The Power of Everyday Missionaries

Elder Clayton M. Christensen's, The Power of Everyday Missionaries - the What and How of Sharing the Gospel was the subject of Sister Wright's Lesson today.  Here is just a couple of excerpts from the book:

Some promises relate to the power and strength people will receive as they share the gospel (the sections and verse of the Doctrine and Covenants in which these promises are given are shown in parentheses):

• None shall stay you (1:5)
• You shall receive strength such as is not known among men (24:12)
• He Himself will go with you and be in your midst.  Nothing shall prevail against you (32:3)
• Power shall rest upon you.  He will be with you and go before your face (39:12)
• Your enemies will not have power over you (44:5)
• The Lord will stand by you (68:6)
• No weapon formed against you shall prosper (71:9)
• He will uphold you (93:51)
• The gates of hell shall not prevail against you (17:8)
• You shall have power to declare His word (99:2)
• Your tongue shall be loosed, and you will have the power of God unto the convincing of men (11:21)
• Your mouth shall be filled and you shall become even as Nephi of old (33:8)
• You will not be confounded.  It shall be given you in the very hour that portion that shall be meted unto every man (84:85, 100:5)
• Your words shall be scripture, shall be the will of the Lord, shall be the mind of the Lord, and shall be the voice of the Lord and the power of God unto salvation (68:4)
• Your arm will be God's arm.  He will be your shield and buckler; He will gird up your loins and put your enemies under your feet (35:14)

Other blessings the Lord has promised to those who share the gospel relate to personal purity and increased faith:

• You shall stand blameless before God (4:2)
• You shall be lifted up at the last day (17:8)
• You will be given a testimony of the words of the prophets (21:9)
• You shall have revelations (28:8)
• Your sins will be forgiven (31:5)
• You shall have great faith (39:12)
• You will be able to keep God's laws (44:5)

Consider the blessings that pertain to happiness, health, and prosperity:

• You shall have blessings greater than the treasures of earth (19:37-38)
• He will take care of your flocks (88:72), and your back shall be laden with sheaves (31:5)
• You shall not be weary in mind, body, limb, or joint, and you shall not go hungry or thirsty.  A hair from your head shall not falll to the ground unnoticed (84:80, 116)
• Your joy shall be great (18:14-15)

And perhaps most extraordinary of all, He has promised to fill us and our work with the Holy Ghost, to make us into better men and women:

• He will send upon you the Comforter, which shall teach you the truth and the way whither you shall go (79:2)
• The Holy Ghost shall be shed forth in bearing record of all things, whatsoever ye shall say (100:8)
• He will go before your face.  He will be on your right hand and on your left; His Spirit shall be in your hearts, and His angels round about you, to bear you up (84:88)
• He will bear you up as on eagles' wings; and you shall beget glory and honor to yourself and unto the Lord's name (124:18)
• He will make you holy (60:7)

If you'd like to read more about this book or the movement, you can visit this website.

The Prophet Joseph Smith

Joseph Smith, whom God chose to establish this work, was poor and uneducated, and belonged to no popular denomination of Christians. He was a mere boy, honest, full of integrity, unacquainted with the trickery, cunning and sophistry employed by politicians and religious hypocrites, to accomplish their ends. Like Moses of old, he felt incompetent and unqualified for the task, to stand forth as a religious reformer, in a position the most unpopular—to battle against opinions and creeds which have stood for ages, having the sanction and support of men, the most profound in theological lore; but God had called him to deliver the poor and honest-hearted of all nations from their spiritual and temporal thralldom [bondage]. And God promised him that whosoever should receive and obey his message—be baptized for the remission of sins, with honesty of purpose—might receive divine manifestations, should receive the Holy Ghost, the same Gospel blessings which were promised and obtained through the Gospel, when preached by the ancient Apostles. And this message, this promise, was to be in force wherever and to whomsoever it should be carried by the Elders, God’s authorized messengers. So said Joseph Smith, the uneducated, the unsophisticated, the plain, simple, honest boy.

Joseph Smith, the great prophet, was not an educated man when God chose him and made known to him his mission. The Lord bestows spiritual gifts and knowledge upon the unlearned, and the greatness of the kingdom is made known to them by the power of the Holy Ghost, and they gradually become great in the knowledge of the things of God.

