Good evening sisters. Another great Sabbath.
THOUGHT:
“I have been quoted as saying, 'Do the best you can.' But I want to emphasize that it be the very best. We are too prone to be satisfied with mediocre performance. We are capable of doing so much better.”
Gordon B. Hinckley
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
- Thanks to all that contributed to the success of the Ward Christmas Party. We could not have done it without each of you. A special thanks to Martha. What a wonderful evening.
- The items that were left over were put in the kitchen.
- If you forgot to bring a toy for the Reservation children, you have all this week to do so. Bring to Megan's house. An unwrapped toy for a girl or a boy.
- On Thursday, Dec. 15th at 7 pm, at her home,Sarah Heiner will teach us how to prepare a Pedigree Chart that you can make as a gift. Bring your laptop and genealogy information. If you don't have any info, Sarah will help you find some.
- Everyone is invited to 'Wonders of Christmas', a holiday concert free to the pubic and presented by the Utah Area South Singles Choir, December 18th at the Tabernacle in American Fork, 110 E Main at 7:30 pm. (8 and above recommended)
- December 12th Single Adult (31+) Family Home Evening at 7 pm at the Manila Stake Center. Speakers Lee and Meg Donaldson. Special Musical Numbers by the Jackson family. Refreshments will be provided.
BIRTHDAYS: December 12th: Emily Thompson, and Susan Fisher. December 14th Rochelle Sumsion
Today's lesson was presented by Amy Waldron, Lesson # 46, The Final Judgment.
Look at the back of the handout and quickly see if you can identify which kingdom applies to each statement. All the answers are in Section 76.
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This will be the last time that I will be teaching from this manual. We have studied it the last two years. I have had difficulty with this lesson, trying to figure out how to proceed. The scope of the matter is that it involves the entire life of the earth, of each of our souls. It's not something that you can just jump in the middle. We have to consider the entire book, from the creation of the earth, the fall, the scriptures, prayer, Christ and the Atonement, Priesthood, Faith, Holy Ghost. Sacrament. We need to consider the two years of lessons as one lesson and this is the end portion of that lesson. If we take the Final Judgment without the benefit of the other lesson, we will just have a concept of black or white, heaven or hell. There are some very precise things in this lesson.
Robby: I know some Christians that believe whey they die, they will sit at the Jesus' feet.
There is a whole different feeling about the word justice. The justice system tries to bring fairness into the picture, but there are so many things that do not turn out fair. Acts of God, other people's acts, others' agency. We will thank and worship the Lord for being just. That justice will be a loving thing. We don't do well with justice here on the earth. My dad used to say “In the United States, justice is the worse in the world.” But here in the United States at lease we have a foundation of good principles to start with.
The Lord sees our heart. Nothing can be hidden from Him.
One thing that I have found throughout all the lessons is that one question of “so now what?” So now what of the entire book. What the Savior did with the Atonement was for us as we stand at the Final Judgment.
I prepared this lesson five times and finally Paul said, choose one and give it. I sort of took things from all lessons. My perspective (on your behalf) was to sit and think, all for the purpose of our Eternal Life. So what of the matter. The prophets have had a lot to say about this. Nephi said that Isaiah was easy to read. Was it because he had seen the 'movie'? Who else have seen the movie? Moses, Abraham, Enoch, John the Revelator? There are a few who have specifically been shown the end from the beginning. Keep that in mind. We have a few scriptures that let us know who has seen the 'movie'. The ones who offer a first hand account of what will happen. It is fascinating. A different perspective. Third Nephi tells about Jesus Christ and his relationship to our final judgment. That is impossible to cut out. I read that chapter every Easter. It reminds me what the Savior has done for me personally.
Robby read: 3 Nephi 27:14-15.
“And my Father sent me that I might be lifted up upon the cross; and after that I had been lifted up upon the cross, that I might draw all men unto me, that as I have been lifted up by men even so should men be lifted up by the Father, to stand before me, to be judged of their works, whether they be good or whether they be evil--
And for this cause have I been lifted up; therefore, according to the power of the Father I will draw all men unto me, that they maybe judged according to their works.”
He is speaking to the Nephites after his Atonement.
Question: What is the relationship between the Savior, the Atonement and us?
