As I was doing some personal study, I came across some interesting scriptures in Mosiah 13.
Mosiah 13:28
And moreover, I say unto you, that salvation doth not come by the law alone; and were it not for the atonement, which God himself shall make for the sins and iniquities of his people, that they must unavoidably perish, notwithstanding the law of Moses.
Ultimately, it's not the programs of the church that will save us, but Christ, because of his atonement. I want to never forget Christ. It's about him. His church (though full of imperfect people and run by mortal men called of him) is the vehicle by which we fully unlock his saving power through ordinances and covenants.
I think about a lot of the changes that the church has made recently (the change from home/visiting teaching to ministering, the shift to two hours of church and one hour of home study, and the age change for priesthood quorums and young women's classes), and a few thoughts come to mind.
First, a quote from Elder Holland from October 2016 General Conference
Brethren, the appeal I am making tonight is for you to lift your vision of home teaching. Please, in newer, better ways see yourselves as emissaries of the Lord to His children. That means leaving behind the tradition of a frantic, law of Moses–like, end-of-the-month calendar in which you rush to give a scripted message from the Church magazines that the family has already read. We would hope, rather, that you will establish an era of genuine, gospel-oriented concern for the members, watching over and caring for each other, addressing spiritual and temporal needs in any way that helps.
Of the change to two hour church, Elder Bednar said
Much like the braided strands of a rope produce a powerful and durable tool, all of these interrelated actions are part of a unified effort to better align the focus, resources, and work of the Savior’s restored Church with its fundamental mission: to assist God in His work to bring to pass the salvation and exaltation of His children. Please do not focus primarily upon the logistical aspects of what has been announced. We must not allow procedural details to obscure the overarching spiritual reasons these changes now are being made.
He also added
Sometimes as members of the Church we segment, separate, and apply the gospel in our lives by creating lengthy checklists of individual topics to study and tasks to accomplish. But such an approach potentially can constrain our understanding and vision. We must be careful because pharisaical focus upon checklists can divert us from drawing closer to the Lord.
--
I want to remember that Christ is the reason and that his church is the vehicle. Things are being simplified and gathered in one.
Mosiah 13:28
And moreover, I say unto you, that salvation doth not come by the law alone; and were it not for the atonement, which God himself shall make for the sins and iniquities of his people, that they must unavoidably perish, notwithstanding the law of Moses.
Ultimately, it's not the programs of the church that will save us, but Christ, because of his atonement. I want to never forget Christ. It's about him. His church (though full of imperfect people and run by mortal men called of him) is the vehicle by which we fully unlock his saving power through ordinances and covenants.
I think about a lot of the changes that the church has made recently (the change from home/visiting teaching to ministering, the shift to two hours of church and one hour of home study, and the age change for priesthood quorums and young women's classes), and a few thoughts come to mind.
First, a quote from Elder Holland from October 2016 General Conference
Brethren, the appeal I am making tonight is for you to lift your vision of home teaching. Please, in newer, better ways see yourselves as emissaries of the Lord to His children. That means leaving behind the tradition of a frantic, law of Moses–like, end-of-the-month calendar in which you rush to give a scripted message from the Church magazines that the family has already read. We would hope, rather, that you will establish an era of genuine, gospel-oriented concern for the members, watching over and caring for each other, addressing spiritual and temporal needs in any way that helps.
Of the change to two hour church, Elder Bednar said
Much like the braided strands of a rope produce a powerful and durable tool, all of these interrelated actions are part of a unified effort to better align the focus, resources, and work of the Savior’s restored Church with its fundamental mission: to assist God in His work to bring to pass the salvation and exaltation of His children. Please do not focus primarily upon the logistical aspects of what has been announced. We must not allow procedural details to obscure the overarching spiritual reasons these changes now are being made.
He also added
Sometimes as members of the Church we segment, separate, and apply the gospel in our lives by creating lengthy checklists of individual topics to study and tasks to accomplish. But such an approach potentially can constrain our understanding and vision. We must be careful because pharisaical focus upon checklists can divert us from drawing closer to the Lord.
--
I want to remember that Christ is the reason and that his church is the vehicle. Things are being simplified and gathered in one.
Comments
Post a Comment