Faith
Lesson Review:"The Reason for Our Hope"
President Boyd K Packer Oct 2014 conferenceDoctrine:
The Savior wrought the Atonement, which provides a way for us to become clean. Jesus Christ is the resurrected Christ. We worship and recognize Him for the pain He suffered for us collectively and for the pain He endured for each of us individually, both in the Garden of Gethsemane and on the cross. He bore all with great humility and with an eternal understanding of His divine role and purpose.
In His own words, the Savior has declared, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6).
And from the Book of Mormon, He declares: “Behold, I am he who was prepared from the foundation of the world to redeem my people. Behold, I am Jesus Christ. … In me shall all mankind have life, and that eternally, even they who shall believe on my name; and they shall become my sons and my daughters” (Ether 3:14).
Those who will repent and forsake sin will find that His merciful arm is outstretched still. Those who listen to and heed His words and the words of His chosen servants will find peace and understanding even in the midst of great heartache and sorrow. The result of His sacrifice is to free us from the effects of sin, that all may have guilt erased and feel hope.
Each member serves as a testimony of the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. We are at war with the forces of the adversary, and we need each and every one of us if we are going to succeed in the work the Savior has for us to do.
You might think, “What can I do? I am only one person.”
Certainly Joseph Smith felt very alone at times. He rose to greatness, but he started as a 14-year-old boy who had a question: “Which of all the churches should I join?” (see Joseph Smith—History 1:10). Joseph’s faith and testimony of the Savior grew as ours must grow, “line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little” (2 Nephi 28:30; see also D&C 128:21). Joseph knelt to pray, and what marvelous things have come about as a result of that prayer and the First Vision.
"As one of the Twelve Apostles, I bear witness of the Lord Jesus Christ. He lives. He is our Redeemer and our Savior. “Through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved” (Articles of Faith 1:3). He presides over this Church. He is no stranger to His servants. As we move into the future with quiet confidence, His Spirit will be with us. There is no end to His power to bless and direct the lives of those who seek truth and righteousness. I bear witness of Him in the name of Jesus Christ, amen." - President Packer
Read or Listen to the entire talk here:
https://www.lds.org/ensign/2014/11/saturday-morning-session/the-reason-for-our-hope?lang=engA couple of articles that go great with this lesson are:
The Loving Arms of Christ:
The Atonement and the Journey of Mortality:
FAMILY
The Country Kids 4-H Club, other cast member, and the Johnson and Ritchie families invite you to attend a live Nativity performance at 1200 South 6000 West in Rexburg at any of the following times:Saturday, November 29th - 5:15 and 6:00 p.m.
Monday, December 1st - 6:00 and 7:00 p.m.
Monday, December 8th - 6:15 and 7:00 p.m.
Monday, December 15th - 6:15 and 7:00 p.m.
Sunday, December 21st - 6:15 and 7:00 p.m.
Monday, December 22nd - 6:15 and 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday, December 24th - 5:30 and 6:15 p.m.
Please arrive 10-15 minutes early, dress warmly for the outdoor performance, and remember to stay for homemade donuts and hot chocolate after. Everyone is welcome.
Other family home evening ideas for this month would be to enjoy some of these LDS Christmas videos :
https://www.lds.org/topics/christmas/christmas-videos?lang=eng
There are videos for all ages!
What are your families Christmas traditions? Share some of them with me so we can share them on the blog! You can email them to drbennett1@hotmail.com.
RELIEF
December is my absolute favorite time of year! (With the exception of the snow and cold of course.) This month we really focus on the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ and think about his perfect life of service and example. How grateful we are for him.
I loved the First Presidency Message in the December Ensign by President Dieter Uchtdorf titled "Fill the World with Christ's Love." Wouldn't it be great if every family in our ward and stake made it a personal and family goal to really focus on giving to Christ this holiday season by serving others?
The simplicity of that first Christmas foreshadowed the life of the Savior. Though He had created the earth, walked in realms of majesty and glory, and stood at the right hand of the Father, He came to earth as a helpless child. His life was a model of modest nobility, and He walked among the poor, the sick, the downcast, and the heavy laden.
