Australia Local Pages

Area Presidency Message

to each of God’s children. It contains Priesthood Power all the doctrines, principles, ordi- in the Home—Brethren, nances, ordinations and covenants necessary for each of us to become It’s Time to Step Up worthy and have the power to return By Elder Kevin W. Pearson, First Counsellor home as eternal families. Through our in the Area Presidency faithfulness in receiving and honour- y message is for all men everywhere, both ing these covenants, we receive power M young and old. It’s for fathers and husbands through the priesthood to become present and future in particular, but also for the eternal companions and families. faithful women of the Church who love and sus- tain those men and desire to have the blessings How Do We Qualify of the priesthood in their homes. for These Blessings? Brethren, I invite you to give serious consider- A man must first be baptized and receive the Elder Kevin W. ation to your divine calling and responsibility to Holy Ghost. Faithfully keeping this covenant Pearson worthily receive the Melchizedek Priesthood, and brings spiritual power into one’s life. Second, to magnify your priesthood calling as a father and he must continue to increase in personal righ- husband. Your own spiritual destiny and the eter- teousness, receiving the Aaronic Priesthood and nal future of your marriage and family depend on preparing to worthily receive the Melchizedek how you respond to this divine calling. Priesthood. The Melchizedek Priesthood is re- The family is ordained of God and is central to ceived with a covenant to magnify the priesthood Heavenly Father’s plan for the eternal destiny of through greater personal righteousness and self- His children. It’s the most important unit in time less service. Magnifying the priesthood through and eternity. Our Heavenly Father’s work and increased personal righteousness and service glory is to bring immortality and eternal life to brings priesthood power into one’s life. Third, he all His children. Exaltation in the highest degree must worthily prepare to enter the holy temple of the celestial kingdom can be attained only by and receive the temple endowment. This sacred those who have faithfully lived the gospel of Jesus covenant worthily kept brings additional priest- Christ and are sealed as eternal companions. The hood power. Finally, temple marriage completes sealing, known as temple marriage, is a sacred the new and everlasting covenant, sealing a hus- privilege and obligation that all should strive to band and wife for time and eternity by the author- receive. It’s the foundation of an eternal family, ity of the priesthood. and the crowning covenant in Heavenly Father’s A new eternal family is created and the foun- new and everlasting covenant (Handbook 2: dation for a fullness of joy is established. With Administering the Church, 1.3.1). The new and this blessing comes the sacred duty to have everlasting covenant is the way exaltation comes children and to rear those children in love and

March 2013 A1 righteousness. Both parents have a divine calling the foreknowledge of God, on account of [your] to teach their children to understand the doctrine exceeding faith and good works . . . having cho- and to love and serve one another, observe the sen good and exercising exceedingly great faith” commandments of God, and prepare to receive (Alma 13:3). You were foreordained to receive the same sacred ordinances and covenants. The and to magnify the Melchizedek Priesthood. authority and the power of the priesthood are That’s your divine self. It’s who you really are! essential throughout these saving ordinances. Heavenly Father’s plan of happiness promises a fullness of joy that is lasting—everlasting. Your The Key Is Personal Righteousness greatest joy will come as you magnify the priest- Brethren, we have a sacred duty and responsibil- hood in your life, your marriage and your home. ity as husbands and fathers. Our own personal righ- This is your greatest potential; it’s your divine po- teousness is the very key to receiving and securing tential. But sadly, “there are many called, but few these blessings for ourselves and our families. What are chosen. And why are they not chosen? Because level of personal righteousness are you choosing? their hearts are set so much upon the things of this What evidence exists in your life, in your marriage, world, and aspire to the honours of men, that they and in your home that you are living worthy to do not learn this one lesson—that the rights of the exercise the power of the priesthood? What pre- priesthood are inseparably connected with the vents us from having greater spiritual power in our powers of heaven, and that the powers of heaven lives? Priesthood power, like spiritual power, comes cannot be controlled nor handled only upon the through personal righteousness and personal spiri- principles of righteousness” (D&C 121:34–36). tuality. You get what you consistently focus on. So, Start by focusing on personal righteousness. what are you focused on? Obedience to God is the first law of heaven. “The Personal righteousness is the quality of living that great task of life is to learn the will of the Lord comes from obedience to the laws and ordinances and then do it,” said President Ezra Taft Benson of the gospel. It is the degree to which our life is (1899–1994; “The Great Commandment,” Ensign, on an undeviating course toward God. This type of May 1988, 4). “The natural man is an enemy to living leads to a level of spirituality which enables God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and us to enjoy the near-constant companionship of the will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the Holy Ghost. The greater the level of spirituality, the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the greater the clarity to see, discern and understand— natural man and becometh a saint through the the greater the power to love, teach and lead. atonement of Christ the Lord” (Mosiah 3:19). A willingness to put off our own natural self Where Do We Begin? begins with humility, meekness, patience and Everything begins with a vision. You are a be- love. Begin by committing yourself to personal loved son of God who was “called and prepared daily scripture study—everyday, everyday, every- from the foundation of the world according to day. Make a commitment to start today. Ponder

