Quotes were read from Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, Lorenzo Snow and Boyd K. Packard about our children and Temple marriages and how things will work out.

Challenge:  Keep our covenants but also pray and fast or someone who has wandered in our family.  Ask what to do to help them and then DO IT!

HIGHLIGHTS OF SUNDAY'S LESSON - 

R.S. Lesson Notes from Teachings of Pres. of the Church, Joseph Fielding Smith

Chapter 15 – Bringing up Children in Light and Truth, taught by Natasha Vinzant

The gray areas are expanding in these times. Teach children to learn to recognize the Spirit at an early age.

Speaking of his father, Joseph Fielding Smith said, “He taught us at the breakfast table as he told us stories from the scriptures, and had the ability to make each one sound new and exciting though we had heard it many times before. …If Father had time to walk to school with us, the stories continued…He taught us by the things he prayed for in our family prayers when we knelt by our chairs before breakfast and again at dinner time…”

Heavenly Father asks us to teach all the time like Joseph Fielding Smith did.  If you have a passion for Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ then your children will!

“The importance of family unity – love and consideration for one another in the family – cannot be overemphasized.   Spiritual solidarity in family relationships is the sure foundation upon which the Church and society itself will flourish.  This fact is well known and appreciated by the adversary, and as never before, he is using every clever device, influence, and power within his control to undermine and destroy this eternal institution.  Only the gospel of Jesus Christ applied in family relationships will thwart his devilish destructiveness.”

“Our children will have to be taught to discern between good and evil, otherwise in many respects they will not be able to understand why they are not permitted to indulge in practices that are common with their neighbors.”

“The Lord has commanded us, one and all, to bring our children up in light and truth.  Where this spirit exists, disharmony, disobedience, and neglect of sacred duties will not, cannot, succeed.”

“If parents have done all in their power to teach their children correctly by example and precept and the children then go astray, the parents will not be held responsible and the sin will be upon the children.”

“Individual, personal testimony is and always will be the strength of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  A testimony is best nurtured in the family setting…The gaining and the keeping of testimonies should be a family project.”

The following topics were read aloud and each person with that topic shared examples in their own life:

·         Set a righteous example

·         Begin teaching children when they are young

·         Teach children to pray

·         Introduce children to the scriptures

·         Hold family home evening

·         Teach virtue, chastity, and morality

·         Prepare children to be witnesses of the truth and to serve missions

·         Help children prepare to have eternal families of their own

HIGHLIGHTS OF SUNDAY'S LESSON - 

R.S. Lesson Notes from Teachings of Pres. of the Church, Joseph Fielding Smith

Chapter 13 – Baptism, taught by Elisa Limon

Joseph Fielding Smith recounted remembering his own baptism and caution from his sister to “keep myself unspotted from the world”.

“There is no more important counsel that can be given to any member of the Church than to keep the commandments after baptism.”

1.  Baptism by immersion A) Is a similitude of death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ B) Is a similitude of birth of a child.  Comparison of being born into the world and born into the Kingdom of God from Moses 6: 58-60 : 

Born Into the World                                                        Born into the Kingdom of God

Carried and born in water                                                Baptized in water

Born of blood                                                                 Blood/Atonement of Christ

Spirit is born                                                                  Gift of the Holy Spirit

C) Is a similitude of a transplanting or resurrection from one life to another – the life of sin to the life of spiritual life.  “…All men and women…need repentance…They are in spiritual death.”

2.  Little children who have not reached the years of accountability do not need baptism because they are redeemed through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. “How could you teach a little child to repent?  It has not anything to repent of.”

3. Every person baptized into the “Church has made a covenant with the Lord.  In the waters of baptism we covenanted that we would keep these commandments; that we would serve the Lord; …that we would be obedient and humble, diligent in His service, willing to obey, to hearken to the counsels of those who preside over us and do all things with an eye single to the glory of God.

4.  To gain the full blessing of the gospel, we must continue to be humble, repentant, and obedient after we are baptized.  “…No. It is just as necessary that he have that contrite spirit, that broken heart, after he is baptized as it is before.”

