Hastening TimesThe

R e m n a n t C h u r c h o f J e s u s C h r i s t o f L a t t e r D a y S a i n t s

Vol. 8, N

umber 2 Apr/May/Jun 2007, Issue No. 31

The HasteningTimes

Volume 8 - Number 2Issue 31

Apr/May/Jun 2007

Editors In ChiefThe First PresidencyFrederick N. LarsenRobert E. Ostrander

Lane W. Harold

Managing EditorLane W. Harold

Manuscript PreparationE. Kaye Strecker

Ruth I. Harold, Assistant

Final ProofreaderCarol E. Starks

Production ManagerEdwin M. Gates

“The Hastening Times”is published quarterly by the

RemnantCHURCH of JESUS CHRIST

of Latter Day Saints700 W. Lexington

Independence, MO 64050(816) 461-7215

FAX (816) 461-7278

Inside This IssueEditorial Comment ......................................................................3

Conference Highlights.................................................................4

Membership General Sessions ....................................................7

Bishops’ Corner...........................................................................8

Celebrating Our National Heritage..............................................9Elder Paul M. Edwards, Independence, MO

What Does the Lord Desire of Us? ...........................................11Patriarch/Evangelist Carl W. VunCannon, Independence, MO

Great Is Thy Faithfulness ..........................................................16High Priest Philip M. Strecker, Independence, MO

Nine Past Pitfalls to Kingdom Building ....................................18Charles R. Hield (Reprint from 1942 Saints’ Herald)

Onward, Forward Saints to Zion ...............................................19Bishop Gregory A. Turner, Independence, MO

The Ministry of Attendance.......................................................22Leonard J. Lea (Reprint from 1958 Saints’ Herald)

Regarding the Ministering of Angels ........................................23Priest Austin R. Purvis, Blue Springs, MO

Healthy Living Program............................................................27Marcianna K. Turner, Independence, MO

Old Age – It’s Not a Disease!....................................................29Priest Kenneth P. Zabel, M.D., Lawrence, KS

Leaving Your Legacy for Others...............................................31Priest Brady M. Kollecker, Boise, ID

Attention All Youth (Summer Camp News) .............................32

Lunch Partners: A Unique Ministry ..........................................33

Heroes for God ..........................................................................35Elder Dennis L. Patterson, Independence, MO

News from the Branches ...........................................................37

70th Anniversary Celebration for the Hamiltons .......................39

Viewing the Dead Sea Scrolls ...................................................40Vonnie Tims, Grain Valley, MO

w

FRONOrchesPhoto

Articles and the opinions expressedherein do not necessarily represent theofficial position of the Remnant Churchof Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.Unsigned articles are attributable to theEditors. All materials submitted may be

edited for clarity and space.

VISIT OUR WEB-SITEww.theremnantchurch.com

T COVER —Debut of the Remnant Churchtra under the baton of Carl VunCannon, Jr.taken by Elder Kenneth D. Robb, Jr. at the

2007 General Conference

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Editorial Comment . . .In searching for an appropriate topic for this editorial my thoughts turned to the progress, or lackthereof, for the Remnant Church in this year of 2007. The first few months of this year have beenfocused on our April General Conference. In many ways it is the highlight of activity for ourmembership. The Conference was well attended and, as always, provided the opportunity for thatcherished fellowship of friends and fellow Saints. It is particularly meaningful for members who comefrom the Branches and isolated areas. Worship, preaching, classes, and business, all a part of ourgathering, contribute to our growing maturity as a Church. The question is: “Where do we go fromhere?”

I believe we are becoming a mature people when we consider that we are committed to the basicprinciples of the Gospel as laid down, for instance in Hebrews Chapter 6, that is: Faith, repentance,baptisms, laying on of hands, resurrection and eternal judgment. However, Paul’s counsel says thatwe are to go on to “perfection,” and he also indicates that “we will go unto perfection if God permit.”This scripture strongly suggests that there is a necessity for progress in the Christian life. WilliamBarclay in his commentary suggests that: “There can be no standing still in the Christian life.” Asmembers of the Remnant Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, we should agree wholeheartedlywith such a challenge.

God has indeed graciously permitted us to travel on that road to perfection. The door is open for somany opportunities in the Remnant Church. The “hope of Zion” is as strong as ever. The promise of agathered people is nearing. Our focus on Spiritual Development is now before us. Will we meet thechallenge? Our understanding of the Celestial Law with its joint Spiritual and Temporal aspects gives usmyriad opportunities for perfecting our lives individually and corporately. In our forthcoming reunionswe will have the opportunity to elevate our spiritual levels and go forth with renewed vigor on that roadto perfection.

After our summer activities, we then look forward to the Priesthood Assembly and the Women’s Retreatin October. By year’s end it is hoped that our goals of 15 % increase in membership and 50% of familiesbecoming consecrated will have been met. While seemingly small to some, these are neverthelesssignificant steps in progress toward our commitment as a Church to building the Kingdom of God onEarth.

Let us remember the words of the Master recorded in the 9th Chapter of Luke—

“And Jesus said unto him, No man having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for thekingdom of God.” As Remnant Saints we have put our hands to the plough, and for us there is nolooking back, only the necessity for continued progress until that “hope of Zion” becomes a reality. MayGod continue to permit us to go on to perfection.

FREDERICK N. LARSEN,for the First Presidency

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Thursday, April 5

The 2007 Conference activities began with Registration,where attendees could pick up their Registration Books fromvarious of our Church Office staff members. Pictured are KayeStrecker and Beverly Garfield. The evening worship which

followed was a feast ofvarious offerings, includingseveral musicalcombinations (solos, trios,

and larger singing groups)as well as the initialpublic performance of theRemnant Church Orchestra, composed of 17 of our intensely-practiced and veryhard-working members. Carl VunCannon, Jr., pictured with the orchestra on ourfront cover, led them in several orchestral pieces. Theirs was the privilege ofshowcasing the new enlarged stage area and lighting effects of the recently-expanded Conference Center, now made safer with an automatic fire-sprinklersystem, as well as the new electric roll-down Projection Screen for providingaccompanying visual effects. All this made for a truly memorable evening, andoffers great promise for Church worship and dramatic presentations in the future.Our thanks go to Tim Harrington and his crew for their time-consumingelectronic setup, and also to the many talented performers whose offerings we enjoyed so muchthroughout the evening.

Friday, April 6

The 177th Birthday of our Church was a busy one from start to finish. Opening with a General PrayerService, over which the Patriarch/Evangelists presided, attendees then went to Quorum or MembershipSessions, during which topics of interest to each werediscussed. These were followed with Priesthood or GeneralMembership Classes, with various of the General Officers

bringing the discussion ofimportant topics. Afterbreaking for lunch in thesurrounding area, attendeesconvened for the OpeningBusiness Session presidedover by President Larsen

(pictured), during which the flags of our members’ nations werebrought to the rostrum, there to reside throughout the Conference.

ECHO

Janis Lero

First Presidency

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Barbara Gates & Erin Gates

The afternoon worship service featured a presentation on plans for a Spiritual Development Center, andthe larger Master Plan (some projects definite, and others tentative,needing further reflection as well as future ways of funding) forfurther development of the Gathering Place property, by Presiding

Bishop Kevin Romer (pictured). Theafternoon was impressively concludedwith a presentation of the basic factsdiscovered in preparing the book, 570:Early Christianity from the Apostles tothe Apostasy, by the book’s author,Brother R. Ben Madison of Milwaukee.

The evening worship consisted of arousing sermon on the topic of “TheyShall Believe on Your Testimony,” byApostle Ralph Damon. Impressed uponhim near the end of his message was a

Spiritual Gift of touching content. For the large and enthusiastic contingent of youth who attended, thiswonderful day was concluded with an After-Service Fellowship.

Saturday, April 7

A General Prayer Service again launched another busy day. The Saints participated in a secondround of Quorum or Membership Sessions, followed by two different instructors who gave Priesthood(Greg Turner) and Membership (Gary Argotsinger) Classes on the same subject: “The Day of the LordIs at Hand.” A second Business Session convened after lunch and, after a brief message of challenge andinvitation, witnessed the ordination (pictured) of Elder Steve Tims to the office of High Priest. Alsogiven was the testimony of Elder Francis Custers (with translation into English by Sister Renee Kreglo),the explanation and approval of the 2008 Budget (as amended), and theexplanation and approval for proceeding to construct phases A1 and A2(Interim Retreat Center) of the Gathering Place Master Plan. A day forSacrifice Offering toward accomplishment of these first phases was approvedfor May 20, 2007. The dates for the next Conference were approved forApril 2-6, 2008. Apostle James Rogers gave the afternoon worship on the

topic: “Prepare for the Day of MyComing.” A Presidents’ Receptionfollowed (pictured), which had beenbeautifully prepared by Sister JulieGates and co-workers.After dinner, a lengthy andimpressive missionaryprogram was presented bythe combined efforts ofthe Twelve and the

Seventy, on the topic: “TheWorth of Souls.” Itdescribed our past year’s

efforts in several foreign and domestic fields, building on the contacts wdifferent Saints and missionaries. The youth again ended their day withthe weather had turned unusually cold during most of the Conference.

ApostleRalph Damon

Elder Francis Custers& Renee Kreglo

Julie Gates, Tina Grippy,

Ralph Damonhich have been made by manya suitable indoor activity, since

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Sunday, April 8

The last day of Conference was alsoResurrection Sunday. Appropriately, it beganwith a Sacrament Service (pictured) for the entiremembership and eligible guests. Bishop JerryShearer gave the message, and members of theStanding High Council (augmented by others ofthe High Priest Quorum) served the emblems. Alarge congregation attended, comfortably fillingmost of the available seats. In the followingservice, President Frederick N. Larsen gave the

President’s Address, using theappropriate theme: “I Am theResurrection and the Life.” Theflags were retired from therostrum at the end of this service,signifying the formal conclusionof the Conference. However,

without dismissing for lunch, a final sendoffAudio-Visual Service entitled “Jesus, theBridegroom” was given, using many differentvisual effects in the darkened auditorium, framed

by various readings and vocal presentationsby members, and several congregationalhymns. It was a final reminder of just howversatile and useful our newly-addedfacilities will be in the future.

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MEMBERSHIP GENERAL SESSIONS

The first session, led by facilitator Lane W.Harold, considered the pending legislationregarding the date of April 6, 2007 as theproposed time when all future members cominginto the Remnant Church are to be baptized (andordained, if applicable) by those in authoritywithin the Remnant Church. Until now, theprocedure has been to consider, on an individualbasis, the validity of past priesthood who hadperformed the ordinances of baptism,confirmation, ordination, etc. after 1984’sdoctrinal upheaval. A number of discussionparticipants spoke of individual family concerns,noting especially their family members such asadult children, who had not yet chosen to affiliatewith the Remnant Church, but whom they hopedwould reconsider in the near future. Theirposition spoke to “waiting yet a while” beforeputting into law a definitive date for such action.One person suggested putting out an “invitation”to groups such as the Restoration Saints, giving a“deadline” date in the near future for them to jointhe Remnant on the present basis.

It was also pointed out that the currentconsideration of affiliating members by individualreview required a great deal of time to be spent bythe priesthood of the leading Quorums of theChurch. The press of this duty, in addition to theongoing ministry by those in leadership positions,was felt to be best simplified by establishing a“watershed date” for the changed criteria tobecome effective. [In the subsequent BusinessSession, this matter was referred to the FirstPresidency for further study.]

There were brief queries made to seek toclarify some of the proposed additions afterbuilding up other areas of the Gathering Place, aswell as to future efforts toward community. Thesediscussions helped to prepare members for theupcoming legislative sessions.

The second session, facilitated by RobertOstrander, dealt primarily with members bringing

up extensive discussion on the possibility of theChurch having an educational facility. Proposalsranged from early childhood education (Pre-Kindergarten to second grade), to adding classesgradually to eventually enable K-12 gradeofferings. The historical precedent of having achurch-sponsored school was mentioned. It wasbrought up that a survey, taken in recent years, didnot appear to support the feasibility of such anendeavor at this time, either on the basis ofinterest, numbers of potential students, and/or costand ability to pay for one or several attendingchildren in a family. It was suggested that perhapsa re-survey sometime in the future could beundertaken.

The alternate idea of tutoring students bysome teachers, now retired from the publiceducational system, was brought up. Suggestedplaces for such tutoring ranged from the homes ofeither students or tutors, to using availableclassroom space in the Headquarters Building. Itwas brought out that there are city regulationswhich would need to be met if the HQ Buildingwere to be used for such a purpose, perhapsnecessitating considerable expense to meet citycodes. However, two of the three currentcongregational facilities could possibly be used,with proper scheduling.

Two church youth, previously home-schooledbut now attending the public high schools inIndependence, volunteered their insights into whatthey perceived to be essential offerings to theirpre-college preparatory courses and futureprofessional class needs. They felt that the broadspectrum of preparation now needed inmathematics, science, information media,languages, cultural arts, etc. could not be met by asmall church-sponsored school with faculty thatour present membership might be able to offer.Parental involvement to supplement public schoolexperiences is still considered essential. #

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Bishops’ CornerThe Presiding Bishopric is pleased to report the following Financial Update for the General Church.

You will note our General Fund income is up 22% while expenses are up only 4%. The Oblationincome and expenses are similar to last year. The Balance on Hand in the Storehouse has grown 25%from April 2006 to April 2007.________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Jan – Apr, 2006 Jan – Apr, 2007 VarianceGeneral Fund

Income $147,800 $180,569 +22%Expenses $86,472 $90,131 +4%

Oblation FundIncome $12,060 $12,475 +3%Expenses $14,036 $14,545 +3%

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Storehouse Fund Apr 30, 2006 Apr 30, 2007 VarianceBalance On Hand $501,536 $627,942 +25%

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Gathering Place NewsSome additional news of interest is the acquisition of an additional 2.7 acres up on the hill at the

Gathering Place, land that will assure that the current serenity and seclusion of the upper portion of theChurch land will be maintained in the future. The Board of Appropriations approved the purchase for$70,000. These funds have been borrowed internally from reserve funds on hand with the expectationthat they will be paid back as soon as possible through the uses of net income from 2007, and ifnecessary 2008.

