Sunday Lesson: July 19th

Sis. Kathy Hall was kind enough to substitute teach our class today. The lesson she taught was Chp. 12 from our Ezra Taft Benson manual, Seek the Spirit in All You Do. She started off the lesson sharing two videos from lds.org. You can rewatch them following these links:

https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2012-01-001-feeling-the-holy-ghost?lang=eng

https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2012-01-004-increase-your-testimony?lang=eng

These videos remind us how important it is to know how to feel the influence of the Holy Ghost in our lives. Pres. Benson often counseled other general authorities by saying, "Remember Bretheren, in this work, it is the Spirit that counts."

We need to always want to have the companionship of the Holy Ghost in our lives. Pres. Benson teaches us, "The most important thing in our lives is the Spirit. I have always felt that. We must remain open and sensitive to the promptings of the Holy Ghost in all aspects of our lives. . . . These promptings most often come when we are not under the pressure of appointments and when we are not caught up in the worries of day-to-day life." President Benson also reminds us that after Joseph Smith was killed, he appeared to the prophet Brigham Young and told him this, "Tell the people to be humble and faithful, and be sure to keep the spirit of the Lord and it will lead them right. Be careful and not turn away the small still voice; it will teach you what to do and where to go; it will yield the fruits of the kingdom." Another thing Pres. Benson teaches is this: "One reason we are on this earth is to discern between truth and error. This discernment comes by the Holy Ghost, not just our intellectual faculties."

Through the Holy Ghost the Lord will prompt us through our feelings. We need to know that the Spirit of God communicates to us through our Spirits; this is how we are taught. So how do we obtain the Spirit? By the prayer of faith and fasting. "We must pray with sincerity and real intent. We must pray for increased faith and pray for the Spirit to accompany our teaching." President Benson also counsels us to fast in order for the Spirit to operate through us.

Searching the scriptures will also invite the Spirit into our lives. We should take the time to meditate and ponder the significance of the responsibility the Lord has given us. In D&C 43:34 it says, "Let the solemnities of eternity rest upon your minds." You cannot do that when your minds are preoccupied with the cares of the world. Pres. Benson says, "The more familiar you are with the scriptures, the closer you become to the mind and will of the Lord and the closer you become as husband and wife and children....We cannot know God and Jesus without studying about them and then doing their will."

Sis. Hall recently spoke at her granddaughter's baptims on the importance of the Holy Ghost. She shared this song, The Gift of the Holy Ghost, from the Children's Songbook:

I have a great gift from my Father above. 

This gift helps me know of His mercy and love.

I feel of its warmth when I ponder and pray.

It lightens my path as I seek to obey.

Chorus:

The Holy Ghost can be with me each day,

to comfort me, bless me, and show me the way.

He teaches me of the things that are true

And prompts me to know of the good I should do.

And when I was baptized a blessing was said

By strong priesthood holders with hands on my head.

The gift of the Holy Ghost, given to me,

Will help me be faithful, God's servant to be.

Chorus

So when I have choices or answers to find,

The still, quiet voice fills my heart and my mind.

And when I am frightened or sad or in need, 

Then I can feel peace when its whisprings I heed.

Chorus

Sunday Lesson: July 12th

Our lesson this past Sunday was from our Ezra Taft Benson manual, Follow the Living Prophet. The lesson followed our Sunday School hour perfectly after the Bishop read us the letter from the First Presidency regarding the recent decision of the US Supreme Court to legalize same-sex marriage. Our lesson just reinstated the fact that we should always hearken to the counsel of our living prophet.
 
Pres. Benson remembers when President Joseph F. Smith introduced 'Home Evening' throughout the church. After his parents read the First Presidency letter to the family, his father then said, "The Presidency has spoken, and this is the work of the Lord to us!" From then on the Benson family diligently held family home evening.
 
President Benson teaches us that the President of the Church is the Lord's mouthpiece on the earth. He frequently urged Latter-day Saints to keep their eyes on the living prophet. He also testified of the divine calling of each President of the Church with whom he served. He counsels us, "Learn to keep your eye on the prophet. He is the Lord's mouthpiece and the only man who can speak for the Lord today. Let his inspired counsel take precedence. Let his inspired words be a basis for evaluating the counsel of all lesser authorities. Then live close to the Spirit so you may know the truth of all things." President Benson also reminds us that, "The Church is not being directed by the wisdom of men. I know that. The power and influence of Almighty God are directing His Church."
 
