Sept 28 Lesson- Pornography

Teachings for our Times
Penny Fuehrer

Some Facts about pornography

• 100% of teens will be exposed by the time they graduate High School, and most of the initial exposure will occur while they are on the computer doing their homework.
• 9 out of 10 men, and 1/3 of women have addiction problems
• Most sex offenders start out with pornography
• The average age of exposure to pornography is 11 yr
• 60% of LDS people have a problem with pornography

These stats show that it is not if, but when your kids are exposed.   There are signs of addiction that we can watch for.

• Decrease in self-esteem
• Change in sleeping patterns
• No desire to be social and increased isolation and discomfort
• Depression
• Hopelessness
• Increased anger
• Pride
• Dishonesty
• Selfishness

Pornography addiction can also cause impotence, because your brain can no longer distinguish the difference between a real and imagined experience.  

The best way that we can fight pornography is by building up our internal filter and reducing the opportunities to view unwholesome things by:

• Talking to your children about sex and pornography.  Your children will learn about it from friends if you are not proactive.  Keep an open dialogue so they know they can ask you anything.
• Being careful about the books, magazines, and TV show that you bring into the home.
• Daily Scripture Study and Prayer
• Holding regular FHE
• Attending the temple and participating in Family History
• Having everyone in the family turn their phones and tablets in at night.
• Keeping your computers out in the open where anyone can see what is being viewed
• Putting a filter on all wifi devices (i.e. K9 is a free internet filter)

Living by Every Word That Proceeds from the Mouth of God

 Living by Every Word That Proceeds from the Mouth of God

Joseph Fielding Smith

August 17 by Cynthia Myers

 

Sister Myers started her lesson out by telling a story about her cousin Emily. She said her cousin wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed. She was always doing things without completely thinking them through. She gave one example of Emily taking a trip to Arizona and she wanted to take a different route“

She looked at a map quickly and decided what roads to take. As she drove this route that she had picked she ended up in California. She didn’t plan on going through California, but somehow she ended up there. She eventually got herself to Arizona. It took her 8 hours longer than she planned. Sister Myers related this to us:  When we don’t follow God’s plan and keep his commandments we get lost and take a different road.  It doesn’t mean we won’t make it back to our Heavenly Father. We might get lost and make the road twist and turn a bit more. This making our lives harder than they need to be.

 

President Smith said “The supreme act of worship is to keep the commandments, to follow in the footsteps of the Son of God, to do ever those things that please him.”

 

 “I am seeking after my salvation,” President Joseph Fielding Smith declared, “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 the head of all. President Smith once shared an experience that illustrated the change of heart that can come to a person who heeds this warning call:

 

In addition to seeking his own salvation, President Smith worked diligently to help others do the same. Elder Francis M. Gibbons, who served as a secretary to the First Presidency, observed that President Smith “saw it as his duty to raise a warning voice when the people began to drift away from the path marked by the scriptures. And he had no intention to abandon that duty, regardless of what anyone said. That speaking out made him unpopular in some circles seems not to have had any deterring effect upon him; his purpose was not to become popular or famous in the eyes of the people. Instead, he saw his role as that of a watchman on the tower whose duty it was to sound the warning call to those below who could not see the approaching danger.” President Smith once shared an experience that illustrated the change of heart that can come to a person who heeds this warning call:

“I attended a stake conference a number of years ago and spoke on the Word of Wisdom. … When I went to the rear of the building [at the close of the conference,] nearly everybody had left, but a man held out his hand and said:

“‘Brother Smith that is the first discourse on the Word of Wisdom that I ever liked.’

“I said: ‘Haven’t you heard other discourses on the Word of Wisdom?’

“He said: ‘Yes, but this is the first one that I ever enjoyed.’

“I said: ‘How is that?’

“He said: “Well, you see, I am keeping the Word of Wisdom now.”

The sisters commented sometimes it is hard to listen to people tell us what we should be doing.

 God governs the universe by law, and we are subject to that law.

President Smith went on to say, “All kingdoms have a law given; “And unto every kingdom is given a law; and unto every law there are certain bounds also and conditions. A sister commented that we can choose our actions and change our direction on the road, but we can’t choose our consequences.

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

Our responsibility in the Church is to worship the Lord in spirit and in truth, and this we are seeking to do with all our heart, might, and mind. Jesus said: “Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.” (Matt. 4:10.)

