ANNOUNCEMENTS:
~ Please remember to sign up for tithing settlement. The sign-up sheet is on the Clerk's office door. Tithing settlement will be held on Dec 2nd, 9th and 16th.
~ Sewing will be this Tuesday from 10-2. Come and bring your projects and have a good visit.
~ Tuesday Evening at 6 pm will be Relief Society Night. It will be in the chapel so please come in your church dress.
~ Sister Annalee Ashby had her baby on Wednesday. Mother and sweet baby are doing great!
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Today's lesson was facilitated by Sister Jamie Johnson. It was based on Elder Bednar's recent conference talk titled, "Gather Together in One All Things in Christ.
Sister Johnson wanted to have this lesson be a discussion because she felt like Elder Bednar is so eloquent in his teachings that she couldn't add and so wanted to discuss what we felt about this talk.
She began by talking about how all of the new announcements, changes and adjustments that are being made by the Church are all pointing us to Christ. Elder Bednar said, "They have only one overarching purpose to strengthen faith in Heavenly Father and His plan and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and His atonement." She said that this was the main preface of this talk and then she opened it up for discussion saying, "Let's teach each other and discuss what we think and how we feel," stating that she would interject sometimes throughout the discussion.
Who would like to share what they thought? Sister Cheri Smith said her favorite thing in Elder Bednar's talk wasn't that they had changed to a new 2-hour schedule beginning in January. Her favorite thing was where he said, "God has revealed a pattern of spiritual progress for individuals and families through ordinances, teaching, programs, and activities that are home centered and Church supported." She said that is what this was all about.
Sister Johnson agreed and said that this is what Elder Bednar said at the beginning of his talk when he said, "The Sunday meeting schedule was not simply shortened. Rather, we now have increased opportunities and responsibilities as individuals and families to use our time for enhancing the Sabbath as a delight at home and at church." It isn't just a shorter meeting. Sister Johnson's father-in-law had told her that when he was listening to it he thought Oh Yea! But then he thought about it and realized that now we as members are going to have to do more.
Sister Johnson said that it is such a blessing because now we can fit in those things that perhaps we have wanted to do but didn't know how to find the time or energy to do like family history work, family time, ministering or better scripture study. She had been praying about how to do these things better and this was such an answer to her prayers. Now she will be given the time to do these things.
Sister Tina Gregory commented that her favorite thing is how it compares to the Ninth Article of Faith that states, "We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.” They have given us a timeline of things that have been revealed beginning with President Kimball and how he instructed members of the Church to build Zion throughout the world. Then how they consolidated the meeting schedule on Sundays. We were then given the Proclamation to the World and the building of more and more temples has been announced. The Church developed the perpetual education fund to help teach self-reliance. President Monson exhorted Saints to "rescue" and care for the poor and needy. Then the changes that were given six months ago relating to the aligning of Priesthood quorums." We have been given so much and there is more to come.
Sister Johnson said that it isn't just separate little initiatives that we are getting but that these are building upon each other and it is preparing us for the next revelation to come.
She mentioned that this continuing revelation is what sets our church apart and how wonderful it is that we have this continuing revelation. She compared it to a stagnant pond. If we were to have just the scriptures and was never added to it would be stagnant, but because we have continuing revelation to add to the scriptures it is like a stream flowing into the pond and going out of the pond and that keeps it clear and clarifies for us. We are always getting more and more revelation that builds upon previous revelation and the scriptures and applies them to our day.
Sister Bonnie said she liked the part in Elder Bednar's talk where he compares us to a rope. If we were a single strand we wouldn't be very strong. But because we intertwine everyones talents, abilities and desires together we can be strong like a rope. She said that she thinks it is critical in todays world that we cling to each other because it is going to become necessary to support and help each other in the coming days.
Sister Johnson agreed and reminded us of the lesson she gave where she had everyone take a piece of string and then we put the together and how strong they were when they were together. She also said that she thinks that the Gospel is unified and that her understanding is that each part of the gospel is like a little thread and that as we interweave them and live them all we become stronger instead of just check listing things, making them a part of our lives, a stronger conversion.
Elder Bednar said, "Much like the braided strands of a rope produce a powerful and durable tool, all of these interrelated actions are part of a unified effort to better align the focus, resources and work of the Savior's restored Church with its fundamental mission: to assist God in His work to bring to pass the salvation and exaltation of His children." He said to not just focus on the logistical aspects but the overarching spiritual reasons that these changes are being made for.
Sister Tama Johns said that when she read this talk yesterday, there is a part where Elder Bednar talks about separating things and making them a checklist. She said it isn't about doing everything separate, but doing them together that is what ties us to Christ. That is what it all comes down to.