The lesson also teaches us that the most important prophet for us is the living prophet. "God's revelation to Adam did not instruct Noah how to build the ark. Every generation has need of the ancient scripture, plus the current scripture from the living prophet." We also learn, "If we want to know how well we stand with the Lord then let us ask ourselves how well we stand with His moral captain - how close do our lives harmonize with the Lord's anointed - the living Prophet - President of the Church, and with the Quorum of the First Presidency."
 
We learn, "A revealing characteristic of a true prophet is that he declares a message from God. He makes no apology for the message, nor does he fear for any social repercussions which may lead to derision and persecution." Pres. Benson emphasizes that, "The prophet tells us what we need to know, not always what we want to know." Harold B. Lee once said, "You may not like what comes from the authority of the Church. It may conflict with your political views. It may conflict your social views. It may interfere with some of your social life...Your safety and ours depends upon whether or not we follow . . . Let's keep our eye on the President of the Church."
 
In conclusion President Benson gives us a grand key, which, if we honor it, will crown us with God's glory and bring us out victorious in spite of Satan's fury. The grand key is this, Follow the Prophet. "The prophet is the only man who speaks for the Lord in everything." "As members of the Church we have some close quarters to pass through if we are going to get home safely. We will be given a chance to choose between conflicting counsel given by some. That's why we must learn - and the sooner we learn, the better - to keep our eye on the Prophet, the President of the Church."

Sunday Lesson: July 5th

The basis for this Sunday’s lesson was the conference talk given by Dallin H. Oaks titled, “The Parable of the Sower.” Read Matt 13: 1-9 

The 1st type of soil, in verse 4, was that of the “Wayside”.  What type of person does this represent?  Who are the fowls?   Read Matt 13: 18-19   Have you ever ignored a gospel truth?    Can this happen in the wrong environments with the wrong friendships? 

Our hearts can be hardened or unprepared.

The 2nd type of soil is “stony ground”.  Jesus explains this in  v. 20-21.  What causes a hearer to have no root in themselves? Pres. Oaks says, “If we are not rooted in the teachings of the gospel and regular in its practices, any one of us can develop a stony heart.  Spiritual food is necessary for spiritual survival, especially in a world that is moving away from belief in God and the absolutes of right and wrong.  In an age dominated by the Internet, which magnifies messages that menace faith, we must increase our exposure to spiritual truth in order to strengthen our faith and stay rooted in the gospel. How can we increase our exposure to spiritual truth?   Have you ever taken a gospel truth for granted?  Have you ever been in a circumstance when someone proposed something inappropriate and you did nothing about it?   Our hearts can become stony from disuse. 

The 3rd type of soil also has “thorns that choke”.   Jesus also explains this in  v. 22.    Pres. Oaks first addresses “the deceitfulness of riches” 

How are riches deceitful?  Pres. Oaks:  “Whatever our state of conversion- we are all tempted by riches.  Those who believe in what has been called the theology of prosperity are suffering from the deceitfulness of riches.  The possession of wealth or significant income is NOT a mark of heavenly favor, and their absence is not evidence of heavenly disfavor.  When Jesus told a faithful follower that he could inherit eternal life if he would only give all that he had to the poor, He was not identifying evil in the possession of riches, but in the evil in that follower’s attitude toward them.  Jesus praised the good Samaritan, who used the same coinage to serve his fellowman that Judas used to betray his Savior.”  However, Pres. Oaks also says:  “Whoever has an abundance of material things is in jeopardy of being spiritually ‘sedated’ by riches and other worldly things.” Have you ever wanted something so badly, you justified an exception? This leads to the choking thorns called,’the care of this world’.   Pres. Oaks calls this the most subtle thorns that choke out the effect of the gospel word. 

What care of this world could choke out the gospel word? 