 

 When we are keeping the commandments of the Lord, we are on the road to perfection.

The Lord expects us to believe in him, to accept his everlasting gospel, and to live in harmony with his terms and conditions. It is not our province to select and obey those gospel principles which appeal to us and forget the rest. It is not our prerogative to decide that some principles no longer apply to our social and cultural circumstances.

As we keep the commandments, the Lord comforts and blesses us and strengthens us to become men and women worthy of exaltation.

To please [the Lord], we must not only worship him with thanksgiving and praise, but render willing obedience to his commandments. By so doing, he is bound to bestow his blessings; for it is upon this principle (obedience to law) that all things are predicated

If we go into the temple we raise our hands and covenant that we will serve the Lord and observe his commandments and keep ourselves unspotted from the world. If we realize what we are doing then the endowment will be a protection to us all our lives—a protection which a man who does not go to the temple does not have.

I have heard my father say that in the hour of trial, in the hour of temptation, he would think of the promises, the covenants that he made in the House of the Lord, and they were a protection to him. … This protection is what these ceremonies are for, in part. They save us now and they exalt us hereafter, if we will honor them. I know that this protection is given for I, too, have realized it, as have thousands of others who have remembered their obligations.

In the temple, we covenant to “serve the Lord and observe his commandments and keep ourselves unspotted from the world.”

The Lord will give us gifts. He will quicken our minds. He will give us knowledge that will clear up all difficulties and put us in harmony with the commandments that he has given us; he will give us a knowledge that will be so deeply rooted in our souls that it can never be rooted out, if we will just seek for the light and the truth and the understanding that are promised to us and that we can receive if we will only be true and faithful to every covenant and obligation pertaining to the gospel of Jesus Christ.

 President Smith testified 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 in the world to come.

Keep the commandments. Walk in the light. Endure to the end. Be true to every covenant and obligation, and the Lord will bless you beyond your fondest dreams.

Sister Myers closed by telling the ladies none of us our perfect and all of us struggle in different ways. But if every day we strive to stay on the road back to our Heavenly Father we will do so.

