Announcements - May 10, 2015

·         Young Women Evening of Excellence will take place on Sunday, May 17, 2015 at 7:00 p.m. at the Moraga Chapel.  Come celebrate the Young Women and their personal progress.

 

·         The Young Women are collecting fleece (58” x 72”+) and/or money to make blankets for teenagers at the Oakland Children’s Hospital.

 

·         Sign-ups for Doug Lindley’s funeral service on Thursday were passed around.  If able to help, please contact the Relief Society Presidency.

Lesson Summary - May 10, 2015

“Inspiring Women”

By Kathryn Pritchett

 

Kathryn and her husband just completed teaching a class on “Women in the Church” at the Institute in Berkeley and these are some of her thoughts and excerpts from that class.

 

She asked the audience “What would you teach about inspiring women in the Church?”  Some answers were:  Female characters in the Bible; Gifts of the spirit—women giving blessings, speaking in tongues, etc.;  Polygamy; Pioneer women; Modern day women—bloggers, etc.;  Lucy Mack Smith & Emma Smith.

 

The sections of the class that they divided it into were:  How Mormons view Eve and Mary, Founding Women—Emma and Lucy Mack Smith; Gifts of the Spirit; Pioneer women; Suffragette movement; Relief Society-the foundation, disruption and renewal; Women and plural marriage; Mother in Heaven; Women in transition; and Modern Voices.

 

Kathryn structured her talk around five things that she learned about mothers after teaching the class:

 

1-Mormons treat Eve better than most.  We see her as an instrument for good, the fortunate fall and the mother of all living.  The Jewish Midrash explains the general world belief about woman being created from the rib of man:

“Women need to use perfumes and men do not because dust of the ground remains the same no matter how long it is kept; flesh however requires salt to keep it in good condition. Women’s voices are high and shrill and men’s voices are not because when soft viands are cooked, no sound is heard; but let a bone be put in a pot and at once it crackles.  Women are rigid and not easily placated like men because a few drops of water suffice to soften a clod of water but a bone stays hard and will not soften in water.  It is the man who proposes marriage and not the woman because man lost his rib and must find a woman to retrieve it. And finally, women precede men in a funeral cortege, because it was woman who brought death into the world.”

 

Many cultures favor males above females but we are taught that we will be judged for our own transgressions not for Adam and Eve. 

 

We don’t speak much about Mary or about our Heavenly Mother.  We hold ourselves back by not thinking about her.

 

 2-Mothers in the Early Church.  Sarah Kimball and her seamstress, in 1842, couldn’t help directly with the building of the Kirkland temple but they could help making shirts for the men building the temple.  They organized an association and went to Joseph Smith for help.  He put his support behind it and sanctioned it.  They did many good works.  It was a volunteer organization at the time and women paid dues to belong.  Not everyone was a member of the Relief Society.  Emma Smith and Brigham Young didn’t see eye to eye often and for a number of years, the Relief Society was disbanded although it unofficially met during this time.  During this time, although not officially sanctioned, the sisters continued to help those in need, both in the Church and outside.  They “huddled” to further women’s rights and publish a newspaper, in addition to helping others on the western frontier.   In 1867, the Relief Society was reinstated by Brigham Young.  Eliza R. Snow, who was married to both Joseph Smith and Brigham Young, deserves a lot of credit for the Relief Society.  Often known as “the prophetess”, she carried the minutes of the first Relief Society’s across the plains and often showed those to others.  She said, “Without no order we have no claim to the spirit.”  She used those original minutes to go around to train bishops on how to organize the ward Relief Societies.  There were many other very strong women in the early church such as Zina Young, Lucy Mack Smith, Emmeline B. Wells.  Emmeline B. Wells was a Relief Society President but also a writer and editor of the Exponent.   Emmeline Wells met Joseph Smith and had a deep testimony of him throughout her life.

