Sunday Morning Session

Speakers

President Henry B. Eyring - First Presidency
Elder Boyd K. Packer - President, Quorum of the Twelve ( Those who are lost)
Sister Linda K. Burton - Relief Society General President (First observe, then serve)
Elder Walter F. Gonzalez - Presidency of the Seventy
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland - Quorum of the Twelve (Do you love me?)
President Thomas S. Monson - President (Service)

Talk that you MUST watch

Elder Holland's talk was fantastic, as his always are.  The visual of Father in Heaven asking us at the end of our lives what He asked Peter, is motivating.  "Do you love me?" Elder Holland's recounting of this conversation between the Savior and Peter is a great one.  I highly recommend it.

Favorite Quote

"Your Father in Heaven expects your loyalty and your love at every stage in your life."  Elder Jeffrey R. Holland

General Thoughts About the Session

Another fantastic session.  Service seems to be a continual theme, and one that bears repeating.  It is so important for us as members to follow the example of our Savior, Jesus Christ and serve our neighbors, families, etc.  As we do so, we will be able to answer to the Father at the end of our lives that we truly kept the two great commandments, To love God, and to love our fellow man. 

Follow me on twitter @Skropp2 for real time impressions from the final session of conference at 2pm MST today. 

Click here to watch video of individual conference talks or entire sessions.

Priesthood Session

Speakers

Elder D. Todd Christofferson - Quorum of the Twelve (Be men/quorums)
Bishop Gary E. Stevenson - Presiding Bishop (Young Men)
Elder Anthony D. Perkins - Quorum of the Seventy (Spiritual Guideposts)
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf - First Presidency (Priesthood Service)
President Henry B. Eyring - First Presidency (Leading the Youth)
President Thomas S. Monson - President (Testimony)

Talk that you MUST watch

Elder Christofferson's talk was awesome.  He spoke heavily on being men.  He discussed how society and culture today has emasculated and humiliated men.  Men are portrayed as selfish, good for nothing, rude and many other undesirable qualities.  He talks about how imperitive it is for us to rise up and be the type of men that our spouses, children, and God need us to be! 

Favorite Quote

"We cannot save a man on Sunday if during the week we're complacent witnesses to the crucifixion of his soul" - Elder D. Todd Christofferson

 

General Thoughts About the Session

This was a great session.  As it often is, it seemed that the over-arching message was that we as men, and especially as priesthood holders, need and can do better.  We need to be more spiritual.  We need to be more caring and considerate.  We need to be more engaged in our families.  We need to serve more faithfully. 
It isn't that we are doing bad, we're not.  But there is much work to be done, and there are countless lives that are in need of our service.  We've gotta step it up.  We've gotta bring our A game.  We can't be passive and expect that our children will grow up with solid testimonies.  We can't be complacent and expect that our wives will take sole responsibility for family prayers, scripture study and family home evening.  We can't be laxed in priesthood duty and expect that home teaching families will return to activity or feel the love of the quorum.  We must be anxiously engaged!

Click here to watch these talks individually or the session in its entirety.

As always, follow me on twitter @Skropp2 for my real time thoughts on conference.  Also follow the hash tag #ldsconf to see what others are thinking!

Can You Explain the Undergarments?

This week's question comes from a friend of mine from high school, Billy.  Billy is currently serving in the military, so I'd like to begin by telling him, Thank you for your service my friend!

Here's Billy's question from Facebook:

"Please explain the undergarments.  And will they be making some with a Presidental Seal?"
 

The second part of the question I'm sure was said somewhat facetiously, and I will just quickly answer that part.  No they will not be making any of the garments with the Presidential Seal.

Quick Overview

For those of you who are not familiar with what Billy is talking about I will give you a quick overview.  Those members of the Church who are active and worthy to attend the Temple wear what we in the church refer to as Garments.  These are worn underneath our clothing.  You probably have friends who are members of the Church that wear these garments every single day and you never even notice it. 

An Analogy

 Allow me to give you an analogy to explain what the garments mean to those of us who wear them. 

Take a look at this picture of a minister.

Photo courtesy of hubertk, Some Rights Reserved

 

 

Now, I do not know to which denomination this minister belongs.  But what I do know, is that if you were able to ask him, I'm fairly confident he would tell you that the robe and other vestments he is wearing have important meaning to him.

 

I don't think he is wearing them simply for their fashion statement.  He would probably tell you that this clothing

 

 

1. Sets him apart from the rest of his congregation.
2. It is a uniform, of sorts, of his profession.
3. Reminds him of who he is and what his covenants and obligations are.
4. They are a constand reminder to him that he is a servant of the Lord.
5. They are a reminder that he is responsible to live in a way that is worthy of his ordination as a minister.

This is a great analogy to how we, as members of the Church, view the garment. 

 

What the garment means to us

Like the ministers of many demoninations across the country and the world, the garment is a reminder to us of the obligations and covenants that we have made in the Temple to live our religion.  These are sacred covenants to us, and the garments are a daily reminder of those covenants and how we have committed to live our lives. 

