Sacrament Attendance Chart - October 27, 2013

In the October issue of the Ensign magazine, President Thomas S. Monson gives a beautiful message regarding less active members of the church. He shares with us that there are some among us who "struggle with sin while others wander in fear or apathy or ignorance. For whatever reason, they have isolated themselves from activity in the Church. And they will almost certainly remain lost unless there awakens in us - the active members of the Church - a desire to rescue and to save." He goes on to say, "Ours is the duty to reach out to rescue those who have left the safety of activity, that such might be brought to the table of the Lord to feast on His word, to enjoy the companionship of His Spirit."

On display in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, England is the following 1831 painting by Joseph Mallord William Turner. It is the scene of a turbulent sea. The light from a stranded vessel shines in the distance. In the foreground is a lifeboat being tossed about by the waves. On the shore stand a mother and children who have already made it to shore and await those making their way to the shore. 

President Monson goes on to say that "in a very real sense, those persons stranded in the storm-tossed sea of Turner's painting are like many of our less active member who await rescue by those who guide the lifeboats. Their hearts yearn for help. Mothers and fathers pray for their sons and daughters. Wives plead to heaven that their husbands may be reached. Sometimes children pray for their parents."

May we follow the invitation the Savior gave to the fishermen at Galilee when he urged them to leave their nets with the promise that he would make them fishers of men. May we also be fishers of men by providing whatever help we can to less active members.

President Monson has served as a General Authority of the church for over 50 years. In all his years he has found that there are two fundamental reasons that largely account for the return of less active members. "First, individuals return because someone has shown them their eternal possibilities and has helped them decide to achieve them. Second, others return because loved ones have followed the admonition of the Savior, have loved their neighbors as themselves....The catalyst in this process has been - and will continue to be - the principle of love."

He closes with the prayer that "we might have a desire to rescue the less active and to bring them back to the joy of the gospel of Jesus Christ, that they might partake with us of all that full fellowship has to offer. May we reach out to rescue the lost who surround us. May we extend to them the hand that helps and the heart that knows compassion. By doing so we will bring joy into their hearts, and we will experience the rich satisfaction that comes to us when we help another along the pathway to eternal life."

Sacrament Attendance Chart - October 13, 2013

Just recently, in the October 2013 General Conference, President Thomas S. Monson declared, "The holy scriptures contain no proclamation more relevant, no responsibility more binding, no instruction more direct than the injunction given by the resurrected Lord as He appeared in Galilee to the eleven disciples. Said He, 'Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.' The Prophet Joseph Smith declared, 'After all that has been said, the greatest and most important duty is to preach the Gospel.' Some of you here today will yet remember the words of President David O. McKay who phrased the familiar 'Every member a missionary!'

To their words I add my own. Now is the time for members and missionaries to come together, to work together, to labor in the Lord's vineyard to bring souls unto Him. He has prepared the means for us to share the gospel in a multitude of ways, and He will assist us in our labor if we will act in faith to fulfill His work."

"Now is the time," he said. Now is the time. May we all do what we can to assist the missionaries in their great efforts so that David O. McKay's vision of every member a missionary can be realized.

General Conference Messages

We hope that you all were able to enjoy the 183^rd semiannual General Conference this weekend! There were many wonderful talks that covered a variety of topics from member missionary work to the blessings of paying tithing to thoughts on depression and self mastery.

During the Sunday morning session, President Henry B. Eyring related the following:

“From before the world was, a loving father in heaven and His beloved son loved and worked with those whom they knew would wander. God will love them forever. You have the advantage of knowing that they learned the plan of salvation from the teachings they received in the spirit world. They, and you, were faithful enough to be allowed to come into the world.”

We know that everyone on this earth is a child of God. He loves us, no matter our mistakes, however heinous. But, there are some who have forgotten that; they do not remember being taught Heavenly Father’s loving plan of happiness by the master himself.  Consequently, some (perhaps even family members or friends), meet our enthusiasm of the gospel and our expressions of God’s love, with negativity. President Eyring tells us that “with the help of the Holy Ghost, all truths will be brought to our remembrance. We cannot force that on others but we can let them see it in our lives.”

The message given Sunday morning was one of hope; that while there are those who wander from God’s path, He will always love each one of His children and he will always seek to save those who are lost. It is our duty, as those who have the knowledge of the restored gospel, to show God’s love to others by sharing our testimonies of that love with them. The Holy Ghost will do His duty by attempting to soften their hearts. Ultimately, each has their own agency. But they must know that no matter their choice, God loves them and He will ever seek after them in an attempt to bring that love to their remembrance.  President Eyring related “we can always take courage from the assurance that we all once felt the joy of being together as a member of a beloved family with our Heavenly Father. With God’s help, we can all feel that hope and that joy again.”

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It is of the utmost importance that we share the gospel with those who have not yet been blessed with it in their lives. But we have been charged with feeding all of the Lord’s sheep – including each other. So while, as stated, our expressions of testimony can be met by some with negativity, here is a safe place where we can share with each other the thoughts of our hearts. We invite you to share with us what message inspired you most this conference weekend by commenting below.