Strengthen our Faith

My thoughts and my personal study this week have led to think about my personal faith and the strength of it. I was reading about some experiences of Lucy Mack Smith in the early days of the church. She had tremendous faith as she saw what her two sons, particularly Joseph, were going through. As revelations occurred, along with increased persecutions, she was a beacon of light for her family. She set an example of holding true to her faith in the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Today we are seeing tremendous turmoil in our society. Personally, those that I associate mainly with are individuals that share my beliefs, or respect my beliefs. I am not ever in a position where I need to stand up for what I believe in. Is my faith strong enough to withstand such persecution? Am I strong enough to bear my testimony to someone, knowing that in so doing I may be harmed? I hope so. I want to have that strong of a foundation in my faith and be an example to those around me. I want everyone to know that I have a testimony of our Savior, Jesus Christ. I was thinking of a scripture found in 2 Peter 1, 2-8:

“Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, according as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:

“Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

“And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;

“And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;

“And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.

“For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

I want to be a light and a strength to others in my faith. It is through this faith that we will find peace in our hearts. I know that my Savior lives and is the head of this gospel of Jesus Christ. I know that as we have faith in him, we find the strength that we need in these turbulent times. I leave this testimony with you in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Janice Anderson,

Relief Society President

CHRISTMAS SPIRIT

During the Christmas holiday one year we took our daughter to see Santa at the mall. As we waited for his appearance, I was particularly interested in a little girl who looked like she had been waiting for a while to see him. As Santa came into view, a lot of people crowded in front of this little girl. She began to cry. This very tall man that stood by her asked what was wrong. The little girl said that she had been waiting to see Santa and now I can’t see him. The man picked her up and put her on his shoulders and she was able to see Santa as he walked by. She waved her hand at him and he smiled and waved back to her and everyone else in the crowd. That little girl grabbed the hair of that man and said “He saw me! He saw me! He smiled at me! I’m so glad it’s Christmas!” That little girl had the Christmas Spirit.

As a young elder recently home from my mission, I went with a companion to the children’s hospital to give a blessing to a sick child. As we entered the floor where the child was, I noticed a small Christmas tree with beautiful lights on it. I saw presents under the tree. I saw boys and girls who had bandages on their arms and some on their legs. I saw others with ailments that could not be cured. But each one had a smile on his face. As we walked into the room where the child was, we told her that we were there to give her a blessing. The blessing was given. As we turned to leave, this little girl calls out to me, “Brother Anderson, thank you! Merry Christmas!” She had a big smile on her face. This little girl had the Spirit of Christmas.

This Spirit of Christmas I would hope each of us could have in our heart not only at this time of year, but throughout the year. I love the scripture found in Luke, chapter 2, “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.” May we all serve the way that he, our Savior, served! Merry Christmas! In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

--Message given by Victor Anderson

Longfellow's Christmas

 Below is a link to a video of the Tabernacle Choir on Temple Square. In his remarks on Sunday, December 20, 2020, Bishop Burningham referred to this video and read the transcript that was originally performed by Edward K Hermann. Enjoy and have a Merry Christmas!!

The “Tar-op tim”

Spiritual Thought Given by Jim Hartley, Elders Quorum President, at the Hidden Village Ward Council, December 13, 2020

 I would like to relate a true story about cannibals. It’s even kind of a Christmas story.

 

In 1962, a Canadian couple, Don and Carol Richardson, were assigned to translate the Bible into a language called Sawi. The 3,000 people who spoke Sawi lived in the jungles of New Guinea, a large island north of Australia. The Sawi’s were an illiterate, primitive people … and cannibals!

 

Culturally, the Sawi people gloried in lies, dishonesty, and treachery. Their greatest accomplishment in life was to befriend someone from another village or tribe, trick them into trusting them, then kill them … and eat them! The Sawi’s called this: “Two-ee ah-sah-nee mahn.”  It means, “fatten with friendship for the kill.” 

Let God Prevail

General Conference Snippet

President Russell M. Nelson

“Let God Prevail” (October 2020, Sunday morning session)

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/generalconference/2020/10/46nelson?lang=eng

In his message given during the Sunday morning session of October, 2020, General Conference, President Nelson said, "For the more than 36 years I have been an Apostle, the doctrine of the gathering of Israel has captured my attention. Everything about it has intrigued me, including the ministries and names of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; their lives and their wives; the covenant God made with them and extended through their lineage; the dispersion of the twelve tribes; and the numerous prophecies about the gathering in our day.