As we looked at the development of a master plan for the Gathering Place, it became apparent thatthe 2.7 acres encroached into the usable space up on the hill, and it would be necessary to purchase thisadditional property for any future plans wewould consider. By way of example, theChurch was approached by a communicationscompany with the hope of leasing a portion ofthe Gathering Place to erect a Cell PhoneTower on our property. We believe that a CellPhone Tower would not be an appropriate useof this precious land given to us by God’sdesign, so we declined the offer. However, hadwe not purchased this parcel of land, we couldnot have precluded the owner of the 2.7 acresfrom doing so, and had concern that such atower could be placed on the hill. God hasblessed us again by allowing us to acquire thisproperty at a similar cost per acre as was paidfor the original 26 acres. #

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By Paul M. Edwards, D.D.S., Retired

n July 4th we, along with millions ofother Americans, will observe a glorious

holiday which was initiated byour founding fathers. As thesigners of the Declaration ofIndependence placed theirsignatures on that memorabledocument, they pledged theirlives, their fortunes and theirsacred honor. This country, inits embryonic state whilestruggling to be born, wasbountifully blessed by the hand of God inthe person of the commanding general ofthe armies of the 13 colonies—GeorgeWashington. In his inaugural address as firstPresident of the United States, he spoke eloquentlyand as devotedly as any President since him hasdone:

“It would be peculiarly improper to omit inthis first official act, my ferventsupplication to that Almighty Being whorules over the universe, who resides in thecouncils of nations, and whose providentialaids can supply every human defect, thatHis benediction may consecrate to theliberties and happiness of the people of theUnited States.

“Every step by which they haveadvanced to the character of an independentnation seems to have been distinguished bysome token of providential agency. Weought to be no less persuaded that thepropitious smiles of Heaven can never beexpected on a nation which disregards theeternal rules of order and right, which

Heaven itself has ordained.”

In your wildest imagination can you picture aPresident in our present day speaking soforthrightly to the American people about Godand Heaven and the Holy Spirit?

In 1863 Abraham Lincoln issued aproclamation to the American people in which hesaid: “It is the duty of nations as well as men toowe their dependence on the overruling power ofGod. Our second President, John Adams wrote:“This holiday ought to be commemorated as theday of deliverance by solemn acts of devotion toAlmighty God. It ought to be solemnized withpomp and parade, with shows, games, sports,guns, bells, bonfires and illuminations from oneend of this continent to the other from this timeforward and forevermore.” We do our best toobserve John Adams’ admonition when it

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involves parades and games, guns, bells andfireworks; but we neglect the first thing hementioned—“solemn acts of devotion toAlmighty God.”

Genesis 48 tells of Jacob blessing the sons ofJoseph (Ephraim and Manasseh) whose tribeswere largely centered in the U.S. and Britain. Theprophetic word of God to the tribe of Manasseh isfound in I Nephi 1:54 where God said to Nephi:“...ye shall prosper and be led to a land ofpromise; yea, even a land which I have preparedfor you; yea, a land which is choice above allother lands.” Consider that more than half of alltillable, cultivatable lands of theearth’s temperate zones after 1800came into possession of our twogreat powers—Britain and America.The rich agricultural lands of theMississippi Valley, the vast wheatand grain fields of the Midwest,Canada and Australia, the greatforest lands of the Pacific Northwest,the gold fields of Australia, Alaskaand the United States, the great coalmines of the United States andBritish Isles, the natural waterfallsand means of power, the prosperousindustrial and manufacturing districts of Englandand eastern United States, the choicest fruit landsof our Pacific coast and Florida. Yes, we canbelieve God when He says He has prepared a landthat is choice above all other lands.

It is sad that we have permitted greed andGodlessness to spread rampant over this beautifulcountry. But America still leads the world in somethings: we are still #1 among industrial nations inviolent crimes, divorce, numbers of unwedmothers, illegal drug use, abortions and illiteracy.These are indeed grievous sins, but a mercifulGod has instituted the principle of repentance forthe benefit of nations as well as persons! Theprophet Joel records: “Turn ye even to me withall your heart, and with fasting, and withweeping, and with mourning; …repent, and turnunto the Lord your God; for He is gracious andmerciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness,and he will turn away the evil from you. ... And itshall come to pass, that whosoever shall callupon the name of the Lord shall be delivered; for

in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall bedeliverance, as the Lord hath said, and in theremnant whom the Lord shall call.” (Joel2:12,13,32)

King Solomon of ancient Israel prayed formany months and importuned God to grant himwisdom for governing his people well and wisely.God told him: “Because you have asked forwisdom (not riches) I will grant you wisdom suchas no other king has ever had...but I will also grantyou wealth such as no other king has everpossessed...” Solomon continued to ask God forhelp in saving the people of Israel from their

sinful ways. God appeared toSolomon at night and said unto him:“If my people [who] are called bymy name, shall humble themselves,and pray and seek my face, andturn from their wicked ways; thenwill I hear from heaven, willforgive their sin, and will heal theirland. (II Chron 7:14)

Jeremiah 31:31,33 brought thisword from the Lord: “…I will makea new covenant with the house ofIsrael; …I will put my law in theirinward parts, and write it on their

hearts;... and will be their God, and they shall bemy people.” What a promise! That’s the bestproposition we have ever been offered. God saysfurther: “I will forgive their iniquity, and I willremember their sins no more.” (v. 34) Does ourland need healing? I believe that when Godpromises one nation, or makes a covenant withone people, He is willing to extend His mercies toany people who will seek Him and obey His laws.We know too well that the people as a whole willpresently not heed Him. He desires to lift us out ofour dilemma even more than we want to be lifted.This nation will have to bow their knees inpenitence before they can rise to sing hallelujahsof gratitude!

This is a good time to catch a fresh vision ofGod, and to understand His ways among men inour time. He is with us in the storm, He is with uswhile judging us, forgiving us, healing us,reconciling us, and calling us to the task ofsanctifying ourselves, and thus creating a climatein which Zion can exist. #

It is sad that wehave permitted

greed andGodlessness tospread rampant

over this beautifulcountry.

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Given Feb. 19, 2007, by Carl VunCannon, Jr.

Scripture: D&C R-148:3-5 “You, my people, have demonstrated, by your adherence to the law given inmy word, that in your unity you have found strength to overcome the temptations around you. Throughsacrifice and discipline in your lives your righteousness will allow you to receive my power, for it willrequire power from on high to overcome and build up my Kingdom, even Zion, in these last days. Greatblessings will come to you, my faithful remnant, as you implement the temporal portion of my CelestialLaw now to be set before you by the Bishop. He, and those who counsel him, are a blessing unto me, andtheir guidance will assist in leading you into the paths of my Zion. Much will be required of you, butgreat will be the blessings. Many are once again seeing the light which shines in the darkness, and asthey see your righteousness and the unfolding of my Zion, they too will come to join your ranks. Standsteadfast my people, for the buffetings of Satan will attempt to thwart your efforts to prepare yourselvesfor my coming. But remember, remember, I am with you even to the end. Behold, I desire to comequickly; prepare the Bride for the marriage; trim your lamps; sanctify yourselves; and be secure in theknowledge that my endowing power awaits your response. Thus saith the Spirit. Amen.”

s we ponder our theme, we ask, “Whatdoes the Lord desire [of us]? In whatdoes He delight?” We might reply, “A

people who are willing to follow himand to do that which He has set out for us to do inthe scriptures.” Most of us have known about Jesusand God—probably all of our lives. However, wemust better realize that He delights in a people whocome to worship Him with all their hearts, a peoplewho are willing to be humble and meek, who arewilling to love [and forgive] each other and to giveto those [both friends and strangers] who are inneed, whether it’s physical or spiritual—a peoplewho allow their hearts to be molded by God, and tobecome One. That’s what the Lord desires.

Long ago He created each one of us and said, “Iwant these people to be like me.” He gave to us ouragency and placed us in a beautiful place. He givesus everything we need: He gives us each other,gives us the Gospel, the Plan of Salvation that willbring us back to Him, into a fellowship in which wecan share His Kingdom with Him. He gives us allthese things and says, “Now that I’ve given youyour agency, what I desire is that you will chooseMe; you will choose My way; you will wish to dothe things that I know will bring you back to Me.”

Our Lord desires that we will again be in Hispresence, will live with Him. Right now, He desiresfor us to learn to live our lives in such a way thatthis can happen. That’s the reason for our beinghere.

God, the Creator of all things, has all the power,honor, and all the things we know about, and evenmany which we do not currently know about. Lookat me: Carl—a short guy who has lost his hair, whois a sinner—and God still says to me, “Carl, I desirethis of you—that you live your life in a manner thatI designed, and that you do what I asked you to do;follow Me. I’ve given you much, but I also requiremuch of you.” In our society, I’m not a rich person;but in the eyes of 90% of the world, I’m very rich. Ihave the gospel; there’s nothing obtainable to makeme any richer. There is nothing more precious inthis whole world than the gospel that you and Ihave. There’s nothing any greater that we could beoffered than that which God offers to us as Heholds out the hope of salvation in His Kingdom!

Why do we delay giving back to the Lord whatHe really wants most—our lives! That’s what heexpects. To those who are given much, He expectsmuch. He expects us to share that which He givesus in a physical way—our finances and material

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possessions—so the poor might know that there arethose who love them. This is the approach that Godemploys so that we might share the Gospel with allof those who do not know. There are 1500 of us inthe Remnant Church (give or take a few) who havebeen endowed with the Gospel in its fullness.Probably about 60% of the world have never evenheard of Jesus Christ. All the people in China andmany in India, and many in other countries havenever heard the fullness—there are so many peoplewe need to share the Gospel with—and I know ifwe are united, if we are together as one, as God andJesus are One, that it will happen! I can’t tell youhow that will happen, but God will make sure that itdoes happen, if we will move out as one andevangelize the world as He desires of us to do!

We say, “We have Apostles and Seventies—that’s their prime responsibility,” but may I say thatthe primary responsibility for sharing the Gospel iswith each of the people. Thegreatest office in the Churchis the member, and each ofyou have been “convicted”and convinced of thetruthfulness of this Gospel.I’ve heard most of youtestify of that fact, and it ispart of the responsibility ofthe membership to sharewith those of their friends who do not know. If wewill only do that which He desires of us to do. If wecome to Him with a broken heart and a contritespirit, and lay everything we have—all our hopesand aspirations, our hearts, everything He’s given tous—lay them at His feet and say, “Lord, here I am,I’m ready.”

When that happens in your life, you want to beready for some interesting experiences. They willlift you up, they will give you new hope, andcourage to do that which the Lord is asking us to do.He’s given us so much. “The work of preparationand the perfection of my Saints go forward slowly,and Zionic conditions are no further away nor anycloser than the spiritual condition of my peoplejustifies; but my word shall not fail, neither willmy promises, for the foundation of the Lordstandeth sure.” (D&C 140:5c,d) These words weredelivered by Israel A. Smith as directed by God, and

were first spoken April 7, 1947. World War II hadjust ended. Israel was not yet recognized as a nation;we were just entering into the nuclear age.Television was just coming on the scene, andcomputers, space travel, iPods, and cell phones werejust somebody’s distant dream! Think about that!Many of us here today can remember that scenario.It happened within our lifetimes!

We now have walked on the moon, madeseveral forays into outer space, the Hubble telescopehas given us incredible looks at things which noman had seen up until this time. We can be in touchwith the whole world using only something whichfits into the palm of our hand. Both prosperity anddebt are all around us; the world is in turmoil andthreatening to come apart at the seams. That’s today,isn’t it? The world looks for peace, love andsecurity; there are few places in the world where anyone of these can be found, let alone all three!Millions of people are looking for a refuge from

hunger, poverty, disease,and from man’s enmitytoward man. We’re verymuch involved and knowsomething about that, don’twe? We see it every nighton the news, local as well asworld—it is country-wide.The only remedy to this

condition, in which the world finds itself, isdependant on “the spiritual condition of mypeople.” Think about that. The solution to all thatwhich is around us, that is evil and not good, andwhich brings heartache, pain and death to so manypeople, is dependent upon “the spiritual conditionof my people.” (D&C 140:5c)

The Prophet of the Church has set out threegoals: spiritual renewal, evangelizing the Church,and Zionizing the Church. He spoke to thePatriarch/Evangelists and said, “This is your task;show us how to do that.” As we think about whatwe have and what God has given to us, much isgoing to be required of us in the way of sacrifice.Sometimes that word scares us. In the anthem thechoir just sang, it says, “I will not offer to the Lordthat which costs me nothing.” That’s sacrifice! Ipulled my envelope out and put it in the offeringtray this morning, and thought about those words—

The only remedy to thiscondition, in which the world

finds itself, is dependant on “thespiritual condition of my

people.” Think about that.

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that act really wasn’t a sacrifice. Then I reflected onmy life; there are some things that I need to sacrificeso that I can become the kind of person God wantsme to become. Then I bring those things to the Lordin a repentant state and give them to Him, becausethat’s really all I have to give. That’s all you and Ihave to give—our sins to the Lord—because all therest is His anyway! The sins aren’t His—they aremine and yours—so these are all we have to give toHim! When I do that, it’s a sacrifice; [livingwithout sin] is going to cost me something!

When I talk to my neighbor about the Gospel itwill cost a little time; it will cost a little to get overthe “butterflies” in my stomach; I’m going to talkwith my neighbor about that which is most preciousto me! If I could buy the most costly automobile,I’d set it right out in the front yard for everyone tosee. I’d invite my neighbors overto see it—we do that, don’t we?How many times have you setout chairs on your lawn andinvited your neighbors over totalk about the Gospel? Yet wesay the Gospel is the mostprecious thing that we have!