Baptism is a of two-fold nature; primarily for the remission of sins, and then, entrance into the kingdom of God, not the telestial kingdom, not into the terrestrial kingdom, but entrance into the celestial kingdom, where God dwells.

Challenge for this week:  Get rid of or add something to help us keep our baptismal covenants.

HIGHLIGHTS OF SUNDAY'S LESSON -

Combined Priesthood and Relief Society – Lesson taught by Bro. Greenwood

Bro. Greenwood began by saying that a positive impact on his life has been setting LDS.org as his home page on his web browser.

He showed the video – “True Christianity” (this can be found on the Mormon Channel). The video is about older men who go on a motorcycle trip each year. There used to be three and now there are only two men because Walter had passed away.  One day Walter, Jerry, and Mitchell were talking.  Jerry said to Walter, “You know I haven’t missed church in 30 years.” Walter said: “What were you doing with all that time when you weren’t in church. I hope you were being a true Christian then too.” Jerry and Mitchell take a picture of Walter with them on their road trips and they try to do what Walter would do if he were with them.

Random acts of kindness – what they can do for you when you least expect it. Both the giver and the receiver benefit.  What are we doing on a daily basis to show we are true disciples of Jesus Christ?

*The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a lifestyle – it is not just a Sunday thing.

*We don’t have to do it all at once, but we can do it. (serving)

*Let your light shine so others can see the example of Christ in our actions.

*Going to church each week is one more thing that strengthens our personal conversion.

*People are watching us – what kind of example are we setting?

*Attending church each week is a blessing. It inspires us - it puts fuel in our tanks – it strengthens us to want to serve during the week.

*Attending our church meetings in less than 3% of our week.

 What you do when you don’t have to think shows who you really are.

What you do talks so loud I can’t hear what you are saying.

*One brother shared the impressions he felt during sacrament meeting. He said worry not what is on your right or left, worry not what is in front of you or behind you. Worry about what is in your heart and the desire you have to love others.

 D&C 84:88 “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 angles round about you, to bear you up.”

 We have such good examples of Christ-like service in our ward and around us. I have seen this service in action as many served my family while my wife and children were ill. Seeing acts of service inspires us to serve more.

 *Renewing our covenants each week, going to the temple and renewing our covenants there, doing our visiting and home teaching – all of these things keep us grounded and helps us to not give into our weaknesses. These things help move us toward what we truly desire – Eternal life.

 If we can picture everyone we meet in their temple whites, how differently we would treat them and serve them.

We are blessed with time – we have a stewardship to use our time wisely and serve others. We feel the most joy when we serve others. Look for evidences of the Lord in all things. Keep a record of where you see the spirit of the Lord each day. Offering service is character building and brings happiness. We can be as happy as we desire.

 Bro. Greenwood shared what he learned in the leadership training meeting on Saturday. He was in his scout clothes so he sat in the foyer. One of the missionaries said that we are in the same church as Christ established. We take the same sacrament and we should expect miracles. As Bro. Greenwood heard this he looked at the picture of Christ depicting the last supper.  We need to use the time during the sacrament to have a spiritual event as if Christ were present. We need to find the time during the sacrament as we renew our covenants to strengthen our personal relationship with the Savior.

 In preparation for the lesson Bro. Greenwood used the devotional talk by Elder Ballard – “Be Still and Know That I am God.” Elder Ballard spoke about our need for quiet time to feel the spirit and have the spirit speak to us. When do you find your quiet time? We all need time each day to feel the presence of the spirit. We all need a time and place to stop and think. Technology is a distraction. Many are using their phones or tablets to check their email or search the internet during church. We all need time for the Holy Ghost to touch us.  The temple is a place to connect with the spirit. The spirit speaks to us in a still small voice. 1 Kings 19:11-12. Are we acting upon the promptings of the spirit? The Holy Ghost is real. It will prompt us to do things that if we act upon them they will make us happy.