It's All About the People ~ Bishop Gerald Causse'

ANNOUNCMENTES:
*Temple day - this Friday.  Please attend either the 5 or 7 o'clock session.
*September 4th we will begin ministering interviews.
*September 11th we will be putting together the Chemo Kits.  Please feel free to purchase any of the items in the list on the side-bar of this blog.
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Today's lesson was based on Bishop Gerald Causse's conference talk.  It was given by Sister Tammy Jensen.

She began her lesson by telling a story.  Tammy and her family were going to go to Nauvoo and she had told another friend about this trip.  Her friend told her that on her way, she should stop and stay with this family as they were an incredible family that Tammy and her family should meet.  

So Tammy and her family contacted these people and they were invited to spend time in their cabin in Wyoming on their way east.  When they arrived it was late, around midnight.  But the windows were lit with small lights in every window that made it very welcoming.  The above picture was of this cabin.  Tammy said that the picture didn't do it justice.  

The owners of this cabin had left a note telling Tammy and her family to make theirselves at home.  The next day when they got up, the owner took them around and showed them the property. 

This sweet lady had planted daisies all along the sides of the cabin and there were quilts hung inside as well as pictures of birds and wildlife that she had framed.  This lady had made it beautiful inside.  

This woman told Tammy that in doing her genealogy, she found that she was of Cherokee ancestry.  So she had been through the years prompted to do family history work for 350,000 names of the Cherokee people.  Not only that she had studied their heritage in-depth and actually served a mission with her husband in Cherokee, North Carolina where that tribe lived.

While Tammy and her family were there, this lady showed them all of the symbolism of the Cherokee people.  Because she studied  it so in-depth she has drawn the parallels that the Cherokees had the gospel at one point in time.  She said you can see it in the symbolism of their rituals.  As an example she showed Tammy a rock that she had been given by this lady.  This lady said that these rocks cannot be purchased anywhere, but that she got it on her mission.  It is a black rock with a white line straight through it.  She said it represents the straight and narrow path back to God.  Just little things like that in their traditions makes this sister believe this.

As Tammy walked through the cabin, she started to notice little inconsistencies.  A step that didn't quite fit with the others.  A door ledge that wasn't plumb with the door way.  Just little things that made her think that perhaps someone didn't measure right.  But she really didn't focus anymore than that on it.  

They enjoyed their time with these people.  And at different points each of her girls told Tammy that they didn't want to leave, because of the Spirit that this cabin held.  It was a beautiful and peaceful experience for them.

They left and went on with their trip.  However, later Tammy talked with her mutual friend, the one that had suggested that they meet these people.  As they talked this friend told Tammy that this cabin had been built over 40 years.  The woman that owned it had built it with her own hands while her husband worked.  She would fell the trees and literally mill the wood herself.  That is why there were inconsistencies.  

This sweet woman had wanted a large family, but after seven miscarriages she only had one daughter.  So because of that emptiness and of wanting to do something with her life, she petitioned the Lord as to what He wanted her to do.  She felt that the Lord had lead her to do this work.  Tammy was shocked when she learned of this woman's dedication and loving labor for her family.  

Two years ago, Tammy and her family were again headed up to this woman's home to go camping.  As they got close, they could see huge billows of smoke.  This woman's son-in-law called them to let them know that the cabin was on fire.  This woman's life's work had been consumed by fire in one afternoon.  It was gone.  

Shortly after that Dick, the woman's husband passed away.  At the funeral their grandson expressed that this man had died of a broken heart.  

A person that these people had known earlier in their life, that they had been serving and had reached out to, had gotten angry and had vowed that he would kill them.  This man on that afternoon had started their cabin on fire.  

So this woman's husband died a year and a half ago and Tammy just saw her yesterday.  They had gone up to the property to camp as they had a yearly invite from this woman.  Because the cabin is now gone, they pitched their tent in a grassy area.  The woman now has a small trailer there where she can stay, but the cabin has not been rebuilt.  As they were there, they talked with this woman.  She spoke only briefly of the arsonist.  

She told them how the day of the fire the dog had been barking for about a half hour, but that they had not seen anything or anyone when they looked.   So they didn't think anything of it.  She wondered why the dog had been barking, and she tried to comfort it, but to no avail.  The fire erupted so quickly, there had been an explosion and she ran to get her book on her Cherokee heritage that she had put together.  A neighbor actually came and carried her out of the cabin because she had been going after the book.  As she was telling Tammy and her family about what had happened, she had a smile on her face and kept saying "I'm so grateful that the Lord helped me save this work."  And "Do you see this tree, it is shaped like an Indian."  She told of tender mercies that they received at the time of the fire.  How the fire had missed the water pump.  She talked about how the Lord had blessed them that day.  