I haven’t set the chairs up inmy driveway yet; I also haven’tbought [nor could I afford] thatexpensive car! Think about it!That takes a spiritual conditionthat we need to build into ourlives. If the Gospel is as preciousto us as we say it is, that wouldcost us something—more than just time—it mightcost us the friendship of our neighbors. Butremember, that was the cost that Jesus paid whenHe came, the Son of God, living the Gospel, livingthat life which we are expected to live as well; andmany who were so confronted turned their backs onHim. Many of them no longer followed Himbecause the words He spoke were too hard. Therewas too much required for them to give up, toomuch for them to sacrifice in order to follow Jesus.

I’m talking to the “choir” here today, but evenwe still have not become that people which theLord desires! I don’t say this to be critical; I say itbecause I love you, and I know something of thelove that God has for each of us. We’re not there [atthe Kingdom] yet, because we’re still not ready to

offer to the Lord that which is going to cost ussomething quite dear! Whether it’s my past opinion,my previous idea, my favorite interpretation—whatever it might be—whether it’s the little things Istill like to do, but I know deep down that Ishouldn’t do—we’re the “choir.” We are the peoplewho know and yet still struggle, as I struggle, withgetting my life to the point where the Lord will“desire me,” when I finally do what He wants me todo. What does He desire of me? With difficulty Itry to describe it: a grateful heart, a soul yearningafter truth and righteousness, a life of humility andgrace. Having made Him wait so many years,where would we be without the grace of our LordJesus?

We’re studying the Book of Mormon in ouradult class right now. When you look at the events

of this book, you viewpeople who at timeswere spiritually “onfire,” and at other timesdrifted down into thedeepest valleys, andwere caught up in allthe sin that was goingon. Some people haveasked me, “How doyou measure thespiritual strength of apeople?” When thepeople in the Book ofMormon times were attheir “zenith,” there

were some very notable things happening. They didwhat the Lord desired for them to do; they wereobedient, disciplined, they loved one another, andthey gave to those who needed their help. Theyloved their neighbor as themselves; they were theirbrothers’ keepers; they did what God asked them todo. However, when they started falling away,getting back to their previous caste system—whenthey started dressing up and wearing costly appareland jewelry, and began to prosper, and when theylet their prosperity cause an attitude change inwhich “they bought the big car,”(I wanted you toget that connection, even though we know theydidn’t have cars then)—that’s when they wentdown hill spiritually. Then, as the Book of Mormonexplains, something remarkable happened; they

“How many times have you setout chairs on your lawn andinvited yourneighbors overto talk aboutthe Gospel?

Yetwe say the Gospel is the mostprecious thing that we have!”

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started climbing up the hill again, and hit theirprevious high plateau again.

I’m going to suggest some things we canconsider as a barometer of our spiritual life—to useas a people and corporate body, as a Church, tomeasure where we are? Are wehumble? Do we know thateverything we have was given tous by God, but those things arenot to be allowed to affect us inour relationship with one anotheror with other people? We inAmerica have much of thisworld’s goods; and we also havethe Gospel. Does that affect ourrelationship with each other andthe rest of those in the world?Are our hearts broken all thetime, or just when we come topartake at the table of the Lord?Do we have a contrite spirit? Is the Lord availableto somehow touch our hearts, or do we have it[selfishly] locked up? Today, I want you to thinkabout these things, because out of the [refining]process of that thinking will come Zion; that’s whatit’s all about!

Church attendance—this building should be fullat least three times a week! [Read the article onp. 22] I know the laundry list of reasons andexcuses that can be given as to why it’s not sogood. I’ve been a Branch President, a Pastor andDistrict President long enough that I’ve heard themall—there’s not a new one that I’ve not heard! That[deficiency] says something about our spiritualgrowth. Many have mentioned the Creston [Iowa]experience and read about it. I’ve been there, and atall three services I attended, and a couple heldduring the week, the Church was full! It would seat120, but they had to put some [overflow] chairs inthe aisles once in a while. They were on one ofthose “zeniths” in their lives; that said somethingabout how strong their spiritual growth was at thattime.

Our hymn singing—we need to sing withvitality, for you are singing praises to God! Howwould you sing if you were actually standing in Hispresence? You’d sing with everything that you had.I want you to understand that when you are in thisplace [any Remnant sanctuary] and you’re singing,you’re singing to God. We say we believe that His

Spirit is here, and that He meets us here; whenwe’re singing He sees and hears us, and knows theintent of our hearts. Please, sing from the heart.

Prayer Service participation: I’ve stood in frontof many groups and waited for testimonies to come,

and wondered within my heart,“Isn’t anything happening in thelives of these people that excitesthem enough to get them to theirfeet to share their testimony?” Ican’t think of a time when I sat ina Prayer Service with my ownfather that he didn’t always standto his feet and say, “I’m sothankful that I know about theLord Jesus.” That’s a pretty simpletestimony; Dad was a prettysimple person. “I’m so glad theLord Jesus is in my life.” If sixtyof us bore a testimony even that

short, we’d be here for an hour and a half! Godwants to hear that testimony from you, and itsabsence [not being valiant] may be part of why wehave trouble sharing that same testimony with thosewhom we do not know.

Our stewardship of time, talents, resources—becoming accounting stewards of the blessingswhich God has given to us—[we must] remember,to whom much is given, much is required. Wouldyou please make an accounting for your ownpurpose, so you can categorically see what God hasgiven to us all, and what He has done for youpersonally? We think that because we have talents,and work, and someone gives us a paycheck forthat effort, that these things are ours—but they’renot! These are what God has given to us. Thenumbers of people participating in the wholeprocess of the Law of Consecration is not yet verygood. The Lord is now asking us, “Look atyourself; look at what you have accumulated, whatyou have, look at what I have given to you—andnow out of the dedication of your heart, that whichyou desire to do for me, consecrate all of that to Me[by laying it before the Bishop]! You still have it—give it to Me—give Me your heart, give Meeverything you have [the Bishop, as God’s agent,will accept only a reasonable portion], and“together we’ll walk and accomplish those thingsthat need to be done to bring about the salvation ofmankind, and bring about the Kingdom.” That is

“Are our hearts brokenall the time, or justwhen we come to

partake at the table ofthe Lord? … Is the Lordavailable to somehow

touch our hearts, or dowe have it [selfishly]

locked up?”

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what God is asking us to do, and yet we hesitate.We have our reasons, but the next three items

will “throw them out of the window” and help bringus to the point where we will be willing to do that:Study, Fasting and Prayer. These will take awayany doubt, any concern we might have aboutwhether or not we should do that. I know; Godspoke to us and I read part of that message here,and this is what He wants us to do. If He said it, andwe said we believe it, we need to be about thebusiness of doing it, because it will be to ourcondemnation if we do not do it! It’s so simple, it’snot difficult.

You’ll be surprised with what you find outabout yourself, your life and your commitment tofulfill our covenants, without reservation. There’sno holding back: not my talents, not my time, notthe things that I have,—nothing will I hold backfrom the Lord. The spirit that’s found in ourhomes—is it a battleground or is it a refuge fromthe world we live in? Is it a place of peace, comfortand strength, not only for those who reside there,but also for those who come into it and share forwhatever brief amount of time it might be?

Are we giving to those in need, andparticipating with our youth? I was reading part ofthe Conference Address of Frederick M. Smith in1922, in which he pleaded with the people to livetheir lives in such a way that Zioncould be. Then he made thisstatement about the youth: “If weare going to depend upon theyouth [the next generation] to dothe work, then let’s make sure thatwe educate them in a way that theywill be able to do that which wecan’t do.” In 1922 he used theword “pleaded” five times in a fewparagraphs, hoping that peoplewould arouse within themselvesthe desire to live their lives inaccordance with God’s Holy Way.In some ways, the participations of our youth aresetting examples for all of us.

Our bodies are temples in which God resides, inthe presence of the Holy Ghost. How we care forour bodies says something about the spiritual“zenith” we are on. How do we socialize with eachother?

Are we willing to place God as Number One inour lives? What do we let stand in our way when itcomes to doing something for the Lord? I want youto think about that. As soon as we let something getin the way, God is not Number One anymore. Thatcan go for study, prayer, fasting, attending Church,witnessing to other people—there’s a whole listthere—even work!—God is not then Number One.In the Biblical account, Jesus made some stringentremarks about letting certain kinds of things get inour way: “I’ve got to go home and say goodbye tomy Mom and Dad; I’ve got to go bury my uncle,I’ve got to make sure the business is taken care ofbefore I leave. Jesus left without them, because Heknew where their hearts were.

Read the autobiographies of the old brethrenthat are long since gone, but whom we’ll meetagain. These were men who went out and spenttheir lives with nothing [material], but theypreached the Gospel faithfully, which was the mostimportant thing to them! They left family, homeand business, and risked ill health as they went outto preach the Gospel, because to them God wasNumber One. Today, we too often have a sense thatwe can’t do [or even financially support] thatdemanding effort.

“To whom much is given, much shall berequired.” We are rich in material things, in theknowledge of our world, and also of the knowledge

of our God and thatwhich He desires ofus. Today is the actionday—not tomorrow, ora week from today—when we need to beginto better develop ourspiritual condition tothat level so that Godwill recognize us asHis covenant people.He must thusrecognize us as His

chosen people, as also He will recognize the Jewswhen they are in their place and doing what theyshould be doing. The whole house of Israel will berecognized as a chosen people, and the two partswill work together, and Zion will be! How muchlonger must the Lord wait upon the spiritualcondition of His Church? #

“Jesus made some stringentremarks about letting certain

kinds of things get in our way:‘…I’ve got to go bury my

uncle, …’ Jesus left withoutthem, because He knew where

their hearts were.”

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Psalm 119:33-35: “Teach me, O Lord, the way of thy statutes; and I shallkeep it to the end. Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law; yea, Ishall observe it with my whole heart. Make me to go in the path of thycommandments; for therein do I delight.”

Philip M. Strecker, July 31, 2005

In the hymns of the Church, the Lord providesgood counsel for us. Some months ago a tunewent through my mind, and an occasional wordhere and there. The hymn is “Great Is ThyFaithfulness” and it has haunted me for months!As I pondered those words and reflected upon theLord’s faithfulness unto us, I began to ponder thenecessity of my faithfulness unto Him. On thatday when my opportunity at the bar of judgmentcomes, will I hear those words in Matthew 25:21,when the lord said to the servant who hadreceived five talents, “Well done, good andfaithful servant; thou hast been faithful over afew things, I will make thee ruler over manythings; enter thou into the joy of thy lord.” Thoseare the words we all want to hear on that day. ButI wonder sometimes if I might hear other words—perhaps I had been slothful and would berewarded accordingly. I wonder if we’ll be able tosee what could have been, had we appliedourselves more diligently, if we had been faithfulto those covenants that we made with theHeavenly Father. Worthy of our consideration isthe taking of an assessment of ourselves. Has ourfaithfulness been established, or is it still inquestion?

To be faithful implies unswerving adherenceto a person or a thing, or to the oath or promise bywhich a tie was contracted. I witnessed this as mymother-in-law cared for her husband during hislast days. The tenderness, the love, thecompassion she demonstrated was a testimony tome of her faithfulness to that covenant which hadbound them together for so many years. Bycontrast, we find ourselves living in a worldwhere faithfulness is only there until the nextwind blows. We live in a world where manyexpect us to be faithful only until we decide to dosomething else. I know a man who, when his wife

was diagnosed with cancer, divorced her and lefther on her own. I know of a father who, when hischildren became difficult to raise, divorced theirmother, and left her to raise them on her own. Hesaid he “didn’t sign up for that.”

Faithfulness includes words such as Loyal,Constant, Staunch, Resolute and Steadfast. Wesee bumper stickers on cars which say “Semperfi”—forever faithful. Forever, not just whensomeone is watching, or when it is convenient,not just when it is popular or easy—but alwaysand forever, without doubt, without change,absolute and unchangeable.

One of the saddest stories in the Bible is aboutthe Israelites as they were led out of captivity.They had witnessed many miracles and enduredthe harshness of the desert. As they were at theriver Jordan, poised to go in and possess the“Promised Land,” it was there that theirfaithfulness failed them. The Lord had told themto fear not, and be not discouraged. The responseof the people was, “But first, let us send in men totake a look at this land.” We know it truly was aland flowing with milk and honey, but ten of thetwelve men sent in reported that the land’sinhabitants were giants, the people strong, and thecities were walled. They reported that it would beof no purpose to even attempt to go in. The peoplebegan to doubt and murmur amongst themselves.It says in Numbers 14:4, “And they said to oneanother...Let us return into Egypt.” They hadcome so far and endured so much, yet they soonconsidered returning to bondage and slavery.Matthew Henry makes the point that at this time,the Israelites were dependant upon miracles everyday for their daily bread. Yet they lost faith. Butwe must remember the Israelites were onlyhuman, just as we are. The result of their rebellionand unbelief was to be made to wander another 40

Many of us continue to be faithful or obedientout of discipline or a sense of duty. We must enterinto the day when we are faithful and obedientbecause it is the right thing to do, and because wedelight in walking the paths of righteousness—atime when we are obedient because we know thatit brings us blessing. I’m old enough to rememberwhen automobiles didn’t have seat belts, and whenit became the law to wear them. I rememberhaving to discipline myself to buckle up. I did itbecause I believed it was for my own good and had

years in the wilderness, until all over the age oftwenty had died, with the exception of Joshua andCaleb. Because of their faithfulness, these twowere spared. Scholars estimate the population ofthe Israelites there on the river was well over1,000,000 people! Out of all those over agetwenty, only two were spared to actually marchinto the land.