 

3-Mothers support each other.  Kathryn studied much about polygamy and the early church.  She has a new found respect for those women who were called to participate in polygamy.  Emmeline B. Wells as a writer and editor for the Exponent, wrote under two pen names, Aunt Ann, and Blanche Beachwood.  Under Aunt Ann, wrote about homemaking subjects but under Blanche Beachwood, she vocalized feminist views. 

 

Ellis Reynolds Shipp was the first of four wives to Milford Shipp.  She was very bright and articulate.  The three other wives of Milford Shipp supported Ellis while she went to medical school, not only financially but with child care.  Ellis was one of the first female doctors in Utah and west of the Mississippi.

 

4-Mothers work and always have.  Women from the pioneers and before, through until today have always worked and worked hard.  Some of the modern women that were taught about in this Institute class were:  Minerva Teichert with her paintings; Stephanie Meyer, author of the Twilight novels; Emily Banks, a professor of genetics at the University of Colorado, whose patriarchical blessing told her that she had the potential to change human knowledge, that she would be a mentor and teacher to young people. 

 

One young man in the class pointed out that many of these LDS women said that their work was spiritually driven, that their work has a spiritual component.  He said that men rarely think that way about work.  Men usually feel that they work to provide for their families. Kathryn asked, “Do you feel that your work is divinely directed?”

 

Rose Marie Reid was a swimsuit designer and a member of the Church.  In 1955, she was named Sports Illustrated Designer of the Year and Woman of the Year by the Los Angeles Times.  She did a lot of missionary work among the Jewish people.  She helped raise funds for the Los Angeles temple by selling sequined swim suits that had sequins sewn on by Relief Society sisters.  She felt that part of her work was part of her missionary effort as well as a means to build the kingdom. 

 

5-Mothering the modern day Church.  We are standing on the shoulders of those women of the early church but mothering it now takes creative work and discernment.  Kathryn asked the young women at the Institute what they thought of Relief Society.  Most didn’t feel like they fit in and didn’t really like it.  The men had more tender feelings but were more through their mothers, for example, the Relief Society taking care of the family when the mother was ill.  The women were far more critical since they were part of making the Relief Society work where the men just saw the benefits of Relief Society.  It was a good example of how critical and judgmental we can be.  Martha Beck said, “Criticism is an alluring substitute for creation, because tearing things down, unlike building them up, really is as easy as falling off the stump.  It’s blissfully simple to strike a savvy, sophisticated pose by attacking someone else’s creations, but the old adage is right:  Any fool can burn down a barn.  Building one is something else again.”

 

Kathryn closed with urging us to be the change you want to be.  This is an exciting time to be a woman in the Church.  Change has happened throughout time and throughout the Church and will continue to change.  We can be a part of it and make it better and our mothers and our forbearers would expect nothing less.

 

Lesson Summary - April 12, 2015

Teachings of the Presidents of the Church

Ezra Taft Benson

Lesson 6

“Jesus Christ, Our Savior and Redeemer”

Lesson by Carly

 

Carly began her lesson by reading a quote from President Ezra Taft Benson, “No other single influence has had so great an impact on this earth as the life of Jesus the Christ.”  This is the foundation of the gospel.

 

Because our relationship with the Savior is so very personal it can be challenging to discuss but here are some goals that Carly outlined for today’s lesson:

 

Feeling the love Jesus Christ has for you.

Increased gratitude for our Savior.

Increased desire to share our testimony of Christ.

 

President Benson said, “We declare the divinity of Jesus Christ.  We look to Him as the only source of our salvation.”

 

Carly asked, “What are your favorite attributes of Christ?”  Some responses were:  Pure love, compassion, patience, kind, courageous, strong.  Carly read from a compiled list of some of Christ’s attributes:  Faith, virtue, knowledge, humility, diligence, temperance, godliness, charity, patience, kindness.

 

In 3 Nephi 27:27 Christ says:  Therefore, what manner of men ought ye to be? Verily I say unto you, even as I am.

