OUR FAMILY: Makenzi's reception

Rexburg, Idaho

125th operating temple

Dedicated: 10 Feb 2008 by

Thomas S. Monson

John 17:4

Atonement

3 Nephi 11:18-41

The Savior sets forth the mode and manner of baptism; The spirit of contention is of the devil; Christ's doctrine is that men should believe and be baptized and receive the Holy Ghost. About A.D. 34.

Alma 18:1-11

King Lamoni is impressed by Ammon's faithfulness.

*What ideas did the king and his servants have about Ammon's identity?

*According to Alma 18:2,4, what did Lamoni think Ammon's purpose was in coming?

*According to Alma 18:10, what impressed Lamoni besides the power Ammon demonstrated in defending the flocks?

*As we serve others faithfully,...

DC 88:78-86

74-80, Sanctify yourselves and teach one another the doctrines of the kingdom; 81-85, Every man who has been warned should warn his neighbor;

What great things are promised in verses 78 and 80?

*78 Teach ye diligently and my grace shall attend you, that you may be instructed more perfectly in theory, in principle, in doctrine, in the law of the gospel, in all things that pertain unto the kingdom of God, that are expedient for you to understand;

*80 That ye may be prepared in all things when I shall send you again to magnify the calling whereunto I have called you and the mission with which I have commissioned you.
Some thoughts on today's scriptures from the Doctrine Covenants Student Manual: As we teach one another diligently, the Lord will help us understand His truths more perfectly. By teaching one another, we can prepare to share the gospel with others.
Because we have been warned through the message of the gospel, the Lord expects us to warn our neighbors.

General Conference

Prepare the Way

Bishop Gerald Causse

"The perfect model of the close relationship that exists between the two priesthoods is found in the interaction between Jesus and John the Baptist. Can one possibly imagine John the Baptist without Jesus? What would the Savior's mission have been like without the preparatory work performed by John?"

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland took to Facebook to post one of the most beautiful messages of hope that members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints could wish for.

"What a terrific time to be alive!

"The gospel of Jesus Christ is the most certain, the most secure, the most reliable, and the most rewarding truth on earth and in heaven, in time and in eternity. Nothing - not anything, not anyone, not any influence - will keep this Church from fulfilling its mission and realizing its destiny declared from before the foundation of the world. Ours is that fail-safe, inexorable, indestructible dispensation of the fulness of the gospel. There is no need to be afraid or tentative about the future.

"Unlike every other era before us, this dispensation will not experience an institutional apostasy; it will not see a loss of priesthood keys; it will not suffer a cessation of revelation from the voice of Almighty God. Individuals will apostatize or turn a deaf ear to heaven, but never again will the dispensation collectively do so. What a secure thought! What a day in which to live!

"If there are some bumps along the way while waiting to see every promise kept and every prophecy fulfilled, so be it. If you haven't noticed, I am bullish about the latter days. In nothing could I have more faith than I have in God the Eternal Father, in Jesus Christ His Son, in Their redeeming gospel, and in their divinely-guided Church. Believe. Rise up. Be faithful. And make the most of the remarkable day in which we live!"

I am not sure who Elder Holland is with in this
picture, but I love the fact that they are laughing.

I recorded in my testimony journal Alma's testimony as recorded in Alma 5. It is so powerful!

For the first time in a long time Jared has all of his kids this weekend. It says it is a little hard as he and Kacey try to blend their two families. His kids no longer go to the LDS church. Tricia takes them to a different church so they complain about having to go for 3 hours. I know Jared and Kacey are doing the right thing by trying to set a good example for their kids and I know the Lord is aware of their situation and will bless them.

I did a little research today on Neil Gorsuch, Trump's pick for the Supreme Court. Here are some things I found out.

Neil Gorsuch

1. Attended Catholic schools.

2. Has supported religious groups against U.S. government.

3. Opposes euthanasia and assisted suicide, two positions that coincide with the views of a majority of Christian denominations.

4. Has not ruled in an abortion related case. He wrote this:

"All human beings are intrinsically valuable and the intentional taking of human life by private persons is always wrong.

The law doesn't just apply to protect popular religious beliefs: it does perhaps its' most important work in protecting unpopular religious beliefs, vindicating this nations long-held aspiration to serve as a refuge of religious tolerance."

5. Gorsuch reminds some, rightly or wrongly, of Scalia, who was a conservative and an originalist and who spoke often of his Catholic faith.

University of Denver law professor Justin Marcean told the Denver Post that Gorsuch would be Scalia's "intellectual equal and almost certainly his equal on conservative jurisprudential approaches to criminal justice and social justice issues that are bound to keep coming up in the country." (deseretnews.com.)

Here are a list of the U.S. Supreme Court Judges in 2017:

1. Chief John G. Roberts appointed by George W. Bush, Sept. 29, 2005. (62 years old)

2. Anthony M. Kennedy appointed by Ronald Reagan in 1987 with a 97-0 vote. (80 years old)

3. Clarence Thomas appointed by George Bush in 1991. Senate approval 52-48. (68 years old)

4. Ruth Bader Ginsburg appointed by Bill Clinton. Confirmed vote 96-3. Worked as ACLU's General Council. (84 years old)

5. Stephen G. Breyer appointed by Bill Clinton in 1994. 87-9 vote. (78 years old)

6. Samuel Anthony Alito, Jr. Appointed by George W. Bush in 2005. 58-42 vote. (67 years old)

7. Sonia Sotomayor appointed by Barack Obama in 2009, 68-31 vote. (62 years old)

8. Elena Kagan appointed by Barack Obama in 2010. Confirmed by a 63-37 vote. (57 years old)

9. Neil Gorsuchl appointed by Donald Trump in 2017. In order to get Gorsuch confirmed, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell changed senate rules to end debate on Supreme Court nominees with a simple majority of 52 votes instead of the regular 60. (49 years old)

James worked at the Howard's all morning long. The was a reminder of the Frank Bates Lambson and Annie Laurie Mangum reunion on June 30-July 1 in Ramah, New Mexico. Sorry, we are having our own reunion here in Vernon!

I did some blogging today after my 5 hours of gospel study and then went to town with James. He went to Home Depot to get some trees and some Zep floor polish. I went to Walmart and spent $145 and did not buy one thing to eat. I got some father's day gifts, jumper cables, a tool box for the kitchen, a magnetic board, and other various and sundry items.

We went home and got ready to go to Makenzi's and Tyler's wedding reception. We got home after dark and James went out and planted his trees anyway. I put things away, folded laundry and prepared for my Primary lesson tomorrow.

Makenzi's and Tyler's Reception