In D&C 125:14c it says, “If my people willrespect the officers whom I have called and setin the church, I will respect these officers; and ifthey do not, they cannot expect the riches of giftsand the blessings of direction.”Because we have responded toleadership and direction, theLord has delivered into ourhands the Gathering Place, andthrough the Bishopric, directionregarding the consecration ofsurplus. In the late 1830s-1840came the first opportunity forthe establishment of theKingdom of God on earth underthe prophet Joseph Smith. Butbecause of a lack of response orperhaps a lack of faithfulness bythe Saints, the Church was sentinto the wilderness, and darkdays came upon them. Around1920, a second opportunity for the establishmentof the Kingdom under F. M. Smith was againmissed, perhaps because the people wereunwilling, unprepared, or unable to capitalize onthe opportunity that was theirs. Since the year2000, we find ourselves once again with perhaps athird opportunity under the prophet Frederick N.Larsen. The question that is before us: “Are thepeople prepared this time? Have they learnedfrom history? Will they respond to leadership?Are they faithful?” We, even more than thosebefore us, are in a day when our faithfulness isagain being measured.

Fred Craddock, a professor at EmoryUniversity in Atlanta, says that most often wewant to give our life to Christ in a gloriousfashion. He says, “We want to go out in a blaze ofglory. We want to take our life as though it is a$1000 bill and lay it on the table and say, ‘Here’s

for most of us, Professor Craddock writes, is thatHe picks up that $1000 bill, hands it back to us,and directs us to go to the bank and exchange itfor quarters. We give Him our life 25 cents hereand 50 cents there, thus demonstrating ourfaithfulness unto Him in little acts, 25 cents at atime. It would be easy to be faithful in one grandand glorious moment, in a flash of glory. It’sharder to live the life of Christ—a life ofdiscipline, a life of faithfulness—little by littleover the long haul.

In the hymn “Great Is Thy Faithfulness” aline in the chorus says, “Morningby morning new mercies I see.”Even with God, His faithfulnessisn’t, as a rule, a one-time grandand glorious act. His faithfulnessis day by day, act by act, step bystep. In many ways ourexperiences are similar to theIsraelites. We could hear manytestimonies of how the Lord hasdelivered us, almost against ourwill, to be here in this place andthis time, how he heard our criesin the darkness and led us intolight, perhaps testimonies of howHe melted our hearts, or openedour eyes to greater understanding.

Whatever the means, he has brought us here towhere unity and peace prevail, as surely as He didthe Israelites. It is His desire to give us theKingdom. (D&C R-146:6c) He also promises that“Great blessings will come to you, my faithfulremnant, as you implement the temporal portionof my Celestial Law now to be set before you bythe Bishop...Much will be required of you, butgreat will be the blessings.”(D&C R-148:4)

“thus demonstratingour faithfulness untoHim in little acts, 25cents at a time. …

a life of discipline, a lifeof faithfulness—little bylittle over the longhaul.”

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a duty as a citizen to be obedient to the law. Inmy life Lord, I’m giving it all.’” But the realityContinued on page 28

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Excerpts from 1942 Observations Made by Apostle Charles R. Hield

Frequently the question is asked, “Why hasZion been so long in being redeemed?” We mightask ourselves, “What are we doing to assist?” Ourpeople hardly realize that their attitudes need arebirth. So many yet try to convince themselves that“someday” they are going to serve God with allthey have. First, Christ says we act so as to be seenof men, not in our hearts being consecrated tobuilding the Kingdom. Millions go to church onSunday mornings because it is the respectable thingto do. Many join a church organization hoping itwill aid their business. Second, Prayer is talkingover with God the campaign of building theKingdom. Our people would be the recipients of fargreater blessings if they prayed with the welfare ofGod’s work in mind, not for themselves alone.James 4:3 says, “Ye ask, and receive not, becauseye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon yourlusts.” Christ says we are divided when we pray–divided between thought of self and thought of thewelfare of the Kingdom of God and His glory.

Third, Fasting and Prayer have a more vitalsignificance than just outward appearance. Haveyou ever thought why we fast? Under thatinfluence, we make decisions which will contributeto the building of the Kingdom. Under this power,Saints must think intelligently, for the glory of Godis intelligence. We need prayer and fasting for thedirecting power of God. Practically all ourrevelations to the whole Church came as the resultof prayer and fasting for definite information andcounsel. Fourth, Christ says: “Lay not up foryourselves treasure upon earth...but lay up foryourselves treasures in heaven.” (Matt. 6:19,20)Saints should be willing to take their needs and justwants in this life and use the surplus for thebetterment of their group progress, for groupstewardships, etc. Material prosperity should be ameans to help us become more mentally, spirituallyand physically fit to carry on the work of building

for God. Money which has no spiritual purpose islike a cancer which eats into the vitals of a man’sChristian character. The only place one can investlife and money and be sure not to lose it is inpeople. At the beginning of your life in the nextworld, you will be what you are here when youleave. Death does not change habits of life, attitudestowards others and self.

Fifth, “No man can serve two masters” (Matt.6:24) It is hard to convince people that they cannotplay the ends against the middle. “Someday I amgoing to do more for the Church.” So often we useour time and talents on something we know will notcontribute to the building of the Kingdom, but weassure ourselves that it is only a minor thing. Sixth,Let us not forget that to God and Christ the bigpurpose of the gospel is the salvation of souls.Which are more important–the habits, personality,character or attitudes we have, or our flesh andbones? Seventh, Christ asks us to keep our gazefixed continually on the goal of the Kingdom.Everything should contribute toward that end. Canyour home and car comply with Zionic standardswhich assist in God’s work? Is your food selectedto give you maximum efficiency and keep youwell? Do you select your reading and recreationwith a focus toward assisting in God’s work?

Eighth, “Whatsoever things are true, honest,just, pure, lovely, of good report...think on thesethings.” (Phil. 4:8) Are we more prone to judgeothers rather than ourselves? Ninth, All types ofendeavor and labor are holy when they contribute tothe new Zion, by preparing ourselves in characterand training to move into group stewardshipssomeday. The Kingdom waits upon you and me.Zion can be redeemed just as soon as we manifest awillingness to cooperate with God in that work. Hecomes to us and tells us that Zion will never be builtuntil we manifest a spiritual rebirth.

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Tri-Congregational Service by Gregory A. Turner

Scriptures: Moroni 10:28: “And awake, and arise fromthe dust, O Jerusalem; yea, and put on thy beautiful

garments, O daughter of Zion, and strengthen thy stakes, andenlarge thy borders for ever, that thou mayest no more be

confounded, that the covenants of the eternal Father which he hathmade unto thee, O house of Israel, may be fulfilled.” D&C 81: “For Zion

must increase in beauty and in holiness, her borders must be enlarged. Her stakes must bestrengthened, yea, verily I say unto you, Zion must arise and put on her beautiful garments.”

We’ve had a good worship service thisevening. I hope we all agree that Zion is a core

aspect of belief in the theology of the Restorationmovement. Setting aside in first place the life ofJesus, the atonement, and all the issues and aspectsthat surround those events, there’s nothing moreimportant than Zion and the Second Coming. Theyare integral to God’s plan for mankind. TheGathering is intimately connected with Zion, andwe should not separate them. Why Zion? Why is ita part of our theology and why do we believe in it?From the very beginning there were a righteousgroup of people who were gathered. Early inGenesis we find there was the gathering of theLord’s people unto a land called Canaan, namedafter Enos’ son who was described as a preacher ofrighteousness. We’re more familiar with the storyof Cain and Abel. Note that Cain’s punishmentfrom God for what he did was the opposite of beinggathered, because he was separated from his ownfamily and people, and he was driven out. Thescriptures say he became a fugitive and a vagabond,and he was shut out from the presence of the Lord.

What are some of the themes and concepts ofZion? We refer to Zion as the Kingdom of Godwith Jesus as our King. We have the privilege tobecome citizens in this Kingdom, according to thecovenants which we make with God. Many yearsago, Evan Fry asked, “What does a Kingdomrequire to be a Kingdom; what are its parts? One, itrequires a king. Two, it requires a land or place inwhich to reside. Three, it requires citizens or

subjects. Four, there will need to be laws by whichthe Kingdom is governed. We’ve been given thesein our history and scriptures. Jesus is the king,Jackson County with Independence as the centerplace is the place, although in time those bordersmay be enlarged. The people who make theircovenant and obey it will become the citizens, andthere are laws which direct and even permit thisKingdom to operate in social interaction and inrighteousness. Sometimes we refer to that as theCelestial Law.”

History is moving toward Zion; it is directed byGod. This has always been from the beginning, forthis is God’s purpose for mankind. It is theculmination of history, the grand achievement inGod’s purposes. The Church has always been thevehicle to bring about Zion. God established HisChurch to the end that He may share Himself, thatHe may reveal Himself to the priesthood throughthe ordinances and revelations, and that He mayoffer Himself to the everlasting covenant that’smade possible through the Only Begotten, and weremembered His sacrifice even this morning [at theSacrament]. The Church is the cause of Zion, theinstrument by which Zion is [to be] brought about.

Arthur Oakman said, “No man can enter intoeternal life in the presence of God without Christ ashis Father, and the Church as his Mother.” Themission of the Church as stated by Joseph Smith IIIinvolved two things: the spread of the gospel, andthe gathering unto Zion. President Frederick M.Smith said very much the same thing in slightly

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different words—evangelize the world and Zionizethe Church—the same thoughts. The testimony ofNephi in II Nephi 12:73 is that God’s purpose wasto gather all things in one, and this includesscriptures, people, a place, and all with an eyesingle to His glory, with a single overriding purposeto the whole matter.

Why Zion? Enoch saw the wickedness of ourday in vision and he saw that God wept over it. Heasked him, “Why do you weep?” And God told himbecause mankind was His creation and Hisworkmanship, and He desired that we choose Him,so that we could live together in harmony, peaceand righteousness. He desires people who wouldwithdraw from the philosophy and evil influenceabout us, who would grow spiritually under theprotection of God, and be recipients of Hisblessings, and who would prepare for the SecondComing of Jesus Christ. Zion will be a place ofoutreach, an ensign, it will be a demonstration. Itspurposes cannot be inwardly focused; it must beoutwardly focused. We must remind ourselves at alltimes that Zion is not simply for those of us sittinghere in this room this evening, but it is for theworld. The invitation will be, “Come and see.” Wehave the answer for the problems of mankind.

I remind you that before Zion can reach thisstage of invitation, demonstration, influence andpower, it first must become separate. Anillustration: in my day I made a lot of organicmolecules in chemical synthesis. When you getyour desired product you identify and characterizeit, especially if it is something brand new. Severalthat I made were; they had never been reportedbefore. If you’re going to find out how useful it isand how it behaves and what its properties are, ithas to be purified first. You have to remove all thecontaminants. It’s best to get it 99% pure; it’s betterto get it 99.9% pure! In the process I and otherchemists used in the laboratory—distillation, re-crystallization and chromatography are separationprocesses. They are used to separate what’sdesirable from that which is undesirable. I submit toyou that if the purposes and characteristics of Zionare going to be discovered and made known, firstthere will have to be a separation, that it [that fromwhich Zion is being made] may be purified andbrought forth in it fullness before that invitation canbe made.

The Apostle Paul spoke of this in II Corinthians7:16 where he said, “Come ye out from amongthem and be ye separate.” Alma 3:98 says thesame thing. Chronologically speaking, Alma wasfirst before Paul. What are the characteristics ofZion, and what are the characteristics of a Zionicpeople? The best answer in the scripture is this onesentence: One heart, one mind; they dwelt inrighteousness and there was no poor among them.How do we do that? To me, the answer is verysimple: surrender—not your faculties, not yourabilities or your talents to be thrown away as youmight if you were surrendering in a militaryconflict; not even our perception and our viewpoint,which is different and unique for each one of us.These have their rightful place if they are usedcorrectly. What we have to surrender is our will,and use all these abilities and talents which, afterall, are gifts for His purposes. The idea is simple;performing it may be very difficult.

We have a problem: a one-letter word—“I.” Iwant, I desire, I feel, I have this motive, I want todo this, I have an agenda that must be carried out;this is at the heart of the fall of man, and is theoriginal sin. We’re tempted by the illusion that “I”or “You” are the center of the universe, and what isimportant is what “I” want. There’s a marvelousexposition of this concept in Arthur Oakman’s bookChristus Veritas. If you have never read it, I wouldrecommend it to you. It covers this [process] sowell: again, [it is] one heart, one mind, dwelling inrighteousness and no poor among them.

It has occurred to me there are two parts to thisphrase—there’s a temporal and a spiritualcomponent. One heart and one mind is the spiritual;dwelling in righteousness with no poor among themis the temporal component. How do we approachthese and move forward in our walk with God? It’sthat simple word—surrender. The surrender of willallows you to discover what God’s will for you is inthis life. The surrender has to come before thediscovery comes. That’s especially important foryou young folks. It requires our faith and belief inthe scriptures which have been given.

There was a recent poll concerning the citizensof this country. A very large percentage said theybelieved in God (about 80 or 85%), but they didn’tbelieve to the extent that they would put intopractice the principle of scripture. To my way ofthinking, that won’t get them too far. We really

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“—have you thoughthow Enoch did what hedid in his day? …Do youknow that we have some

of that information?”

need to believe, then put that belief into action. Italso requires the spiritual component, that weaccept and support the Church, its mission and itsleadership—not just blindly follow it. YoungJoseph told us we need to “proveall things.” Nonetheless, we needto be good followers of the Wordand leadership, as well as “doers.”The other half of that phrase “nopoor among them”—have youthought how Enoch did what hedid in his day? It would be great toknow that! Do you know that wehave some of that information?D&C Sections 77, 81 and 101 are revelations toEnoch that were reiterated again for our day. Theytell us much about the temporal aspect of how hedid what he did. I suspect there’s even more, andwhen we’re worthy of that, perhaps that “more”will be given unto us.