Three days after the fire, the fire chief had them go back to where  the fire had been and he also showed them things that he had never seen in his whole career that showed that Heavenly Father had blessed them.  Small things that had been preserved that were special to her.  

So Tammy talked about how her family in their homeschooling study people.  They chart out their attributes to get to know them.  She next posed the question: "What did this woman in her life do, some of the things she told us in this story, some of them people already know because many people in our ward are just like her in the love that they carry and the discipleship over a lifetime of serving.  But what are the small and simple things that she did?"  She then said that these things can be from our own life experiences when you have seen the fruit.  What Tammy was so amazed at was how she has done that.  She lost her husband and a part of her life that she had spent so much time working on.  Yet she is still praising the lord.  She is still seeing His miracles.  It has just become a part of her. 

Tammy wanted to make a quick list of the small and simple things that she saw.

• Cheri Smith:  She saw beauty in a disaster.   There are certain things you have control over and there are certain things you do not have control over.  When you don't have control you need to seek for the beauty in it.

Tammy then asked, "Does anyone come by this naturally?  Is there people that always see the good in everything or does it take practice?"  Cheri then responded that she thinks it is something that we learn and that we have to work at it.  

• Lisa Hess (Eldon's daughter-in-law):  She told of how one time she brushed her hair with a stiff brush and it pulled her hair out.  It hasn't grown back.  She thought to herself, you can't change that, so what can you change?  She started to look for the things that she can change.  So she is gaining perspective.  
• Lana Coombs:  She teaches tragic optimism to her students in school.  You need to look for the pony.  (this comes from a story about identical twins, one a pessimist and one an optimist.  The parents took them to a local psychologist to help them.  He suggested a plan to help them balance out their personalities.  He told them to give the pessimistic child the best present they could and give the optimistic child a box of manure.  When the two children opened the boxes, the pessimistic child was not happy.  He didn't like the color and knew that it would break.  The optimistic child looked inside his box and said, "You can't fool me, where there is this much manure there is a pony!") She (Lana) continued there is a bright side to every situation.  There are things that wouldn't have happened if you hadn't gone through these experiences.  Then she also said she teaches, "Don't try to ride a dead horse."  If you can't change something then focus on the things you can change.  In every situation there is something good to be found. Too often we get lost in the disaster and the negative and there is always something to be learned and good to be found.  God allows these things to happen because of the good that can be learned and the growth and insights that come from them happening.  Like they say, when one door closes, another door opens.  But sometimes we end up looking at the closed door instead of focusing on the open door.
• Christina Smith: She practiced gratitude throughout her life everyday.  So when the disaster of this cabin burning down it was her habit to be grateful and finding things to be grateful for.
• Michelle Ballard:  Forgiveness.  Look what happened, someone intentionally burned down everything that they had built and she could have harbored a lot of bitterness, but she didn't.  She had to be pretty forgiving to still smile.  Tammy commented that you can feel when someone is hanging on to stuff.  She said she can feel that this woman is not holding onto bad feelings.  She said that it is astounding to her given all that this woman has lost.
• Cheryl Rose:  She is surprised that being the kind of people that they were that anyone didn't like them.  They seemed like they were of high moral values and tried to serve others and be Christ-like people.  So for someone to come in and do that she was impress that this woman was so forgiving.   Tammy told that it was due to a situation where these people were upholding a standard that created the anger in this man.  
• Lana Coombs:  She trusted in the Lord.  She put her faith in Him.

Tammy then asked, "What does this list have to do with the Church as an organization?"

• Kalli Richard:  What she thinks of first is our ancestors.  The pioneers and what they went through.  The faith that they had and the attitude that they had and the choices they made to get them here.  It was the beauty in the disaster, they knew the final end.  They had the gratitude the found the joy.  You had to stay positive, you had to forgive.  That is what I think of.  Tammy said, "What a fruit we have because of them."
• Lana Coombs: Charity, which is the pure love of Christ.  It is meekness and it's kindness.  It is living our religion.
• Michelle Ballard:  People not in our church, I think that there are a lot of people in the world that don't know why they are here.  They don't know what their purpose is.  Our church teaches us that our purpose here is a test.  It is a trial and the things we experience here, some of them are very hard and it is up to us to decide how we are going to handle them.  Are we going to do them with a positive attitude or not.  We know that were are going to have trials and problems and how we handle them is how we learn.

