Hello sisters, hope you are having a good Sabbath.
THOUGHT: “...This is a noisy and busy world that we live in. Remember that being busy is not necessarily being spiritual. If we are not careful, the things of this world can crowd out the things of the Spirit.”
Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
- Women's Basketball – Women's Basketball will start on January 19, and run through February 23. Games will be played at the Manila Building on 900 W directly North of the pond and across from the blue silos on Thursday evenings from 8:30-10 pm. “Open Gym” style games will be played. All skill levels are invited to play, including beginners. This should be a fun time to get some exercise, meet your sisters in the stake, and develop your talents. Any questions may be directed to Wendy Pinson (801)830-2562 or Stephanie Wilson (801)703-4366.
- Next Sunday,(Fast Sunday) we will have our Visiting Teacher's Conference. We are asking you to please read, study and ponder chapter 7 from “Daughters in my Kingdom”.
- This year in lieu of individual birthday gifts, we will celebrate each sister's birthday by having a quarterly Brunch. We will give the gift of each other. Each member of the Presidency will host a Brunch. Looking forward to celebrating with you.
- Please mark your calendar “Stake Women's Conference, Saturday, April 21st at 10:00 am. More information coming.
- Our annual Ward Temple night to celebrate our Ward's birthday will be March 6th for the 8 pm session.
- Don't forget to visit our RS Blog http://manila12wardrs.blogspot.com . Lots of good stuff there
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BIRTHDAYS: 29th, Emily Lesher. Happy Birthday.
This combined fifth Sunday lesson was presented by our Bishop. Between my notes and his, we should have all the information he presented.
I want to talk about marriage, Covenant marriage and its role in our eternal progression and welfare.
In doing this, I want to acknowledge the many single individuals that are here. The last thing that I would want is to have you feel neglected or forgotten as we discuss this today. Some may be single because they have experienced loss through death or divorce. Some may have yet to have the opportunity.
As I looked at articles I found President Hinckley's 1996 address to Singles. Quoting his secretary who was a single member:
“For more than 20 years I have endured a lack of sensitivity of members of the Church with respect to my single state. As I have pursued my profession, I have moved to various areas of the country. In seeking participation in local Church activities, I have encountered a variety of levels of welcome and acceptance, ranging from a warm, friendly welcome to a very cool indifference and an air of discomfort that seems to stem from their lack of knowing what to do with me. In one ward I felt strongly that the members would prefer that I not attend. This continued for nearly six months, and I finally sensed a passive acceptance, as thou I were a nuisance that wouldn't go away, and so must be tolerated.”
I would hope that feeling never gets communicated in this ward. I love and value all of you.
Quote 1: President Hinckley: “To you single women and men who wish to be married I say this, Do not give up hope. And do mot give up trying. But do give up being obsessed with it. The chances are that if you forget about it and become anxiously engaged in other activities, the prospects will brighten immeasurably.”
President Ezra Taft Benson: “I assure you that if you have to wait even until the next life to be blessed with a choice companion, God will surely compensate you. Time is numbered only to man. God has your eternal perspective in mind.”
We have heard it said before that all should prepare for a mission. If you are young, prepare in your youth for it. Those who are older, prepare for a mission after retirement . And for those who for one reason or another cannot serve a mission here, prepare for a mission in the next life. Marriage is the same way. One third of the members in the Church are single. It doesn't make the counsel on marriage not applicable. We can still make it better for marriage in the next life. We need to prepare to make ourselves ready to fill that role.
I want to acknowledge those who may have struggled and have sought my help. Nothing I say is intended for ay one individual or learned from any one individual. The things I say here today comes from my experience as a Bishop.
We want to talk about how marriage helps our eternal progression. I believe that covenant marriage is essentially designed to help us become more like our Heavenly Father. The promise is that covenant marriage is a pre-requisite for obtaining the highest degree of exaltation.
Quote: And in order to obtain the highest, a man must enter into this order of the priesthood [meaning the new and everlasting covenant of marriage]; And if he does not, he cannot obtain it. He may enter into the other, but that is the end of his kingdom; he cannot have an increase” D&C 131:1-4
We need our spouse. That is the counsel to man. He need a wife to help him become more like the Savior. In my own marriage, I need that.
This is not a magical formula. Marriage in the Temple is not like having a check mark and being told you can go to door number three. Covenant marriage helps us become like our Heavenly Father. This is the main objective of the lesson.