Michelle C: We are the purpose for the Atonement.
Alma 12 I beg you to read the whole chapter.
Shanel read: Alma 12:13-15
“Then if our hearts have been hardened, yea, if we have hardened our hearts against the word, insomuch that it has not been found in us, then will our state be awful, for the we shall be condemned.
For our words will condemn us, yea, all our works will condemn us; we shall not be found spotless; and our thoughts will also condemn us; and in this awful state we shall not dare to look up to our God; and we would fain be glad if we could command the rocks and the mountains to fall upon us to hide us from his presence.
But this cannot be; we must come forth and sand before him in his glory, and in his power, and to his might, majesty, and dominion, and acknowledge to our everlasting shame that all his judgments are just; that he is just in all his works, and that he is merciful unto the children of men, and that he has all power to save every man that believeth on his name and bringeth forth fruit meet for repentance.
Question. What will be used to judge us?
Our words, works and thoughts. This scripture is about repentance that is needed pretty much as soon as we are baptized.
Shanel: People think there is one heaven and one hell. But the judgments of God is to create a place where people will be comfortable.
Let's look at D&C 88:32 Who will judge us?
Michelle C read:
“And they who remain shall also be quickened; nevertheless, they shall return again to their own place, to receive, because they were not willing to enjoy that which they might have received.”
This is really something.
Holly: On my mission we taught a man about the Plan of Salvation and as we talked a bout the three degrees of glory and we mentioned the Terrestial Kingdom, he said, OK, I'll go there. I don't want to have to do all the things for the Celestial Kingdom. I'll just get my family and get there.
Are we sometimes just content with our level of discipleship? Not willing to receive more than what we have? I do that sometimes. I am trying to be more conscientious about that. Our agency plays a huge part of the Final Judgment.
Neal Maxwell said something like 'the more I study this gospel, the more I realize how important our agency is to God. Our agency is more important to God than we do our own agency.
Revelation 20:12-13
“And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered p the dead which were in them; and they were judged every man according to their works.”
This is John, he had seen the movie. The souls were released and they stood before God. The books were opened and they were judged. We ourselves choose which one we want to go to.
Let's review D&C 76. It's on the back of your handout. C for celestial, Ter for terrestial and Tel for telestial.
Robby: If I make it to the Celestial Kingdom, but my family doesn't, can I visit them?
I don't know the answer to that.
Pat: The Telestial Kingdom is also a kingdom of glory. Not like the celestial, but a kingdom, none the less.. Number one is celestial, two is telestial, three is telestial, four is Outer darkness, five is terrestial, six, telestial, seven is outer darkness, eight is terrestial, nine is terrestial and ten is celestial.
Janet T: I got all of them correct.
We have prophetic warnings to review regularly. They are on the handout.
Sorry about the mark out on the back of the handout. The clean one didn't make it home with me.
Alma 5 talks about the song of redeeming love, verse 16 “I say umto you, can you imagine to yourselves that ye hear the voice of the Lord, saying unto you, in that day: Come unto me ye blessed, for behold, your works have been the works of righteousness upon the face of the earth?
Or do ye imagine to yourselves that ye can lie unto the Lord in that day, and say—Lord, our works have been righteous works upon the face of the earth—and that he will save you?
Verse 24: Behold, my brethren, do ye suppose that such an one can have a place to sit down in the kingdom of God, with Abraham, with Issac, and with Jacob, and also all the holy prophets, whose garments are cleansed and are spotless, pure and white?
Verses 26-27
“And now behold, I say unto you, my brethren, (sisters) if ye have experienced a change of heart, and if ye have felt to sing the song of redeeming love, I would ask, can ye feel so now?
Have ye walked, keeping yourselves blameless before God? Could ye say, if ye were called to die at this time, within yourselves that ye have been sufficiently humble? That your garments have been cleansed and made white through the blood of Christ, who will come to redeem his people from their sins?
Read the references on the handout.
My testimony is that this is the work of God. The sacrifice, the perfect planning was done that we might be happy with our family in the end. I have a responsibility to study and learn, to align my life to these things. I am grateful for these things.
Next week's lesson will be #47 Exaltation.
Have a great week.http://manila12thwardrs.blogspot.com/2011/12/lupes-notes-dec-1-2011.html
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