Faith in Every Foot Step, Leslie Weber August 3, 2014

Leslie began by playing us an audio recording of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir singing "Faith in Every Foot Step"  You can listen to a recording of that by clicking HERE.
She loves stories of the pioneers and the hope and courage that they showed us.  With each foot step they left trails of hope in their trials.  Their wagons my have been light on supplies, but they were heavy laden with faith in Jesus Christ and that God knew where they were going and what they would need to get there.  They were called upon to do and extraordinary work. We are called upon to do an extraordinary work.
Elder Ballard said, "Their journeys parallel our own. There are lessons for us in every footstep they took—lessons of love, courage, commitment, devotion, endurance, and, most of all, faith.… Life isn’t always easy. At some point in our journey we may feel much as the pioneers did
… as they crossed Iowa—up to our knees in mud, forced to bury some of our dreams along the way. We all face rocky ridges, with the wind in our face and winter coming on too soon. Sometimes it seems as though there is no end to the dust that stings our eyes and clouds our vision. Sharp edges of despair and discouragement jut out of the terrain to slow our passage. Always, there is a Devil’s Gate, which will swing wide open to lure us in. Those who are wise and faithful will steer a course as far from such temptation as possible, while others—sometimes those who are nearest and dearest to us—succumb to the attraction of ease, comfort, convenience, and rest. Occasionally we reach the top of one summit in life, as the pioneers did, only to see more mountain peaks ahead, higher and more challenging than the one we have just traversed. Tapping unseen reservoirs of faith and endurance, we, as did our forebears, inch ever forward toward that day when our voices can join with those of all pioneers who have endured in faith, singing, “All is well! All is well!”
Although our journeys today are less demanding physically than the trek of our pioneers 150 years ago, they are no less challenging.
We are the inheritors of a tremendous heritage. Now it is our privilege and responsibility to be part of the Restoration’s continuing drama, and Certainly it was hard to walk across a continent to establish a new home in a dry western desert. But who can say if that was any more difficult than is the task of living faithful, righteous lives in today’s confusingly sinful world, where the trail is constantly shifting and where divine markers of right and wrong are being replaced by political expediency and diminishing morality. The road we travel today is treacherous, and the scriptures tell us it will continue to be so until the very end. But our reward will be the same as that which awaits worthy pioneers of all ages who live faithfully the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ, make right choices, and give their all to build the kingdom of God on earth.
there are great and heroic stories of faith to be written in our day. It will require every bit of our strength, wisdom, and energy to overcome the obstacles that will confront us. But even that will not be enough. We will learn, as did our pioneer ancestors, that it is only in faith—real faith, whole-souled, tested and tried—that we will find safety and confidence as we walk our own perilous pathways through life
Come, Come, Ye Saints (Text: William Clayton) ” (Ensign, May 1997, 59, 61).
How do WE find faith in every footstep?
Sharon Beaty shared that when her little boy died she thought about her great grandfather who buried every child but 1 along the trail to Zion.  Sharon said that at least she KNEW where her son was buried. And that gave her great strength.
Cynthia Meyer's mom was visiting with us and she recently returned from serving at the temple in Bolivia. She served with people who were VERY poor.  One day a bus arrived from the Brazilian boarder who were just filthy! It turned out that the rains came and their bus was stuck in the mud. Those members were so determined to make it to the temple that they got out and pushed the bus through the mud for 5 hours.
Leslie then told us a story about something that happened to her when she was 12 years old.  Leslie did not grow up in a family that taught her how to pray or how to be very close to the Savoir.  Her grandmother, whom Leslie was very close to, was German and invited Leslie to come on a trip with her to Germany to visit relatives.  Leslie had taken 2 semesters of German in school and she was so excited! She couldn't wait to see the Rhine River and the green rolling hills.  They would be gone more than a month!
Their first stop in Germany was to visit a Great Aunt.  She remembers how inviting and warm this home was and how happy Leslie was to be there.  As they were leaving the Great Aunt gave her 6 very large chocolate bars. Leslie and her Grandmother were then to take a train at the Frankfurt Station to visit more relatives.  When they arrived at the station it was grey outside and the station was cold and industrial and really pretty scary.  Her grandmother sat down and seemed to kind of lose focus.  Leslie wasn't sure where to go and was concerned because her grandmother hadn't bought tickets yet.  But every time she would ask her grandmother about this her grandmother would get angry.  Her grandmother just sat there for hours and day turned to night.  She seemed not to need to eat and she seemed to lose her ability to speak in German.  Leslie didn't know enough to help them at all.  She began to panic.  Then she began to pray.  She slept that night on a bench in the Frankfurt Train Station.
Leslie thought what to do? She had 30 days to go and she was so hungry.  Her grandmother didn't really seem to be there with her anymore.  Then she thought of those 6 chocolate candy bars and she divided them up in her mind to last her the 30 days.  This was not the trip Leslie had signed up for.  There were no green rolling hills.  There was no Rhine River.  There were no more friendly relatives.
Some days her grandmother would decide they needed to walk, and so they would wander the streets pulling their heavy luggage with them.  Every once in a while her grandmother would get food.  But not often.  They slept on benches.  Some nights they would get a hotel.  Mostly they wandered.  Leslie had never prayed so much.  How would she ever get home?  There were no cell phones.  There was no internet or email.  She couldn't communicate with anyone.
One night they stayed in a hotel and in the morning her grandmother insisted that they leave their bags in the room and go out and find breakfast.  Leslie was so grateful because her chocolate was all but gone. But it was a Sunday and everything was closed.  She could see that her grandmother was beginning to wander aimlessly and so she tried to study landmarks so they would be able to find their way back to the hotel.  She prayed and prayed for help as they wandered further and further from their hotel.  Every time she tried to suggest turning back her grandmother would get angry.  Finally as night fall came her grandmother pulled out the hotel key to find that there wasn't even a name of the hotel inscribed.  Leslie was long past recognizing landmarks.  She prayed that this broken, tired woman's heart might be softened and she might listen to Leslie.
Her grandmother agreed to follow Leslie back to the hotel.  But now Leslie had no idea where to go.  She prayed with all her might and to her astonishment, the Spirit led her down a street and told her to turn right, then down another and to turn left, and so on until they crossed back across the city and came right back to their hotel.  You see if they had not reached their bags, they would have missed their plane back to the United States the very next morning.  But they did find the hotel and they did make it onto their flight. And Leslie knew that the Lord had made that happen.
When they arrived back to the United States Leslie's grandmother was immediately taken to the hospital where 3 brain tumors were found and within a couple of weeks she took another journey home.
That experience was the foundation of Leslie's testimony.  She prayed and had to have literally faith in every footstep.  She had never lived so close to the Savior, praying He would watch over her day by day.  And although He didn't fix her circumstances, He did know of her plight and provided for her in the form of 6 chocolate candy bars given by a loving Great Aunt.
Leslie bore testimony that the dark and the light moments in our lives weave together to create a beautiful tapestry and that if we will have faith, the Lord will lead us home.

