Brothers and Sisters, I hope you have been doing well this past month and that your families are staying safe. I know many of us including my own family have been having to endure unique health challenges which we did not have to endure before which have made life more difficult for us. It has been a challenging time for all of us as we have been restricted in attending Church and most especially from attending the Holy Temple during the past four months or so. I hope you are all continuing to enjoy the sweet Spirit that comes from holding Church at Home.

This week the Gospel Doctrine lesson is on Alma 30-31 which is titled “The Virtue of the Word of God.” Alma testified of the powerful effect of the word of God. One of my favorite scriptures is in Helaman 5:17-18 and 51-52 where it talks about how Nephi did speak with such great power and authority to the Lamanites, who were the enemies of the Nephites and had captured and occupied half of the lands of the Nephites in war, that they were converted to the Lord by the power of the word of God and gave up the lands of the Nephites and made peace with them. That is the power of the word of God to change lives and convert individual souls to Christ, convert enemies to friends and replace wars with peace.

In Alma 30, it talks about an anti-Christ named Korihor who tried to deceive as many Nephites as he could to apostatize from the Church. We are taught that an anti-Christ is someone who preaches a counterfeit to the true Gospel or plan of salvation and that openly or secretly works in opposition to our beloved Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. That is how Satan works to deceive us by setting himself up as a counterfeit to God and his teachings. Sister Julie Beck, former Relief Society General President taught that “Any doctrine or principle we hear from the world that is anti-family is also anti-Christ.

This chapter states that Korihor taught the same teachings as Nehor and not only denied that Christ would come to atone for the sins of the world but denied the very existence of God. Korihor taught that there was no such thing as sin leading many of the Nephites to commit sexual sins in the belief that when we die there was no afterlife and no God to judge us for our sins. Eventually, Korihor was bound and brought before Alma, who was the High Priest or leader of the Church, and also before Nephihah who was the Chief Judge to be judged for his crimes. Korihor told Alma that unless he showed him a sign he would not believe in Christ. Alma responded that all of the Holy Scriptures and Earth and all things upon it testified that there is a Supreme Creator. He then told Korihor that if he denied the existence of God again, he would be struck dumb which he was. Korihor then wrote that he always knew there was a God but he was deceived by the devil who appeared to him in the form of an angel to preach to the people that there was no God. After he was struck dumb, Korihor was forced to go from house to house begging for food and subsequently was trampled to death by the Zoramites showing that the Devil does not support his followers but instead drags them down to Hell.

I was recently contacted by a former member of my ward who called me to ask me what we can do as individuals to combat the ‘doom and gloom’ on social media that are saying the prophecies for the End Times for our nation and the world are set and that there is nothing we can do to change them. He asked me as someone who has served as a political party leader, who has spent much of my life studying how to solve national and world problems, what I think we can do to make a difference at this time of crisis, when we are suffering from the pandemic, a major economic recession and violent rioters seeking to overthrow our freedoms to help save our nation. I told him that I have always been a believer in the power of individuals to make a difference for good but that the most important thing we could do to try to stay the judgments on our nation is to first save ourselves, then our family and then everyone we know by preaching the word of God and converting them to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. There is nothing more important that we can do.

In Alma 31:5, it states that “the preaching of the word (of God) had a great tendency to lead the people to do that which was just, yet it had had more powerful effect upon the minds of the people than the sword or anything else.” Studying the Holy Scriptures and heeding the words of the Prophet and the other General Officers of the Church will help us discern truth from error on various issues of contention and concern in our time. The Book of Mormon in particular stands as a guide and an answer to what we should do in our lives today. My favorite modern-day Prophet, President Ezra Taft Benson taught that the Book of Mormon can fortify us against “the evil designs, strategies and doctrines of the devil in our day. The type of apostates in the Book of Mormon are similar to the type we have today. God, with His infinite foreknowledge so molded the Book of Mormon that we might see the error and know how to combat false educational, political, religious and philosophical concepts of our time.”

The Book of Mormon helps us resist the influence of modern-day anti-Christs who preach that the leaders of the Church are deceived and that God’s standard of absolute morality are outdated and must be modified and adapted to the world’s teachings to embrace and even be proud of those who engage in gross immorality which serve as Satan’s counterfeit to God’s laws. The world teaches us that we must abandon our support for traditional marriage between one man and one woman and that families and marriage should be defined anyway individuals want them to be. The world teaches morality is relative rather than absolute morality and that the greatest sin is intolerance of the immoral choices and lifestyles of others. Modern-day secular humanists, such as Communists in China and North Korea, teach there is no God but the all-powerful State and its leaders and that we should worship and obey them not God.

