Book of Mormon Class

The Atonement
Alma 7
Taught by Karen P.

If you hold on to a rope and twirl it then let go, what happens? 
The rope goes flying off doing it's own thing, no longer connected to it's centrical base.


Christ and his atonement represent the center...if the center lets go...what happens to the rest of the plan?


Joseph Smith taught that "the fundamental principles of our religion are the testimony of the Apostles and Prophets, concerning Jesus Christ, that He died, was buried, and rose again the third day, and ascended into heaven, and all other things which pertain to our religion are only appendages to it"


Elder Boyd K. Packer said: "Truth, glorious truth, proclaims there is...a Mediator...Through Him mercy can be fully extended to each of us without offending the eternal law of justice.  This truth is the very root of Christian doctrine.  You may know much about the gospel as it branches out from there, but if you only know the branches and those branches do not touch that root, if they have been cut free from that truth, there will be no life nor substance nor redemption in them."


"Imagine, Jehovah, the Creator of this and other worlds, 'astonished'!  Jesus knew cognitively what He must do, but not experientially.  He had never personally known the exquisite and exacting process of an atonement before.  thus, when the agony came into its fullness, it was so much, much worse than even He with his unique intellect had ever imagined!  No wonder an angel appeared to strengthen Him! (Luke 22:43)

"The cumulative weight of all mortal sins-past, present, and future-pressed upon that perfect, sinless, and sensitive Soul!  All our infirmities and sicknesses were somehow, too, a part of the awful arithmetic of the Atonement" (Ensign, May 1985,78-73).


What is Alma's challenge to how we can take advantage of this great Atonement and receive its promises?  


"Yea, I say unto you come and fear not, and lay aside every sin, which easily doth beset you, which doth bind you down to destruction, yea, come and go forth, and show unto your God that ye are willing to repent of your sins and enter into a covenant with him to keep his commandments, and witness it unto him this day.... And whoseoever doeth this, .... he shall have eternal life, according to the testimony of the Holy Spirit, which testifieth in me." (Alma 7:15-16)


Take this Challenge:  Read the sacramental prayers each week with great feeling and understanding of the sacrifice made for us... bringing a broken spirit and a contrite heart to the table...that we may always have His spirit to be with us and claim the blessings of eternal life. 

*NoTe..... Unbelivable I know!! Sue G is going to resume teaching the Book of Mormon class this month! We are soooo happy for her!!  Class will be held at her house instead of Karen P's as listed on February's calander.

~On behalf of the Presidency and Willow Wood Ward Women, we want to whole heart idly thank Karen for her wonderful job of filling in during Sue's absence.~

February Calendar

As we enter this wonderful month of February, the month we focus on Love, many of us have been given the opportunity to expand our love circle with a change in Visiting Teaching.

As we move forward in these changes, let us remember 
from last falls Visiting Teaching Conference to; 

"Have a Heart like His" 

as we go about loving one another.
Those we teach with, those we visit 
and those who visit us.  

Visiting teaching is an unselfish work, 

a measure of the heart and a sacred trust that will bless the life of both the giver and the receiver.

Remember, our calling to be a visiting teacher is not solely to give the visiting teaching message, it is first and foremost about watching over one another, lifting and caring for each other, and sharing each others burdens and joys.

   

Some of the best friends you will ever have, are made from a visiting teaching partner, from those you visit teach and those who visit teach you.

Those friends and relationships made from your past partners and routes will be added upon by your new found relationships to come. 

As you pray about and get to know the new sisters in your life, no matter your differences, you will gain a deep love for them. Your life will be enriched and blessed in ways you may least expect.

Blessed is the influence of one true, 

loving human soul on another. 

~George Eliot~

*NoTe..... Unbelivable I know!! I just found out Sue G is going to resume teaching the Book of Mormon class this month! We are soooo happy for her!!  Class will be held at her house instead of Karen P's as listed on the calander.

~On behalf of the Presidency and Willow Wood Ward Women, we want to thank Karen for her wonderful job of filling in during Sue's absence.~

Update on Susan S. 

After a set back on surgery to help Susan's foot heal due to some complications, she was finally able to have the surgery Monday. They did a skin graft to fill in the hole on her foot. Everything went well and the doctor said he thinks he was able to do enough repair so she would not have to do a second and third operation. 

She will come home on Thursday but will not be able to walk for awhile. 

Anyone who is able and would like to give her a hand you can call her, Terry or Cayla.

*If anyone has information or announcements to post on the blog, contact Terry or Sydney before the first of every month.

     

Book of Mormon Class

Powerful Promise #39
"Repenting into His Arms"
Alma 5:32 -62
Taught by Karen P.

Alma's questions from last weeks "A Mighty Change of Heart" lesson are not designed to engender guilt as much as to inspire and motivate us to righteousness, to help us experience a change of heart, and ultimately to become like Christ.  When we give our hearts to the Lord we become as He is - His will is our will, His joy is our joy, and His work is our work.  

What could be more wonderful?

Elder Bruce C. Hafen has written, "The great Mediator asks for our repentance not because we must 'repay' him in exchange for his paying our debt to justice, but because repentance initiates a developmental process that, with the Savior's help, leads us along the path to a saintly character"


Elder Dallin H. Oaks has said, referring the President Spencer W. Kimball's explanation, "The repenting sinner must suffer for his sins, but this suffering has a different purpose than punishment or payment.  Its purpose in Change."


Elder Neil L Andersen of the Quorum of the 12 apostles said:  The invitation to repent is rarely a voice of chastisement but rather a loving appeal to turn around and to "re-turn" toward God  It is the beckoning of a loving Father and His Only Begotten Son to be more than we are, to reach up to a higher way of life, to change, and to feel the happiness of keeping the commandments.  Being disciples of Christ, we rejoice in the blessing of repenting and the joy of being forgiven. They become part of us, shaping the way we think and feel."

Elder Neal A. Maxwell, encouraged us by saying: "Now may I speak...to those buffeted by false insecurity, who, though laboring devotedly in the Kingdom, have recurring feelings of falling forever short...this feeling of inadequacy is...normal.  There is no way the Church can honestly describe where we must yet go and what we must yet do without creating a sense of immense distance...We can contemplate how far we have already come in the climb along the pathway to perfection, it is usually much further than we acknowledge, and such reflections restore resolve...We can allow for the reality that God is still more concerned with growth than with geography...This is a gospel fo grand expectation, but God's grace is sufficient for each of us if we remember that there are no instant Christians"

He's promised to make up our shortfall.

Do the best you can and find joy in the

Saviors Love!