Sunday Lesson - “An Ensign to the Nations”

Connie Rollins’ lesson this week was from Elder Jeffrey R. Holland’s May 2011 Conference talk , “An Ensign to the Nations.”   She shared with us President Brigham Young’s dream in 1846 in which he saw “an angel standing on a cone-shaped hill somewhere in the West pointing to a valley below.”  This dream was realized 18 months later, when he took a yellow bandana from Heber C. Kimball and a walking stick carried by Elder Willard Richards.  From these items, he created a makeshift flag and “declared the valley of the Great Salt Lake and the mountains surrounding it as that prophesied place from which the word of the Lord would go forth in the latter days.”   The publication Ensign, (pronounced en’sīne) in which we can read the word of the Lord spoken to us through revelation, is a “continuation of that early declaration to the world.”

Sister Rollins also shared with us that the General Conference speakers are not assigned a topic, but that many hours of fasting, praying and study are spent to know the topic the Lord wishes each speaker to present.  The messages must be directed to a wide variety of people, members and non-members alike, families, singles, old and young, with such variety that they assume there will be “something for everyone.”   

Connie brought out a map and showed us the locations of future temple sites in Ft. Collins, Co, Meridian, ID, and Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.  Do you know where these cities are?  Show these new sites to your children!  

We are so grateful for the messages and testimonies shared with us during each April and October Conference, and for the opportunity to read and listen to these messages after they are given though the church publications and websites!