And in the Spirit of Christmas, Sister Demke reminded us that this is the Season of JOY (Jesus, Others, and You.)  What do you know to be true?

Excerpts from Teachings of the Presidents:  Lorenzo Snow, Chapter #23, The Prophet Joseph Smith.

Be Meek and Lowly of Heart

According to Elder Soares, meekness is the quality of those who are “Godfearing, righteous, humble, teachable, and patient under suffering.” Those who possess this attribute are willing to follow Jesus Christ, and their temperament is calm, docile, tolerant, and submissive.

When asked how to remain humble, President Kimball offered this formula:

First, you evaluate yourself. What am I? I am the circle. I am the hole in the doughnut. I would be nothing without the Lord. My breath, my brains, my hearing, my sight, my locomotion, my everything depends upon the Lord. That is the first step and then we pray, and pray often, and we will not get up from our knees until we have communicated. The line may be down; we may have let it fall to pieces, but I will not get up from my knees until I have established communication—if it is twenty minutes, if it is all night like Enos. . . . If it takes all day long, you stay on your knees until your unhumbleness has dissipated, until you feel the humble spirit and realize, “I could die this minute if it were not for the Lord’s good grace. I am dependent upon him—totally dependent upon him.” [TSWK pp. 233–34]

Elder Neal A. Maxwell expounded on the topic of meekness during a BYU devotional in 1986:

Meanwhile, the world regards the meek as nice but quaint people, as those to be stepped over or stepped on. Nevertheless, the development of this virtue is a stunning thing just to contemplate, especially in a world in which so many others are headed in opposite directions. These next requirements clearly show the unarguable relevance as well as the stern substance of this sweet virtue.

Serious disciples are not only urged to do good but also to avoid growing weary of doing good (see Galatians 6:9 and Helaman 10:5).

They are not only urged to speak the truth but also to speak the truth in love (see Ephe-sians 4:15).

They are not only urged to endure all things but also to endure them well (see D&C 121:8).

They are not only urged to be devoted to God's cause but also to be prepared to sacrifice all things, giving, if necessary, the last full measure of devotion (see Lectures on Faith 6:7).

They are not only to do many things of worth but are also to focus on the weightier matters, the things of most worth (see Matthew 23:23).

They are not only urged to forgive but also to forgive seventy times seven (see Matthew 18:21–22).

They are not only to be engaged in good causes, but also they are to be "anxiously engaged" (see D&C 58:27).

They are not only to do right but also to do right for the right reasons.

They are told to get on the strait and narrow path, but then are told that this is only the beginning, not the end (see 2 Nephi 31:19–20).

They are not only to endure enemies but also to pray for them and to love them (see Matthew 5:44).

They are urged not only to worship God but, astoundingly, they are instructed to strive to become like him! (See Matthew 5:48; 3 Nephi 12:48, 27:27.)

In the midst of all these things," they are given a Sabbath day for rest, during which they do the sweetest but often the hardest work of all.

Who else but the truly meek would even consider such a stretching journey?


Lesson given by Cassi Campbell, based on Elder Soares' General Conference Talk, Be Meek and Lowly of Heart.

Doing Good to Others

We are of the same Father in the celestial worlds. … If we knew each other as we should, … our sympathies would be excited more than they are at the present time, and there would be a desire on the part of every individual to study in their own minds how they might do their brethren good, how they might alleviate their sorrows and build them up in truth, how [they might] remove the darkness from their minds. If we understand each other and the real relationship which we hold to each other, we should feel different from what we do; but this knowledge can be obtained only as we obtain the Spirit of life, and as we are desirous of building each other up in righteousness.

We should have before us a strong desire to do good to others. Never mind so much about ourselves. Good will come to us all right if we keep our minds outside of ourselves to a certain extent, and try to make others happier and draw them a little nearer to the Lord. … When you find yourselves a little gloomy, look around you and find somebody that is in a worse plight than yourself; go to him and find out what the trouble is, then try to remove it with the wisdom which the Lord bestows upon you; and the first thing you know, your gloom is gone, you feel light, the Spirit of the Lord is upon you, and everything seems illuminated.