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deeply about what you are reading and learning. Associate what you are learning with what you Always a Missionary are doing in your life. Ask questions: “What does By Beth Smith Heavenly Father want me to understand and do?” olea Rogers and her brother —to know I had worth, that There is great power in daily scripture study. This J Kirk, of Windaroo Ward, I was loved, and that I could step alone will have an insightful impact on your Coomera Stake, Qld, are both be someone special to my perspective. It will change the way you see your- currently serving missions. Jolea Heavenly Father.” After complet- self, your eternal companion and your children. is in the Japan Nagoya Mission, ing school, the girls went their Make sincere personal and family prayer a daily while Kirk is in the Indonesia separate ways, but at one stage part of your life. Personal daily scripture study will Jakarta Mission. The two eldest Katie was praying for help in her increase your desire to make your prayers more of Brad and Joanne Rogers’s life and had a distinct impression meaningful, and will provide you with the oppor- nine children, they knew they to contact Jolea. Katie obeyed tunity to ask important and inspired questions, would need to finance their this prompting and began at- which will make your prayers more meaningful missions, and both worked tending church, institute and YSA and lead to greater personal revelation. part time to do so. They also functions with Jolea. Katie was Seek to serve, inspire and love more—espe- completed as much education baptised in July 2010. cially at home. Begin with your lovely eternal as possible. Jolea gained a BA companion. Show her more patience, kindness in Music and Japanese, while Jolea Rogers and Katie Grewar were and love. Seek her happiness. As you increase in Kirk did 18 months of his in the MTC at the same time. personal righteousness and spirituality you will be Computer Science and Electrical drawn to her and she will be drawn to you, as will Engineering course before they your children. They will want to be closer to you, entered the mission field. and your love for each other will increase. As we Focus on missionary work draw closer to God we draw closer to pure love, for Jolea and Kirk began while and the vision of His promises for each of us and they were still in the youth for our marriages and families becomes clearer program, as they gave heed to and more compelling. The power and blessings of the counsel of their bishop to on.

the priesthood become a reality in our homes. invite friends to activities. Jolea missi r pe

The power of the priesthood, by divine design, talked about her beliefs to her ith d w

should be most evident in our homes and mar- school friend, Katie Grewar, use nd a

riages. For this to be so it must first be present in who accepted various invita- s r e og R our own lives as holders of the holy Melchizedek tions to attend youth activities. Priesthood. Brethren, it’s time for each of us to Jolea would share EFY songs ea y of Jol

step up; to live lives more worthy of this divine with Katie who later said, “As tes r u

power and privilege. This is our work and the I listened my heart filled with co e g ma great task of our lives. ◼ a peace that I was longing for I