We have talked about social righteousness,what is required and how to do it. When I say “we”I mean the present leadership of this Church, aswell as those in years past. There’s the spiritualaspect—faith, charity, love, hope, unity, loving andtreating your neighbor as yourself. Then there’s thetemporal aspect—the financial law, tithing,consecration, the wise use of resources, and therepression of unnecessary wants. Furthermore, weshould have the desire that our neighbors be like usand live like us—“loving your neighbors asyourself,” and putting that into action. When wecome to the point, Saints, where we are willing toforego the “I want for me” and move towards “Iwant for you or for them, the same as I seek formyself.”

This is why I believe that Bro. Fred Larsen hasfocused so much on our spiritual development theselast weeks and months, and the plannedimprovements on these grounds [the GatheringPlace] are to help us on the way. But bricks andmortar alone will not do the job; it will also take ourspiritual involvement. The bricks and mortar willsimply be a tool to help us along the way. I’d likeyou to think also that the main function for ourbricks and mortar, whatever we build, is not simplyfor us, but for those who will be gathering in. Evenas early as the mid-1830s, revelations called for theElders to push the people to Zion. I certainly hopethe Twelve and Seventy are doing that, because that

is part of their ministry in the missionary effort. Ofcourse, the primary aspects of the gospel are faith,repentance and baptism, but the time must alsocome when the next points will be brought along—

the finer points—which Ibelieve includes “pushing theminto Zion.” We read of the sixgospel principles in Hebrews 6,and after those are listed it says,“As we move on untoperfection”—I think those arethe finer points that we need tobegin to emphasize.

The priesthood has its roleand ministry in this. I quote to you from SidneyRigdon who was in the First Presidency at thistime; he said this, “Each officer must stand in hisplace and perform his duty as required at his hand.There would be no difficulty in the church to thecoming of Christ if they did this. The foundation ofthe happiness of the church rests upon the heads ofthe Teachers, and Deacons, whose duty it is to gofrom house to house and see that each family of thechurch is kept in order, and that the children aretaught the principles of righteousness. The time hadcome when it was required at the hands of theDeacons, Teachers and Priests to render an accountof their stewardship, which was [to determine] thestanding of the various branches to which theybelonged.” Have you heard that before? Have youheard it from anyone lately? The time had come,Bro. Rigdon said in 1838. He then addressed theElders, and he compared the Elders to “quarryers ofstone” who merely quarried the pieces and broughtthem to the building where the Priests, Teachersand Deacons were “polishers.” Their duty was andstill is to prepare them for the building. Every manhas his duty. This is why we’re focused on buildingcommunity, where we live in close proximity witheach other; we can work together, play together,worship together, and have mutual understandingand support, even as Bro. Sidney mentioned.

Saints, I believe that the groundwork is beinglaid (although it is very early in its development) toassist all of us in finding our way out of Babylon.It’s an exciting time and I’m convinced that greaterblessings await our first steps of obedience as foundin Section R-150. I’m reminded of an experienceBro. Oakman had, and we’ve used this in ourConsecration Services in the homes, those of you

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who have gone through that. In 1954 at Conference,Bro. Oakman gave an inspired message to theMelchisedec Assembly. The Lord revealed thesewords: “The day is not far distant when myendowment shall be given to my servants, and theyshall go forth by the power of my spirit to bind upthe law and seal the testimony, and none shall staythem.( I believe this has reference to the missionarywork) And yea, as this is done, keeping pace withit, there shall be built those areas of safety andrefuge where I shall dwell, saith the Lord. Zionshall arise and put on her beautiful garments by thedevotions and faith and prayers and sacrifice of mypeople. Not with the motive of self-preservation,but because they have seen My Son and know ofhis sacrifice in love for the world, and shall maketheir consecration in love and humility for me.”

Here’s the phrase I think applies to our day morethan any other: “So I will inspire my servants of theleading councils of the church and they shall deviseways and means by which communities shall bebuilt, and other communities purified. And in theseplaces there shall be the environments into which Ican send newborn babes to grow up without sin anddivision in righteousness.”

Ways and means are being devised, and wewould ask for your continuing prayers that thisinspiration will continue. I believe these promisesare on the verge of being fulfilled. Do you want tobe a part of it? Will you be a part of it? May Godbless and inspire you in your efforts. OnwardSaints, Forward to Zion! #

From Editorial Insights in the 1958 Saints’ Herald, by Leonard J. Lea

There is no doubt that spiritual power is to befound in those congregations where faithful,devout members are regular in attendance,supporting the services of the Church, givingencouragement by their presence and attention tothe pastor, priesthood and visiting officers. What ajoy it is to find a chapel well filled with alert,attentive, and enlightened people. They providethe most fertile seedbed for planting new treasuresof truth. Let no member think he can remain awayfrom services without hurting anybody. First, hedeprives himself of something he needs verymuch: instruction, inspiration and fellowship.Second, he deprives the people of himself–hispresence, friendship and influence. An empty seatat Church accuses him of dereliction in duty aswell as default of opportunity. There are so manywho want the label of membership, for “fire

insurance” or “celestial social security,” and whowant all the advantages of Christian grace anddivine mercy, but avoid the obligations that gowith these things.

The Church is a meeting place of people; it isthe house of God, and it is there that the Fathermeets with His children. We might ask ourselves,how does God feel when He does not find Hischildren there, when He knows that they areshivering outside in the spiritually chill winds of acold world [and exposed to the buffetings ofSatan]? How about your ministry–your ministryof attendance? Have you been taking good care ofit? Have you made a good record? And whatrecord of you will the Book of Life reveal in the[coming] Day of the Lord?

“WATCHWORDS”Watch your thoughts, they become words.Watch your words, they become actions.Watch your actions, they become habits.Watch your habits, they become character.Watch your character, it becomes your destiny.

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Given at Blue Springs Congregation by Austin R. Purvis

here else would you rather be than righthere, right now? Praising your Lord forwhat is about to happen—Zion isbreaking forth into the world, and we’re

right in the midst of it. I praise my Heavenly Fatherfor that, and for bringing me here at this time, forbeing a part of His work, for giving me theopportunity to worship Him in truth andrighteousness.

The Scripture reading comes from D&C 38:1-4:“Thus saith the Lord your God, even Jesus Christthe Great I AM, Alpha and Omega, the beginningand the end, the same which looked upon the wideexpanse of eternity and all the seraphic hosts ofheaven before the world was made. The samewhich knoweth all things, for all things arepresent before mine eyes. I am the same whichspake and the world was made, and all thingscame by me. I am the same which have taken theZion of Enoch unto mine own bosom...” I feel Hispresence and His power and love; it astounds mewhen I feel this way, and I know His work cannotfail. He has told us over and over, that as long as wemove out in faith, His work will be accomplished.The Remnant Church of Jesus Christ of Latter DaySaints is the vehicle that will get it done.

Brothers and sisters, we are at war. There is aline drawn in the sand. On one side we have theFather of Lights, He who created us, who yearnswith a love as wide as eternity to have us back inHis presence. On the other side we have the Fatherof Lies, he who was cast down from heaven, whosought the glory and power of God. On one side wehave the Christ, who died and was resurrected thethird day, that we could be back in the presence ofour Heavenly Father. On the other side, we have thespirit of Anti-Christ, a spirit which denies He ever

was, or ever lived, or that He was resurrected andnow lives.

This battle is over the souls of men. Everysingle, solitary soul is important—not just Kingsand Rulers; all hold equal value before the Lord.Here we are, the souls in the middle, trying todecide whether to go with Satan or with God. Westruggle from day to day trying to figure outwhere to go. It should be easy. I’m a history buff,and I like to study the World War I and II eras. Itamazes me what people will do to harm oneanother. But what astounds me even more is whatpeople will do when they see a need in someoneelse. They then will step out and do whatever ittakes, even if it means risking their own lives.That’s where we should be, because there arepeople suffering and dying in darkness.

I was reading in Earl R. Curry’s book: “Morethan a century ago in these very rooms in whichthis word of prophetic insight and foresight iswritten (meaning the Kirtland Temple), thepriesthood of that day enjoyed in small part whatwas possible for the Heavenly Father to bestow.”Have you read about what was experienced atKirtland in Church History? It was absolutelyamazing. Go to Volume II and read the first twochapters. “They renewed such experiences and thehuman notion and lusts and selfishness stillmarred their lives. They had not yet traveled veryfar up to the mountain of the Lord’s house... Thelarger vision the great Father desired to open up tothem was yet too bright, too far above, too noblein concept for them to see. God could onlymanifest to them on the level of their concern.”Have you ever known what those men did whenthe Gospel came to them, how they responded?They left their families and homes, their farms,

W

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put traveling clothes on their backs and scripturesunderneath their arms, and they went out in faith.

In this spiritual warfare, God does not leave uscomfortless either. He gave us certain weapons tohelp us along the way. One of the first ones wethink of is the Holy Spirit, and the gifts that comealong with that spirit. In I Corinthians 12 itmentions these spiritual gifts: “Now concerningspiritual things brethren Iwould not have youignorant...no man can saythat Jesus is the Lord but bythe Holy Ghost. Now thereare diversities of gifts but thesame spirit...for to one isgiven by the spirit the Wordof Wisdom, to another theword of knowledge by thesame spirit, to another faithby the same spirit, to anotherthe gifts of healing by thesame spirit, to another theworking of miracles, toanother prophecy, to another discerning ofspirits, to another diverse kinds of tongues, toanother interpretation of tongues.” We have allthese things that the Lord has promised us whenwe keep His commandments. The fruits of thosegifts are love, charity, etc.

In Curry’s book he talks about some of thesespiritual experiences and how it is required thatwe must have them if we are to succeed in thework which is before us. “Has he not said that thegospel of His Kingdom shall be preached in allthe world as a witness, and then shall the endcome? Has he not promised mighty spiritualpower to redeem his people? Has he not said thathe will thrash the nations by the power of hisspirit?...You are therefore on the threshold of atime of mighty spiritual outpouring. God will usethe many marvelous gifts of his spirit to helpqualify his ministers and his people, thus pullingthem upward...toward those higher levels ofunderstanding of consecration to the great task...”There are many more gifts of the spirit than youordinarily consider. Think, pray and meditateabout these gifts; you will find there are manymore than you have perceived.

There has been one spiritual gift that has alwaysfascinated me. That is the ministering of angels. Ihave several testimonies regarding this. I had anexperience two years ago. Some friends asked meto go bow hunting. I hadn’t done that in over a yearand I wanted to go; they picked me up at 5 a.m.While we were traveling to the intended place,about an hour away, they told me we weren’t

coming back until evening thatSaturday, which was the sametime as the priesthood prayermeeting before theCommunion service the nextday. I didn’t want to upsetthem since they invited me togo, so I made it a matter ofprayer. I told the Lord if Hewanted me there, to get methere. During the day it rainedand poured, and I thought thatwas the way the Lord wasgoing to get me back, byhaving it rain. But then the rain

quit, we had lunch, and we got our hunting clotheson. We started to walk into the field and all of asudden a Ranger truck pulled up. He said, “Do yourealize there’s a gun season going on, where’s yourorange?” We didn’t have any orange; he said weneeded the orange to go out and hunt safely, so hesaid “Sorry”—we had to pack up and go home.

So I got back for the service and I wasoverjoyed! The Father decided to bless me. As Ihad my eyes closed during the service and waspraying to the Lord, all of a sudden I could see alight and I could see it moving. The Lord witnessedto me that there was an angel in the presence of thebrethren. I could not hold back the tears; it was anunbelievable experience. I tried to open my eyes,trying to see it with my physical eyes—I wanted tosee this personage. But the Lord didn’t allow it thattime.

Several other experiences: I’ve been playingtapes in my car as I was driving down the road.There have been people sitting next to me. I knowthat they are there, I can feel them. There’s beentimes I’ve been sitting in my bed, couldn’t go tosleep, and they are there—I can feel them and thespirit bears witness that they are there, watching us,protecting us. I’ve always been curious as to how

“As I had my eyes closedduring the service and

was praying to the Lord,all of a sudden I could see

a light and I could see itmoving. The Lord

witnessed to me thatthere was an angel in the

presence of thebrethren.”

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we use the ministry of angels. As an Aaronicpriesthood member, how do I use that key? How doI start? I had no idea. Then again, Earl Currystepped in with this: “Who can express the totalcharacter of their ministration or the extent ofspiritual uplift and their illumination as a result oftheir communion with angels? Nevertheless, youcan broadly understand if you search the scripturesand the records of their visitations.” So that’s whereI started. I began thinking: where have angels beenin the past? Where is it written? What were theythere for? Why were they used?

One of the first ones I thought of was the sonsof Mosiah in Alma. We remember the story, theywere wreaking havoc, causing trouble. But hisfather prayed with great faith that his son might beconverted, and it is written, “As I said unto youas they were going about rebelling against God,behold the angel of the Lord appeared unto themand he descended as it were ina cloud, and he spake as it werewith the voice of thunder whichcaused the earth to shake uponwhich they stood. And so greatwas their astonishment thatthey fell to the earth andunderstood not the wordswhich he spake unto them.Nevertheless he cried againsaying, Alma, arise and standforth, for why persecuteth thouthe church of God, for the Lordhas said, this is my church andI will establish it, and nothing shall overthrow itsave it be the transgressions of my people. Andagain the angel said, Behold the Lord hathheard the prayers of his people, and also theprayers of his servant Alma, who is thy father,for he has prayed with much faith concerningthee, that thou mightest be brought to theknowledge of the truth.”

Because of the visitation to Alma, thousandsof lives were converted, and thousands ofLamanites were brought to the knowledge of thetruth. One of those causes for the ministering ofangels is to soften the hearts of the people. In theBook of Mormon, in I Nephi 1:91-93, Nephi wastold to go back to Jerusalem to get the plates. Hehad faith to do it, but his brothers were doubtful.

During their first trip back, Laban stole all theirmoney, and his brothers were unhappy about it.

Another reason is for protection. They cometo watch over us, to give us guidance, to lead usinto the straight and narrow path. This scripturebrought to my memory Psalm 91. The psalmist isgiving us a promise here; if we would walk in thestraight and narrow way, God would have Hisangels round about us continually. “Because thouhast made the Lord which is my refuge, even themost high, thy habitation, there shall no evilbefall thee, neither shall any plague come nighthy dwelling, for he shall give his angels chargeover thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shallbear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thyfoot against a stone.”