ARE YOU SLEEPING THROUGH THE RESTORATION

By President Uchtdorf

Penny Fuehrer gave our lesson on Sunday July 27, 2014.

“There is too much at stake for us as individuals, as families, and as Christ’s Church to give only a halfhearted effort to this sacred work”.

Penny started her lesson by reading the story that President Uchtdorf told in his talk about Rip Van Winkle.

One day, while wandering in the mountains with his dog, he discovers a group of strangely dressed men drinking and playing games. After accepting some of their liquor, Rip becomes drowsy and closes his eyes for a moment. When he opens his eyes again, he is surprised to find that his dog is gone, his rifle has rusted, and he now has a long beard.

Rip makes his way back to his village only to discover that everything has changed. His wife has died, his friends are gone, and the portrait of King George III in the tavern has been replaced by a portrait of someone he does not recognize—by General George Washington.

Rip Van Winkle had been sleeping for 20 years! And in the process, he had missed one of the most exciting periods in the history of his country—he had slept through the American Revolution.

In May 1966, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. used this story as an illustration for his speech “Don’t Sleep Through the Revolution.”

Penny wanted to discuss the three major reasons why it is easy to become a bit sleepy while building up the kingdom of God. 

First, selfishness.

Those who are selfish seek their own interests and pleasure above all else. The central question for the selfish person is “What’s in it for me?”

I am sure you can see that this attitude is clearly contrary to the spirit required to build God’s kingdom.

Naturally, we all have a desire for recognition, and there is nothing wrong with relaxing and enjoying ourselves. But when seeking the “gain and praise of the world” is a central part of our motivation, we will miss the redemptive and joyful experiences that come when we give generously of ourselves to the work of the Lord.

 What is the remedy?

The answer, as always, lies in the words of Christ:

“Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

“For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it.” Those who serve others will not sleep through the Restoration.

Another thing that may cause us to sleepwalk through this significant season of the world is addiction.

Addictions often begin subtly. Addictions are thin threads of repeated action that weave themselves into thick bonds of habit. Negative habits have the potential to become consuming addictions. Once again, it comes from the words of the Savior:

These binding chains of addiction can have many forms, like pornography, alcohol, sex, drugs, tobacco, gambling, food, work, the Internet, or virtual reality. Satan, our common enemy, has many favorite tools he uses to rob us of our divine potential to accomplish our mission in the Lord’s kingdom. 

What is the remedy?

The first thing we must understand is that addictions are so much easier to prevent than to cure. In the Savior’s words, “Suffer none of these things to enter into your heart.”

The best defense against addiction is never to start. Please know, first of all, that there is hope. Seek help from loved ones, Church leaders, and trained counselors. The Church provides addiction recovery help through local Church leaders, the Internet, and in some areas, LDS Family Services. The most important thing is to keep trying—sometimes it takes several attempts before people find success. So don’t give up. Don’t lose faith. Keep your heart close to the Lord, and He will give you the power of deliverance. He will make you free.

The third obstacle that prevents us from fully engaging in this work is the many competing priorities we face. Some of us are so busy that we feel like a cart pulled by a dozen work animals—each straining in a different direction. A lot of energy is expended, but the cart doesn’t go anywhere.

What is the remedy?

Once again, it comes from the words of the Savior:

“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment”.

“And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.”

Everything else in life should be secondary to these two great priorities.

A Call to Awaken

The Apostle Paul wrote, “Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.”

“My dear friends, know that you are brothers (sisters) of light”.

“Don’t allow selfishness! Don’t allow habits that could lead to addiction! Don’t allow competing priorities to lull you into indifference or detachment from blessed discipleship and ennobling you to give service to others”.

General Conference April, 2014; Priesthood Session: “Are you sleeping through the restoration?”

