Snow Day Sunday Lesson!

With church meetings being cancelled today we will miss seeing all of your smiling faces. We will also miss hearing from Sister Mary Kay Bashford. Here are the two talks that were to be discussed during our Relief Society lesson today. Listen to the talks here and make new commitments of how you view the Sacrament.

The Sacrament and the Atonement by Elder James J. Hamula

The Sacrament - A Renewal for the Soul by Cheryl A. Esplin

How Do I Love Thee?

"Not when do I love thee, nor where do I love thee, nor why do I love thee, nor why don't you love me, but rather how."

"Think the Best of each other. 

Assume the good and doubt the bad."

Sunday Lesson: Feb 15th

Our lesson this week, Living Joyfully in Troubled Times, was given by Sis. Kay Bashford. She pointed out that the majority of the lesson was taken from a presidency message given by Pres. Benson in the 1986 Ensign entitled "Do Not Despair." 

Doctrine & Covenants 1:35-36 says, "For I am no respecter of persons, and will that all men shall know that the day speedily cometh; the hour is not yet, but is nigh at hand, when peace shall be taken from the earth, and the devil shall have power over his own dominion. And also the Lord shall have power over his saints, and shall reign in their midst, and shall come down in judgment upon Idumea, or the world." 

Pres. Benson teaches us that, "Of all people, we as Latter-day Saints should be the most optimistic and the least pessimistic." We know that the Lord will give us His divine protection if we are living our lives righteously and in accordance with His laws. "With the assurance that the Church shall remain intact with God directing it through the troubled times ahead, it then becomes our individual responsibility to see that each of us remains faithful to the Church and its teachings."

Pres. Benson says, "We will all have disappointments and discouragements - that is part of life. But if we will have faith, our setbacks will be but a moment and success will come out of our seeming failures. Our Heavenly Father can accomplish miracles through each of us if we will but place our confidence and trust in Him."

Being optimistic instead of pessimistic in our lives takes much faith. There is great counsel from Pres. Benson, but he reminds us that we have to work for it. "We have no cause to really worry. Live the gospel, keep the commandments. Attend to your prayers night and morning in your home. Maintain the standards  of the Church. Try and live calmly and cheerfully...Happiness must be earned from day to day. But it is worth the effort." He also tells us that, "There are times when you simply have to righteously hang on and outlast the devil until his depressive spirit leaves you. As the Lord told the Prophet Joseph Smith: "Thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment; And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high." (D&C 121:7-8)

There are 12 points from President Benson from his message, "Do Not Despair" that we learned about in class to help us overcome feelings of despair, discouragement, depression, and despondency. President Benson tells us that if we follow them they, "will lift our spirits and send us on our way rejoicing.They include:

1) Repentance- Make sure your life is in line with the laws of God. 2) Prayer- Never stop communicating with God. 3) Service- When we serve it gets our mind off our troubles and helps us stay in focus. 4) Work- The antidote for worry is work. 5) Health- Our bodies house our Spirits; keep it healthy. 6) Read- It can be enlightening, educating, and a good distraction. 7) Blessing- Ask for a priesthood blessing and partake of the sacrament worthily. 8) Fasting- Matt 17:21 9) Friends- Don't forget that your family should be your best friends. 10) Music- The right music can be uplifting and inspiring. 11) Endure- Hang in there and don't give up. 12) Goals- Press forward and accomplish something, even if it is small.Sis. Bashford added one last point, her own, and that is gratitude. Don't forget to be ever grateful for the blessings you have.

Being optimistic and having faith during trials and difficulty is not easy, but our Father in Heaven will always be with us to bless us. He wants us to be successful and He wants us to be happy. He will do His part if we do our part.