 

This is a lifelong pursuit and one decision at a time.  It takes faith, repentance, keeping the commandments and enduring to the end.

John 6: 24-28, 30-31, 34, 35: 

24  When the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, neither his disciples, they also took shipping, and came to Capernaum, seeking for Jesus.

 25 And when they had found him on the other side of the sea, they said unto him, Rabbi, when camest thou hither?

 26 Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled.

 27 Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.

 28 Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?

 30 They said therefore unto him, What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work?

 31 Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.

 34 Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread.

 35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.

Jesus is the Bread of Life.    President Benson said, “I cannot recall a time that I did not believe in Jesus Christ. It seems that the reality of His life, death, and resurrection has always been a part of me.”

Carly continued with John 6:36-40:

36 But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not.

 37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.

 38 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.

 39 And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.

 40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.

Jesus has proclaimed himself-He is the bread of life.  He came down from heaven to do the will of the Father.  All that believe in the Son (partake of this bread) shall have eternal life.

President Benson said, “Everything He did was prompted by His unselfish, infinite love for us.”

Carly asked the audience if we could remember a time when we have felt the Lords love through someone else?  Several sisters told specific instances when they have felt the Lords love through the actions of others.

Former Relief Society General President, Bonnie Parkin said, “I know that Heavenly Father loves us, sisters, as does his Son, Jesus Christ.  That love will never change—it is constant.  Do we frequently reject the Lord’s love that He pours out upon us in mjch more abundance than we are willing to receive?  Do we think we have to be perfect in order to deserve His love?”

Carly said that she thinks that when we allow ourselves to feel His love, we begin to feel safe, and we realize that we don’t need to be immediately perfect—it’s all part of the progression toward eternal life.

President Benson said, “Faith in Jesus Christ consists of relying completely on Him and following His teachings.”  He also said, “Those who are captained by Christ will be consumed in Christ.  Their will is swallowed up in His will.  They do always those things that please the Lord.  Not only would they die for the lord, but, more important, they want to live for Him.  Enter their homes, and the pictures on their walls, the books on the shelves, the music in the air, their words and acts reveal them as Christians.  They stand as witnesses of God at all times, and in all things, and in all places.  They have Christ on their minds, as they look unto Him in every thought.  They have Christ in their hearts as their affections are placed on Him forever.”

Carly played a short video:  https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2015-04-1010-he-lives-celebrate-easter-because-jesus-christ-lives?lang=eng

Carly close with her and President Benson’s testimony:  “With all my soul, I love Him.  I humbly testify that He is the same loving, compassionate Lord today as when He walked the dusty roads of Palestine.  He is close to His servants on this earth.  He cares about and loves each of us today.  Of that you can be assured.”  “He lives today as our Lord, our Master, our Savior, our Redeemer, and our God.  God bless us all to believe in Him, to accept Him, to worship Him, to fully trust in Him, and to follow Him.”

Announcements - March 29, 2015

On April 13^th there will be a fireside at 7:00 at the ward.  Nedra Shumway will talk about self-compassion, managing your own happiness and dealing with stress.  All are invited. 

 

Save the dates of April 18^th and 25^th for the stake service project at Juaquin Miller park.  Many are needed to do the ‘heavy lifting’ and feed the  multitudes.  More information coming soon.

Lesson Summary - March 29, 2015

Lesson

“Approaching the Throne of God with Confidence”

Elder Jorg Klebingat

By

Megan P.

 

Megan started her lesson by handing out an Introspection Quiz for each of us to consider privately.   The questions were:

 

1. On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate your spiritual confidence before God?

 

2.  Do you have a personal witness that your current offering as a Latter-Day-Saint is sufficient to inherit eternal life?

