Good Afternoon!
This post is just to update those were unable to be at church this past Sunday and missed the wonderful lessons and talks that were given.
In Relief Society, Sister Daphane Reynolds gave a wonderful lesson out of the Gospel Principles book on The Gathering of the House of Israel. We know that the gathering of Israel is actually happening today and will continue to happen whether we want to be apart of it or not because this is apart of the Lord's plan. The Lord promised that His covenant people will be gathered someday; "I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries whither I have driven them." (Jeremiah 23:3) God gathers his children through missionary work. The power and authority to direct the work of gathering the house of Israel was given to the Prophet Joseph Smith by the prophet Moses, who appeared in 1836 in the Kirtland Temple. (See Doc. & Cov. 110:11).
All of us are apart of the House of Israel whether we are actual descendants or adopted into a tribe. But how wonderful is it to know that our Heavenly Father loves us so much that he has provided a way for all of us to be together as an eternal family because that's exactly what we are, a Family, we are all brothers and sisters with a loving and caring Heavenly Father. The Israelites will be gathered both Spiritually and physically. First spiritually as they join The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and make and keep sacred covenants. The physical gathering of Israel will not be complete until the Second Coming of the Savior and then on into the Millennium.
(Link to Lesson) http://lds.org/manual/gospel-principles/chapter-42-the-gathering-of-the-house-of-israel?lang=eng
This coming Sunday Sister Kathy Hollett will be providing the lesson. It will be based on Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf's past General Conference talk "Waiting on the Road to Damasus"Awesome talk by the way and I hope that you take the time to review it.
(Link to Talk) http://lds.org/general-conference/2011/04/waiting-on-the-road-to-damascus?lang=eng&query=*+(collection%3a%22general-conference%22)
I felt impressed to also share what was presented in Sacrament Meeting this past Sunday as well. We were blessed to listen to Bramwell and Elizabeth Tew. They both gave wonderful talks on prayer. We know that prayer is direct communication with our Heavenly Father. He loves us so much and wants for us to pray to him everyday and to offer up our concerns. Are we being sincere enough in our prayers? Are we being repetitious in what we say or are we truly expressing our feelings and concerns to our Father in Heaven? Talk to Him, poor our your thoughts, He knows our fears and doubts but He wants us to express them toward Him.
Elizabeth Tew presented this quote by Elder Wirthlin and exercised a challenge to us from the questions at the end of the quote:
August 2004
Improving Our Prayers
Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin
Every person on the earth today lived at one time in heavenly realms. We walked with our Heavenly Father. We knew Him. We heard His voice. We loved Him. And although we were eager to enter mortality and continue our progression, we must have regretted the separation that would accompany it. We must have sorrowed that a veil would cover our eyes and the bright memories of our lives would be cloaked in the forgetfulness of mortality. How we must have yearned to stay close to our Father in Heaven. How we must have covenanted to ever reach after Him and commune with Him.
Undoubtedly our separation from our Heavenly Father was softened when He promised that as we sought after Him in prayer, He would reach toward us.
Have you considered the effectiveness of your prayers, your efforts to reach toward Him from this mortal life? How close do you feel to your Heavenly Father? Do you feel that your prayers are answered? Do you feel that the time you spend in prayer enriches and uplifts your soul? Is there room for improvement?
Random Fact: The first president to have a cat in the White House was Abraham Lincoln.