Sunday, Feb 8th

Sis. Jenny Maxwell is our new 2nd Sunday RS teacher. She is so excited for her new calling! Her first lesson was Ch. 3,  Freedom of Choice, an Eternal Principle from our Ezra Taft Benson Manual. This day also happened to be her birthday :)

With Pres. Benson's experience of growing up on a farm as a foundation, "he frequently reminded Latter-day Saints and others of the importance of agency - the freedom to choose the course they should follow. His teachings about the principle of agency included more than just a reminder to "choose between right and wrong." He spoke of agency as the ability to 'make important decisions that will have bearing on our salvation' and that will 'affect our happiness in eternity'. He encouraged Latter-day Saints and others to use their agency to 'act on their own,' without waiting to be commanded in all tings. The principle of agency, he said, 'runs like a golden thread throughout the gospel plan of the Lord for the blessing of his children'."

The first principle of agency is that it is a God-given eternal principle. "The great plan of liberty is the plan of the gospel. There is no coercion about it; no force, no intimidation. A man is free to accept the gospel or reject it. He may accept it and then refuse to live it, or he may accept it and live it fully. But God will never force us to live the gospel. He will use persuasion through His servants. He will call us and He will direct us and He will persuade us and encourage us and He will bless us when we respond, be He will never force the human mind."

The second principle that Pres. Benson teaches us about freedom of choice is that we, His children, are free to choose between good and evil. "That the Lord is displeased with wickedness is true. That He desires that it not occur is also true. That He will help those who oppose it is true. But that He allows wickedness to occur at all through His children here in mortality is proof of His having given them their freedom to choose, while reserving for Him a basis for their final judgment."

Sis. Maxwell was kind to us all in the class and made cookies for us. There was one plate, however, that had two yummy looking cookies on it. One had been made with a lot of salt in it, and the other was supposed to taste good. The point of Sis. Maxwell's object lesson is that we have the freedom to choose, but we do not have control over the consequence of our decision. If the salty cookie was chosen, no matter how good it looked, it still tasted salty. 

President Benson teaches us, "The biggest business of any life is making decisions. While one of the greatest gifts of God to man is . . . the right of choice, he has also given man responsibility for these choices . . . We put our own lives in the direction of success or failure. We may not only choose our ultimate goals, but we also determine and decide for ourselves, in many cases, the means by which we will arrive at those goals, and by our industry or lack of it determine the speed by which they may be reached. This takes individual effort and energy and will not be without opposition or conflict."

Something that many of us forget is that when we make individual choices for ourselves, the consequences they bring can be far reaching; much farther than we can imagine. The boy Joseph Smith made a decision to pray and ask for wisdom. His decision to do so directly impacted the lives and salvation of millions of men and women. "We must keep in mind that individuals do matter and that decisions they make may greatly affect the lives of others."

"Wise decisions are usually arrived at following work, struggle, and prayerful effort. . . In decisions of crucial importance, fasting combined with prayer can bring great spiritual insight." Doctrine and Convenants 9:8 says, "But, behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right."

President Benson pleads with us that, "We should be 'anxiously engaged' in good causes and leave the world a better place for having lived in it."

Sunday, Feb 1st

The lesson this week was given by Sister Lisa Lara. 

What happens in the Spirit World? It is where deceased persons who have not had the opportunity to hear the gospel are taught of its truths by those who have already accepted it. Bro. Larry Peterson’s funeral was almost like a missionary farewell. He loved missionary work and was sure he would be teaching others the gospel after he died. Why do we teach the gospel in the Spirit World? So that those who have not been taught the gospel have a chance to learn it and hopefully accept it. 

In the book True to the Faith it teaches us that "In the spirit world, the gospel is “preached to those who [have] died in their sins, without a knowledge of the truth, or in transgression, having rejected the prophets. These [are] taught faith in God, repentance from sin, vicarious baptism for the remission of sins, the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands, and all other principles of the gospel that [are] necessary for them to know in order to qualify themselves that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit” (D&C 138:32–34).

