talkswolves1 ( ** )

COMBINED RS/EQ MEETING — SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2006

1) Introduction

1. I love you all so much and am so grateful to serve as your bishop.  You bless my life and the lives of my family members every day.

2) The reason for this talk

1. On August 24, started by scripture study with a prayer
2. Alma 5, came to verse 59, I likened it to myself, and asked a ?
3. Inspiration came, warn your ward about some wolves, many minutes
4. Four wolves, three protections against these wolves
5. What is so great about these? Nothing new? Following the spirit

3) Wolf #1 — Plague of pornography

1. Big difference between a flea and a mouse, Yersinia pestis, etc
2. If I had a Petri dish, etc. If I had a computer,etc.
3. This filth is as addictive as narcotics or other drugs, escalates
4. It destroys everything that is beautiful in our lives, ruins marriages, disqualifies young men from serving missions, from have a temple recommend, from having the spirit in one’s life.
5. Right now, today — I have not, I will not, just like the WOW
6. Movies contain soft or hard pornography, beware

4) Wolf #2 — Curse of complacency

1. There is no middle ground in the gospel, we are either progressing toward God or withdrawing from Him, no plateaus, moving forward require effort, moving away requires no effort at all, just do nothing
2. Those who are struggling with uncertainty, lack of commitment, satisfaction with where we are, discouragement, transgression, etc by definition there is a degree of complacency in our life.  Priorities, strong-willed effort
3. Older members of the ward, be patient; newer members, listen up
4. Seven things that will absolutely keep our eye on the Savior

1) Scriptures – FEAST, every day, long enough, begin with prayer, inspired no matter what you are reading
2) Prayer – INTENT, long enough, twice daily, don’t hang up, specifics, think before you pray
3) Fast – PURPOSE, youth vs. us, every month, a true fast, chore?
4) Service – SELFLESS, callings magnify, Savior doing good, unplanned, HTing, VTing (bedrock, health of ward, numbers?)
5) Tithing – FULL, not temporal, not money – heart
6) Temple – COVENANTS – pinnacle, current recommend, monthly, today I will not do anything that will jeopardize
7) Meetings – WORSHIP  5 required, reverence

5) Wolf #3 – Irony of Intimacy – listen to a true story, none of you know who this story deals with

A recently returned missionary became involved with a young woman and their relationship turned physical very quickly.  Despite their inappropriate activity, they decided to get married and to get married in the temple.  After they were engaged, there physical involvement escalated, and they were sexually intimate.  They felt bad and decided to pray for forgiveness.  After the prayer, the RM told his fiancée that they were forgiven and clean, and that they would be able to go to the temple.  The young woman didn’t feel right about this, as she felt unworthy.  The RM assured her that they were forgiven because of their prayer.  He also told her that he had several friends that had done the same thing and had gone through the temple anyway.  Nothing bad happened to them, so it must be OK to do so.  He stated that his friends lied to their bishops, had a temple marriage, waited for about one year, and then told their married-ward bishops about the sexual sin that had occurred before their marriage.  His friends had told the RM that “our bishops seemed fine with this”.  He also told his fiancée that bishops don’t really need to be involved because confession is made to the Lord.  Plus, some bishops would make a couple wait a year before going to the temple, and that would not be good for their relationship.  Their parents would then ask questions, delays would be necessary, and their relationship might be destroyed.  He told her that in the interview for her temple recommend, she should simply not say anything about what happened, and if the bishop asked if they had been intimate, that she should just say no.  He told her that that would be ok because after they went through the temple they could work through their repentance together.  After all, wasn’t the purpose of the temple to bring people closer to the Lord?

