Announcements & Lesson - 8 June 2014

Announcements:
Have you handed out your 'Come and See' invites to your friends to join us for church this month?  There is still time to pray and ask the Lord who you should invite.


The sisters are singing in Sacrament Meeting on 22nd June.  We will are singing Hymn 129 Where Can I Turn for Peace and will be having a rehearsal straight after church next Sunday.  We would love the sisters who serve in Primary and YW to come to rehearse and sing with us.


Wednesday 18th June 'The Shoe Fits' enrichment at 7.30pm.  The Stake Patriarch Barry Lowater will be coming to spend the evening with us and sharing how we can use our Patriarchal Blessings to direct our lives..  Please bring a COPY (not original) of your Blessing with you.  We will have someone translating the evening so all sisters will be able to join in.


Saturday 28th June - Stake Temple Family Day. We now have some further information on this as follows:


10.30 am Ipswich Youth baptisms
1.00 pm Ipswich Youth and Adult baptisms


Endowment sessions: 8am / 9am / 10am / 10.30am / 11.15am / 11.45am / 12.15pm / 12.45pm / 2pm / 3pm.

Stake Primary will be hosting an activity for all 6-11 year olds between 9.30am - 12.30pm.  See Sarah Garnham for more information.


The goal is that 100% of the ordinance work performed on this day will come from family file names from the Ipswich ward.  If you need help with preparing names please see Beverly Roddie.


Transportation - if you need assistance for youth please see Rui Sousa or Leeanne Benmore.  If you need assistance for all others please see Kurt Green.


It has been suggested that each person who is receiving a lift to the temple pays a £5 voluntary contribution on a tithing slip (under Other: Temple Transportation).  Drivers can then request reimbursement for those who they take to the temple if desired - please see John Folley.


Please bring food for your own family.


Lesson:


We had a real treat today as we had a guest teacher - Sister Cilla Owen who taught Chapter 11 from the Joseph Fielding Smith manual 'Honouring the Priesthood Keys through Joseph Smith'.


Cilla has a clear love for this subject and shared her joy of living in a time when we have the full and restored priesthood on the earth.  She taught of us the many years where 'spiritual darkness' reigned on the earth and how in contrast now the priesthood shines and can give light to all around us.  There is nothing that the priesthood cannot shine light and joy upon.


We discussed the beautiful and magnificent world we live in - discussing the magnitude of the creation, the many galaxies and stars that surround us.  All created by the power of the priesthood.  What a wonderful and magnificent power the men in our home and lives hold.  What a privilege. 


Cilla talked of the keys of the priesthood.  The Lord has such a perfect plan for His church. 


After years of darkness the Lord ensured the priesthood was returned to the earth, through such heavenly messengers as Moses, Elias and Elijah, each returning the much needed keys.  A short time before Joseph Smith was martyred he bestowed these keys of the priesthood to the Twelve Apostles, knowing that then the church would safely continue with all the power and authority it needed from the Lord, no matter what happened to Him.  Today we too know we are secure and safe as the First Presidency and Twelve Apostles too hold those keys, that allow all ordinances to be performed that will take us safely home to Jesus Christ.  It is a perfect plan as each priesthood leader in the church across the world is given the keys needed to care for their ward and stake.  As long as ordinances are done under the correct priesthood approval we can know they will be acceptable to the Lord.


There is safety in the priesthood.  As President Smith said:


"I think there is one things which we should have exceedingly clear in our minds. Neither the President of the church nor the First Presidency, not the united voice of the First Presidency and the Twelve Apostles will ever lead the Saints astray or send forth counsel to the world that is contrary to the mind and will of the Lord....I testify that if we look to the First Presidency and follow their counsel and direction, no power on earth can stay or change our course as a church and as individuals we shall gain peace in this life and be inheritors of eternal glory in the world to come."