Sunday, April 20, 2014, the RS lesson was given by Sis. Kay Bashford. The lesson was Chp. 8 of the Joseph Fielding Smith manual, The Church and Kingdom of God.
On Saturday morning, April 3, 1971, during his opening address at General Conference, President Joseph Fielding Smith said, "We announce that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the Kingdom of God on earth, the only place where men may come to learn the true doctrines of salvation and find the authority of the Holy Priesthood." He continued, "There is no need for anyone to remain in darkness; the light of the everlasting gospel is here; and every sincere investigator on earth can gain a personal witness from the Holy Spirit of the truth and divine nature of the Lord's work."
At the beginning of our lesson it says, "Let all men know assuredly that this is the Lord's Church and He is directing it's affairs. What a privilege it is to have membership in such a divine institution!"
SIs. Bashford asked some thought provoking questions during her lesson. "How do you feel about your membership in the Church? Is it a privilege to be a member?" President Joseph Fielding Smith had no doubts about how he felt. He said, "I know that we have the truth of the everlasting gospel of Jesus Christ, just as well as I know that I live. If I did not know it, I wouldn't want to be here or have anything to do with this work. But I know it in every fiber of my body."
SIs. Bashford says that it works both ways; when you know the Church is true, you work! When you work in the Church, you come to know more assuredly that it is true.
President Smith said, "In every gospel dispensation there are special needs to be met, problems to be solved, and help that must be given to assist and aid the members of the Church in working out their salvation 'with fear and trembling' before the Lord." Therefore, the Lord set up His Church as a Priesthood organization with other organizations to help, such as the Relief Society, Young Men and Young Women organizations, and the Primary. Sis. Bashford reminding us that our able service in the Church does not go unnoticed by the God whom we serve and in whose work we are engaged.
Our dispensation is different from the other dispensations of the earth. President Smith said, "There is one great thing we have received in this age that has never been had before. In this dispensation the Lord has decreed that the Church shall never again be lead astray; this time the gospel is here to stay. This time the revealed truth is destined to prepare a people for the second coming of the Son of Man, and the Church will be established in all parts of the earth when the Lord comes to usher in the millennial era of peace and righteousness."
To conclude the lesson Sis. Bashford asked us these questions:
How do you feel about your membership in the Church?
In what ways are you thankful for the gospel fullness?
What has it done for your life?
Do you find joy and happiness in life because of your membership in the Church?
Are you fully committed to be of service, to help build up the Kingdom of God on the earth today in this the last dispensation?
Find the entire lesson online HERE
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