The Lord has declared great and terrible judgments upon the wicked but He has also promised to be merciful to those who love Him and are diligent in keeping His commandments and being strictly obedient to the counsel of the living Prophet. I continue to see misguided friends posting on social media that Church leaders are being deceived on one issue or another and that they are not supporting freedom like Captain Moroni did and therefore they feel justified in ignoring their inspired counsel because they believe they know more and receive more revelation than Church leaders. Nothing could be further from the truth. The Lord leads His Church and reveals His will for us through the Prophet and other general officers of the Church. We have been promised that He will never allow the Prophet to lead us astray. Therefore, we must humble ourselves to accept and obedient to the counsel of the Lord’s anointed Church leaders if we have hope to be saved in the Celestial Kingdom of God and reap the rewards of eternal joy and happiness.

In Alma 31, there is an account of Alma’s preachings unto the Zoramites. Alma taught that God’s word has the power to lead people to righteousness. The leader of the Zoramites, whose name was Zoram taught his people to worship idols rather than God. Alma feared that the Zoramites might dissent away to the Lamanites and join them in military aggression against the people of Nephi. The Zoramites went up to a place called Rameumpton and all prayed the same prayer which denied the existence and divine mission of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. The Zoramites were focused on the accumulation of the riches of the world and were filled with the pride of their hearts, which we have been taught is the foundation of sin.

Alma took the sons of Mosiah along with his sons Shiblon and Corianton to preach the Gospel of repentance to them to convince them of the errors of their ways. This scripture states that Alma blessed them and they were filled with the Holy Spirit. It also says that “the Lord provided for them that they should hunger not, neither should they thirst and also gave them strength, that they should suffer no manner of afflictions, save it were swallowed up in the joy of Christ” because Alma prayed in faith This is a wonderful scripture that gives us greater hope and faith that at this time in our individual tribulations relating to the pandemic, health issues, finances and other trials, if we pray in faith, the Lord can alleviate our afflictions as well and bless us with His Holy Spirit of peace, comfort and physical, spiritual and emotional healing especially for our noble children now serving on missions. I pray that it might be so in the Holy name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Message by Brother David Pyne

Good Morning Brothers and Sisters! 

Happy Independence Day weekend!  I hope that you have all recovered from one impressive Firework show last night!  It was wonderful to meet with a few of you last week for Sacrament meeting.  Sacrament meeting definitely filled a hole inside of me that I have been missing.  I look forward to when we will be able to meet together again.  I don’t have a specific story to tell this week, so I am touching on some of the scripture passages from this week’s readings that I found meaningful. 

The story of the Anti-Nephi-Lehies is one of the most beloved in the Book of Mormon.  We often recite the end of the story with the 2000 Stripling Warriors marching into battle with Helaman.   I am grateful that our lesson this week focuses on the events of the parents of these young men who created an environment in their families to develop strong, valiant and brave children. 

Alma 23:  1-4.  I find it interesting that the first thing that the King of the Lamanites does when he is converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ is to proclaim religious freedom to his kingdom.  The king did protect Ammon and his brothers from harm and did allow Ammon unfiltered access to the people to preach freely.  However, the Lamanites were still given a choice on how they wanted to believe. We were just having a conversation in the car yesterday about tolerance and freedom.  I thought of the 11^th Article of Faith, “We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may.”  We do not have to look far in our current world situations to find examples where religious freedom (or any kind of belief) is not socially acceptable.  If your belief does not match what the world says it should, you could lose your job, your friends and your family to be made a public example.  The King of the Lamanites should teach us that when we are truly converted unto the Lord, we are not afraid to allow others to think differently than we do.  We can do all that we can to teach others about our beliefs but we teach with the Spirit.  We teach with kindness and love.  We teach and allow others to make their own choice.  Converted disciples are an example of the Savior in word and in action.