 

3. Can you say within yourself that Heavenly Father is pleased with you?

 

4.  What thoughts would come to mind if you had a personal interview with your Savior one minute from now?

 

5.  Would sins, regrets and shortcomings dominate your self-image or would you simply experience joyful anticipation?

 

6.  Would you meet or avoid His gaze?

 

7.  Would you linger by the door or confidently walk up to Him? 

 

If we come up short with the heartfelt answers to the above questions, Elder Klebingat gives us six practical suggestions that could dissipate our doubts about our worthiness and restore the kind of peaceful assurance and spiritual confidence that is ours to have if we want it. 

 

These six suggestions will help us to identify  specific ways to increase our spiritual confidence if we are willing to listen to the Spirit and act on those promptings.

 

1.    Take responsibility for your own spiritual well-being.

           Chose to study and pray often.

2.    Take responsibility for your own physical well-being.

                Eat well and exercise.

3.    Embrace voluntary, wholehearted obedience as part of your life.

                Free Agency is so important.

4.    Become really, really good at repenting thoroughly and quickly.

                So important!   Don’t let Satan stop you!

5.    Become really, really good at forgiving.

Christ’s atonement  makes compensation for damaged lives.   You are not given the keys to judge, even yourselves.  (John Lund)

6.    Accept trials, setbacks and “surprises” as part of your mortal experience.

Change and “fix” what you can, accept what you can’t change and learn from it.

 

As you contemplate putting these suggestions into practice, you need to:

 

BE GENTLE WITH YOURSELF

BE PATIENT WITH YOURSELF

SET REALISTIC GOALS

 

Megan then passed out individual quotes from the talk to be discussed in small groups. 

 

Elder Klebingat concludes his talk, “Whenever the adversary cannot persuade imperfect yet striving Saints such as you to abandon your belief in a personal and loving God, he employs a vicious campaign to put as much distance as possible between you and God.  He will seek access to your heart to tell you lies – lies that Heavenly Father is disappointed in you, that the atonement is beyond your reach, that there is no point in even trying, that everyone else is better than you, that you are unworthy, and a thousand variations of that same evil theme.

 

As long as you allow these voices to chisel away at your soul, you can’t approach the throne of God with real confidence.  Whatever you do, whatever you pray for, whatever hopes for a miracle you may have, there will always be just enough self-doubt chipping away at your faith – not only your faith in God but also your confidence in yourself.  Living the gospel in this manner is no fun, nor is it very healthy.  Above all, it is completely unnecessary!  The decision to change is yours – and yours alone.”

 

Let thy bowels also be full of charity towards all men, and to the household of faith, and let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God  (D&C 121;45)

Announcements - March 15, 2015

Next Sunday,  March 22^nd,  will be our Ward Conference.  There will be a Linger Longer following the three hour block.  Please sign up to bring finger food.

 

 On Saturday, March 28^th, the General Women’s Broadcast will be shown on BYUTV.   It would be nice to get together with those you visit teach and view it in homes.  . 

 

Sunday, April 12^th at 7:00 P.M. we will have a special fireside with Nedra Shumway.   All are invited.

 

On Saturday, April 18^th  and on the 25^th, the stake will sponsor a service project by Oakland Helping Hands.  The job is to clean, repair and renovate the Joaquin Miller Park.   We will be assigned a section. 

Lesson Summary - March 15, 2015

“Principles of True Repentance”

Ezra Taft Benson #5

given by

Chris C.

 

The other day my 7 yr. old came to me and asked, “Mommy, do you repent?”.   It made me stop and think.

 

President Benson says, “For those who pay the price required by true repentance, the promise is sure.  You can be clean again.  The despair can be lifted.  The sweet peace of forgiveness will flow into your lives.”

 

President Smith says, “Repentance will be the only panacea for the ills of this world.”

 

We all know the four steps of repentance:

1.     Recognizing error

2.     Forsaking bad behavior

3.     Confessing sins to the Lord or Bishop

4.     Making restitution to right the wrong

 

Pres. Benson admonishes us, “It is better to prepare and prevent than it is to repair and repent!”.