March 2013 A3 on. missi

r Linking Generations pe

ith

d w Together use

nd By Peggy Bogar a

s r e og R

k was excited about this temple trip, which was r i

y of K I a special birthday gift from my husband, Steve, tes r

u who is not yet a member of the Church. It was es- co e g pecially significant on this occasion to be accom- ma I panied by Jacqueline Lockhart and Allison Carr, the sisters who loved me into the gospel 22 years ago, when we were at university studying nursing Jason Matthew and Kirk Rogers at Jason’s baptism. in Launceston, Tasmania. Previously, Noel Wheeler and his wife, Kirk had also invited his friend, own missions. Katie was Margaret, had shown me how to use the family Jason Matthew, to many youth called to serve in the Paris history programmes on my computer to process activities, including a ward road France Mission, and Jason the names of my ancestors. Margaret was an old show, where Jason enthusiasti- to the Samoan program in cally acted the part of a full-time the Auckland New Zealand Peggy Bogar at the Melbourne temple. missionary. Once the boys left Mission. All four would be school, they found they had serving a foreign language elected to do the same degree at mission; that required all of university. Jason began attend- them to attend the Missionary ing institute and YSA activities Training Center in Provo, with Kirk. He read the Book of Utah, USA. Mormon, participated in mission- Jolea entered the MTC in ary trade-offs, and even gave a April 2012 and Katie followed on.

talk in sacrament meeting. Then, 10 days later. Kirk entered the missi r pe

with his family’s full support MTC on 28 August 2012, while ith d w

Jason was baptised by Kirk in Jason arrived one week later. use nd September 2011. Once the news became known a w ha

While Jolea and Kirk were of the missionary work that n S ia ll preparing for their missions, Kirk had done with Jason, Gi y of

both Katie and Jason felt that the two elders were asked to tes r u

they also should serve and speak to all of the missionaries co e g ma began to prepare for their at the MTC. ◼ I

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hand at family history and her encouragement of Constantinople. This a r Lib

rapidly built my confidence. I loved finding my document became known as ia d e M ancestors, and had now completed a second lot the Nicene and is still h rc of family names to take to the temple. accepted by most traditional Chu y of

Another member, Nick Triffitt, had previously Christian faiths today. tes r u

helped me with my family names last time I sub- Two other such are co e g ma mitted them for temple work, and he agreed to the Apostles’ Creed (written I assist again. sometime between the fourth With warmth in my heart for the assistance and sixth centuries), and the of temple workers, visiting youth who were Athanasian Creed, originally baptised for my ancestors by proxy, along with thought to have been written some members of the Devonport Australia Stake, by a bishop of Alexandria many of my family received the saving ordi- named Athanasius. More nances that day. recent studies tend to indicate I may not have any living relatives who are it was more likely written sometime in the fifth members of the Church yet, but I know there are century, long after his death. many family members who have passed through Whilst claiming to represent the beliefs of the veil, been taught the gospel principles, and Christendom, each of these creeds has been have said “Yes please” and accepted the work amended by one group or another. The Catholic that has been done on their behalf. I am grateful Church has changed one word in the Nicene for the opportunity to participate in this sacred Creed three times; some protestant versions work for my ancestors, and also grateful to all have inserted the words “Christian Church” with who have helped in any way to bring this service little regard to their incorrect translation of the to fruition. ◼ original “Catholic” meaning “universal” Church. The Orthodox faiths do not accept the Apostles’ Creed—not because of content but on principle. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Articles of Faith “announce no such creed . . . for they accept the By Thomas Wayne Fox principle of continuous revelation as an essential ne of the most important issues for the early feature of their belief”.1 O religious fathers was not only to establish the In 1842 the Prophet was ap- various beliefs of the new church but also refine proached by a Mr. John Wentworth, owner and them in a way that the average member could un- editor of the Chicago Democrat, who was seeking derstand. The first of these creeds as they became Joseph’s collaboration in writing a sketch of the known was agreed upon at the Council of Nicea in history and beliefs of the restored Church. He also A.D. 325 and modified in A.D. 381 at the Council sought permission to share the information with

March 2013 A5 a Mr. George Barstow who was compiling a history on. missi of New Hampshire. r pe

While Mr. Barstow finally decided not to use the ith d w material in his history because of a change in his use nd a

timeline, Joseph’s letter turned out to be one of the ess wl La

best-known documents of the Church, known as y e d the Wentworth letter. i y of Br