Alma 23:6-7; 24.  “…as many of the Lamanites as believed in their preaching, and were converted unto the Lord, never did fall away.  For they became a righteous people; they did lay down the weapons of their rebellion, that they did not fight against God any more, neither against any of their brethren.”  For some reason, when I read this passage this time, the order of the words made an impression on me.  When I read that the Lamanites, “… did lay down the weapons of their rebellion, that they did not fight against God any more”, it signified to me a spiritual change.  We know the Lamanites physically buried their weapons in the ground but they buried everything that kept them from God.  As I read these scriptures, the word “Conviction” kept coming to mind.  I feel that I am strong about certain things.  Some issues are not even a temptation for me.  However, there are things that I can rationalize about and say that they are not really a big deal.  Anything that keeps us from God should be considered a weapon of our rebellion and should be buried.  “Conversion means changing and becoming a new person through the power of God.”  Spencer W. Kimball said, “In abandoning sin one cannot merely wish for better conditions…He must be certain not only that he has abandoned the sin but that he has changed the situations surrounding the sin.  He should avoid places and conditions and circumstances where the sin occurred, for these could most readily breed it again.  He must abandon the people with whom the sin was committed.  He may not hate the persons involved but he must avoid them and everything associated with the sin.”  Elder Jeffrey R Holland said, “It takes exactly as long to repent as it takes you to say, “I’ll change” and mean it.  Of course there will be problems to work out and restitutions to make.  You may well spend – indeed you had better spend- the rest of your life proving your repentance by its permanence”.  We can see the strength that this group of Anti-Nephi-Lehies had in their conviction to the gospel of Jesus Christ.  They drew strength from overcoming their past, strength from a hope in their future and strength from supporting each other.

Alma 26:15; 29.  “…and we have been instruments in his hands.”  I love reading in Chapter 26 – Ammon and Chapter 29 – Alma, about the testimonies of these great men.  These men had a past that wasn’t in harmony with the gospel.  They buried the weapons of their rebellion and were truly converted unto the Lord.  They spent the rest of their lives preaching the gospel and seeing others lives change because of the truth they had found.  Not only did Ammon and Alma see people change but the tide of the belief of generations turned and was brought back to the teachings of truth.  Ammon and Alma saw things happen by the power of God that everyone said would never happen.  Alma 29:10, “And behold, when I see many of my brethren truly penitent, and coming to the Lord their God, then is my soul filled with joy; then do I remember what the Lord has done for me, yea, even that he has heard my prayer; yea, then do I remember his merciful arm which he extended towards me.”  This is true everlasting, eternal joy.

I hope that as we have read these scripture passages this week that we have been reminded of some of our weapons of our rebellion.  I hope that we will make a stronger resolve (with more conviction) to follow the Savior with more exactness.  We are building strong families not that are free from mistakes but who know how to overcome weakness, sin and rebellion with gratitude, humility and love. 

Brothers and Sisters, I am grateful for the gospel.  I love the Book of Mormon.  I love my Savior and know that I am a daughter of Heavenly Father.  I am so grateful for families for the teaching, healing and strengthening power that they can provide.

Enjoy your week!   The war chapters are coming.  I hope that you have fortified your defenses!

Sister Rooley

ORANGE – Restriction Level

Under the direction of the First Presidency and our Stake Presidency, Sacrament Meeting will resume on a limited basis, as per Bishop Harwood’s emails on June 1st & 5th.

We will meet once a month, on the 4th Sunday.

We will hold SACRAMENT MEETING only.

There will be no 2nd hour.

We have created a special page for the Phase:1 Back to Church phase, as there is a good amount of information. Please click the link below for further instructions!

Brothers and Sisters, I hope you have had a good week this past week and that you and your family are feeling well and staying safe during this difficult time. With all that has been happening, I was excited to hear the news that monthly Sacrament meetings will be resuming later this month! The Come Follow Me Lesson for this Sunday is Alma 8-12. I love the title of this lesson that our beloved Lord and Savior Jesus Christ would come to atone for our sins.

In Alma 8, we learn that our efforts to share the Gospel may require persistence and patience. While in High School, I had the missionary lessons taught to at least three of my friends but sadly not one of them chose to be baptized although one came close to doing so. Those of us who have served missions have learned this first hand. Missionary work involves a lot of rejection but it only makes our missionary successes and baptisms that much sweeter. As I have sought to share the Gospel with family members who are less active I have struggled to know what to say to try to share it in a way that they don’t feel judged or offended. Even Alma, who was the leader of the Lord’s Church in his time, experienced this rejection when he tried to preach the Gospel to the people of the wicked city of Ammonihah but the Lord sent an Angel to comfort him and tell him to return to the city where he met Amulek. The Angel told him that the people of Ammonihah were studying how to destroy the liberty of the Nephites, just as we have been warned in Ether 8:22-25 that secret combinations are doing in our own land today, and that if they did not repent of their sins they would be destroyed. Alma and Amulek were then given power to break their bands in prison and to prophesy unto the people with great power and authority from God.