Sister Johnson then talked about how everything we do in the church ties back to Christ.
All of the ordinances and things we are taught that we should do ties back into Him. He is the rope. Each ordinance and thing we do is just the strand and He is the conversion. If we do all of these things it makes us strong in Christ.
Sister Johnson said that as Elder Bednar gave this talk she wanted to make sure that she studied this part of his talk. He said, "We must be careful because pharisaical focus upon checklists can divert us from drawing closer to the Lord."
Sister Cheri Smith said, that if we are focused on just reading the Book of Mormon to check it off our list, then we are missing out on the spiritual aspect of that experience. It is like the Spirit of the Law vs the Letter of the Law. We need to keep the law but focus on how it will effect us spiritually rather than just checking it off our list.
Sister Stringham stated that she is a very checklist oriented person and how much she loves them. However, she also said that when relating them to things of the Gospel and the Savior, it is never something that can be checked off so you can then move on. A checklist is something that you complete and she said she didn't think that this is the experience that we are supposed to have with these things. A checklist is cold to her when it comes to the things of the Savior. We are here to continue to learn and grow.
Sister Johnson agreed and said it is more about becoming more like Christ than checking things off a list. We are never done. Sister Stringham added that she doesn't think Christ ever checks us off His list which is a blessing. Christ isn't like this and so the more we focus the spirit of it the more we will be like Him.
Sister Katie Hess talked about how there was a time in her life that she really used checklists a lot. But she got to where if she didn't finish the things on her list, she would beat herself up, she didn't feel close to the spirit and think she would think she was a failure. She feels like they can be detrimental in that aspect also. Because if you are feeling like a failure you aren't close to the spirit or the Savior at all. She finally had to let them go and she said that by doing so and just trying to do the best she could she was able to feel closer to the spirit and she knew the Lord would make up the difference. She said it is a daily thing that she struggles with - just doing the best she can and then turning everything else over to the Lord.
Sister Johnson said that if you are living that way, the Spirit can work with you. She said that maybe you don't go visit your sister on a certain day, maybe you read to your child instead, but maybe this is what the spirit would have you do. We need to learn to listen to what he wants us to do. She told of how when President Nelson asked the sisters to read the Book of Mormon before the end of the year. She felt really pressured because she was reading other scriptures and wanted to finish them. Her husband suggested that there are times when if we pray we will find that there are ways that are individualized to each of us that will help us do what is asked, but perhaps not how we think it should be. So Sister Johnson prayed about it and she felt really good about listening to the Book of Mormon when she could and that allowed her to finish reading the other scriptures also. Heavenly Father is interested in us as individuals and helping us to feel successful. We just need to do our best. Heavenly Father accepts our best efforts and only He knows what our best efforts are.
Sister Coombs said that her favorite of this was being able to underline the scriptures that relate to Jesus Christ or talk of Him. She said the Book of Mormon truly is a testament of Jesus Christ. She also said that she feels that we have been doing just the opposite of what the brethren are now asking. We have been doing lessons at church and very little at home.
Sister Johnson said that her mother is doing the same thing with regards to marking her scriptures relating to Christ. She said her mother is shocked at how many scriptures she missed when doing this previously. There are so many that relate to our Savior.
Sister Johnson then asked what we think about the part in Elder Bednar's talk where it is bolded stating "home centered and church supported."
Sister Clark said that she thinks it will be best if we look to the youth. She said, "whose responsibility is it to prepare them to be missionaries?" She said it has to start at home and then let the church support you.
Sister Pinborough said she remembers when she was a girl and the church meetings were on different days of the week and then when the consolidated program came and it was like heaven. Then she said that as she looks as the programs that are being implemented that you can see the Lord's hand in this work. She said the Lord has seen our needs and how we need to just trust in Him.
Sister Mattinson said that as she looks at her own life she sees the need for more emphasis on the home. She said that with our lifestyles these days the emphasis has been taken away from that. That if we do this it will bring us closer as families. This will be another benefit.
Sister Johnson said that she thinks that with every generation Satan has helped us to be more and more busy and how he is trying to tear families apart. This will help us to keep those bonds in our families strong. This will help us focus on Gospel teaching.
Sister Pinborough then read a paragraph from Elder Bednar's talk that stood out to her. It read, "I believe that the sequence and timing of these actions over many decades can help us to see on united and comprehensive work and not just a series of independent and discrete initiatives. God has revealed a pattern of spiritual progress for individuals and families through ordinances, teaching, programs, and activities that are home centered and church supported."