There’s a great work for us, the greatest workthat has ever been among the children of men. Ibelieve with fervency that the ministerings of

angels are a huge part ofbuilding up that Kingdom.Another scripture—and this isa favorite—because it dealswith the angel John the Baptist,and he is also a fellow Aaronicminister I do believe. On Mayl5, 1829 John came to JosephSmith, Jr. and Oliver Cowderyto deliver the priesthood again.In Church History Vol. I, pgs.37-38, Oliver writes histestimony of this visitation.“The Lord...after we had called

upon him in fervent manner...condescended tomanifest to us his will...the voice of the Redeemerspake peace to us...What joy! what wonder! whatamazement!...Then his voice, though mild,pierced to the center, and his words, ‘I am thyfellow servant,’ dispelled every fear...what joyfilled our heart...When we received under hishand the holy priesthood, as he said, ‘Upon youmy fellow servants, in the name of the Messiah, Iconfer this priesthood and this authority, whichshall remain upon the earth, that the sons of Levimay yet offer an offering unto the Lord inrighteousness!’“

I believe certain angels have certain duties. Itis the job of the Aaronic priesthood to figure outwho these angels are, what their duties are, so we

“It is the job of theAaronic priesthood tofigure out who these

angels are, what theirduties are, so we might

call on them throughthe inspiration of thespirit, that they might

go to our fellow man tolift them up, …”

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might call on them through the inspiration of thespirit, that they might go to our fellow man to liftthem up, to give them that testimony that will getthem through their trials. In D&C 26:2a: “Beholdthis is wisdom in me, wherefore marvel not, forthe hour cometh that I will drink of the fruit ofthe wine with you on the earth and with Moroni,whom I have sent unto you to reveal the Book ofMormon containing the fullness of myeverlasting gospel to whom I have committed thekeys of the record of the stickof Ephraim and also Elias...”The angel Moroni had aparticular job to train Joseph, toprepare him to translate theBook of Mormon for thesalvation of man. Elias had aparticular job—the restorer. Hebrought to Mary the news thatshe would be the mother ofJesus. He came to Zachariasand told him about his blessingand gift. Jesus restored thetruth, and John paved the wayfor Jesus.

I can study history, but to obtain the revelationfrom God requires me to find out more of how Ican call upon these Heavenly beings. The angel isnot going to speak to me unless I sanctify my lifeand come closer to Him. A few weeks ago I wentto buy a telephone. I could have gotten a freephone, but I wanted to get one on which I couldplay TV, and also play games, all of which costextra money. The Lord told me, “Don’t buy thephone, Austin—it’s more than you need.” But Istarted making excuses. So I got the phone and Ipaid the price. You may be thinking, it’s just aphone, Austin, don’t worry about it. But everysingle choice we make during each day matters!We either choose to be with Him, or we choose tobe with Satan. It seems like such a small thing,but it matters!

There have been those times when I’veseparated myself and truly sought the Lord’sknowledge concerning these things, so I couldobtain that knowledge of how to use the keys ofmy ministry for the betterment of humanity.During family worship one Sunday, Bro. RickScott picked Hymn #339. The third verse says:

“Satan seeks through evil speaking to destroyyour prospects here, and to labor without ceasingsowing hatred, doubt and fear; for your peace andyour perseverance of this force you woulddestroy, strive for righteous conversation, thingsthe angels would enjoy.” I thought, What am Idoing wrong, Lord? When you’re with yourbrethren in the Church you like to joke with themand razz them. But sometimes it goes past that,and feelings get hurt. If we’re not saying

something uplifting, loving, orsomething of concern towardsour brethren, should we say it?No, we should not. To beeffective, our ministry alwayshas to uplift people.

In Curry’s book on theEndowment, it says: “Thereshall be an outpouring ofmarvelously deep andintelligent spiritual gifts andhelp in guidance.” The nextone is: “There shall be anendowment of the ministeringof angels...[they] are a

stepping-stone. We will learn to abide theirpresence before we learn to abide the presence ofChrist and God the Father.” We have to remainfocused, brethren, to get the work accomplished—by sanctifying our lives, coming out of Babylon,doing the little things—making the right everydaychoices.

Section 105 was given in 1837 to Thomas B.Marsh, head of the Quorum of Twelve. Verse 9bsays: “Behold, vengeance cometh speedily uponthe inhabitants of the earth...And upon my houseshall it begin...(Verse 11b): but purify yourhearts before me,...” The Lord was telling him“Be focused on the goal that is set before you andwhich I have ordained you to do.” He’s saying thesame thing to us—not just the Aaronic priesthoodmembers but everyone. Don’t let Babylon get inthe way of the goal that is set before you. TheKingdom is before you, and it is at hand and it isyours. If we step out in faith and do the things weare supposed to do, He won’t fail us. May Godbless you in your attempts to make the rightchoices every day is my prayer in Jesus’ name. #

“If we’re not sayingsomething uplifting,

loving, or something ofconcern towards our

brethren, should we sayit? No, we should not.

To be effective, ourministry always has to

uplift people.”

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by Marcianna K. Turner

Continuing in our presentation which was given inthe previous issue, the next class in the HealthyLiving Program was taught by Barbara Voshall,RN, MN. Barbara teaches nursing students andworks at the Cardiac Rehab Center of theIndependence Regional Hospital.

BLOOD PRESSUREThe topic discussed was hypertension or highblood pressure. Blood pressure is produced by theflow of blood in the arteries. High blood pressureis a major risk factor for heart failure, stroke,impaired vision and kidney disease. Untreatedhypertension affects all organ systems and canshorten one’s life expectancy by 10 to 20 years.The increased blood pressure can cause the heartmuscle to thicken, and thereby make pumpingmore difficult for the heart.

Most people with hypertension have noidentifiable cause for the high blood pressure.Some think it could be due to genetics. However,whatever the cause, hypertension needs to betaken care of. Normal blood pressure is having asystolic pressure (top number) <120 and diastolicpressure (bottom number) < 80. Pre-hypertensionis defined as systolic pressure of 120-139 anddiastolic pressure of 80-89. Hypertension issystolic pressure of >140 and diastolic pressure of>90. (< = less than; > = greater than)

Some things can be done to decreasehypertension. One is to exercise—to get moving,30 to 45 minutes a day at least 3 times a week.Two, watch your weight; remember to eat thosefruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Three,practice relaxation techniques; slow, deep breathsare a good place to start. Four, see a doctor. It ispossible that blood pressure medication may needto be taken to better control your readings.

There are different types of medications that workin various ways and that a doctor can use to helpdecrease high blood pressure. One group is calleddiuretics, or “water pills.” This medication worksby decreasing the volume of fluid in thebloodstream and the pressure in the arteries. Asecond group is called the beta blockers. Thismedication decreases the vigor of the heart’scontractions. Another group is the calciumchannel-blockers. They work by decreasing thevigor of the heart’s contractions and by dilatingthe arteries. Still another group is the ACEinhibitors, which help dilate the arteries, therebydecreasing resistance to blood flow, anddecreasing blood pressure. Angiotensin-receptorblockers are a new class of medications, whichwork like the ACE inhibitors.

The members of the Healthy Living Programencourage the Saints to have their blood pressurechecked regularly. This “marker” can help theSaints gauge their health. Remember, the Lord hassaid that the work that lies before us will requirestrong and healthy bodies.

DIABETESThe fourth class in the Healthy Living Programwas on diabetes, and was taught by Dr. AmmonVerDught. This very interesting class brought tolight the overwhelming increase in the prevalenceof diabetes in the U.S. and the need to be wellinformed on this topic.

Diabetes is the inability to produce or utilizeinsulin, which then leads to an elevated bloodsugar level. Insulin is a hormone that is producedby the pancreas. Insulin moves the sugar fromyour blood into your cells to use for energy. Adiagnosis of diabetes occurs when the followinghappens more than once: a fasting blood sugar

level of greater than 125, or, two hours aftereating, the blood sugar level is greater than 200. Anormal fasting blood sugar level is less than 100.A pre-diabetic condition called “impaired glucosetolerance” or “glucose intolerance,” falls betweennormal and diabetic. It is defined as having afasting blood sugar between 100 and 125.

Over the last 15 years, type 2 diabetes has beenincreasing; approximately 20 million people in theUnited States have diabetes. Another six millionpeople do not know that they have diabetes.Americans’ life-styles are such that one out ofthree people will develop this condition. Thefollowing factors increase the risk of developingtype 2 diabetes: being a member of a certainethnic group (African-American, AmericanIndian, Hispanic, Asian, and Pacific Islander),getting older, obesity, decreased activity, andincreased intake of calorie-dense foods (sweetsand desserts). Diabetes also increases the risk ofdeveloping cardiovascular disease, stroke, kidneydisease, nerve damage (mostly in the feet andlegs), and adult onset blindness.

The risk of developing diabetes can be reduced by60 % through a change in life-style and diet. Weneed to limit the intake of simple sugars (thisincludes our sweets and desserts) and saturatedfats. Consume lean protein and low-fat dairy

products, and increase the fiber and omega 3 fattyacids. Another way to say this is simply to eat abalanced diet. Next we need to make exercise partof our regular schedules. Maintaining an idealbody weight is extremely important. The next partof our life-style that needs to be worked on isstress management and obtaining adequate rest.When these life-style changes are not enough,there is always medication that can be used tohelp stimulate production and use of insulin.

It is recommended that at age 45 or older a personbe tested for diabetes. Also, we should desire tohave a fasting blood sugar level between 90 and130. If the results are normal, the test needs to berepeated every 3 years. Diabetes is treatable, andwe can improve our chances of not developing itand/or limiting the health difficulties that can arisefrom it by remembering the following items:

Maintain an ideal body weight Eat a balanced diet Exercise, exercise, exercise Stress management Rest And if needed, use medication

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ftLG

Mtttftstacsr

Continued from page 17

February my wife and I were in an automobileaccident, and we delighted in the fact that our seatbelts were buckled, and we received the blessingof that. We must come to the time whenobedience and faithfulness are as natural to us asbuckling our seat belts.

Faithfulness and obedience position us toreceive God’s favor. In the 12th chapter of Alma,there is a story of Ammon and his experience as hewent into the Land of Ishmael to bring ministry tothe Lamanites. He was a shepherd over the king’sflocks, and it was discovered that Ammon was aman of great power and ability. Of him, KingLamoni (who previously had been his enemy) said:“Surely, there has not been any servant among allmy servants, that has been so faithful as this man;for even he doth remember all my commandments

28

fto execute them.” (Alma 12:80) Ammon’s

aithfulness opened the door of opportunity, andhrough that door he was able to bring Kingamoni, and hundreds of others, into the fold ofod.

Our theme today is “In the Footsteps of theaster.” The Lord Jesus Christ must be considered

he epitome of faithfulness. If we are to accomplishhat which we have been commissioned to do inhis life, we must follow in His footsteps. First andoremost we must be Faithful. I close with thesewo thoughts: “Now, as you have asked, behold, Iay unto you, Keep my commandments, and seeko bring forth and establish the cause of Zion:”nd in D&C R-145:7b, speaking to the Churchollectively but also to us individually, the Lord hasaid, “The Kingdom of God awaits youresponse.” May the Lord bless us as we respond in

aithfulness. #

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By Kenneth P. Zabel, M.D., Retired

uch can be done to improve healthcare for the elderly. Some diseasesare incurable, but no patient isuntreatable. Appropriate treatmentis defined by the physical

condition—not the age—of the patient. It isimportant for the physician to use holistic andpositive approaches in the care of geriatricpatients. Nowhere in the entire field of medicineis the need to treat the whole patient so importantas in geriatrics. Sub-specialties represent only apart of the whole; there is a need to pull all theparts together. This information needs translationinto a meaningful treatment program for eachspecific human being. There is still an urgent needto coordinate all areas to understand the whole,regardless of how many specialists there are whocan explain the parts.

Aging shouldnot be judged inyears only. To doso ignores suchconsiderations asthe maturity ofthe person,his/heraccomplishments,contributions to society, and present and futurepotential for achievement. Aging is an individualprocess that defies simple definitions. There areenormous differences in the rate at which each ofus age. Genetics, environment, and personallifestyle influence the aging process. In Orientalcultures, the individual gains esteem and respectwith each advancing year. A province in Russiahas been publicized and investigated because itsmembers commonly live more than 100 years!

There are two biological determinants ofaging—the mind and the body. Aging is not aprecise concept. Just as health is more than the

absence of disease, aging cannot be defined as theloss of youth. But why should a person beidentified by limitations? A glass that is halfempty is also half full. The older person shouldhave an identity that is based on hisaccomplishments and his potential, and not on theweakness of his health. Note the followingwisdom of Samuel Ullman:

“Youth is not a time of life—it is a state ofmind. Nobody grows old by merely living anumber of years; people grow old only bydeserting their ideals. Years wrinkle theskin, but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles thesoul. Worry, doubt, self-distrust, fear anddespair—these are the long, long years thatbow the head and turn the growing spiritback to dust. You are as young as your self-confidence, as old as your fear, as young asyour hope, as old as your despair.”Most of us were endowed with an intelligence

to maintain and enjoy our physical existence. Wedo not become less and less as we become olderand older. Aging should not be defined as the lossof function but rather as accumulation ofexperiences and wisdom which enriches ourexistence. The older we become, the greater therisk for developing a disease process. It is a factthat 80% of our medical services are directedtoward the oldest 20% of our population. Many,in fact most, elderly persons enjoy good health.Most of us can and will live out our lives in ourown communities and our own homes. Somedisease states, such as cancer, do occur morecommonly in old age. But some also occur morecommonly in children than in middle-aged adults.In children up to 14 years of age, cancer is secondonly to accidents as the leading cause of death. Itis therefore illogical to conclude that any diseaseis primarily age related.