Baptism and the Holy Ghost

Baptism and the Holy Ghost

July 13, 2014

Vicki Drummond

Who, among Latter-day Saints, is seeking a place in the telestial kingdom? Who, among the Latter-day Saints, is seeking a place in the terrestrial kingdom? With those kingdoms we should want nothing to do; it is not the intention of the man who is baptized into the Church, or ought not to be, to so live that he will not find a place in the celestial kingdom of God; for baptism, itself, is the way into that kingdom. Baptism is 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. That is what baptism is for; that is what the gift of the Holy Ghost, by the laying on of hands, is for—to prepare us that we may, through obedience, continue on and on, keeping the commandments of the Lord, until we shall receive the fulness in the celestial kingdom.

Baptism by immersion is in the similitude of birth, death, and resurrection.

Baptism, the third principle and first ordinance of the Gospel, is essential to salvation and exaltation in the kingdom of God. Baptism is, first, the means by which the repentant individual obtains remission of sins. Second, it is the gateway into the kingdom of God. The Lord, talking with Nicodemus, tells us so in John 3:1–11.  Baptism is by immersion in water. Baptism cannot be by any other means than immersion of the entire body in water, for the following reasons:

(1) It is in the similitude of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and of all others who received the resurrection.

(2) Baptism is also a birth and in the similitude of the birth of a child into this world.

(3) Baptism is literally, as well as a figure of the resurrection, a transplanting, or resurrection from one life to another—the life of sin to the life of spiritual life.

I want to take up the second reason: Baptism is also a birth and in the similitude of the birth of a child into this world.

In Moses 6:58–60 we read:

“Therefore I give unto you a commandment, to teach these things freely unto your children, saying: “That by reason of transgression cometh the fall, which fall bringeth death, and inasmuch as ye were born into the world by water, and blood, and the spirit, which I have made, and so became of dust a living soul, even so ye must be born again into the kingdom of heaven, of water, and of the Spirit, and be cleansed by blood, even the blood of mine Only Begotten; that ye might be sanctified from all sin, and enjoy the words of eternal life in this world, and eternal life in the world to come, even immortal glory; “For by the water ye keep the commandment; by the Spirit ye are justified, and by the blood ye are sanctified.”

Every child that comes into this world is carried in water, born in water, and of blood and of the spirit. So when we are born into the kingdom of God we must be born in the same way: by baptism born of the water; through the shedding of the blood of Christ cleansed and sanctified; and justified through the Spirit of God, for baptism is not complete without the baptism of the Holy Ghost. You see the parallel between birth into the world and birth into the kingdom of God.

Coming to the third reason: Baptism is literally, as well as a figure of the resurrection, 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. How are they going to get back? By being buried in the water. They are dead, and are buried in the water and come forth in the resurrection of the spirit back into spiritual life. That is what baptism is^.

Sister Drummond asked Cheryl Kawato and Pat Nel to share their conversion story:

Cheryl was baptized in September 2012.  She felt the need for some time to go to church, her husband Jimmy, was a member but, had not been active for years. She was very impressed with the kindness of the people in the church. The one thing that touched her was the blessing of eternal families. When she attends the temple she feels peace and the love of her Heavenly Father.

Pat’s conversion started by two missionaries knocking on her door. She felt the spirit right away. Her husband however, had lots of questions and spent nine months studying and visiting with the missionaries. Pat’s husband had habits of drinking and smoking. Through much faith and prayer he was able to break those habits. Pat and her husband were baptized in July 1961. Thirteen years later they were sealed for time and all eternity in the London Temple.

The Holy Ghost manifests the truth to honest people everywhere.

We believe the Holy Ghost is a revelator and that he will bear testimony to honest people everywhere that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, that Joseph Smith is a prophet, and that this church is “the only true and living church upon the face of the whole earth.” (D&C 1:30.) 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.

Following baptism, the gift of the Holy Ghost is given by the laying on of hands.

The promise was made in the days of the primitive church of Jesus Christ that all who would repent, be baptized for the remission of sins and would be faithful, should receive the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands. That same promise has been made to all who will accept the Gospel in this dispensation, for the Lord says:

“And whoso having faith you shall confirm in my church, by the laying on of hands, and I will bestow the gift of the Holy Ghost upon them.” [D&C 33:15.]

“And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them” (Acts 19:6).

