The Strength to Endure by Sister Fuehrer

 

The Strength to Endure

By Elder Richard J. Maynes

Taught by Sister Penney Fuehrer 

Penny started her lesson by reading the following: Every morning when we wake up, we face a new day filled with the challenges of life.

These challenges come in many forms: Physical, financial, relationship difficulties, emotional trails and even struggles with faith.

Many of these challenges can be solved and overcome. Others are more difficult to understand and impossible to overcome. We might not understand them until we pass on to the next life.

As we temporarily endure the challenges we can solve we continue to endure the challenges we cannot solve.

The spiritual strength we develop will help us endure all the challenges we face in life.

A loving Heavenly Father has designed our earthly existence so we can individually learn the lessons we need to learn to qualify for eternal life in his presence: 1.Salvation 2.Exaltation through the principle of repentance. If we honestly and sincerely repent the Atonement can help us become clean, change our nature, and successfully endure our challenges.

Endurance is an important principle found within the doctrine of Jesus Christ. It is important because the quality of our eternal future is proportional to our ability to endure in righteousness. I recall when some sisters shared the challenges in their lives and how it touched me.

Since we all have challenges of some kind in our lives. I’ve asked some sisters to share their challenges.

Jennifer Lassiter shared her challenges of being a working mom. She shared her feelings of how she really wants to be a stay at home and be with her kids, but if she didn’t work she wouldn’t be able to provide the life she wants her children to have. She shared that it is a constant battle within herself. What helps her endure is coming to church and her neighbors that are always willing to listen.

Marilyn Sanford shared the following challenges including her husband, Dick going inactive. And when with friends on vacation Dick suffered a stroke. Convincing Dick to have a priesthood blessing when he wasn’t active. Moving to Utah and the many people that have been an influence in Dick becoming active again. She is very thankful for the missionaries, bishops, and home teachers that have been friendly and kind to Dick.

Amara Doxy share with us how she was raised by her older sister because of family issues that stemmed back to her grandmother on her father’s side. Her sister got involved with drugs and alcohol, but later cleaned up her life and got married. After she was married she sought help in helping her cope and get through what happened with her family. The therapist told her she should never see her family again; since, Amara has no contact with her sister who raised her and was like a mother to her. Everyday Amara wonders where her sister is what she is doing, is she happy or not. She endures this challenge by knowing she will see her sister again along with her father and grandmother.

In closing I want to thank the sisters for sharing with us today. The Lord inspires us all to develop within ourselves. As the Apostle Paul said” I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.”

 

Joseph and Hyrum Smith Witnesses for Jesus Christ by Pat Nel

Sister Nel shared the following statements regarding the Prophet Joseph Smith:

Jesus Christ is the Son of God and Joseph Smith was a prophet.

We link the names of Jesus Christ and of Joseph Smith. Christ is the Lord; he worked out the atoning sacrifice; he is the resurrection and the life; through him all men are raised in immortality, while those who believe and obey his laws shall also gain eternal life.

The Lord called Joseph Smith to stand at the head of this glorious dispensation

I know that Joseph Smith was called, appointed by our Father in heaven; that he received revelation and guidance from the Son of God that would be of benefit and a blessing to all men if they would receive it, is a quote from Joseph Fielding Smith

The Lord said, “That this generation would has his words through the prophet Joseph Smith.

And then, referring to the gospel restored through Joseph Smith, the Lord said: “This Gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached in all the world, for a witness unto all nations, and then shall the end come, or the destruction of the wicked.” I now say- That Joseph Smith is the one to whom all men must look in this day to learn the truth about Christ and his gospel;  That in due course the name of this prophet shall be known in every corner of the earth and among all people; That the honest in heart will accept him as a prophet and will worship that Lord whom he revealed; That the church that he organized by divine command prospers because it follows the revelations that came through him; And that all who believe the teachings of Joseph Smith and labor in the course set by him shall come to a knowledge that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who was crucified for the sins of the world.

Joseph Smith and his brother, Hyrum were united in life and death.

Hyrum was a man of wonderful tenderness of heart. He possessed deep humility and loved his brother better than he loved his own life. This is shown in his death through which he obtained a martyr’s crown. He was fearless in his defense of truth. Verily he “loved that which is right.” They passed through the same sorrows and joys together. The same persecutions descended upon them both. They shared the same dungeons for the Gospel’s sake, and when the time came for the sealing of their testimony, they shared together the crown of martyrdom. “In life they were not divided, and in death they were not separated.

Joseph and Hyrum sealed their testimonies with their blood. 

“That he may act in concert also with my servant Joseph; and that he shall receive counsel from my servant Joseph, who shall show unto him the keys whereby he may ask and receive, and be crowned with the same blessing, and glory, and honor, and priesthood, and gifts of the priesthood, that once were put upon him that was my servant Oliver Cowdery; “That my servant Hyrum may bear record of the things which I shall show unto him, that his name may be had in honorable remembrance from generation to generation, forever and ever.

The lesson closed with the following thought: "As sisters how can we hasten the work without bearing our testimony." 

The Significance of the Sacrament as taught by Vicky Drummond

The Significance of the Sacrament

Sister Vicky Drummond

 

President Joseph Fielding Smith stated that:  “sacrament meeting is the most sacred, the most holy, of all the meetings of the Church. When I reflect upon the gathering of the Savior and his apostles on that memorable night when he introduced the sacrament; when I think of that solemn occasion my heart is filled with wonderment and my feelings are touched. I consider that gathering one of the most solemn and wonderful since the beginning of time.” 

Bishop Weber spoke regarding the significant of the sacramental prayers.  He shared how a sister wanted to be re-baptized so that she could feel clean and be sin free again.  He explained that partaking of the sacrament each week, permits us to review our covenants, ask for forgiveness and promise to do better at keeping our covenants the next week. Also, he explained that the baptism and sacrament prayers are the two prayers that must be recited word for word. 

President Smith also stated:  “It’s the duty of the members of the Church to walk humbly and faithfully in the knowledge and understanding of the atonement of Jesus Christ.  It is our duty to carefully and thoughtfully consider the nature of the sacrament prayers when we hear them offered in our meetings. There are four very important things we covenant to do each time we partake of these emblems, and in partaking, there is the token that we subscribe fully to the obligations, and thus they become binding upon us. These are as follows:

1. We eat in remembrance of the body of Jesus Christ, promising that we will always remember His wounded body slain upon the cross.

2. We drink in remembrance of the blood which was shed for the sins of the world, which atoned for the transgression of Adam, and which frees us from our own sins on condition of our true repentance.

3. We covenant that we will be willing to take upon us the name of the Son and always remember Him. In keeping this covenant we promise that we will be called by His name and never do anything that would bring shame or reproach upon that name.

4. We covenant that we will keep His commandments which He has given us; not one commandment, but that we will be willing to “live by every word that proceeded forth from the mouth of God.”

If we will do these things then we are promised the continual guidance of the Holy Ghost, and if we will not do these things we will not have that guidance.

Next week as we partake of the sacrament, let us ponder the words of the sacramental prayer as well as our commitments to Heavenly Father.