Tammy then shared that she had read a conference talk and in the talk it said, "When asked what to do with the youth that were struggling, (She didn't remember who it was) but they said, "Teach them who they are and teach them their purpose."  She thinks that this is a core gift that we have been given.  We know it.  Speaking of the sister that lost her cabin, "At least the journey she has been on teaches us from the Lord of these truths."

• Katie Hess:  I think about the changes and the revelations that the church has had in the last five years, and more specifically in the last year; the lowering of the mission age, the  combining of the elders and high priest quorum, the visiting teaching to ministering.  I think that if you choose to look at all of those changes; if you look at them in a positive light if you find the good, if you are grateful for those and trust in the Lord it makes it easy to accept those changes.  There are a handful that find it hard to accept these changes or understanding the purpose behind it.  Sometimes if we use those attributes to look at the revelations it makes it easier to continue on.  Tammy suggested that this be called faithful flexibility. 
• Jamie Johnson:  Everything that they went through is an example of the Savior.  They were an example of His attributes, that perfect love.  Tammy suggested that the be called The Savior's attributes, or The Savior's Church.

In the talk that we read today by Bishop Causse' he talks about how they were preparing for the construction of the Temple in Paris.  

He said, "While preparing for the construction of the magnificent Paris France Temple, I had an experience I will never forget. In 2010, when property for the temple was found, the city mayor asked to meet with us to know more about our Church. This meeting was a critical step in obtaining a building permit. We meticulously prepared a presentation that included several impressive pictures of Latter-day Saint temples. My most fervent hope was that their architectural beauty would persuade the mayor to support our project.

To my surprise, the mayor indicated that rather than reviewing our presentation, he and his team preferred to conduct their own investigation to find out what kind of church we were. The following month, we were invited back to hear a report given by a city councilor who also happened to be a professor of religious history. She said, “Above all else, we wanted to understand who the members of your church are. First, we attended one of your sacrament meetings. We sat at the back of the chapel and carefully observed the people in the congregation and what they were doing. Then we met with your neighbors—those who live around your stake center—and we asked them what kind of people you Mormons are.”

“So what are your conclusions?” I asked, feeling a little bit of anxiety. She replied, “We discovered that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the closest to Jesus Christ’s original Church than any other church we know of.” I almost objected by saying, “That’s not completely accurate! It’s not the church that is closest; it is the Church of Jesus Christ—the same Church, the true Church!” But I restrained myself and instead offered a silent prayer of gratitude. The mayor then advised us that, based on their findings, he and his team had no objections to the construction of a temple in their community."

The definition of the Church might be derived from a passage in the Book of Mormon that states, “And they [meaning the Lord’s disciples] who were baptized in the name of Jesus were called the church of Christ.”1

In other words, the Church is all about people. It is all about you, the Lord’s disciples—those who love and follow Him and who have taken His name upon them by covenant.

Tammy then told of how lately she has had a burden on her heart, family members and other's she is associated with that are like those that Katie mentioned, people that are struggling silently.  Even with some leaving the church.  She told that through lots of prayer she has come to know that the Savior has all of us in His hands and that those that have left the Church, is not the end of the story.  And that there is great reason for joy and hope in the journey and learning that each of us go through.  She has also thought a lot of and asked how can we address those concerns?   Sometimes when we struggle internally, it is difficult to see things clearly.  Most of the time it is unveiling Satan that fixes it.  When you just take of the veil off the lie. 

She told of a time when she and Pete were at a party.  There was a mom there that had gotten into the habit of yelling at her kids and she was yelling at her son to come and finish his ice cream.  Pete looked at Tammy and said, "really, does anyone have to be yelled at to eat ice cream?"

She has thought about that a lot.  Like with the church, when you look at that the fruit that we have and the gift that the Lord has given us do you ever feel or have you ever felt like the Church was not a gift in your life and how did you come to see the gift?

She then shared an example of a time when she was struggling.  One of the lies that had been whispered to her heart at a time when she was working for a company where her boss had left the church.  So he would make comments here and there at work.  One of the comments that got stuck in her thought was, that the members weren't converted, that they were just attending out of habit.  And she really didn't think about it a lot but it was in her heart.  