Sister Rose commented saying that she doesn't mean to sound boastful, but that because Heavenly Father is aware of us and that this is the only place that you or your family or your friends can run to, to feel safe from the world and what is going on.
Sister Johnson agreed that with the way the world is going and how things are slipping that the church and our homes are the only safe place. She said how not long ago when she was in high school the world was a different place and it is slipping fast. It has changed so fast. She is told in her patriarchs blessing that she will know how to make her home a refuge for her family to be safe. That is what we all need to do.
Elder Bednar said "In 1978 President Kimball instructed members to build up the strength of Zion throughout the world . He further indicated that more temples would be built and promised blessings for the Saints wherever they lived in the world.
As the number of stakes increased, the need was intensified for member homes to "become places where family members (Loved) to be, where they (could) enrich their lives and find mutual love, support, appreciation and encouragement."
That really touched Sister Johnson that in 1978 the push was to make the home a refuge and a place where you and your family wanted to be.
She then talked about how revelations build on revelations and how in our Regional Conference Elder Ballard stated that when all of the temples that are under construction are finished there will be 201 temples. She remembered how President Hinkley talked of having a hundred temples by the year 2000, and how in only 18 years we have doubled that. If this pace of buildings continues in 18 more years there will be 400 temples. Some of the sisters in the room mentioned that when they were in primary they hoped to visit all of the 13 temples in the world when they grew up. There are now 19 temples in Utah. The growth is amazing.
Sister Clark talked about how busy the temples are now and how there is always a wait to do the work. Family history work is moving forward and it is going to take everyone of us to get the work done. She truly has a testimony of the work that is being done there.
Sister Coombs said that one of her daughters went to a temple in Taiwan and they were asked where their names were. The temple had some that they were able to do, but we need to be doing our family history work and get our names.
Sister Pinborough talked about how families are able to do the work there. Fathers can baptize and the youth are able to help and assist. Her granddaughter handed out the towels in the baptistry.
Sister Johnson told of how when she was a girl only the beehive girls were able to go because their ward could only go once a year. Now the youth are able to have their own recommends. Things are moving forward.
Sister Johnson then wanted to end by emphasizing how everything points to Christ. The talk by Elder Bednar was Gather Together in One All Things in Christ. So she made notes all through the talk.
- The Sabbath meeting was shortened. It said to use our time for enhancing the Sabbath as a delight at home and at church. That points to Christ.
- Last April the Higher and Holier way of Ministering was revealed. That points to Christ. What did Christ do? He ministered. So we are being more like him when we do this.
- Next year we will be studying the New Testament. That points to Christ.
- If you think of anything that we do the meetings that we hold, the Temples and ordinances, everything is a thread that ties us to Christ.
If we focus on Christ in everything we do, ministering, temple attendance, scripture study, paying tithing, going to church, teaching your family, going on missions, family history, the myriad of things we need to do. If He is our focus it wraps it up in a perfect package. If he is our focus, it changes us. By doing those actions, it isn't just a check list. It is changing our hearts to become more like him.
This is what Sister Johnson wanted us to focus on. With everything we are asked to do in the church sometimes it feels overwhelming, but if we compare them as sister Johnson did to a clock. Each thing we do is like a mechanism, a cog or a gear. When we attend church we learn about the pieces and parts. As we focus on doing them; like learning to be more intent on improving; like focusing more on Christ this week or improving our prayers, etc. it is like we are oiling the parts and after a while our clocks will be running in tip top shape and we will just maintaining it. We won't feel so overwhelmed. We come to church to learn how to oil our clocks and turn our hearts closer and closer to our Savior.
She brought a basket because it represents gathering to her. She said that it is like Christ is our basket and that all of the different types of things that we have to do in the church if we keep it all centered on Christ, He is like our basket. He is our focus and what holds the whole church together. He is with us.
She then talked about a book she was reading that Sister Okazaki wrote where she talked of how we often treat Christ as a visitor. He comes to our homes and we put Him in our nice living room and tell Him we are so glad He is there, but in the kitchen we have a pot boiling over and then we have to run a child somewhere and then there is another and another thing that keeps us from visiting with Him. She talked of how we need to stop making Him a separate part of our lives. He needs to be everything in our lives. He wants to be there when our pots are boiling over. He wants to be there when we are taking our children places and when we have activities. We need to have Him walk with us through our lives. He wants to be there by our sides, not tucked away in a living room. If He is with us and we ask ourselves, what would my Savior do, we will be like Him because He is our focus. We will be better in our lives. We need to invite Him to be part of us. He will help our lives be joyous.
Thanks to Jamie for teaching this beautiful lesson.