Many in the spirit world embrace the gospel. However, they cannot receive priesthood ordinances for themselves because they do not have physical bodies. In holy temples, we have the privilege of receiving ordinances in their behalf. These ordinances include baptism, confirmation, Melchizedek Priesthood ordination (for men), the endowment, the marriage sealing, and the sealing of children to parents."

So now we know a little bit about WHY we do Family History work, so we can do for the dead what they cannot do for themselves. Another reason why we should do family History work is because we are commanded to. In Elder Allan F. Packer’s recent conference talk, The Book, he teaches us that we are all trying to qualify for exaltation., and that it is the quest of a lifetime. “As explained in the Church handbook: 'In fulfilling its purpose to help individuals and families qualify for exaltation, the Church focuses on divinely appointed responsibilities. These include helping members live the gospel of Jesus Christ, gathering Israel through missionary work, caring for the poor and needy, and enabling the salvation of the dead by building temples and performing vicarious ordinances.' These four focuses and all other laws, commandments, and ordinances are required and not optional."

Doctrine and Covenants 128:18 says, "For we without [our ancestors] cannot be made perect; neithe can they without us be made perfect." – it’s a continuous circle.

Elder Allan Packer says, “Like partaking of the sacrament, attending meetings, reading the scriptures, and saying personal prayers, doing family history and temple work should be a regular part of our personal worship.”

Sis. Charlene Browne shared with us her experiences doing family history and helping to perserve important events and stories from her family. Through family history work she has been able to connect with distant cousins all over the country and help with countless ordinances.

“Family history also includes the present as we create our own history. It includes the future as we shape future history through our descendants. A young mother, for example, sharing her family stories and pictures with her children is doing family history work,” teaches Elder Allan Packer.

I have realized in the past few months that many of the stories I know about my grandparents are not written down. There are also very different perspectives of the same story depending on who tells it. I shared a story of my grandparents traveling from Chicago to St. George, Utah during WWII to be married in the temple. My mother had shared that story with me. I later mentioned to my aunt that I had shared the story in a RS lesson, and she then recounted the same story, but with many different details that my Mom hadn’t included. It is my job now to write down the story including information from my aunt and my Mother. FamilySearch.org has a place that I can record that story, with a picture even, and it can be shared with all my relatives. 

How hard is it to do Family History work? Many of us feel that is can be overwhelming looking for data and searching for documents. Elder Packer says, “To assist members, the Church has gathered records and provided tools so that much of the work can be done in our own homes or in the ward buildings and the temple. Most obstacles have been removed. Whatever your past perception, it is different now!”

In True to the Faith it tells us our 3 basic responsibilities: 1) Receive the temple ordinance for yourself and help immediate family members receive them. 2) Hold a current temple reccomend and attend the temple as frequently as circumstances allow. 3) Gather family history information so you can help your ancestors receive the blessings of the temple.

There are suggestions to help us start gathering family history information so that our ancestors can receive the blessings of the temple. “While you probably will not be able to do everything, you can do something.” 

• Record important details about your own life. Record your birth date and birthplace and the dates of your baptism and confirmation. Keep a personal journal to record the highlights of your life, including personal experiences that will strengthen the faith of your children and other future generations.
• Learn about your ancestors. Begin by recording information from your memory and from accessible sources at home. Record the vital information you accurately remember or can find about siblings, parents, uncles and aunts, grandparents, and great-grandparents. Where possible, obtain copies of certificates or other documents that include this information. As you gather more information, you may want to search in other locations, such as public records. The local ward or branch may have a family history consultant who can help you. You may also want to visit the Church’s official Web site for family history, www.familysearch.org.
• As you identify your ancestors, use pedigree charts and family group forms to record the information you find. These forms are available on paper and also in Church-produced software programs, such as Personal Ancestral File.