One day in sacrament meeting, the spirit was strong and she just had a knowledge as she looked over the crowd, that everybody has fought a battle to be here. Because this is not popular in the world right now to be a believer.  Suddenly that lie was unveiled and she saw clearly it was not true.  That Utah Mormons; the stigma that is given to them was eradicated and she didn't have to deal with that anymore.  Are there any of those that you have overcome or that has been unveiled to you about the church?

• Lola Coombs:  I haven't questioned it, but this last week, President Nelson has received revelation about how we should call ourselves Latter-day Saints, not Mormons.  And we are to say "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints."  There are going to be a lot of changes made with lots of programs where it's easier to say Mormon and people are going to have a hard time.  But when you think that President Nelson received that revelation, how can you not.  Tammy agreed and she said that she sees people complaining of that and about President Nelson doing that.  She just thinks that there is a misunderstanding there.  They are not understanding the gift.
• Lana Coombs:  When President Nelson says, "The Lord has made it known unto me. . ." There is no question.

One of the thoughts that Tammy had and that Bishop Clausse' said; he said, "This isn't like the original church, this is the original church of Jesus Christ." No wonder President Nelson is receiving revelation for the church.  We need to remind the members that we are in the original church of Jesus Christ.  It has not changed from when He was here  It has been restored.  This is His church and that is a gift to us.  

• Christina Smith:  How much more powerful is it to say, "I belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints than to say I'm a Mormon?"  Even to myself.  Just to say that to myself.  Yes, it is longer, but to say that brings power.  
• Tammy Jensen:  Yes, there is power in the word!
• Mary Phipps:  She attended a meeting on Wednesday where a gentleman held up the title of the church.  He dissected it by saying: The Church (a religious organization; group of people) of Jesus Christ (Savior; Anointed one) of Latter-day (a time period) Saints (holy ones).  We are trying to be like this list.  We haven't made it, but when we look at it, it is a neat title to use.  
• Tonya Hess: When she thought about Tammy's comment on attending as a habit, she remembered when she was younger and newly activated.  Sure it was habit, but out of that habit came a testimony.  How else is your testimony going to grow without worshiping.  I think just plain obedience.  

Tammy then told of how when she was going through that trial, things got really real.  Because of what was being put in her head.  She noticed it was a simple as how she was in a better mood when she left church than when she arrived.  It is the same concept of just plain obedience.

• Lana Coombs:  What are the chances of conversion without that habit?  

As Tammy looked at the list made regarding her friend she said, " She said as you look at this list, there is no way that she could have done this without a testimony of the Lord.  It is just against the natural man to be like that in the face of those difficulties.  It was the church that delivered those tools.  

• Cheryl Rose:  Even Christ in the most difficult time in the garden of Gethsemane, He portrayed an astounding example of obedience.  In the hardest of times.  So I think it is a progress and a step-by-step thing.  Sometimes we just go because we know it is a good example for our children or for our husbands or just whom ever.  Sometimes it is so exhausting, but we are blessed for that obedience.  
• Glori Alsop:  It sometimes goes from generation to generation.  Today in Primary they are learning the song, I belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  Some of the younger ones don't know that song and some of the older ones are revisiting it.  But out of the mouth of babes.  If they learn to be proud of that; if they are in the right place to learn that song again today....
• Tammy, Right you don't know when; I remember I was always trying to orchestrate my kids learning everything they would ever need to know.  My friend was like, Tammy there most profound moments, you don't know when they are going to be. You can't plan for that.  You can plant the habits but only the lord knows where those profound teaching moments would be.  And how many times have you heard that the Primary songs have been that source of calling up those moments.
• Lisa Hess:  There was a woman that she knew that when she was a child they had moved and they went inactive.  This woman remembers asking her parents to go back to where they were the most happiest (being the church).  Years later they finally got active.  But she knew the difference and she felt it.

Bishop Clausse' said, "Ours is not just a Sunday church. Our worship continues each day of the week, wherever we are and in whatever we do. Our homes in particular are “the primary sanctuaries of our faith.” It is most often in our homes that we pray, we bless, we study, we teach the word of God, and we serve with pure love. I can testify from personal experience that our homes are sacred places where the Spirit can abound—as much as, and sometimes even more than, in our formal places of worship.

I bear witness that this Church is the Church of Jesus Christ. Its strength and vitality come from the daily actions of millions of His disciples who strive each day to follow His supreme example by caring for others. Christ lives and He directs this Church."

Tammy then talked about how when she was put in as Relief Society President she had a profound feeling that our ward didn't have far to go to have our hearts knit together.  She feels that President Nelson is a unity Prophet.  She felt so uplifted by the lesson today.