Pres Oaks relates a story of his esteemed BYU teacher, Hugh W. Nibley, who spoke of the dangers of surrendering to the cares of the world.  He was asked in an interview whether world conditions and our duty to spread the gospel made it desirable to seek some way to, ‘be accommodating of the world in what we do in the Church. ‘  His reply: ‘That’s been the whole story of the Church, hasn’t it?  You have to be willing to offend here, you have to be willing to take a risk.  That’s where the faith comes in…Our commitment is supposed to be a test, it’s suppose to be hard, it’s supposed to be impractical in the terms of this world.”  

Oaks goes on to quote Charles J. Chaput, the archbishop of Philadelphia, who spoke at BYU in January.  He says, “I want to stress again the importance of really living what we claim to believe.  That needs to be a priority – not just in our personal and family lives but in our churches, our political choices, our business dealings, our treatment of the poor; in other words, in everything we do.  Here’s why that is important, learn from the Catholic experience.  We Catholics believe that our vocation is to be leaven society (to lift it).  But there is a fine line between leaven in society, and being digested by society.” 

 Our hearts can be set upon the things of the world. 

The 4th type of soil is “good ground”    Read v. 23   According to this, what is good ground?   Jesus also explained in Luke 8:15, “The good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.”   

How can we prepare ourselves to be that good ground and to have that good harvest?  Alma 5 :12-14  talks about  seeking a mighty change of heart that replaces evil desires and selfish concerns with the love of God and the desire to serve Him and his children. 

Our hearts serve God and his children 

Elder Oaks concludes.  “We have the seed of the gospel word.  It is up to us to set priorities and to do the things that make our soil good and our harvest plentiful.  We must seek to be firmly rooted and converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

July Newsletter

Presidency Message by Jan Welling

With Independence Day right around the corner, it is hard not to think of this wonderful nation that we have been blessed to live in. One of my earliest memories of feeling proud of this country was when I was in 2nd grade. During music class, we were singing “God Bless the USA”, and I remember my eyes swelling up with tears as I sang the chorus. We are so blessed to have the freedoms we do.

We have been making choices since the pre-mortal life. It was there we chose to follow Jesus Christ and come to this earth to be tested. Every day and in every moment we are making a choice. With each choice comes a consequence, whether it be a good or bad one. This gift of freedom and choice comes from our Heavenly Father and has eternal significance.

Living gospel principles and keeping the commandments helps me feel safe. It allows me so much more freedom in my life. I have heard statements such as, ‘There are so many rules you have to keep.’ I know that the commandments are given to us as a protection to me and my family. I know that in the end they allow me more freedom than I would have if I didn’t keep them. They keep me from addictions and help guide my way. When I am living and keeping the commandments that have been set before me by Jesus Christ, my life is blessed. He loves each of us and wants us to be safe. He wants us to make the decisions that will lead us back to His presents. He will not force us. It is up to us to choose Him.

Mosiah 2:41 – And moreover, I would that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out faithful to the end they are received into heaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of never-ending happiness. O remember, remember that these things are true; for the Lord God hath spoken it.

Love, Marty, Lisa, Jan, & Debbie

July Birthdays
1 Lisa Lara
5 Brandy Gaule
7 Tyfani Krings
12 Mary Lou Mooring
18 Alice Dewitt
21 Joree Hoycott
21 Kristen Tanner
24 Jacqueline Yant
25 Victoria Peters
27 Debra Harroun
29 Jennifer Haberl
29 Leslie Nelson
31 Michele Azar

Lesson Schedule – (Ezra Taft Benson)
July 5 Presidency message by Marty Rozeski
July 12 #11 “Follow the Living Prophet” taught by Jenny Maxwell
July 19 #12 “Seek the Spirit in all you do” taught by Kay Bashford
July 26 “Where Justice, Love and Mercy Meet” Jeffrey Holland taught by Mary Kay Bashford

Upcoming Events
July 4-20 – Temple closed
July 4 Independence Day Breakfast 8am Alkire
July 8 Book Club 7pm at Stacy’s home “Hound of the Baskervilles” by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
July 14 Lunch Bunch 11am Good Times (9875 W 58th)
July 18 Ward Party Alkire
July 22 Cooking group 7 pm at Marty Rozeski’s
July 24 Stake Pioneer Day Activity 10am Alkire

Thursdays 9:30 am playgroup
Saturdays 8 am pickup basketball Stake Center
Mon & Wed 9 am Aerobics