 

This good minister probably wears this robe during church services, but, if he is like the ministers I have known, he probably wears a white collar throughout the week. This is to remind him of his obligations as well as to distinguish him as a minister. 

 

Because our church has a lay ministry, almost every member serves within the Church in teaching and leadership roles.  We are not compensated for this work. Because of this, we all have full time employment in addition to our church duties.  The man who presides over our congregation may be a teacher, a carpenter, a farmer, or even a politician.  Because of that we, as members, wear the garment under our clothing, rather than outside our clothing. 

 

There are also some deeper spiritual meanings that are connected to wearing the garment, but because of their sacred nature, they are not discussed openly and I consequently, will not address them here. 

 

A Final Thought

As a final thought, the garments that I, and other active Mormons, wear are basically and outward expression of an inward commitment I have made to live certain covenants and follow the example of the Savior.  To me they are sacred and because of their sacred nature, I don't parade them before the world, but wear them beneath my clothing. 

 

I hope this answered your question, Billy, and I'm grateful to you and all of my other friends for the respect they show towards me and this personal expression of my commitment to my Savior and religion.

 

 

 

Question: What reminders do you have in your life of the commitments you've made to live your religion?

 

 

 

Thank you for reading, please share these posts with those in your social circles!  Also please visit the Ask a Mormon page of this blog to submit questions to be answered in this blog series. 

 

 

Twitter: @Skropp2

 

My Responsibility: A Manifesto

My Responsibility

I was asked to teach Elders Quorum today in my Ward.  My Elder's Quorum President asked me to teach on the benefits of using the Priesthood.  As I began to prepare this lesson, I began thinking of Simon Sinek's TED talk.  And I started thinking about why do what we do as priesthood holders in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The Manifesto

This is what I came up with, and what I will share in my lesson today.  Perhaps you will find some value in it as well.

My Responsibility

I am a Son of God.  I am a holder of the Melchizedek Priesthood.  It is my duty to live true, at all times, to the great responsibility that has been bestowed upon me to act in the name of God.  Because of this honor, there are things that I do not do. 

I do not think the things that will drive away the Spirit of God.

I do not say the things that will tear down others and reflect negatively upon the responsibility I have been given.

I do not do those things that will not lift and encourage myself and others.

I do not act in a manner that is not in harmony with a holder of the priesthood which I hold.

I do not call myself a Christian; instead, I speak and act in a manner that allows others to identify me as a Christian.

I do not pray; instead, I seek to know the will of God concerning those things with which I am entrusted.

I do not attend church; instead, I gather together with other Saints to renew my covenants, fast, pray, speak with each other concerning the welfare of our souls.

I do not preside in my home; instead, I live worthy of the respect of my wife and children. I lead them in a Christ like manner towards eternal life in the Celestial Kingdom.

I do not teach; instead, I share my testimony and inspire those I teach to reach towards everlasting life.

I do not attend the temple; instead, I make sacred covenants with my Father in Heaven and give those who have passed on the opportunity to do the same.

I do not Home Teach; instead, I watch over Heavenly Father’s children and assist them in living worthy of eternal exaltation as a family.

I do not bless the sacrament; instead, I act in the name of God to allow His children to renew their sacred covenants with Him.

I do not baptize; instead, I stand with a child of God and provide them the means to receive a remission of their sins.

I do not give blessings; instead, I act in the name of God to make the power of God manifest in the lives of those I bless.

I do not do service projects; instead, I use the time and talent God has given me to lighten the burdens of the children of God.

I do not do missionary work; instead, I testify of the truths that will bring everlasting happiness and life to all of God’s children.

My responsibility is not defined by what I do not do, my responsibility is defined by what I do, and I will do all in my power to assist Heavenly Father “…to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man” (Moses 1:39).





Question: What is the "why" in your spiritual life?

If you find value in these posts, please pass them along and share them in your social circles!  Thanks!

Twitter: @Skropp2

3 Talks You Should Read Before Church Starts!

There is so much we do at Church every Sunday.  Meetings, talks, prayers, lessons, etc.  We visit with friends, we study the scriptures, we share testimonies.  But what is the real reason we get all gussied up every Sunday? 

"It is expedient that the church meet together often to partake of bread and wine in the remembrance of the Lord Jesus."
                              ~D&C 20:75

The main reason we attend church every single Sunday is to renew our baptismal covenants and receive a remission of our sins through the ordiance of the Sacrament as administered by authorized priesthood holders.  



We often hear talks about the Sacrament and what it should mean to us each Sunday.
Here are three of my favorite talks about the Sacrament. I hope you find them helpful and inspiring!

1. The Purifying Power of Gethsemane - Elder Bruce R. McConkie

2. Understanding the Lord's Sacrament - Elder David B. Haight

3.  The Sacrament and Covenant-Making - W. Cole Durham, Jr.

May we remember the real meaning for attending our Sunday meetings this week.




What is your favorite talk about the Sacrament?

If you find value in this post please pass it onto your friends! I appreciate it!




Photo courtesy of rprata, Some Rights Reserved.