Every patient can be given solace of mind and

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relief from physical pain, and the feeling that s/heis not facing this most difficult of all life’sproblems alone. The patient’s family and personalphysician can be strong sources of comfort. Mostpersons do not fear death itself as much as theanxiety over things left undone. The physicianshould be responsible for bringing meaningfulcommunication between the patient and hisfamily. Many times a family will ask that a patientnot be told the nature of the illness, but they aremistaken in the belief that they are somehowsparing their loved one. The patient knows; he hasonly to look into the eyes of others and he knows.If he in turn tries to spare the family in thispretend game, there develops a situation where noone can lend support to anyone. One cannot offercomfort and solace to an individual whose eyesone cannot meet.

Death is not a part ofdisease; it is a part of life.Sir William Osler, abrilliant physician of thelate 1800s is bestremembered for hispersonal touch with hispatients. In his biographyby Dr. Harvey Cushing is abeautiful example of thiswith a six-year-old girl,terminally ill withleukemia. Twice a day hevisited her, talked of thelittle animals, trees andflowers in the late summer.He made her room comealive with visions of frolicking bears and mythicaldwarfs as he was examining her. She lookedforward to his visits with eagerness. One coldOctober morning, when her strength was ebbingquietly, they had a tea party. The table wasdecorated with the last summer roses. Dr. Oslerspoke to her of the beautiful things of this life.Like the roses, he said, little girls could not bewith their loved ones forever. After their life wasover, he said, the memory of their beauty wouldlinger always. And she understood and was notsad.

Whether it is the treatment of disease ormanagement of the aging process, these factors

may be classified as follows:Patient Factors. Sometimes older patients are

reluctant to report to family or physiciansymptoms that should be investigatedimmediately. They may fear they may not betaken seriously or may even be subject to ridicule.Most pathetic is the patient who fails to see oreven denies treatment because of age. This is the“Well, I’ve lived long enough” or “I’m ready togo when God wills” attitude. A person is alwaystoo young to die of a treatable disease. A needlessdeath is a tragedy at any age.

Family Factors. Virtually everything in oursociety becomes more valuable with age, butpeople. We take pride in restoring and preserving.But what of people? Are old people also notinvaluable? Who sells experience? Where canloyalty and years of service be bought? Thefamily may be responsible for delaying medicalattention, particularly when decision-making isassumed by a younger son or daughter with thedesire to spare the parents from the discomfortassociated with diagnostic studies or treatments.There are very few instances where such delay

will prove to be in thebest interest of thepatient.

Physician Factors.Age alone should notbe a factor inconsidering treatmentmethods or alternatives.Even patients ofadvanced age can be

operated on with acceptable risk. The presence ofdisease, but not old age itself, is the determiningfactor in decision-making regarding treatment.Conservative treatment is ordinarily a virtue. Ifmedical treatment can achieve a comparable resultand avoid the risks attendant with surgery, thenthe choice is easily made. The physician shouldteach by example. A thorough, considerate, andcompassionate approach succeeds in the olderpatient, just as it does in the younger patient.

(Adapted from the author’s article in Journal ofthe Kansas Medical Society) #

Youth is nota time of life—

it is a state of mind.— Samuel Ullman

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s

By Brady Kollecker

Scripture: John 15:9-17 “...that ye should go and bring forth fruit; andthat your fruit should remain; that whatsoever ye shall ask of theFather in my name, he may give it you...”

My question today for each of you is, “Whatdo you desire to leave for those future Latter-DaySaints who will pick up where you have left off?What will be your legacy?” A research project onceconducted with people over the age of 90 askedthese elderly people, “As you look back on yourlife, what do you wish you had done differently?”Three answers emerged from a sizeable majority:

1. They wished they had risked more;2. They wished they had spent more time in

reflection;3. They wished they had done more to leave a

legacy—something to pass on to the nextgeneration.

I’m sure you’ve seen the bumper sticker(usually on an expensive RV or luxury car): “We’respending our children’s inheritance!” Behind thehumor is the sad picture of retired people livingonly for themselves and their current pleasures,oblivious [or uncaring] of the needs of the nextgeneration. Management and life-planning guruStephen Covey authored a book called First ThingsFirst, a handbook for living a joyful and productivelife. He declares that the purpose of a human lifecan be summed up in four essential points: “Live,Love, Learn and Leave a Legacy.” It’s this matterof leaving a legacy that concerns us today. Howdoes one change one’s legacy?

1. Share God’s Changing Power withOthers. Our most important legacy is not one ofdollars or biological offspring, but of doing our partto lead others to the Celestial Kingdom. I believe inthe heart of every true Christian beats the desire tobe where the action is in reaching the lost. If youcan’t point to someone in the recent past whom youhave encouraged, prayed for, sweat for, fought for,who is now a member of the Church of JesusChrist, then I hope you’re in deep prayer andfasting, asking the Lord to help you in Kingdom

building. Our prayers and tithes do wonders for theestablishment of Zion in a lost world. I’mconvinced that every member is in the front line ofsoul-winning, and you are strategically placed tobring someone to Jesus that neither I, nor the personbeside you and me, will ever reach! Our dailymission should be such that through our walk andwords, we do and say things that lead others to theKingdom.

2. Believe that God Works in People’s Livesand Not Just Our Own. A teacher of mathematicsdescribes what a difference it made when hestopped teaching mathematics and started teachingchildren! “I began to understand that a youngsterneeds more than just subject matter. Now I teachchildren, not just math. I seem to have moreanswers than when I tried to be the expert.” A quotein Chicken Soup for the Soul (1993) talks of Eddie,and why he was doing so much better now than theprevious year. “It’s because I like myself now whenI’m with you.”

We need to understand that we have to gobeyond teaching the Church, and start teachingsouls. We have our opinion on how music is led,how service is done, how someone should teach.God needs us not only to believe in Him, but in Hispower through others as well. Instead of sharingyour opinion of how things should be, trysupporting your brother or sister, and thank Godthat they are attempting to serve Him. Neither you,nor I, nor anyone in this world has all the answers.God sees the horizon, not the hill. If we are thinkingwe have all the answers on how things should bedone, we are denying the beauty of God and Hiscreation. God plants from birth a section of Zion ineach of us. Those pieces come together to form theKingdom; if we refuse to work united, no one willever see it. Luke 11:18 states, “But he, knowingtheir thoughts, said unto them, Every kingdom

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divided against itself is brought to desolation; anda house divided cannot stand, but falleth.”Believing in God is to believe in His ability to useothers.

3. How Will You Be Remembered? Thescriptures are packed with memories; each story issomeone’s account of events. Many people arerecorded for eternity giving advice that changeshearts even to this day. The Pharisees andSadducees sincerely wanted to do right. The sadthing is that most people were led away from thegospel by their words and example!

Parents, before you yell at your child for hisbehavior, take along look atyourself and realizethey are exhibitingthe behavior YOUhave shown them.Chastise yourselfand change yourown life before you seek to change others. Youwon’t be remembered for the advice you gave if

your life is riddled with sin. Think before you speakor act, because those actions will be part of yourlegacy. That moment of anger at someone may beyour last; you may not be able to apologizetomorrow. Live your life in the same manner as youleave legacies of Christ and His Kingdom: withyour walk and your talk.

The Apostle Paul knew he was at the end of hislife in late 67 or early 68 A.D. In II Timothy 4:7, hetells us, “I have fought a good fight, I havefinished my course, I have kept the faith;” Paulpaints a picture that his life has been one ofobedient worship to God. He has fought the goodfight—or competed in the games of life. He hasfinished the race—or reached his goal. He has keptthe faith—or finished his service. What will be saidabout you at the end of your life? Have you left aGodly heritage to your family? Have you shapedthe life of someone else to help them become closerto Christ? Have you faithfully served Christ whorescued you from your sin? May it be so. #

Summer Camp News, from Don and Cindy Kite

If you like to feel the Spirit, build wholesomefriendships, draw closer to God and have lots of fun,then a Remnant Youth Camp or Retreat is just for you!Now is the time to prepare for a Camp experience, onethat could positively change your life forever. Applications will be available on the Church Website soon.

July 6-7 Junior Retreat — Grades 2-5The Gathering Place, Independence, Missouri - Director: Kevin Faulk (816) 229-2166

July 14-21 Senior High Camp — Grades 9-12Blackgum Campground, Blackgum, Oklahoma - Director: Austin Purvis (816) 547-9727

July 21-28 Junior High Camp — Grades 6-8Blackgum Campground, Blackgum, Oklahoma - Director: Tom Noftzger (816) 795-8025

August 3-4 Junior Retreat — Grades 2-5Blackgum Campground, Blackgum, Oklahoma - Director: Patricia Powers (918)396-7064

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istry Provided by Many Saints and Friends: Handout Testimonies Provided by John and MickeyPritchard; Clothes Closet Report by Jonna Patterson; Financial Summary by James Gates

’s Note: Five days each week, dedicated volunteers provide a free lunch (donations accepted) foren 100-200 hungry persons in the basement cafeteria at the Headquarters Building inendence. The work is hard and the need seems amazingly constant for the elderly poor, youngers now unable to find work, abandoned or abused mothers with infants in tow, even a few crippled

lind. Any persons who present themselves under the influence of drugs are not seated. The food isdonated by thoughtful area merchants, and partly purchased by donations from compassionate

duals and organizations, including the three Center Place Remnant Congregations. Volunteer helpl as all donations are greatly appreciated.

many days, John and Mickey Pritchard,nable to work in the serving line as theyid, are seated near the entry door and offer

eery greeting and a carefully selectedony to all who will accept it. Some receive itully, while others pass by to the eating linet interest. So it is with all our efforts ating uplifting ministry to the general public.the same in Jesus’ day, but still he offered

ver he had—which always included helpfulof encouragement and, for those who

, a healing hand. Each Friday, Sister Jonnason opens the Clothes Closet by appointment to those needing clothing. The following is a sampleony the Pritchards (pictured above) offer:

e day, a poor boy who was selling goodsdoor to door to pay his way through school,he had only one thin dime left,

e was hungry. He decided heask for a meal at the next

. However, he lost his nervea lovely young woman

d the door. Instead of ahe asked for a drink ofShe thought he looked

y so she brought him a largeof milk. He drank it slowlyhen asked, “How much do I

owe you?” “You don’t owe me anything,” shereplied. “Mother has taught us never to accept payfor a kindness.” He said, “Then I thank you frommy heart.” As Howard Kelly left that house, henot only felt stronger physically, but his faith inGod and man was strong also; he had been readyto give up and quit.

Many years later that same young womanbecame critically ill. The local doctors werebaffled! They finally sent her to the big city wherethey called in specialists to study her rare disease.Dr. Howard Kelly was called in for consultation.When he heard the name of the town she camefrom, a strange light filled his eyes. Immediatelyhe rose and went down the hall of the hospital toher room. Dressed in his doctor’s gown he went into see her. He recognized her at once. He went

Providing to the “Have Nots” of Our Headquarters Neighborhood

34

back to the consultation room determined to dohis best to save her life. From that day on he gavespecial attention to her case. After a long struggle,the battle was won.

Dr. Kelly requested the business office to passthe final bill to him for approval. He looked at it,then wrote something on the edge and the bill wassent to her room. She feared to open it, for shewas sure it would take the rest of her life topay for it all. Finally she looked, andsomething caught her attention on the sideof the bill. She read these words: “Paid infull with one glass of milk.” (Signed)Dr. Howard Kelly.

Tears of joy flooded her eyes as her happyheart prayed: “Thank You God, that Your lovehas spread abroad through human hearts andhands.”

There’s a saying which goes something likethis: “Cast your bread upon the water andafter many days it shall return.” The good deed

you do today may benefit you or someoneyou love at the least expected time. If younever see the deed again, at least you willhave made the world a better place—andafter all, isn’t that what life is all about?

Good friends are like angels—you don’thave to see them to know they are there! #

LUNCH PARTNERSYear at a Glance

At the close of 2006 the Lunch Partners Board looked at all the data we collected through the yearregarding the operation of the program. We offer an overview of 2006 to you, the volunteers andsupporters of this program. The Board wishes to inform you how your donations have been spent orused and that we did not meet our anticipated income for the 2006 budget.

We served 31,074 people in our dining room, 7,365 meals were delivered to shut-ins, 2,832 meals fedour volunteers and 9,780 second helpings were served bringing the total meal count to 51,051.

Following is a breakdown of all donations:Congregations ......................................$16,293.00Businesses ..............................................11,000.00Individuals................................................7,107.92Cash from serving line donation box... 1,869.73

Total donations.............$36,270.65

Following is a breakdown of all expenditures:Cost Share (rent and utilities) ..............$11,000.04Food .......................................................22,269.76Supplies....................................................2,651.19Repair and maintenance...........................2,556.80Equipment ................................................3,296.23Miscellaneous ......................................... 370.66

Total expenditures........$42,144.68

It was necessary to reduce our Operating Reserve by $5,874.03 in order to meet expenses. Most of theextra expense was due to increased food costs and replacement of equipment.

On behalf of those we are allowed to serve, a big “Thank You” for all your support. Without such anoutpouring of kindness, Lunch Partners could not have existed for 16 years. Lunch Partners has been ablessing to thousands of individuals in this area. Even now there are lives that are being transformed bythe light and hope that comes from the kitchen, clothes closet and food pantry. This is not an overnightprocess. Please won’t you check your day planner or your checkbook to see if there is not something leftto assist in this work? Remember there is always a need and room for another volunteer. #

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Sacrament Message Given at Center Congregation, Independence, MOby Dennis L. Patterson

I am thinking about Heroes. We see what theworld and the media show us and tell us. Recentlywe saw a man on the news talking about trying toget into a burning house to save a little girl. He triedto get her through the flames and smoke, but afterseveral tries was unable to save her. He was hailedas a hero for putting himself in grave danger. Later,when all the smoke had cleared, the man wasarrested for actually causing the fire! Things aren’talways as they appear, but as Proverbs 12:19 states,The lip of truth shall be established forever; but alying tongue is but for a moment.”

