New Zealand Hamilton Mission, September 2014 — Insights, wisdom, and truths learned
Truths and thoughts from September 2014
- District meeting, September 16, 2014 — Improving our prayers (page 39 of Preach My Gospel)
- Our prayers should include:
- Expressions of gratitude and thanksgiving: we should live in a state of thanksgiving every day for the many mercies and blessings which the lord bestows upon us. Doctrine and Covenants 59:21 tells us that we offend God when we fail to confess His hand in all things. We should count our many blessings one by one!
- Addressing the needs of others: Alma admonishes us to be concerned for the welfare of those around us. Remember those in need, the prophet, other general authorities, our local leaders, missionaries, family members, friends, governmental leaders, investigators, less active members, active members. Pray for others BY NAME when at all possible.
- Opportunities to serve: Elder Ballard suggests that we should pray that we can be put in situations where we can bless the lives of others. Lord, take me to them or bring them to me. Bless me with discernment to know who to help and how to help. Bless me with courage to speak up and reach out.
- The purposes of prayer are given in Alma 32:27 and 2 Nephi 32:8-9. Take your possible solutions to the Lord, not just your problems.
- Don’t conclude your prayers until the two-way conversation is actually over.
- Oftentimes, trials and challenges can be answers to prayers. Recognize them as such.
- Our prayers should include:
- September 23, 2014 – General training
- 1 Nephi 1 in the Book of Mormon is a ‘type’ of Joseph Smith. Lehi prayed, saw the Father and the Son, received a book, testified of the truths he learned, was rejected, and his life was placed in danger. Joseph had these same experiences. We should have investigators read 1 Nephi because it is all about inspiration and revelation (angels, dreams, prayer, answered prayers, divine guidance, etc.).
- Joseph Smith said, “Take away the Book of Mormon and the revelations and where is our religion? We have none!”
- Priesthood Leadership meeting, September 27, 2014
- District President Harry Gaastra speaks on repentance and remorse
- Recognizing sin, confessing sin, asking for forgiveness, making restitution, forgiving others, and having faith in the Atonement of the Savior should be daily parts of our lives.
- Mosiah 26:36 states, “And those that would not confess their sins and repent of their iniquity, the same were not numbered among the people of the church, and their names were blotted out.”
- Alma 5:16 asks the question, “…can you imagine to yourselves that ye hear the voice of the Lord, saying unto you, in that day: Come unto me ye blessed, for behold, your works have been the works of righteousness upon the face of the earth?”
- We as priesthood leaders should be helping other confess and repent.
- Disciplinary councils:
- They should be convened when we become aware that a member has seriously sinned. This is incredibly important.
- They should be conducted with love and divine guidance.
- The goal of councils is to save souls, protect the innocent, and safeguard the purity of the name of the Church.
- We should no longer turn a blind eye to the serious sins amongst our district members.
- President Michael Jones
- Use the proper tool for the needed work!
- President Hinckley taught that every Church member needs a friend, and assignment, and nourishing by the word of God.
- We need to do better in reaching President Hinckley’s guidelines. Each new or reactivated member needs these three things!
- Use the ‘new and returning member worksheet’. Who can fill it out? Anyone!
- Branch presidents, utilize these worksheets and have a current one on each new and reactivated member in your branch.
- President Charles A. Rudd
- Begin with the end in mind.
- What is the end? To bring to pass the immorality and eternal life of men (Moses 1:39)
- Why is this the end? Because Heavenly Father and the Lord love us.
- How do we achieve this end? Through the ‘Plan of Salvation’.
- What is agency? It is the God-given ability to choose righteousness (not ‘right from wrong’).
- Proper use of agency leads to obedience, obedience leads to faith, and faith leads to repentance.
- There are five saving ordinances:
- Baptism (God promises that our sins will be remitted)
- Confirmation (God promises that we will receive revelation)
- Priesthood (God promises to give us power to act in His name)
- Endowment (God promises knowledge)
- Sealing (God promises future godhood)
- The reception of and obedience to the five saving ordinances opens to doorway to power and exaltation.
- Review Omni 1:26, Moroni 10:32, and Doctrine and Covenants 132:22 this coming week and apply these verses in your callings!
- Elder David Thompson, Area Authority
- We should all be in the daily habit of repenting and changing ourselves for the better.
- Speaking to Enoch, the Lord said, “I have given commandment that they should love one another, and that they should choose me, their Father…” Have we CHOSEN Him to be our Father? Do our lives reflect that choice? Do we love one another?
- The Lord will not give us new converts or reactivations if we do not truly love the people.
- What does your priesthood mean to you? It should mean salvations, acting in God’s name, God’s love, serving others through blessings (see Doctrine and Covenants 84:19-22), and bringing the power of godliness into people’s lives (see Doctrine and Covenants 105:9-12).
- District President Harry Gaastra speaks on repentance and remorse
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