Alma 8-9 teaches us the importance of our responsibility to do everything we can to help the full-time missionaries with referrals to teach our friends, family members and neighbors so that they can enjoy the same blessings that we do as active members of the Lord’s restored Church here on Earth. With all the restrictions on proselyting due to the pandemic, I believe they need our help now more than ever. We don’t need to be called as full-time or ward missionaries to do missionary work. We can do so as member-missionaries. Sometimes it takes courage to take a stand and defend the Gospel from others who might ridicule our Church, Church leaders and Church teachings, particularly those relating to morality and the family, and persecute us for believing in the absolute truths which the Savior taught during his sojourn here on Earth. On this matter, Elder Holland has counseled, “Friends, especially my young friends, take heart. Pure Christlike love flowing from true righteousness can change the world…Be strong. Live the gospel faithfully even if others around you don’t live it at all. Defend your beliefs with courtesy and compassion but defend them.” We have been especially proud of our daughters who have refused to cave to peer pressure and have chosen to reject the counterfeit moral teachings of the world even when most of their friends have accepted them, in opposition to Church teachings.

Alma 9 teaches that God judges His children according to the light and knowledge he has blessed us with. Alma 9:18-30 talks about how the Nephites would be cursed to destruction if they did not repent of their sins because of all the blessings the Lord had given them. Nevertheless, we are taught that salvation is an individual matter and regardless of the fate of our respective countries which are to be cleansed of most of the wicked before the Lord’s Second Coming, if we are righteous the Lord will ensure our deliverance if not in this life than in the Eternities. This teaches the importance of always guarding against personal apostasy to ensure that we do not lose the Lord’s blessings of spiritual and physical protection for ourselves and our families.

Alma 11-12 teaches us about God’s plan of redemption for His spirit children here on Earth. Jesus taught that only the penitent reap the full blessings of his Atonement and for those who reject Him and refuse to repent it is as if no Atonement had been made and they will have to suffer in Spirit Prison for their sins. In Alma 11: 39-40, it says that the Lord “shall take upon him the transgressions of those who believe on his name…Therefore the wicked remain as though there had been no redemption made except it be the loosing of the bands of death.” Though the Atonement of Jesus Christ all mankind receives the gift of immortality and resurrection and all but a few who live on this earth will be redeemed to a Heavenly Kingdom of Glory after Judgment Day. In Alma 11, we learn that when we are resurrected we will be resurrected to the same spirit we had in this life whether wicked or righteous to be judged according to our works.

I love the story of Zeezrom, who like Alma the Younger was a wicked man and an enemy of God early in life, but then in Alma 15 (in the next lesson) repented of his sins and served a full-time missionary with Alma. Their stories cause me to rejoice in the tender mercies of the Lord Jesus Christ and His atonement. They help me increase in my faith and truth in the Lord that all of us and our family members who might be less active and not keeping the commandments at this time might also be redeemed and forgiven of their sins if they but turn back to the Lord once more and repent of their sins.

In Alma 11, Alma teaches Zeezrom that there is only one God. The scriptures teach that the members of the Godhead, Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost, are “one God” while still being separate beings because they are one and united in purpose. Similarly, the Lord has commanded us as members of our families and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints to be one and united in purpose. Over the past couple of weeks, our nation has been racked by violent riots, sparked by racial strife and division, whose most extreme perpetrators have sought to burn down our cities, overthrow law and order, allow violent criminals to go unpunished, incite civil war and ultimately to overthrow our God-given constitutional republic. The following Church video teaches the importance of emphasizing our unity and common divine heritage as sons and daughters of a loving God:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxS89yZtAmM

Our beloved Prophet, President Russell M. Nelson, recently provided a beautifully-worded statement in condemnation of all racism and prejudice as well as all acts of violence and unrest. The Prophet has called for unity and peace and an end to racial division in the realization that, regardless of skin color, we are all spiritual brothers and sisters of equal worth before God. The Church has taught that each of us have been blessed with the divine potential to become like our Heavenly Parents, regardless of our racial origins. https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/president-nelson-shares-social-post-encouraging-understanding-and-civility

The Second Article of Faith states “We believe that men will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam’s transgression.” Here we learn that we are not guilty of crimes or offenses that may or may not have been committed by our ancestors from generations past, but rather will be held responsible before God solely for the individual acts of good and evil which we commit. I believe that is why racial prejudice and hating or resenting people because of their race, skin color or national origin has always been so wrong and so offensive to God because it is contrary to the Plan of Salvation and helps enable the Adversary to deceive us into denying our individual responsibility for our own sins and mistakes. At this time of increased racial division, hatred and strife, may we fast and pray that we may be filled with God’s love, increased compassion and greater understanding for others, particularly those of other races as the Prophet has urged us to do. As we strive to implement the Lord’s commandment to “love thy neighbor as thyself” by loving and serving others, may we be filled with increased happiness and joy and find more fulfillment while the Lord helps our individual trials and tribulations to be lightened and our sufferings to be eased.