Connection is the purpose. Eternal marriage helps us qualify, build ourselves to be ready for the Celestial Kingdom. It is the key piece of that. For some it is now, later or in the Millennium. I believe that that relationship will help prepare us to become like Heavenly Father.
In my job, I have to evaluate teachers and their teaching. It is important to know what the main point of the lesson is. Need to write it on the board. I want to explore that today. I got my ideas from Elder Christofferson from 2009 address.
“What is the source of such moral and spiritual power, and how do we obtain it? The source is God. Our access to that power is through our covenants with Him. A covenant is an agreement between God and man, an accord whose terms are set by God (see Bile Dictionary, “Covenant,” 651) In these divine agreements, God binds Himself to sustain, sanctify, and exalt us in return for our commitment to serve Him and keep His commandments..
We enter into covenants by priesthood ordinances, sacred rituals that God has ordained for us to manifest our commitment. Our foundational covenant, for example, the one in which we first pledge our willingness to take upon us the name of Christ, is confirmed by the ordinance of baptism. It is done individually, by name. By this ordinance, we become part of the covenant people of the Lord and heirs of the celestial kingdom of God.
Other sacred ordinances are performed in temples built for that very purpose. If we are faithful to the covenants made there, we become inheritors not only of the celestial kingdom but of exaltation, the highest glory within the heavenly kingdom, and we obtain all the divine possibilities God can give (see D&C 132:20).”
What do we get from this quote, what do we learn about covenants?
That they are individual by name. They can be part of the covenant, but are enter by name. We know by name that we have entered into a covenant. We don't set the terms. God does. Does it mean that we can't make promises to God? That we can't say, I will do this if you do that?
Robby: We can say, I will do this if you will do that. But this is not a covenant. He sets the boundary and we agree or disagree.
I think one of the greatest blessing, the key of the gospel, is understanding the Sacrament. Through that covenant we can repent. We promise that we will take his name upon us, to always remember him and to keep his commandments and in return He promises his spirit to always be with us. We evaluate how we have done during the week, find the specific things in our lives, promise to do better. We can make this individual to us. Make this commitment as we take the sacrament. It will sanctify us and make us clean. Can meet our needs in our progression.
All blessings are predicated. The Lord is obligated to bless us.
Yes,” I the Lord am bound when ye do what I say, but when ye do not what I say, you have no promise”.
I want to talk specifically about the marriage covenant. Elder Christofferson talked about three ways that covenants can bless and strengthen us. I will write them on the board.
- Strengthened by Gifts and Blessings
- Strengthened by increased faith
- Strengthened by the Power of Godliness
How can this specifically apply to our Marriage Covenant?
I recommend that you read this talk.
What is the power of Godliness mean? We hear this all the time.
In the scriptures and in the Lectures on Faith it says that God is love. Our covenants are the key on unlocking the power of God, the connected ability to love. The key is to express love to each other and God. There is power through our covenants to become like God. WE can unlock the Power of God to be like Him.
To be strengthen by Gifts and Blessings: the greatest is the Gift of the Holy Ghost.
Janet T: We have blessings that we are not even aware we have.
We are given tender mercies that we may not recognize how the Lord blesses us.
Holly: My Patriarchal blessing outlines blessings the Lord has for me, that the Lord has given me. In y marriage, I can use and develop that in my marriage
Michelle C: We cannot have children and not learn to be unselfish.
The gift of each other. We are willing to take upon us the name of Jesus Christ. One way is when we join the Church, when we become members of His Church. One of the great blessings of our covenants with God is our association with others who have made the same covenant. Most blessings given to me through God is the promptings of the Spirit.
We take upon ourselves the name of Christ. Families share the same name. There is a parallel between baptismal covenant and joining god's church or family and our marriage covenant and creating our own family.
In the marriage covenant, we are not alone. Through the spouse in that covenant we are made better. It is not OK for only one of us to live by covenant, but to help each other. That is companionship. There is presidency in the family. In the marriage there should be a Presidency. God is the president and we are the counselors. We need to listen to the counsel of Heavenly Father and apply that principle.
All the great blessings are there to help us in our lives and in our marriage to strengthen us.
Difficult times generally make us stronger or cause a division. If hard times are not making us stronger then we are not living up to our covenants in some way. This is true of our marriages. Difficult times give us an opportunity to become stronger or they tear us apart. We have to be determined to make us, our marriages stronger in difficult times.
Strengthened by increased faith. How can our covenants help us in increased faith?