1. I know you think I made this up. Even sadder – young woman was a convert
2. Extreme example, but this is a variation on a common theme – Irony of Intimacy
3. By stepping across the line of appropriateness, you automatically eliminate the most important aspect of any meaningful relationship – the spirit!
4. Now you are on your own, making important decisions about the most important decision of your life based on the arm of flesh, without the spirit!  Irony?
5. What is done in the name of love drives away love, and clouds the decisions that require the spirit for successful outcomes!
6. Participation in sexually stimulating behavior before marriage introduces doubt, uncertainty, hesitancy, distrust.  So many sweet relationships have been soured by indiscretion.
7. This irony is beautifully pointed out in the scriptures – Alma 38:12
8. Role play with Susan – I hope you know…- Very excited about…- You are so attractive to me in every way, spiritually, physically, emotionally, family, etc…- You are so attractive..feel a need to keep the physical aspect of our relationship        tightly reined.  Cloud the..  Please don’t view this.. uncertainty, hesitancy, or that I am not attracted to you.  Just the opposite..  The ultimate expression of how much I respect you, your values, our relationship.
9. I would like to see the hands of any young woman in this room that would be put off by or disappointed in a young man with the courage and the faith to say…
10. I would like to see the hand of a young man that..square, old fashioned, unrealistic, I’ll be viewed as preachy, arrogant, weird, churchy
11. But bishop, “How can I know if I love him if we don’t share at least some degree of intimacy?  Expression of love?”
12. I would ask “ How can..if you DO share..” Let unchecked, it consumes
13. Nothing is gained by intimacy, doesn’t enhance relationships, you don’t need to do these things to find out if your attracted to someone
14. You’re saying, Get a life, Bishop. You’re living in the Stone Age. No one is this conservative.   Page 27, page 25, page 3 TTTF!
15. I am here to tell you that there are young couples that are doing things the Lord’s way and they will be eternally blessed for it.  I even received permission from one such couple to use their names.  I chose them because almost everyone in the        room knows them.  Peter and Kathleen.  Clean, pure, crossed no lines, set goals, committed.  Do you think their relationship suffered because they bridled their passions?  Did they miss something?  I had the privilege of interviewing them for…no staring at the floor, no shuffling of feet, no wringing of the hands.  Heads erect, image of Christ engraven in …Can you imagine how they felt as they walked through the temple doors on the day of their marriage?  Sister Taylor,        myself, Richard.  Can even describe.  DONE IT RIGHT!  Future!
16. What is the irony of intimacy? The world and Lucifer would have us believe that sexual expression before marriage is normal, natural, and desirable, but the irony is that inappropriate intimacy drives away the very things that one would hope for in a LDS relationship.  The spirit, trust, devotion, closeness, love.  It stains and discolors a relationship, it does not enhance or build or strengthen.  This is a wolf of the most darkest and most sinister nature.

6) Raccoon #1 – Closed circles

1. If we all make our circles large enough, this ward will be one big circle with every single one of us inside the circle
2. Our ward is unique – just our stake, high school together, wards together, already have friends, very comfortable
3. Enlarge our circles, make a real effort to include, to build, to reach out
4. How? Make new friends? How? Get to know? Vera – bagpipes.  Katie B – scrapbooker.  Aaron W – grad arch.  Aaron S – log furniture.  Maline – India.  Sister T – rabid U of U fan.  Knowing these things is the end.  The end is friendship, beautiful byproduct of caring.
5. HT and VT foundation
6. Every member of this ward fits in one of two categories – my friend, soon-to-be my friend.
7. New member introduced. Surrounded by and smothered by new friends.
8. No member should feel lonely, left out, friendless
9. 1 John 4:21 – He who loves God loves his brother also.
10. Helaman 6:3 – The people had great joy because of the church of God which had been established among them, and they did fellowship one with another, and did rejoice one with another, and did have great joy one with another.
11. You have been wonderful in the past, be wonderful in the future. Lots of new members
12. Enhance a new friendship every Sunday. FHE, activities, institute, enrichment.
13. Alisa Sorenson

7) Defense mechanism #1 – Advantage of armor D&C 27, Ephesians 6

1. a) Loins girt about with truth
2. b) Feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace (warrior without shoes)
3. c) Breastplate of righteousness, vital organs, more than free of sin, complete immersio
4. d) Helmet of salvation , salvation in Christ, brain, thoughts, Look unto me in every
5. e) Shield of faith, faith in Christ, fend off every dart, every blow, every temptation
6. f) Sword of the spirit, or the word of god,  Scriptures, prophet, leaders.

8) Defense mechanism #2 – Strength of sacrament (3 covenants)

1. a) How can we err if we live by our sacrament covenants?
2. b) Always remember Him – he occupies my thoughts, my actions, my words
3. c) Take upon ourselves His name – in his family, watch me and you watch Jesus
4. d) Keep his commandments – at all times, in all things, in all places, witness

9) Force of faith

1. Believe in yourselves, chosen generation, royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people.  Shout the praises of Him who has called you forth out of darkness and into his marvelous light.
2. You are the future of this church. The mantles will soon be on your shoulders. Don’t waste even one day, living without the spirit.  This life is the time to prepare to meet God,  Today is the day to prepare to be an instrument in His hand.

10) Testimony