In this life, as in the pre-existence, God has blessed us with the freedom to choose good from evil and thus it is we who get to choose our own eternal outcome in terms of what Heavenly Kingdom of Glory we inherit. As President Monson stated, our “decisions determine (our) destiny.” Then as now, we have the choice to follow and serve God or Satan by faithfully keeping the Lord’s commandments or rebelling against them. If we choose the right, we are promised the blessing of enjoying the tender mercies of the Lord’s Atonement and receiving forgiveness for our sins but, if we do not then we are taught that we will be exposed to the demands of God’s justice and the mercies of the Lord’s Atonement will have no claim upon us.

In Alma 12:9-14, we learn that if we do not harden our hearts we can receive more of the word of God. As we strive to be diligent in keeping the Lord’s commandments and studying the Holy Scriptures, the Lord will bless us with greater understanding of Church doctrine and spiritual truths as he has done in the past with Church leaders past and present. We have been taught that the unrighteous choices of those who have apostatized from His Church cause them to lose the Spirit of discernment and enable the Adversary to cause them to forget the plain and precious Gospel truths that they once understood. The more we choose the right, the more of the Spirit of the Lord can abide with us and give us increased light and truth. If we choose wickedness the more blinded we become to the importance of God’s laws particularly those concerning the importance of morality and keeping ourselves virtuous and pure in our thoughts, words and actions, which are key to enabling us to increase in our individual faith and spiritual power.

As Church members we strive for a greater Celestial inheritance and have the hope and faith of one day being sealed to our families throughout all eternities and inheriting all that our Heavenly Parents have. While we have been warned of the extremely trying and difficult times to come as the Lord commences to pour out His righteous judgments upon the wicked, we can rejoice in the fact that we have been told by Church leaders that we are living at a time when most of us will live to witness the glorious Second Coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and live to see the Earth transformed into its Millennial glory in the flesh. We have been promised that the Millennium will be a time of unparalleled peace without temptation or sin where all of our mental and physical disabilities, sicknesses and sufferings, which we have previously experienced, will be done away. With all my heart, I look forward to that blessed day!

I am so grateful to have been blessed not to have been born into the Church but to have been raised in the Church from a young age so that I might know the commandments of the Lord so I can keep them. I am especially grateful for being blessed with the knowledge of my Temple Covenants so I could keep them. I love the Book of Mormon and I know that it was written for us in our time to help guide us to follow the Savior and be obedient to His commandments. I pray that we might be inspired in the coming weeks to know who to share the Gospel with so that they might have this great knowledge and blessings in their lives as well.

Brother Pyne

Hello friends and neighbors,

It is good to have this opportunity to share a brief message with you.   In the readings for this week (Alma 5-7), Alma the Younger declares a powerful testimony throughout the land of Jesus Christ and the power of repentance and change.  

In Alma 5:14, Alma utters some simple yet profound questions to his people, questions that are every bit as important today for each of us to think about.  He asks “And now behold, I ask of you, my brethren of the church, have ye spiritually been born of God? Have ye received his image in your countenances? Have ye experienced this mighty change in your hearts?”

In a 2009 general conference address, Elder Dale G. Renlund, a former cardiologist, talked about a change of heart (a heart transplant) that has been performed many times since the first successful operation in 1967.  This amazing physical process can “prolong life for years for people who would otherwise die from heart failure.”[i]  However, Elder Renlund explained that as incredible as this procedure is, there is another “ultimate operation” on the heart.  “The ultimate operation is not a physical but a spiritual “mighty change” of heart (i.e. the change that Alma inquired about of his people and to each of us).   Elder Renlund goes on to say “Through the Atonement of Christ and by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the gospel, we undergo this ultimate operation, this spiritual change of heart. As a result of our transgressions, our spiritual hearts have become diseased and hardened, making us subject to spiritual death and separation from our Heavenly Father. The Lord explained the operation that we all need: A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.”

Brothers and sisters, I challenge each of us, if we haven’t already done so, to ponder Alma’s questions in our own mind and hearts this upcoming week.  While our transgression may seem small and may even seem insignificant, without a change through the cleansing power of repentance we cannot be as close to our Heavenly Father, His Son, and the Holy Ghost as we would like.  We all need to continually make the necessary adjustments of heart that will lead us closer to and eventually back to our heavenly home.

Have a wonderful week and hopefully we see you soon.

Brother Mark Stewart

[i] Preserving the Heart’s Mighty Change”  Elder Dale G. Renlund.  October 2009 General Conference.

HOURS – Tuesday – Saturday 9:00a – 5:00p

West Jordan Deseret Industries is now open. Note: Other stores may open on different days.

Store hours will be limited to Tuesday-Saturday from 9:00 am.-5:00 pm.

There will no areas open for drop-offs without an appointment.