You cannot get the gift of the Holy Ghost by praying for it, by paying your tithing, by keeping the Word of Wisdom—not even by being baptized in water for the remission of sins. You must complete that baptism with the baptism of the Spirit. The Prophet said on one occasion that you might as well baptize a bag of sand as not confirm a man and give him the gift of the Holy Ghost, by the laying on of hands. You cannot get it any other way.

I believe in the doctrine of laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost, by which we are brought into communion with our Father in heaven and learn of His ways, that we may walk in His paths.

It is the privilege of every member of the Church to know the truth, to speak by the truth, to have the inspiration of the Holy Ghost; it is our privilege, individually, … to receive the light and to walk in the light; and if we continue in God, that is, keep all of His commandments, we shall receive more light until eventually there shall come to us the perfect day of knowledge. [See D&C 50:24.]

We come back into the presence of God our Father, at last, through the guidance of the Holy Ghost. 

Temple Blessings and Covenant: Deciding What is Good, Better, and Best

Temple Blessings and Covenant: Deciding What is Good, Better, and Best

July 6, 2014

By: Marilyn Bullock

We have great responsibilities as mothers, sisters, daughters, aunts and friends. The following link provides the conference talk entitled “Good, Better, Best” by Elder Dallin H. Oaks

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2007/10/good-better-best?lang=eng

In closing Sister Bullock shared the following quote by President Thomas S. Monson. 

“My beloved brothers and sisters, communication with our Father in Heaven – including our prayers to Him and His inspiration to us – is necessary in order for us to weather the storms and trails of life. The Lord invites us, “Draw near unto me and I will draw near unto you; seek me diligently and ye shall find me.” (D&C 88:63) As we do so, we feel His spirit in our lives, providing us the desire and courage to stand strong and firm in righteousness – to stand… in holy places, and not be moved (D&C 87:8)

“As the winds of change swirl around us and the moral fiber of society continues to disintegrate before our very eyes, may we remember the Lord’s precious promise to those who trust Him: ‘Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.” (Isaiah 41:10) 

Changing the World

By: Bishop Weber

Bishop Weber started out by asking the sister’s:  If you could change anything about your life, what would you change?

 

Sister responses to this question were: “to have more time, to have no mortgage, plenty of money, more patience, make a difference, and serve other people.” Basically to have a perfect life. 

 Bishop Weber then showed us a video off of YouTube:

“University of Texas at Austin 2014 Commencement Address” - Admiral William H. McRaven (please watch the video below)

 In closing Bishop Weber expressed that he wants us to realize that we are the sister seals of the world. We can make a difference in others’ lives. We have the gospel of Jesus Christ in our lives.

University of Texas at Austin 2014 Commencement Address - Admiral Willia...

Our Search for Truth

By Joseph Fielding Smith

Taught by Vicky Drummond

Vicky started her lesson out by talking about the four D words: DOUBT, DISCOURAGE, DICONNECT, DESPAIR. She asked the sisters how these words made them feel. Some of their comments were: darkness, Satan, unhappy, losing sight of our eternal perspective. She then read a poem entitled Lanterns and Cobwebs by Randy Nelsen. The following will provide you with a copy of the poem.

http://shadowintheson.blogspot.com/2011/11/lanterns-cobwebs.html

President Smith said: “The most important knowledge in the world is gospel knowledge. It is a knowledge of God and his laws, of those things that men must do to work out their salvation with fear and trembling before the Lord”

“Not all truth is of the same value or importance. Some truths are greater than others. The greatest truth, or the greatest truths, we find in the fundamentals of the gospel of Jesus Christ. First of all, that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the Redeemer of the world, who came into this world to die that men might live. That truth we should know. It is far more important to know that Jesus Christ is our Redeemer that he has given unto us the principles of eternal life, than it is to know all that can be obtained in secular education”.

 Even in the midst of the spiritual darkness and lack of faith, which covers the earth, the arm of the Lord is not shortened. He will hear the earnest plea of the honest seeker after truth; and none need walk without the knowledge of divine truth and where to find the Church of Jesus Christ. All a person needs is humble faith and a contrite spirit with the determination to walk in the light, and the Lord will reveal it unto him.

If we will follow the spirit of light, the spirit of truth, the spirit that is set forth in the revelations of the Lord; if we will, through the spirit of prayer and humility, seek for the guidance of the Holy Ghost, the Lord will increase our light and our understanding; so that we shall have the spirit of discernment, we shall understand the truth, we shall know falsehood when we see it, and we shall not be deceived.