When describing the letter in the Times and tes r u co

Seasons issue dated 1 March 1842, the prophet out- e g ma lined the request he had received and his reason for I responding before going on to write, “I have written the following sketch of the rise, progress, persecu- tion and faith of the Latter-day Saints, of which I have the honor, under God, of being the founder.”2 The Wentworth Letter “has immense value to Latter-day Saints. It is an original account by Joseph Smith testifying of his sacred call from God, his visions, and his ministry and teachings.”3 Towards the conclusion of the letter the prophet notes 13 tenets of belief which have become known Sam, Mack, and the missionaries who taught Mack prior to his baptism. as the Articles of Faith. While these 13 articles in- clude fundamental and characteristic doctrines of the gospel of Jesus Christ as taught by the Church, A Missionary Now they make no claim to be a definitive creed (refer By Bridey Lawless to article of faith 9, which clearly speaks of ongoing eventeen-year-old Sam if he is only going to sleep away revelation). S Lawless had the opportunity the morning, I should ask him “From the time of their first promulgation, the and blessing to baptize his best to come to church.” He finally Articles of Faith have been accepted by the people friend, Mack. plucked up the courage to ask as an authoritative exposition; and on 6 th October Mack often stayed overnight Mack to attend church with 1890, the Latter-day Saints, in general conference at Sam’s place on Saturday night. them, and was pleasantly sur- assembled, readopted the Articles as a guide in The next morning when Sam’s prised when Mack said yes. faith and conduct.”4 ◼ family headed off to church, Mack Over the next four months Notes would stay in bed. Regularly they Mack had all the discussions 1. James E. Talmage, The Articles of Faith, 6. 2. Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith, would return after church to find taught to him by two amazing chapter 38, “The Wentworth Letter,” 437. Mack still asleep. missionaries, who were per- 3. Teachings: Joseph Smith, 437. 4. James E. Talmage, The Articles of Faith, 6. Sam said, “I thought to myself, fectly placed to be in the ward

A6 Ensign at the right time. The two boys clicked with the two elders like Helping Hands in Newcastle Stake they were brothers. The mis- By Karen Coulson

sionaries were definitely guided number of Helping Hands on. missi and led by the Spirit. Just a activities were underway r pe A week after the last discussion, across Newcastle stake for the ith d w

Mack was baptized. Both Sam annual Helping Hands Day last use nd a

and Mack had smiles from ear October. on s l u o to ear all day, and the Spirit was Members of the Maitland C n e r felt very strongly. congregation focussed their a

While bearing his testimony efforts in cleaning up the lo- y of K tes r u

Sam shared his love of and ap- cal skate park and the reserve co e g ma preciation for the truthfulness of surrounding the Metford railway I the gospel and of having such a station. Bishop Pita Tupou led great friend, and expressed his families, friends and mission- gratitude towards the mission- aries in their clean-up efforts. communities is something Members and aries he admired and looked up Within a few hours they had we can do to show those in missionaries to, who had given up two years filled a box trailer with recycla- our community that we care from Maitland of their lives to share the gospel ble and general waste materials, for them, and for our area. By Ward participate in a Helping with his friend. He was grate- which were then taken to the offering a helping hand even Hands project. ful that he had invited Mack to local waste transfer station. in small ways we can make a church. “Being active participants big difference,” said Bishop Mack also shared his testi- and contributors to our local Tupou. ◼ mony. He shared his feelings for the gospel and Book of Mormon, and testified that he knew they were true. He expressed his love for the bishop (Sam’s dad), who Helping Hands in gave Mack a Book of Mormon Melbourne Deer Park Stake on his first Sunday at church By Anthony LeVannais and challenged him to read and study it. And finally, he shared n Saturday the 10th of planting of 75 native trees in his gratitude for a friend who he O November, Primary chil- 5 Mile Creek, at Woodend. loved, and was happy he had in- dren, youth and adult members Woodend is located in vited him to church that Sunday of the Sunbury Ward partici- the outer western region of morning. ◼ pated in the preparation and Melbourne, and within the

March 2013 A7 boundaries of the Sunbury Ward. from the Sunbury area partnered region. Together the two groups The weather was just perfect for with Landcare, who have been enjoyed a morning of clearing the Helping Hands activity, which working hard to reduce the and planting, followed by home- was spearheaded by the Woodend amount of willow trees which baked treats to celebrate the Landcare Group. Latter-day Saints are dominating the flora in this work they achieved. ◼

Sunbury Ward members serve at the Helping Hands activity. on. missi r pe ith d w use nd a e r a d Ho i v Da y of tes ia r l u a r co e g ma I aust

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