To schedule a drop-off appointment, or find out about other locations, please visit the link below.

Brothers and Sisters, I hope you have had a good week this past week and that you and your family are continuing to do well at this trying time for our country and the world. The Come Follow Me Lesson for this Sunday is Mosiah 29-Alma 4. A couple weeks ago I was feeling down and prayed for ideas for ways I could better serve others through Christlike service at this time. I invite you all to pray and think of ways and opportunities that you can serve both loved ones and those you may not know who may be in need during the coming week.

The story of Captain Gideon, who led a rebellion to liberate his people against wicked King Noah, served as righteous King Limhi’s Chief Captain and then subsequently used the word of God to refute the teachings of an anti-Christ whose name was Nehor in Alma 1:2-9 has always been inspiring to me. Nehor sought to destroy the Church teaching that men and women had no need to repent of their sins but that they would all be saved and have eternal life much as other churches that our founded on worldly teachings and values rather than on the plain and precious truths of the Gospel as taught in the Holy Scriptures, teach today. Nehor’s motivation was the glory of men whereas Gideon’s motivation was the glory of God. Gideon subsequently gave his life in defense of the Gospel, being slain by Nehor. Similarly, as members of the Lord’s Restored Church on Earth we should be willing to consecrate our lives in defense of the Lord’s Church and to do everything we can to establish His Kingdom here on Earth.

In our day, as in times of old, there are many voices inspired by the Adversary, counseling us that the Church, its leaders and its teachings are somehow ‘outdated’ and ‘outmoded’ and must be changed and modified to account for the ever-changing ‘values’ of the world. They teach that we must not merely accept, but praise and take pride in the sins of others and that we must never judge or be critical of those who engage in immoral lifestyle choices no matter how much they are in opposition to Church teachings and no matter how much they set at naught the commandments of the Lord. Others teach that criminal acts of violence and mayhem are justified in furtherance of so-called ‘social justice’ and that the killing of tens of millions of innocent babies in our own country is to be celebrated as an expression of ‘the right to choose.’ Many churches teach that as long as we are ‘born again’ we will automatically be forgiven of all of our sins, no matter how great, that we may commit after we accept Jesus as our personal Savior and that we are saved by grace, not by works. Others teach that there is no Hell and no Devil. This is one of the main tactics the Adversary uses to deceive men and women into committing sin that he doesn’t exist and thus we can all sin with impunity as no one will ever be punished for their crimes against the laws of God, denying the necessity of the Atonement of our beloved Savior Jesus Christ in the process.

What happens when the people choose wickedness? In Mosiah 29:27, it warns “And if the time comes that the voice of the people doth choose iniquity, then is the time that the judgments of God will come upon you; yea, then is the time he will visit you with great destruction even as he has hitherto visited this land.” Can anyone of us say that the majority of our people and the people of the world have not chosen wickedness? Church leaders have taught that the righteous judgments of a just God will be poured out upon our nation if our citizens do not repent. The best protection we have as individuals and families against the coming travails prophesied by both ancient and modern-day Prophets is to more strictly abide by the commandments of the Lord and seek to more diligently do His will every day of our lives. We can also find great protection, both spiritual and physical, in keeping the sacred covenants we made with Heavenly Father both when we were baptized, which we renew when we partake of the Sacrament, and in the Holy Temple.

In Alma 2:1-7, it talks about a wicked man named Amlici who led a rebellion against the Nephite government, which was led by righteous leaders committed to the cause of freedom, in an attempt to replace their republican form of government with a monarchy led by him. The scriptures say that Amlici sought to be King to accomplish the desires of Satan to deprive the people of their rights of worship and destroy the Church of God which had been established by Alma the Elder. Thankfully, the majority of the Nephite people voted to preserve their free republic which was then led by the President of the Church, Alma the Younger, support righteous laws and oppose Amlici’s bid to overturn their free system of government.

In Alma 2, we read about how after Amlici was rejected by the people, he was appointed king by his wicked followers and conspired with the Lamanites to join with their armies in an attempt to overthrow the freedom of the land. In Alma 3, it says the Amlicites marked their foreheads with a red mark to distinguish themselves from the righteous Nephites. Here we learn that every person is responsible for his or her individual sins and brings upon them their own punishment if they do not repent and avail themselves of the Atonement of Jesus Christ and that everyone is judged based upon their individual life choices be they good or evil, rather than being held responsible for the sins and transgressors of their ancestors. As the leader of both the Church and government, Alma the Younger led the Nephites in battle and the Lord strengthened the Nephites in answer to their prayers to defeat the much numerically superior combined Lamanite-Amlicite armies. Similarly, even when our life struggles, trials and tribulations seem unsurmountable, if we exercise our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ in humble prayer, the Lord will bless us to overcome our trials and tribulations and ease or remove our suffering.