 “That which is of God is light, and he that receiveth light and continueth in God”—that is the key to the situation—“receiveth more light, and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day.” [D&C 50:24.]

The promise has been made to all those who will receive the light of truth and through their research and obedience endeavor to acquaint themselves with the Gospel, that they shall receive line upon line, precept by precept, here a little and there a little, until the fullness of truth shall be their portion; even the hidden mysteries of the kingdom shall be made known unto them; “for every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. All these are heirs of salvation and they shall be crowned with glory, immortality, and eternal life, as sons and daughters of God, with an exaltation in His celestial kingdom.

“Honor the Priesthood Keys Restored through Joseph Smith”

As taught by Keri LaPray on June 8, 2014

“May I now say—very plainly and very emphatically—that we have the holy priesthood and that the keys of the kingdom of God are here. They are found only in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.” 36907_000_04

From the Life of Joseph Fielding Smith

President Joseph Fielding Smith declared: “I have a perfect knowledge of the divine mission of the Prophet Joseph Smith. There is no doubt in my mind that the Lord raised him up and gave him revelation, commandment, opened the heavens to him, and called upon him to stand at the head of this glorious dispensation.” President Smith coupled this “perfect knowledge” with a respectful reverence for the priesthood keys restored through the Prophet Joseph. He always honored and supported those who held the keys, and he counseled all Church members to have that same respect. He said, “Every man who is properly chosen to preside in any capacity in the Church should be honored in his calling.”

These keys unlock the door to the power of God.10445_000_023

With a set of keys, you can do a lot of things that you wouldn’t otherwise be able to do—enter buildings, drive cars, and open trunks, among other things. Keys, basically, mean authority and access.

The same is true of priesthood keys. They control access to the blessings and ordinances of the priesthood. These keys are mentioned frequently in the Church, but we may not always understand them, so here are a few facts about priesthood keys.

What are priesthood keys?

Priesthood keys are the right to preside over and direct the Church within a jurisdiction. Keys usually apply to a geographic area, like a ward, stake, or mission. They also usually include authority over specific ordinances and activities (for instance, baptism, the sacrament, missionary work, and temple work).

Where do priesthood keys come from?

All priesthood keys ultimately come from Heavenly Father through His Son, Jesus Christ. Joseph Smith taught, “The keys [of the priesthood] have to be brought from heaven whenever the Gospel is sent” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith [2007], 104). The keys necessary for governing the Church in the latter days were restored to Joseph Smith by heavenly beings—for instance, John the Baptist, Peter, James, John, Moses, Elias, and Elijah (see Joseph Smith—History 1:72; D&C 27:12; D&C 110:11–12). These keys have been passed on to his successors.

What do priesthood keys do? Why are they necessary?

Ordinances such as baptism and the sacrament help us to return to Heavenly Father in the celestial kingdom. Through the keys of the priesthood, the Church administers these ordinances and provides an organization to carry on the work of the Lord in an orderly manner—“Mine house is a house of order, saith the Lord God, and not a house of confusion” (D&C 132:8).

So, for instance, although the Church has many worthy priesthood holders, they need authorization from someone holding keys before performing most ordinances. For example, if Aaronic Priesthood holders hear about a homebound ward member who would like to receive the sacrament at home, they cannot simply go and administer the sacrament to that member because they believe it’s the right thing to do. They must be authorized by the bishop, who holds the keys over the Aaronic Priesthood. And a father who holds the priesthood cannot simply baptize his 8-year-old daughter or ordain his 12-year-old son to the Aaronic Priesthood without first being authorized by the bishop to do so.

Who has priesthood keys?

Members of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles hold all the keys necessary for governing the Church. Only the President of the Church has the right to exercise all of those keys. He delegates these keys to others who preside in the Church—temple presidents, mission presidents, stake presidents, district presidents, bishops, branch presidents, and quorum presidents, including deacons and teachers quorum presidents.

What is the difference between holding keys and having a calling?

Having a calling means having responsibilities; holding keys means presiding over and directing the work of the priesthood. For instance, a ward Young Men president works under the direction of the bishop, who holds keys over the ward, but the Young Men president’s responsibilities do not include presiding over the priesthood, so he does not receive keys. The keys to direct the work of the Aaronic Priesthood in the ward belong to the bishop, the teacher’s quorum president, and the deacon’s quorum president.