As we live out our lives here in “time” onplanet earth, we are deceived by so much that wesee and hear. Many of the great heroes of yesterdaylose their luster when examined later, with moreaccurate information—20/20 hindsight. Often inour daily lives we don’t recognize heroes weactually encounter. The world focuses quickly onthe “spectacular event” and often overlooks the“spiritual event.” The world has eyes for the carnalmotivation but is often blind to the spiritual event.

Consider 2 Corinthians 10:3-5: “For though wewalk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh;(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal,but mighty through God to the pulling down ofstrongholds;) …bringing into captivity everythought to the obedience of Christ.” Once in awhile we are given glimpses of the Spiritual afterwe have lived through the carnal event. Theseaspects may even be revealed to us many yearslater, after we have grown wise in the Spirit andweak [with age] in the flesh.

One of those glimpses into my past came lastweek. I was praying for those I love and care for,but sleep would not come. During my restless nightI recalled an event 40 years ago at my GrandmaBarker’s place in the country, when I was about 10years old. My parents had dropped us four kids offfor two weeks with our 66-year-old grandmother.We had plenty of food and water, no TV, and allthe “country” we could explore. A large spring near

the house provided our 60-degree cool drinkingwater. Cinder blocks provided the two steps up tothe front screen door, which was kept open to keepthe house cooler.

I remember vividly walking toward the stepsand seeing a huge snake with its head raised,looking in the screen door. I screamed, “Grandma, abig snake is trying to get into the house!” She flewout the door with an axe in her hand, yelling for meto get back. As she pushedthe screen dooropen hard,the

snake wasknocked down to the ground.She dropped that axe down right behind the head ofthe beast; with one fell swoop its head was severedfrom its body. Grandma stood between me and thatsnake, and with one more exact blow, the head wascrushed. I remember going over to look at the head,but Grandma warned me away; she was convincedit was a poisonous cottonmouth snake.

The point of this testimony from my now 54-year-old wisdom was that I had witnessed a greatact of heroism. That woman literally threw herselfbetween danger, and possibly death, and hergrandchildren, reacting instinctively without anyconcern for her own welfare. She didn’t bat an eye,and went back to making supper as if nothing out ofthe ordinary had taken place! In telling my parentsabout it, she said “it was nothing”! But at themoment of truth, Grandma showed what she wasmade of. She didn’t do it for recognition or fanfare.She didn’t consider her own welfare; at thatmoment her only duty was to serve those she loved.I know she was a believer—I saw her read herBible—but more importantly, I witnessed heracting in faith. Many years later I realized her lifeand this example of heroism was a living testimonyof that faith.

I am reminded of the hero of all time—Jesus

36

Christ, “the author and finisher of our faith.” At thetime He picked up His cross, mankind looked onHim as a fool, as one who was defeated. But yearslater, we now have the spiritual wisdom to realizeHe was the victor, and conquered death. Wheneverwe partake of the emblems of Christ’s sacrifice, weneed to remember that Christ, uniquelyunderstanding the spiritual predicament we were in,volunteered to stand between us and death. He tookour “beating” so that we might be spiritually healed.He faced death and didn’t turn away from His duty,and said the glory didn’t belong to Him but to HisFather, who had sent Him on the life-longassignment of life-saving service.

John 5:31 says, “For I can of mine own self donothing; because I seek not mine own will, but thewill of the Father who hath sent me.” John 6:39-40 says, “And this is the Father’s will which hathsent me, that of all which he hath given me Ishould lose nothing, but should raise it up againat the last day. And this is the will of him that sentme, that every one which seeth the Son, and

believeth on him, may have everlasting life; and Iwill raise him up in the resurrection of the just atthe last day.”

Here is where our faith rests, on the memory ofthe Blood and Body of our hero, Jesus Christ. Ihope that everyone who reads this testimony isbaptized and can partake of these emblems. If youhaven’t yet been baptized, possibly because youthink you aren’t worthy of salvation, I want you tolisten to the words of Paul in I Timothy 1:15: “Thisis a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation,that Christ Jesus came into the world to savesinners; of whom I am chief.” In other words Paulis saying, “I’m as bad as it can get and He savedme.” Don’t wait until you think you have yourselfclean enough for Jesus to accept—He accepts youas you are. Just as He stooped and washed the feetof His disciples, He will wash away your sins, withyour consenting attitude. In fact, His blood canwash away all of our sins and make us a newcreature. #

There’s a kind of love that comforts you whenever you feel blue,A kind of love that helps you out and always sees you through...There’s a kind of love that you can tell your deepest feelings to...

And that love is a mother’s kind of love.

There’s a kind of love that’s gentle and yet so very strong,A kind of love that’s on your side when things are going wrong...

There’s a kind of love that always makes you feel that you belong...And that love is a mother’s kind of love.

“My special gift in life is having you as my Mother. I have shared a relationship with you since themoment I was born. The bond between us is enormous, and though sometimes it’s not perfect, it’ssomething I can always count on when it feels as if everything else is falling apart.

I’m so glad that God in His infinite wisdom allowed me to belong to you—to be your child and yourfriend. More than anything, I’m so thankful to have been given the honor to love you and call you mymother.”

(Attributed to Pamela Malone-Melton)

37

First Michigan Branch,Sr. Kathleen Haley

reporting

Leone Hamilton—January 24, 2004

Take my hand and hold it, Lord, and keep me close to Thee.Then I can face the future whatever it might be.Sometimes the sky shines brightly, sometimes the clouds are grey.I’ll just wait for Your silver lining with a brand new cloudless day.

Sometimes my path is crooked with rocks that block my way.‘Tis there I’ll need your hand, Lord, to help me on my way.There’s so much for me to love here, like the soft scent of the rose,And the sound of rippling water over rocks in sweet repose.

Just to hear our children’s laughter when they see You drawing near,Lord, I’m so happy that you planted me where my world is filled with cheer.So as my legs grow weaker and my eyes seem strangely dim,I just won’t fear the future, Lord, if you keep me close to Him.

Bill and Leone Hamilton have been long-time anchors of the Delta Branch, but many of theirmembers have now gathered to the Center Place. (See Anniversary Article on page 39) #

Despite somewinter weatherconditions whichnecessitatedcanceling twoSunday services inJanuary/ February, theBranch launched 2007 with abusiness meeting, at whichElder Robert Murie Jr. waselected Presiding Elder. Heattended the Presiding Elders’Meeting in Independence in late February.

A special Worship Weekend was heldMarch 10 and 11, with Apostle Glenn Vreelandand Seventy Richard Wilson as special ministers.They met with congregational members andseparately with priesthood to discuss matters of

interest with both groups. A Saturday morninginformational meeting for interested non-memberson the west side of Detroit was held in theWallace home, and a similar meeting on Saturdayafternoon was held in the Haley home for contactson the east side of the city. The Saturday evening(Richard Wilson) and Sunday morning (GlennVreeland) preaching services were well attendedwith almost all members present. A potluckdinner followed, making for an exhilaratingweekend. Plans for future follow-up will beconsidered.

On May 12 Stephan Karpeles will marryNicole Luzanski in Lansing, and June 10 will joinShaun Murie and Rachel Swindall in Florida. Wepray that these young couples will always walkhand in hand with the Lord. #

Delta, ColoradoBranch

38

Marlin, TX Branch,Elder Arthur Allenreporting

A comprehensiveNewsletter wassubmitted tocongregationalmembersrecently,addressing manyissues. Notableamong them was theBranch=s Web Site whichnow appears on the MarlinChamber of Commerce Web Site,under “Churches.” It is updated monthly withinformation of interest to members as well as toothers. It also refers to the General Church WebSite, which now includes opportunity to receiveregular updates by E-Mail. The Thursday eveningstudy classes continue to be well attended, andprovide an important fellowship opportunity.

Presiding Elder Arthur Allen and Elder RogerSchuelke traveled nearly 400 miles to Harlingen,TX to provide ministry to a terminally ill ladywho is not a member of the Remnant Church, buthas a desire to fellowship with us. Although she isnow in Hospice care, the ministry providedappeared to be very meaningful, and the Churchcontinues to be a blessing to the lives of all whoreceive the ministry of the Saints. A Branchmember, Sister Lula Chane, a resident of aNursing Center in Marlin, is also in Hospice care,and we will continue to share with the family asher earthly life comes to an end. She and herhusband, (now deceased) had their own wonderfulexperience about the Church prior to theiraffiliation with us. [We have learned that SisterChane has now passed away.]

We have a new member whose request foraffiliation with the Church was approved by theGeneral Church. Sister Doris Reneau will berecognized in full fellowship during the April 1Communion Service.

Bill and Raye Saxton lost a good friend, BudRandall, with whom their families had beenassociated for over 55 years, since the days of theKorean War. They will continue their friendshipwith the remaining family in the coming days.

An extensive review of the Apostasy withscriptural references for study was also in this

Newsletter. World conditions today suggest thatchanges of basic religious doctrines arecontinuing to reveal “Apostasy” in our day. #

For the past seven years, wehave observed what we believe isthe real birthday of Jesus, aspinpointed in the Book of

Mormon in 3 Nephi 1:13, 45and 4:6-10. Thus, according

to our 2007 Gregoriancalendar, Jesus was

born on March 31,crucified April 3,

and resurrectedon April 6 (seeMatthew 20:17)

—one HolyWeek. These dates

will vary every year depending on the specificdate for Passover.

On March 11, Seventy John Dollen sharedwith us in special ministry. On April 15, HighPriest Wayne Bartrow from the Center Place cameto share in preaching to our congregation. Weappreciate having those from the General Church,as it “connects” us personally with the eventsgoing on in the Independence area.

On March 22, 2007 Ken Miyata and RioCastillo were married. We congratulate them withour best wishes. In February, we honored thememory of Sr. Anna Searle, who passed from thislife to be with the Lord.

An Admonition given in 1967 by Casper Kaat(now deceased) was included in thecongregational bulletin recently. In his words ofguidance are the following excerpts: “My peoplemust be a tried people...Few there be incomparison who keep my whole law and aresincere and upright...Gather together in prayer andbe steadfast, and look forth with an eye single toMy Glory...My Church and my people must grow;prepare now, do not wait. Make yourselves freefrom Babylon, and the bondage of debt. Pray forthe young...Be long-suffering, and your reward ismade sure.” #

Southland Branch

Elder Armand Wijckmansreporting

39

Bill and Leone Hamilton of Cedaredge,Colorado celebrated their 70th weddinganniversary with an open house on April 15.The newspaper account related why theirwedding day was unique: the couple had setthe wedding date, lunch had been fixed, andthe preacher who had agreed to perform theceremony changed his story and said he wasnot properly ordained. After lunch, thecouple drove to Dove Creek to find anotherpreacher, but none could be found!Returning home, Leone packed a fewthings, with her mother’s advice to “getmarried before dark.” They found a preacherin Norwood, were married, suffered someminor car breakdowns and a flat tire beforereaching Cedaredge at 4:00 a.m., and wentto Bill’s mother’s home for the rest of thenight. Bill slept with his brother Mike, andLeone with Bill’s sister Helen. Theirmarriage, which got launched amid all thesedifficulties, also had to cope with the greatDepression.

Working side by side through the years,the Hamiltons farmed, rode ranges lookingafter cattle herds, broke horses in winter,and shared their lives in trucking ventures ashaulers for ranchers, and were also at othertimes in the sand/gravel business. Theycontributed much to the communities inwhich they lived.

Leone loved to write poetry, and published a book“Country Livin’.” At 87 she still writes to please herself,her family and many friends (see the accompanying poemon page 37). Bill, at 89, believes he is among the oldestpersons living who were born in Cedaredge. They built ahouse on 60 acres south of town, where they still residetoday. They attribute their long lives and 70-yearmarriage to their faith, family and friends who have given them purpose, support, and many happymoments. #

On March 7, about twenty members of our BlueSprings Congregation went to see the Dead Sea ScrollsTraveling Exhibit at Kansas City’s Union Station. Thiswas a very good experience, as Kansas City had beenfortunate in being one of only four U.S. cities to befavored with a viewing of this exhibit. It will soonmove on after a local showing lasting about fourmonths. Some of our members of the Golden AgersGroup were able to see up close many of theseprecious writings and artifacts, some of which were2200 years old. Groups of about 50 persons werepermitted to enter every 15 minutes, so that the crowdsize would be manageable and the scrolls could be

examined carefully. Of course, there was a great dealof security present to properly guard these pricelessrelics.

I personally thought that it was interesting to seean engraved copper scroll rolled up, as had originallybeen found in one of the caves. It reminded me of theengraved plates of brass, mentioned in the Book ofMormon, and of the “golden” [alloy] plates whichwere translated by Joseph Smith, Jr., and later viewedby the witnesses. In the “library” section of the DeadSea Scrolls Exhibit was a scroll of the “TenCommandments,” and a translation regarding Enochand his city, which I thought was significant, and

which I had never read before. Most all ofour party agreed that there were too manythings to absorb at one time! A few saidthey intended to try to go back for a repeatviewing.

On the way out, I went through thesouvenir gift shop and picked up a littlepamphlet without looking inside it, justto have it as a memory of the experience.I couldn’t have chosen a more suitablesouvenir! The title was “Psalms Scrollfrom Qumran.” When I read it later, Ifound something called the “Apostropheto Zion.” The Hebrew text contains anacrostic [a verse or arrangement of wordsin which certain letters in each line, suchas the first or last, when taken in orderspell out a word, motto, etc.] These werethe words:

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I remember thee for blessing, O Zion; With all my might have I loved thee.May thy memory be blessed for ever!

Great is thy hope, O Zion; That peace and thy longed-for salvation will come.Generation after generation will dwell in thee

—Reported by Vonnie Tims #

And generations of saints will be thy splendour.

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