None Were With Him

There are times in our live that we feel alone and abandoned in our lives. Our Savior made the loneliest journey so that we never need to be alone. Elder Holland spoke on the this journey and how it blessed us last April conference.

Brothers and sisters, one of the great consolations of this Easter season is that because Jesus walked such a long, lonely path utterly alone, we do not have to do so. His solitary journey brought great company for our little version of that path—the merciful care of our Father in Heaven, the unfailing companionship of this Beloved Son, the consummate gift of the Holy Ghost, angels in heaven, family members on both sides of the veil, prophets and apostles, teachers, leaders, friends. All of these and more have been given as companions for our mortal journey because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ and the Restoration of His gospel. Trumpeted from the summit of Calvary is the truth that we will never be left alone nor unaided, even if sometimes we may feel that we are. Truly the Redeemer of us all said: “I will not leave you comfortless: [My Father and] I will come to you [and abide with you].”

He asked at the end a few thing of us.

Now, may I ask that never again will He have to confront sin without our aid and assistance, that never again will He find only unresponsive onlookers when He sees you and me along His Via Dolorosa in our present day. ...May we declare ourselves to be more fully disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ, not in word only and not only in the flush of comfortable times but in deed and in courage and in faith, including when the path is lonely and when our cross is difficult to bear. This Easter week and always, may we stand by Jesus Christ “at all times and in all things, and in all places that [we] may be in, even until death,” for surely that is how He stood by us when it was unto death and when He had to stand entirely and utterly alone. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

The Greatest Dispensation of all Time

by guest teacher, Jane Thurston

Joseph Smith was told in 1830 he would be given “the keys of my kingdom, and a dispensation of the gospel for the last times; and for the fulness of times, in the which I will gather together in one all things, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth” (D&C 27:13).

What keys were eventually given as part of the restoration?
No fewer than 12 resurrected beings visited him over time to restore the keys they had held as prophets in their dispensations. These keys include the ministering of angels, gathering of Israel, and the priesthood to perfect and seal families. Joseph Smith testified that he did in fact have these keys: “I myself hold the keys of this last dispensation, and I forever will hold them in time and in eternity. So set your hearts at rest, for all is well.”

With these things restored the authority was on the earth to bring about the fulness of times. Joseph said that the fulness of times would include "those things which never have been revealed from the foundation of the world, but have been kept hid from the wise and prudent, shall be revealed unto babes and sucklings in this, the dispensation of the fulness of times.” D&C 128:18)
What are those things, and is it true that even children in this dispensation know things that the wise and prudent did not know in previous dispensations?
In our everyday world we have inventions, travel, and communication that have made access to temples and missionary work possible on a huge scale. We have the Book of Mormon, something no other dispensation has had. Not only that, but we have the Book of Mormon in combination with the Bible to confirm, clarify, and testify of the Savior. Primary children the world over commonly sing songs based on these gospel principles.

Our dispensation will have the authority to receive all light and truth. We certainly have witnesses and commentaries that have never been so widely known as before; persons who have studied and been enlightened, then passed on that knowledge to us such as Bruce R. McConkie, Neal A. Maxwell, Joseph Fielding Smith, Gordon B. Hinckley and so many others. We are also promised personal revelation, the results of which we see every day in our lives.

Some things are yet to come such as the Brass Plates, the records of the Ten Tribes, and the "times, glories, and laws of the sun, moon, and stars."

These things are to be made known "unto His servants, to prepare the earth for the return of His glory". If this preparation is to be done, it will be done by those now living.
If it is our job, what is it we must do?
The words of the prophet tell us that this work will require the Saints to lay aside every selfish principle, stand forward in the cause of truth, and call in to action their energy, skill, talent, ability, and concentration.
There are promises to those favored to bring about these things.
We will be blessed "to see, participate in, and help to roll forward the Latter-day glory." He said: “Here, then, . . . is a work to engage in worthy of archangels—a work which will cast into the shade the things which have been heretofore accomplished; a work which kings and prophets and righteous men in former ages have sought, expected, and earnestly desired to see, but died without the sight; and well will it be for those who shall aid in carrying into effect the mighty operations of Jehovah.”