 

It is daunting to realize that we all need to repent.   Elder Nelson said, “While the Lord insists on our repentance, most people don’t feel such a compelling need.  They include themselves among those who try to be good.  They have no evil intent.  Yet the Lord is clear in His message that all need to repent – not only from sins of commission but from sins of omission as well.”

 

Although we haven’t murdered anyone today or stolen anything etc. we all have sins of omission – perhaps writing our personal history, doing genealogy research, perhaps daily scripture study, temple worship etc.   We have good intentions and we know what to do, but somehow do not get around to doing it.  We need to take these things on one by one and repent of our procrastination.  Inner peace and blessings will flow.

 

The Lord works from the inside out.  The world works from the outside in.  The world would take people out of the slums.  Christ takes the slums out of the people, and then they take themselves out of the slums.  The world would mold men by changing their environment.  Christ changes men, who then change their environment.  The world would shape human behavior, but Christ can change human nature.  Yes, Christ changes men, and changed men can change the world.

 

Alma 5:12-14 asks:

12  And according to his faith, there was a mighty change wrought in his heart.  Behold, I say unto you that this is all true. 

13  And behold, he preached the word unto your fathers, and a mighty change was also wrought in their hearts, and they humbled themselves and put their trust in the true and living God.  And behold, they were faithful until the end; therefore they were saved.

14  And now behold, I ask of you, my brethren of the church, have ye spiritually been born of God?  Have ye received his image in your countenances?  Have ye experienced this mighty change in your hearts?

 

Three times we notice “mighty change of heart”.  What does that mean?

 

Mosiah 5:2 answers:

2  And they all cried with one voice, saying; Yea, we believe all the words which thou hast spoken unto us; and also, we know of their surety and truth, because of the Spirit of the Lord Omnipotent, which has wrought a might change in us, or in our hearts, that we have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually. 

 

As we pursue this mighty change by implementing the four steps to repentance, we will experience Godly sorrow which is the deep realization that our actions have offended our Father and our God.  It is the sharp and keen awareness that our behavior caused the Savior, He who knew no sin, even the greatest of all, to endure agony and suffering.  Our sins caused him to bleed at every pore.  This very real mental and spiritual anguish is what the scriptures refer to as having a broken heart and a contrite spirit. 

 

But there is hope!

 

President Benson teaches that we must not lose hope as we seek to become Christ like.  We can profit by the experiences of the past.  But let us not spend our time worrying about decisions that have been  made, mistakes that have been made.  Let us live in the present and in the future.

 

Behold, he who has repented of his sins, the same is forgiven, and I the Lord, remember them no more.  (D&C 58:42)

 

This is the beginning of a new day.  God has given me this day to use as I will.  I can waste it – or use it for good, but what I do today is important, because I am exchanging a day of my life for it.  When tomorrow comes, this day will be gone forever, leaving in its place something that I have traded for it.  I want it to be gain, and not loss, good and not evil; success and not failure; in order that I shall not regret the price that I have paid for it.    (H. Wilson)

 

In conclusion I hope we will each embrace the words of Spencer W. Kimball when he taught;” There is a prevalent, perhaps subconscious feeling that the Lord designed repentance only for those who commit murder or adultery or theft or other heinous crimes.  This is of course not so.  If we are humble and desirous of living the gospel, we will come to think of repentance as applying to everything we do in life, whether it be spiritual or temporal in nature.  Repentance is for every soul who has not yet reached perfection”.

Announcements - March 8, 2015

 

“We Are Doing Something Extraordinary”

 There will be a Multi-Stake Women’s Conference next Friday and Saturday at the Stake Center. On Friday we are invited to attend an endowment session at the temple at 3:00 or at 7:00. On Saturday morning from 10:00 - 12:00, Sheri Dew will be our keynote speaker in the main conference auditorium followed by sharing stations and light refreshments.  

 

 

 

We will have Ward Conference on Sunday, March 22^nd with a Linger Longer afterward.