While we do not currently enjoy the blessing of living in a country led by our beloved Prophet today as the Nephites did at that time, we have been instructed by the Lord and modern-day Prophets in D&C 98:10 that we should seek to elect leaders who are “honest, honorable and wise” just as the Nephites did in their time. It reads, “Wherefore, honest men and wise men should be sought for diligently, and good men and wise men ye should observe to uphold; otherwise whatsoever is less than these cometh of evil.” In a time of such great wickedness in our own land and the world, the importance of us doing so cannot be overstated. For those of you who might be interested in reading more about the Church’s teachings in this matter, I have attached a copy of a recent talk (included in an email to you) I was asked by the Bishop to give on “Patriotism and the Constitution” last summer.

In Alma 1:19-30 and 4:6-15 we learn that the sin of pride can cause us to fail in our spiritual progress. These scriptures teach us that all men and women are alike and equal before God and that none of us are better than others in His eyes no matter what race, creed or religion and no matter how lowly or impoverished they may be. This is a sacred truth that I believe that it is very important for each and every one of us to understand to see every other person on Earth as a son and daughter of God with equal claim to his tender mercies if they but keep His commandments. No matter how far others may have fallen from keeping God’s laws, they can repent in this life and be cleansed of all sin through the miraculous and incomprehensible power of the Savior’s Atonement. We have also been taught by President Oaks that “some repentance is possible in the Spirit World” enabling those in Spirit Prison to be taught and accept the Gospel and be liberated to go to Paradise and live alongside those who lived righteously here on Earth. As we think of family members who rejected the Gospel in this life and died in their sins, we may exercise hope and faith in Christ that they will repent and accept the Gospel in the Eternal World, perhaps being taught the Gospel by righteous family members. This is further evidence of the boundless and endless mercies of God towards his spirit children in this life and the next.

It is the responsibility of each and every one of us to study the Scriptures and the words of Church leaders so that we might be blessed with the power to discern false teachings and defend the Lord’s Church and His anointed leaders against them just as Captain Gideon did in his time. By so doing, we can strengthen ourselves and our family members against the ever-present threat of personal apostasy which often begins when we are critical of Church leaders or when we choose which of their inspired counsel to accept and reject, pridefully believing that we know better than they do and that we know more than God does and that they are leading us astray on one or more issues or points of doctrine.

We have been repeatedly promised by modern-day Prophets that God will never allow the President of the Church to lead us astray and thus to the extent that we disagree with his counsel we may have a perfect knowledge that it is we who are mistaken and not the Prophet of the Lord. We have been taught by President Ezra Taft Benson and other modern day Prophets that we must become humble and meek before the Lord and abandon all pride so that we may not be deceived. Elder Uchtdorf likened pride to a switch which turns off our spiritual and Priesthood power and our ability to have the Spirit of the Lord to be with us. Without the Holy Spirit, it can be difficult for us to ascertain false doctrine and we can be left more susceptible to being deceived by the Devil into committing sin.

One way that the Adversary tries to lead us astray is by causing us to be offended out of his Church often to pride because of some imagined slight against us by local Church leaders or ward members. If we are not prideful, then we will not be offended by the words or actions of others. We should remember that the organization of the Church is perfect but Church leaders and members are not and that individuals in the Church sometimes make mistakes. The Lord restored His Church to the Earth so that we can perfect ourselves over the course of our lives, one commandment at a time.

As we strive to apply the teachings of this important Book of Mormon lesson into our lives, let us think of ways that we may become more humble, more meek, more Christlike and less prideful in our lives so that we can avoid taking offense and avoid contention and promote peace in our own lives. During the coming week, as we think prayerfully of loved ones, friends and acquaintances to share the Gospel with, let us think of ways we can share our testimonies of the Gospel without appearing judgmental. We can do so by showing our love and compassion for those we share the Gospel with to help ensure they are not offended. I pray that we might do so humbly in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Brother Pyne

Good Morning Friends,

I hope that all of you are safe and well.  It was the highlight of a very difficult week to know that we are getting closer to being able to meet together again.  As I read Mosiah 25:10, I thought of “the immediate goodness of God” that has been present in my life during this pandemic.  I am so grateful for the safety of my family and friends and to have been able to see the hand of God in our lives.  I can’t wait to be able to join with all of you in raising our voices together to give thanks to God for our many blessings.  I guarantee, tears will be shed. 