Did you know there are even missionaries that are called to help us do our Family History work? There are missionaries like Sis. Debbie Orvin called to answer questions you may have as you work on FamilySearch.org. These missionaries are available around the clock, 24 hours a day, to be of help to you. Believe it or not, the majority of the people they help are not members of the church. So many people from all walks of life are interested in Family History work. We need to be all the more interested because we can help with saving ordinances for our ancestors.

Elder Allan Packer tells us not to hesitate in doing this work. “All it requires is a decision and a little effort. It does not require a large block of time. Just a little time on a consistent basis will yield the joy of the work.” I think of the time that I spend on social media, or doing this or that. Perhaps that is not time spent in the best way. “We must not sacrifice our exaltation or that of our families for less important interests.”

This video from Pres. Eyring and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir was shared at the end of the lesson. Hopefully it touches your heart as it did mine.

February Newsletter

Presidency Message by Marty Rozeski
I read a commentary, by John D. Lamb, a chemistry professor at BYU. The writing is entitled “Why Everyone Should be a Scientist.” Here are a few of his insights:
The word science derives from the Latin scientia, meaning knowledge. Literally, a scientist is a person who makes it his or her business to know stuff. And really everyone should be a scientist-a knower of things, a seeker of light and knowledge. (see Abr. :2).

“Whatever principle of intelligence we obtain unto in this life, it will rise with us in the resurrection. And if a person gains more knowledge and intelligence in this life through obedience than another, he will have so much the advantage in the world to come.” (D&C 130:18-19) There is intrinsic and eternal value in gaining knowledge. It is one way of drawing closer to God; it is one way of becoming more like him.

Is it any wonder that over the ages Satan has done everything in his power to impede the progress of knowledge? The Library of Alexandria was burned; schools of the Roman Empire were destroyed; works of Beethoven and Goethe were replaced by Nazi barbarism.

As Latter-day Saints, we need to be standard-bearers of enlightened learning. Learning is an integral part of building Zion and a central feature in our mission. That is why one of the first things Joseph did in Kirtland was establish a School of Elders, and in Nauvoo a university. That is the main reason BYU exists. Its mission is more than preparing students for a profession. It is preparing for the millennial reign of Christ. It is preparing for eternity.

Open your eyes to light and minimize the things that distract you from what has real value. There are so many inviting but hollow distractions around us these days.
Your destiny is to be better than what this world alone has to offer. Your destiny is to build Zion. You were sent here to change the world.

Let’s have faith in each other. Let’s learn together, and become God’s children of light.

Love, Marty, Lisa, Jan, Debbie, & Jenny

Birthdays
2 Jeannette Stone
8 Jennifer Maxwell
8 Jerry Whiting
18 Katherine Toone
19 Margaret Agnew
20 Amber Johnson
20 Rachel Mason
23 Kathy Conley
25 Sabrina Hankal

Lesson Schedule – (Ezra Taft Benson)
Feb 1 Lesson by Lisa Lara
Feb 8 #3 “Freedom of Choice, an Eternal Principle” taught by Jenny Maxwell
Feb 15 #4 “Living Joyfully in Troubled Times” taught by Kay Bashford
Feb 22 "The Sacrament & the Atonement" by Elder Hamula AND "The Sacrament" by Cheryl Esplin taught by Mary Kay Bashford

Upcoming Events
Jan 19 – Feb 23 Temple Closed
Feb 12 – Learn Make-Up Techniques at 7 pm at Rozeski home taught by Nikita Bledsoe
Feb 24 – Temple Open
Feb 25 – Project Night at 7 pm at Welling home
Mar 12 – Relief Society Meeting 7 pm
Mar 18 – All Day Temple Day

Other Opportunities
Feb 10 Lunch Bunch 11am at KFC/Taco Bell 58th & Garrison
Feb 18 Book Club 7pm at the Mauger home “The Winter Sea” by Susanna Kearsley
Thursdays 9:30 am playgroup
Saturdays 8 am pickup basketball Stake Center
Mon & Wed 9 am Aerobics
1,2,4 Wednesdays Family History classes 7 pm