 

 

 

On April 12^th there will be a fireside at 7:00 featuring Nedra Shumway. All are welcome. Bring those you visit teach for a helpful and enjoyable evening.

Lesson Summary - March 8, 2015

Lesson #4

“Living Joyfully in Troubled Times”

President Ezra Taft Benson

by Carly

 

 

We are living through times when we all have stress. I’ll admit that this past Wednesday when I got a call from my children’s school that they were under lockdown because a man was seen nearby with a gun and not to come to the school until further notice, that was a mother’s worst nightmare!   We live in an unpredictable world but we can’t shut our doors and hide. I believe the Lord wants us to be strong and find joy through it all. We need to find ways to go forward with faith.

 

President Benson says “Happiness here and now consists of freely, lovingly, joyfully acknowledging God’s will for us - and doing it in all ways and all affairs big and small. Our Saints are full of hope, courage and faith and everywhere they look cheerfully forward with expressions of deepest faith for the gospel and for their membership in the Church.”

 

Do you think that is a true statement?   I look around this room and know that this is a true statement.  

 

What is it that sets us apart? What do we have that others might not?

 

Some answers were:

Perspective

Knowing our prayers are heard

Light in the eyes of believers

The Light of Christ

The Plan of Salvation

Knowledge of truth

Peace of mind

Knowledge of why we are here,

what we should be doing and where we are going.

 

There are many many in the world who do not know those things.

 

Elder Maxwell describes Pres. Benson as “a careful watcher of events who maintains a certain cheerfulness we would do well to watch. Such cheerfulness comes not from ignoring enveloping events, but from noticing these and yet looking beyond them to promises having to do with how the kingdom will finally prevail.” President Benson was an example of joyful living.  

 

He taught, “With faith in our Heavenly Father, we can have hope for the future, optimism in our present tasks, inner peace. If we will have faith, our setbacks will be but a moment and success will come out of our seeming failures. Our Heavenly Father can accomplish miracles through each of us if we will but place our confidence and trust in Him.”

 

It is a great blessing to have an inner peace, to have an assurance, to have a spirit of serenity and inward calm during times of strife and struggle, during times of sorrow and reverses. It is soul-satisfying to know that God is at the helm, that He is mindful of His children, and that we can with full confidence place our trust in Him.

 

How do you find inner peace? Some answers were:

I need to get outside in nature

I need to get into the light

I need to get control by cleaning and organizing

By serving

 

Pres. Benson advises us that prayer - persistent prayer can put us in touch with God, our greatest source of comfort and counsel. “Pray always that you may come off conqueror.”   Faith gives us vision of what may happen, hope for the future, and optimism in our present tasks. Where faith is, we do not doubt the ultimate success of the work.

 

Happiness must be earned from day to day but it is worth the effort.

What can hold us back from earning our happiness?

 

Some answers were:

Doubts and fears

Laziness

Blaming others

 

 We have no cause to really worry. Live the gospel, keep the commandments, attend to your prayers night and morning in your home and maintain the standards of the Church. Try and live calmly and cheerfully. Happiness must be earned from day to day, but it is worth the effort.

 

When Pres. George A. Smith was very ill, he was visited by his cousin, the prophet, Joseph Smith and was told never to be discouraged, whatever difficulties might surround me. If I were sunk into the lowest pit of Nova Scotia and all the Rocky Mountains piled on top of me, I ought not to be discouraged, but hang on, exercise faith, and keep up good courage, and I should come out on top of the heap.”

 

There are times when you simply have to righteously hang on and outlast the devil until his depressive spirit leaves you. As the Lord told the Prophet; “Thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment.   And then if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high.”

 

Carly ended the lesson with her testimony of God’s love for each of us and His availability to us at all times as we make our way through mortality.

 

Announcements - Feb. 22, 2015

·         Relief Society Weekday Activity will be on Tuesday, February 24, 2015.  We will join with the Young Women to make super hero capes for children at Children’s Hospital.  We will also be collecting clothes to donate to families in Fiji. Also, pictures will be taken that will be part of the slide show at the stake women’s conference.