Though He was a king, He cared neither for the honors nor the riches of men. His life, His words, and His daily activities were monuments of simple yet profound dignity.
Jesus the Christ, who knew perfectly how to give, set for us the pattern for giving. To those whose hearts are heavy with loneliness and sorrow, He brings compassion and comfort. To those whose bodies and minds are afflicted with illness and suffering, He brings love and healing. To those whose souls are burdened with sin, He offers hope, forgiveness, and redemption.
If the Savior were among us today, we would find Him where He always was—ministering to the meek, the downcast, the humble, the distressed, and the poor in spirit. During this Christmas season and always, may we give to Him by loving as He loves. May we remember the humble dignity of His birth, gifts, and life. And may we, through simple acts of kindness, charity, and compassion, fill the world with the light of His love and healing power."
Read the entire article here: https://www.lds.org/liahona/2014/12/fill-the-world-with-christs-love?cid=HPMO120114531&lang=eng
Sweeping the Earth As If a Flood:
Without doubt, the greatest gift of love we could give this holiday season—these holy days—is to share God’s gift with others. To help us do that, the Church launched a media initiative on November 28 titled “He Is the Gift.”
About this initiative, Elder Russell M. Nelson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said: “Christmas is a time of reflection on what we can become because of God’s sacred gift. As we discover the gift, we learn of the immeasurable love of God and our absolute need for a Savior. As we embrace the gift, we strengthen our faith in Jesus Christ and our desire to become more like Him. As we share the gift, we follow in the Master’s footsteps, who invited all to hear His message.”1
The initiative includes a new Church website, christmas.mormon.org. Among the information on the website is a powerful video titled He Is the Gift. Also on the site is content helping visitors to:
- • Understand why the Savior is God’s greatest gift to mankind.
- • Embrace that gift by following the teachings of Jesus Christ.
- • Read inspirational stories of modern-day followers of the Son of God.
- • Share the video and website with others.
The hashtag #ShareTheGift can be used to send people to the website. The video and website are available in 20 languages.
To help members share the message of God’s love this Christmas, the “He Is the Gift” initiative includes images and messages on social media that members can share (including a YouTube campaign on December 7 in the United States, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, and Brazil) and displays in most Church visitors’ centers to which members can invite interested friends. A major display will be on view at Times Square in New York City, USA. Sharing our beliefs about Jesus Christ in these simple ways will likely result in natural invitations to meet with the missionaries.
Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles encourages every member to “visit christmas.mormon.org to find inspiring content to help discover, embrace, and share the gift of God’s love for us, made manifest in His Only Begotten Son. By using the hashtag #ShareTheGift, we can sweep the earth with timeless—and timely—messages of the Savior Jesus Christ.”2
Relief Society Announcements:
Please welcome home Sister Deanna Wade!
Becca Hansen and Jennifer Ball have both had their babies! Hopefully we will have pictures soon to share.
The Bishop has asked us all to remember to be reverent and listen to the prelude music as we come into Sacrament Meeting!
The First Evangelical Lutheran Church has invited our Relief Society to a Christmas Cantata and Luncheon on December 13th at 11:00 a.m. We will meet at the Church at 9:45 to carpool to Idaho Falls.
Ward Christmas Party, Tuesday December 2nd.
Upcoming Lesson Schedule:
December 7th - President's Message
December 14th - Joseph Fielding Smith #25 - The Birth of Jesus Christ: “Good Tidings of Great Joy”
December 21st - Joseph Fielding Smith #26 - Preparing for the Coming of Our Lord
December 28th - Teachings For Our Time
2015 Relief Society Curriculum:
Teachings of President's of the Church - Ezra Taft Benson
Recipes on the blog:
Have you seen all the new recipes on the blog? If you have a recipe you would like to share send them to: drbennett1@hotmail.com or call or text them to 208-351-7083. We would love to have your favorite holiday recipes!
Visit the ward recipe blog: www.burton4threcipes.blogspot.com