… Individuals can enjoy heaven around them in all places. We have got to go to work and do this; we must go to work and establish heaven upon this earth, notwithstanding the evils that are around us, the devils that are around us, and notwithstanding the wickedness that exists, still we have got to go to work and establish heaven upon this earth.

Lesson given by Sister Kristy Bateman.  Taken from the Teachings of Presidents of the Church:  Lorenzo Snow, Chapter 22.

Loving God More Than We Love the World

The god of the world is the gold and the silver. The world worships this god. It is all-powerful to them, though they might not be willing to acknowledge it. Now, it is designed, in the providence of God, that the Latter-day Saints should show whether they have so far advanced in the knowledge, in the wisdom and in the power of God that they cannot be overcome by the god of the world. We must come to that point. We have also got to reach another standard, a higher plane: we have got to love God more than we love the world, more than we love gold or silver, and love our neighbor as ourselves.

If we … fail to keep the covenants we have made, namely, to use our time, talent and ability for the upbuilding of the kingdom of God upon the earth, how can we reasonably expect to come forth in the morning of the first resurrection, identified with the great work of redemption? If we, in our manner, habits and deal[ings], imitate the … world, thereby identifying ourselves with the world, do you think, my brethren, that God will bestow upon us the blessings we desire to inherit? I tell you no, he will not! … We must build ourselves up in the righteousness of heaven and plant in our hearts the righteousness of God. Said the Lord, through the prophet Jeremiah, “I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.” [Jeremiah 31:33.] This is what the Lord is endeavoring to do, and this he will accomplish in us if we conform to his will.

I thank God that in these times of corruption and wickedness in the world, we have holy and righteous men and women who can devote those superior talents which God has bestowed upon them to His praise and glory. And I might say further, that there are thousands of virtuous and honorable men and women, whom the Lord has gathered out from the nations, that are also willing to devote their time and talents to aid in accomplishing the work of God in the interest of His children.

Lesson taught by Sister Cheryl Demke.  Taken from Teachings of Presidents of Church:  Lorenzo Snow, Chapter 21.

Relief Society Christmas Gathering

Optional Christmas Craft

If you would like, you may stay after the program that night and make this Christmas Decor for your home

The cost for this project is $4 and includes all supplies.  Please watch for the sign-up beginning Sunday, November 17th.  You may bring your money that night.  If you are not able to catch the sign-up on Sundays, please feel free to contact Cassi and let her know that you would like to participate.  (project includes frames only, greenery will not be part of this project)

Continuous Conversion

Sister Shogan's lesson was based on the book, Continuous Conversion.  The following are just a few of the 46 notes she took while reading the book.

Elder Dallin H. Oaks said, "The final judgment is not just an evaluation of a sum total of good and evil acts -- what we have done (callings we've held or money we have accumulated).  It is an acknowledgment of the final effects of our acts and thoughts - what we have become."  If the whole goal is just to be with God, why did we leave?

Heaven will not be heaven for those who have not chosen to become heavenly.  The key word is CHOSEN.  Sisters, are you striving to choose to become heavenly?

As Latter-day Saints we know not only what Jesus has saved us from, but what He has saved us for.  Elder Bruce C Hafen and his wife, Marie, have taught that the Atonement is not just a doctrine that erases black marks.  It is fundamentally a doctrine of human development.  In 2 Corinthians 5:21 we read that God made Christ, who knew no sin, to take our sins for us so that we might be made righteous in Him.  In other words, Christ chose to become like us so that we could choose to become like Him.

Sheri Dew taught, "Our responsibility is to learn to draw upon the power of the Atonement.  Otherwise we walk through mortality relying solely on our own strength.  And to do that is to invite the frustration of failure and to refuse the most resplendent gift in time or eternity."

Receiving Christ in the temple requires sacrifice, but that sacrifice begins and perpetuates a life-changing cycle:  We begin to love that for which we sacrifice and we begin to sacrifice for what we love.



Lesson given by Sister Juli Shogan, taken from the book by Brad Wilcox, Continuous Conversion.