 

·         March 14, 2015 is the stake women’s conference.  Sheri Dew will be the speaker.

 

·         Ward Conference is Sunday, March 22, 2015.

 

·         The ward choir needs additional singers, especially sopranos.  Practices are for 45 minutes immediately after church each Sunday.

Lesson Summary - Feb. 22, 2015

“The Sacrament—a Renewal for the Soul”

Conference Talk by

Cheryl A. Esplin

October, 2014 General Conference, Saturday Morning Session

“The Sacrament and the Atonement”

Conference Talk by

Elder James J. Hamula

October, 2014 General Conference Sunday Morning Session

Lesson by Lauren

 

Lauren began her lesson by reading a quote from Elder James J. Hamula’s talk:  “The ordinance of the sacrament has been called “one of the most holy and sacred ordinances in the Church.”  It needs to become more holy and sacred to each of us.  Jesus Christ Himself instituted the ordinance to remind us what He did to redeem us and to teach us how we may avail ourselves of His Redemption and thereby live with God again.”

 

Lauren then showed us the bible video of “Last Supper” which showed Christ offering the sacrament to the Twelve Apostles. 

 

She then asked, “Do we recognize the Sacrament to be the most holy ordinance?  And:  How do you prepare for the Sacrament each week?”  Some responses were:  To repent; It keeps you humble; It is cleansing.

 

Elder Hamula said, “In this simple yet profound manner, Jesus instituted a new ordinance for God’s covenant people. No longer would animal blood be spilled or animal flesh be consumed in anticipation of a redeeming sacrifice of a Christ who was yet to come. Instead, emblems of the broken flesh and spilled blood of the Christ who had already come would be taken and eaten in remembrance of His redeeming sacrifice. Participation in this new ordinance would signify to all a solemn acceptance of Jesus as the promised Christ and wholehearted willingness to follow Him and keep His commandments. To those who would so signify and conduct their life, spiritual death would “pass over” them, and eternal life would be assured.

In the hours and days that followed, Jesus entered into Gethsemane, was taken to Calvary, and triumphantly departed the Arimathean’s tomb. After His departure from them, Jesus’s faithful disciples in and about Jerusalem came together on the first day of the week to “break bread,” and they did so “steadfastly.” Surely, they did so not only to remember their departed Lord but also to express gratitude for and faith in His marvelous Redemption of them.”

Lauren then read the Sacrament prayer:  O God, the Eternal Father, we ask thee in the name of thy Son, Jesus Christ, to bless and sanctify this bread to the souls of all those who partake of it, that they may eat in remembrance of the body of thy Son, and witness unto thee, O God, the Eternal Father, that they are willing to take upon them the name of thy Son, and always remember him and keep his commandments which he has given them; that they may always have his Spirit to be with them. Amen.

What can we do to make the words of the Sacrament more meaningful?  Some responses were that it helps when the prayer is spoken slowly; re-read the prayer while the bread and water are being passed;  the bishopric helps set the tone when we begin the Sacrament portion of the meeting.

 

Elder Hamula said, “With torn and broken bread, we signify that we remember the physical body of Jesus Christ—a body that was buffeted with pains, afflictions, and temptations of every kind, a body that bore a burden of anguish sufficient to bleed at every pore, a body whose flesh was torn and whose heart was broken in crucifixion. We signify our belief that while that same body was laid to rest in death, it was raised again to life from the grave, never again to know disease, decay, or death. And in taking the bread to ourselves, we acknowledge that, like Christ’s mortal body, our bodies will be released from the bonds of death, rise triumphantly from the grave, and be restored to our eternal spirits.