The first principle of the gospel is faith. Is the Power of God. All aspects within our marriage and family is to become like God. It is a great motivator. The power to act. When we exercise faith in our baptismal covenants we exercise our faith to be more like Christ. In our marriage covenant, it helps us to act better in our marriage relationship. Are you more Christlike today because of your marriage?
Quote: D&C 132:19
“And again, verily I say unto you, if a man marry a wife by my word, which is my law, and by the new and everlasting covenant, and it is sealed unto them by the Holy Spirit of promise, by him who is anointed, unto whom I have appointed this power and the keys of this priesthood; and it shall be said unto them—Ye shall come forth in the first resurrection; and if it be after the first resurrection, in the next resurrection; and shall inherit thrones, kingdoms, principalities, and powers, dominions, all heights and depths--...it shall be done unto them in all things whatsoever my servant hath put upon the, in time, and through all eternity and shall be of full force when they are out of the world; and they shall pass by the angels, and the gods, which are set there, to their exaltation and glory in all things, as hath been sealed upon their heads, which glory shall be a fulness and a continuation of the seeds forever and ever.”
That verse gives us a lot of promise the Lord gives us for eternal marriage. It gives us motivation to work on our marriage. Isn't it nice to know that we have this promise form God. When my wife sees me in my worst moments, she can have faith that God is her partner in making me better and that she won't have to live with me like that for eternity. In marriage we see each other in our worst and in the best times.
Strengthened by the Power of Godliness: Power to become like him.
God becomes our partner.
How can the marriage covenant help us to become like Him?
- Stay true to your covenants through troubles and trial.
- Learn to sacrifice and be selfless.
- Exercise our agency and try to reach and do what we have covenant to do in righteous way and God does bless us.
As I reach to be more patient and as I have experience I get more patience I receive power that comes with that.
Marriage has the ability to take our strengths and weaknesses and it becomes clear what we need to develop to help our marriage. That path is to become like Him and we have a partner to walk that path with us.
Sally J: God is our Father as we have children, it helps us to see how Heavenly Father feels towards each of us. We get a little perspective as to the power He has over us.
“Our covenant commitment to Him permits our Heavenly Father to let His divine influence, “the power of godliness, flow into our lives. He can do that because by our participation in priesthood ordinances we exercise our agency and elect to receive it. Our participation in those ordinances also demonstrates that we are prepared to accept the additional responsibility that comes with added light and spiritual power.” Elder Christofferson
Just the ordinance of marriage activates our agency to give ourselves to God. Heavenly Father blesses us , but we have to show our agency.
Pat H: I have been thinking of unlocking the key to the power of Godliness. Go to the temple and do sealings, listen to the words of the covenant. It is unreal the power of Godliness in this covenant. Listen and be reminded.
Karen M: In marriage we serve one another. Since I have had my surgery, my companion has help me so much, with giving me blessings, and with temporal help.
I want to give you some practical things that I have picked up as I have served as a Bishop on the Power of God in marriage.
- You should not be afraid to get help. Either from the Bishop or professional help. My attitude to getting help is don't be afraid to get help. Sometimes people will say, 'I feel bad that I'm taking you away from your family'. Please let the Bishop help you. Sometimes other mental and emotional illness can play a major role. Get help and strength and I can get yo to the right person to help.
- Focus on improving yourself and not your spouse. Often if our spouse would act a certain way, then you be happy. The most effective way to improve a spouse is to improve self. Focus on Christlike attributes. A required reading for being a good spouse and for becoming like Christ is the Sermon on the Mount, both in the New Testament and in the Book of Mormon to the Nephites. It teaches us how we can become like Him. Being peace makers, not judge, etc.
- Keep the commandments. It is a key. If both are committed, it will unlock many blessings.
- Remember the purpose of Marriage is to help us be like Heavenly Father. How can I let my marriage make me better? And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” Our marriage will help us to know this.
- Don't let your troubles dominate your thoughts. We can tend to ruminate on how hard we have it and every detail of our marriage. We spend all of our time preparing to win the next argument. No marriage is ever saved by winning an argument. Stop thinking, start doing.
- Let go of your pride. Smother your spouse in kindness. In an abusive relationship, please get help. As you are doing it, smother your spouse in kindness.
It has been my experience that if you do those things it will help you in your marriage.
I want you to know that Heavenly Father loves us. Whatever the circumstances in our life, He cares about us and wants us to be more like Him. He has design to help us be like Him. I love and care about you. I am grateful for my family and my wife. She has had to progress a lot because of my weaknesses.
Have a wonderful week, sisters. We love you.
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