"The work of the Lord in these last days is one of vast magnitude and almost beyond the comprehension of mortals. Its glories are past description, and its grandeur unsurpassable. It is the theme which has animated the bosom of prophets and righteous men from the creation of the world down through every succeeding generation to the present time; and it is truly the dispensation of the fullness of times, when all things which are in Christ Jesus, whether in heaven or on the earth, shall be gathered together in Him, and when all things shall be restored, as spoken of by all the holy prophets since the world began; for in it will take place the glorious fulfilment (sic) of the promises made to the fathers, while the manifestations of the power of the Most High will be great, glorious, and sublime.

The purposes of our God are great, His love unfathomable, His wisdom infinite, and His power unlimited; therefore, the Saints have cause to rejoice and be glad . . .”

Articles of Faith of Mormon Culture

1. We believe in SUVs and minivans as the form of transportation, and in knee length shorts, which are always nice, and in multi-level marketing.

2. We believe that church ball players should be punished for their own fouls, and not for unsportsmanlike aggression.

3. We believe that through bread crumbs, cheese, creamy soups, and rice all casseroles can be saved through obedience to wardcookbooks and creativity in the mixing bowl.

4. We believe that the first layers and ingredients of the Dip are: first, beans; second, cheese; third, chopped tomatoes; fourth, thegift of sour cream; fifth, olives; sixth, salsa; seventh, guacamole, that is, if you have it.

5. We believe that a Mormon should have a distinguished or a cute name, that it is appropriate to name a child after a church leader or a historical figure including an ancestor, that alternative spellings and French prefixes only add to a name, and that when referring tothe names of General Authorities, middle initials should be a part thereof.

6. We believe in the same wall decor that exists in many Mormon homes, namely, framed family proclamations, vinyl lettering, inspirational word signs, family photos, pictures of temples and Jesus, and so forth.

7. We believe in the gift of the re-gift, church books, crafts, family photos, baked goods, emergency supply kits, and so forth.

8. We believe in sparkling grape juice so long as it is nonalcoholic; we also believe in bringing root beer and sprite to ward parties.

9. We believe in all that we have scrapbooked, all that we will now scrapbook, and we believe that we will yet scrapbook many great and important things pertaining to our family, friends, pets, and vacations.

10. We believe in the literal mixing of ketchup and mayo and in the generous application of ranch dressing; that CBAs (church-based acronyms) will be used to describe YM/YW, PEC, the Y, NCMO, and CTR; that Mitt Romney will get Mormons to vote for him any time he runs; and, that the Mormons will enjoy reading Twilight and The Work and the Glory.

11. We claim the privilege of trying to identify common acquaintances with any visitor at church, and allow all other people at church thesame privilege. Let them name drop the names of the famous and general authorities how, where, or whenever they may.

12. We believe in being subject to scoutmasters, pampered chef hostesses, and the writers of the U.S. News and World Report Rankings for professional schools, and in obeying, honoring, and sustaining Glenn Beck.

13. We believe in being above average, good at crafts, optimistic, and in being ten to fifteen minutes late everywhere we go. Indeed, we may say that we follow BYU football. We believe rumors about famous people joining the church, we hope to meet the three Nephites, we have endured many pyramid schemes, and hope to be able to endure all pyramid schemes. If there is anything cheap, free, sold in bulk, or given away when somebody is moving, we seek afterthese things.

G Group is Coming Up

We are meeting Tuesday, October 20 at 7 p.m. at the Proffitt's hot tub for a girl's night out. If you don't want to get in a swimming suit still come and visit. For those who's bodies are not the shape and size they would like, remember it will be dark. We are also having a fire pit and making smores. Good conversation, good food and lots of fun.