With a small cup of water, we signify that we remember the blood Jesus spilled and the spiritual suffering He endured for all mankind. We remember the agony that caused great drops of blood to fall in Gethsemane. We remember the bruising and scourging He endured at the hands of His captors. We remember the blood He spilled from His hands, feet, and side while at Calvary. And we remember His personal reflection on His suffering: “How sore you know not, how exquisite you know not, yea, how hard to bear you know not.” In taking the water to ourselves, we acknowledge that His blood and suffering atoned for our sins and that He will remit our sins as we embrace and accept the principles and ordinances of His gospel.”

Lauren asked, “How do you feel during the Sacrament?”  Some responses were:  “Reading the words of the Sacrament hymns helps focus;  Engage kids by asking 10 things they are grateful for that Jesus had done for them;  Think about what you can work on during the week;  Take the promises literally…you can be as perfect as when you were baptized.”

Elder Hamula said, “The fundamental question facing all of us is not whether we will live but with whom we will live after we die. While every one of us will return to the presence of God, not every one of us will remain with Him. . . In partaking of the sacramental water, we are taught how we may be made clean from sin and transgression and thus stand in the presence of God. By the shedding of His innocent blood, Jesus Christ satisfied the demands of justice for every sin and transgression. He then offers to make us clean if we will have faith in Him sufficient to repent; accept all the ordinances and covenants of salvation, beginning with baptism; and receive the Holy Ghost. Upon our receipt of the Holy Ghost, we are cleansed and purified. Jesus made this doctrine very clear:  No unclean thing can enter into [God’s] kingdom; … nothing entereth into his rest save it be those who have washed their garments in my blood. …Now this is the commandment: Repent, all ye ends of the earth, and come unto me and be baptized in my name, that ye may be sanctified by the reception of the Holy Ghost, that ye may stand spotless before me at the last day.”  And: “Next, we declare that we “are willing to take upon [us] the name of [the] Son.” That is a solemn commitment to submit ourselves to His authority and to do His work, which includes receiving for ourselves every saving ordinance and covenant.  When we commit ourselves to these principles, we are promised in the sacramental prayers that we will “have his Spirit to be with [us].” Receiving anew the Spirit is a consummate blessing because the Spirit is the agent who cleanses and purifies us from sin and transgression.” 

Lauren read from Cheryl Esplin’s talk where she quoted President Henry B. Eyring:  “That means we must see ourselves as His. We will put Him first in our lives. We will want what He wants rather than what we want or what the world teaches us to want.”

Sister Esplin said, “Elder Melvin J. Ballard taught how the sacrament can be a healing and cleansing experience. He said: “Who is there among us that does not wound his spirit by word, thought, or deed, from Sabbath to Sabbath? We do things for which we are sorry and desire to be forgiven. … The method to obtain forgiveness is … to repent of our sins, to go to those against whom we have sinned or transgressed and obtain their forgiveness and then repair to the sacrament table where, if we have sincerely repented and put ourselves in proper condition, we shall be forgiven, and spiritual healing will come to our souls. …

“I am a witness,” Elder Ballard said, “that there is a spirit attending the administration of the sacrament that warms the soul from head to foot; you feel the wounds of the spirit being healed, and the load being lifted. Comfort and happiness come to the soul that is worthy and truly desirous of partaking of this spiritual food.”

Our wounded souls can be healed and renewed not only because the bread and water remind us of the Savior’s sacrifice of His flesh and blood but because the emblems also remind us that He will always be our “bread of life” and “living water.”

Sister Esplin expressed her feelings about the Sacrament, “When I partake of the sacrament, I sometimes picture in my mind a painting that depicts the resurrected Savior with His arms outstretched, as if He is ready to receive us into His loving embrace. I love this painting. When I think about it during the administration of the sacrament, my soul is lifted as I can almost hear the Savior’s words: “Behold, mine arm of mercy is extended towards you, and whosoever will come, him will I receive; and blessed are those who come unto me.”

Lauren closed her lesson by bearing her testimony saying that by remembering this sacred ordinance that through Him we are able to be cleaned each week when we partake of the sanctified bread and water, to try harder to become better people and that Christ was willing to be sacrificed for us.