In Mosiah 26:22, it reads, “For behold, this is my church; whosoever is baptized shall be baptized unto repentance.  And whomsoever ye receive shall believe in my name; and him will I freely forgive.”  The concept of Believing in Christ and being Freely Forgiven is precious.    In business terms, we know that nothing is ever free.  There is always a cost associated with an item.  In verse 23, we read, “For it is I that taketh upon me the sins of the world.”  We know that the price for our sin was paid by Jesus Christ.  It is believing in what Jesus Christ did for us that allows us to redeem forgiveness.  The thoughts that kept running through my mind were, Why is hard for me to freely forgive?  Why am I resistant to believe that people have changed?  Why is it hard for me to forget what others have done to me, when the Lord can forget what I have done to him?

As I read this week, I kept thinking of a talk by Elder Holland, “The Other Prodigal”.  https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2002/04/the-other-prodigal?lang= I relate the parable of the Prodigal Son to sin.  I can relate the father in the story to many parents but especially to Alma the Elder and ultimately, our Father in Heaven.  When the Son (all of us) came to himself (an awareness of our transgressions) he returned to the father (plea for repentance).  The father reacted with joy by killing the fatted calf (offering a sacrifice to God in appreciation).  Alma the Elder “rejoiced” (Mosiah 27:20) when Alma the younger was struck dumb.   We know from the scriptures that Heavenly Father is also pleased and weeps when his children return.  The bond between the Father and the Son in my interpretation of the parable is intimate and sacred as the Father (Heavenly Father) knows what the Son (all of us) has done.  He had already sent his son, Jesus Christ, to pay the debts incurred by his Son (all of us).  The Son (all of us), knows what the Father (Heavenly Father) has done to cover his debts and knows he will never be able to repay the Father (Heavenly Father).  The Father (Heavenly Father) knows the heart of the Son (all of us) and freely forgives the Son (all of us).   

Sin isn’t without consequence.  One of those consequences is the effect it has on other people.  I believe this is why we sometimes find it hard to forgive others.  We feel wronged.  We sometimes act like the other brother in the parable.  My favorite passage in the talk by Elder Holland referring to the other brother is this: “This son is not so much angry that the other has come home as he is angry that his parents are so happy about it. Feeling unappreciated and perhaps more than a little self-pity, this dutiful son—and he is wonderfully dutiful—forgets for a moment that he has never had to know filth or despair, fear or self-loathing. He forgets for a moment that every calf on the ranch is already his and so are all the robes in the closet and every ring in the drawer. He forgets for a moment that his faithfulness has been and always will be rewarded.

No, he who has virtually everything, and who has in his
hardworking, wonderful way earned it, lacks the one thing that might make him
the complete man of the Lord he nearly is. He has yet to come to the compassion
and mercy, the charitable breadth of vision to see that this is not a rival
returning. It is his brother. As his father pled with him to see, it is one who
was dead and now is alive. It is one who was lost and now is found.”

It is important for us to remember when we feel that we have been wronged by someone, that we too have things that we need forgiveness for.  In that wrongful situation, we may not be the offender but we can have compassion as God does with us.  We can have mercy on the person who has known “filth or despair, fear or self-loathing”.  We can freely forgive so that we can find peace.  This process is how both the offender and the person who has been offended can grow and move on in their own personal journey. 

In Elder Uchtdorf’s talk from this
past general conference, he says: “Jesus Christ, the Son of God, died so that
our mistakes might not condemn us and forever halt our progress. Because of
Him, we can repent, and our mistakes can become stepping-stones to greater
glory.”  https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2020/04/54uchtdorf?lang=eng

I am sure that there were times as
Alma the Younger and the Sons of Mosiah went around preaching the gospel that
people remembered them for their past mistakes. 
However, through the Spirit they were able to prove their changed hearts
and convince the people of the truth of their words.  We too may have people in our lives that have
led a different life but are trying to change. 
We can help them by allowing them to grow and progress without our
judgement.  I truly believe that some of
the strongest testimony of truth comes from those who have struggled with a
particular trial.  In Mosiah 27:37, we
read about Alma the Younger and the Sons of Mosiah after their conversion, “And
how blessed are they!  For they did
publish peace; they did publish good tidings of good; and the did declare unto
the people that the Lord reigneth.”  Not
too bad for a group of young men who had been called the “vilest” of sinners. 

I am so grateful for the Book of
Mormon.  I am so grateful for my Savior,
Jesus Christ and the gift of being Freely Forgiven. 

I hope that you have a wonderful
week.  Keep up with your reading of the
Book of Mormon.  Alma is filled with
great stories to act out as a family, Mighty Super Heroes, a wealth of
Doctrine, and some fantastic battles.  I
can’t wait!!

Sister Rooley