Stake Christmas Show

Our Stake's Christmas Show at the Center for the Arts is on Tuesday, December 22 at both 6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. Be thinking about friends and neighbors you would love to invite. It is a great activity for non-member friends.

Save a Date

Mark Tuesday, December 8 at 6:30 p.m. on your calendars. Our Relief Society will be getting together to celebrate the birth of our Savior. It will be an uplifting evening and a great way to start off the Christmas season.

U.S. Constitution Class

The U.S. Constitution Class is going great. Ann Cima is doing a fabulous job and is really prepared. It will be at her home for several more Thursdays--October 15, 22, 29. There has been great feedback for those attending.

Craft Group Update

First a big thank you to Brother Rothey for a wonderful breakfast at Super Saturday. Thanks to all the sister who taught classes and especially Lynn Muir for all her hard work. We also can't forget to thank Tom Nielsen for set-up and take-down.

For all you sisters that still have unfinished projects join the craft group on Tuesday, November 10 at 7 p.m. at Lynn Muir's home to finish those projects or just start a new one.

“He Was a Prophet of God”

The Prophet Joseph Smith had the light of the gospel in his countenance. Many people, like the following account, knew when they saw him that he was a prophet of God.

Mary Alice Cannon Lambert, an English convert who emigrated to Nauvoo in 1843: “I first saw Joseph Smith in the Spring of 1843. When the boat in which we came up the Mississippi River reached the landing at Nauvoo, several of the leading brethren were there to meet the company of saints that had come on it. Among those brethren was the Prophet Joseph Smith. I knew him the instant my eyes rested upon him, and at that moment I received my testimony that he was a Prophet of God. … He was not pointed out to me. I knew him from all the other men, and, child that I was (I was only fourteen) I knew that I saw a Prophet of God.”

Joseph Smith, also, had many Christlike attributes.

Parley P. Pratt, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles from 1835 to 1857: “(President Joseph Smith's) countenance was ever mild, affable, beaming with intelligence and benevolence... He possessed a noble boldness and independence of character; his manner was easy and familiar; his rebuke terrible as the lion; his benevolence unbounded as the ocean; his intelligence universal.”

John M. Bernhisel, a medical doctor who boarded in Joseph and Emma’s home in Nauvoo for several months during 1843 and 1844: “Joseph Smith is naturally a man of strong mental powers, and is possessed of much energy and decision of character, great penetration, and a profound knowledge of human nature. He is a man of calm judgment, enlarged views, and is eminently distinguished by his love of justice. He is kind and obliging, generous and benevolent, sociable and cheerful, and is possessed of a mind of a contemplative and reflective character. He is honest, frank, fearless and independent, and as free from dissimulation [false appearances] as any man to be found. … As a religious teacher, as well as a man, he is greatly beloved by this people.”

October Gerneral Conference

This week we were privileged to hear our Prophet and other leaders of the Church speak. You can watch conference here. On October 7th you will also be able to read the talks given.

Super Saturday Schedule - October 10

8:30 Opening Prayer and breakfast for all Sisters
9-10:00 Ribbon Trees with Anne
9:30-10:30 Nativity with Paige
10:00-10:30 Picture blocks with April
10:30-11:00 Christmas center piece with Aundrea
11:00-11:30 Bracelets with Katie
Anytime between 9 to 11:00 Necklaces with Deborah

Five New Temples

The locations of the new temples will be Brigham City, Utah; Concepción, Chile; Fortaleza, Brazil; Ft. Lauderdale, Florida; and Sapporo, Japan. The exact temple sites will be made known at a later date.

Family Home Evening

This weeks Family Home Evening Lesson is on PATIENCE. You can find it by clicking on the link: http://societystuff-fhe.blogspot.com/search/label/Patience

Don't forget you can always find additional lessons (we have a ton of them) by going to the sidebar and clicking on the Family Home Evening Label. It is near the bottom of the page on the right.