“Gathering, Gifts, and History!” GET TO THE POINT™ Come Follow Me: D&C 46-48

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Opening Hymn: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vyedsfF6hNk

Intro
i. You're looking good today and it feels good to be with you.
II. Theme: "Gathering, Gifts, and History"
i. Observation: Cover things that don't normally come up with "The Church Machinery" of meetings, staffing, and reports.
ii. The Church Machinery is the scaffolding, but the house of faith needs gifts and histories.
iii. Ezra Taft Benson and Power of the Word: Leaders are squared away on the mechanics--getting warm bodies in a room, roughly on time, and ministering interviews done--but energizing, electrifying, and galvanizing classes, that's a different matter.
III. Point I: D&C 46
i. Meetings
1. Excluding
a. 3 Nephi 18:22-23
2. Include, not administer
a. The elders or priests are to have a sufficient time to expound all things concerning the church of Christ to their understanding, previous to their partaking of the sacrament D& 20:68
b. MRB Doctrine of Inclusion Oct 2001
c. DTC Doctrine of Belonging  Oct 2022
3. Conduct by Holy Spirit
a. Doctrine and Procedures
b. HG guide (Moroni 6:9; D&C 20:45)
c. Confusing Holy Spirit, versus what I want, or "other ward syndrome"
4. Fast Sunday Testimony Tramps, 3x
a. Socially transitioning
b. could speak in ward, went to another ward where bishop would not know about restrictions
ii. Warning:
1. We have the present problem, and then the pressing problem that isn't on the radar.
2. Ask, consider end of salvation
3. Warning cf 1 Timothy 4:1
a. Seduced by evil spirits (temptation)
b. Doctrines of devils (institutionalized evil; false traditions, errors, aberrations)
c. Precepts of men (The terrestrial principles that keep us from being celestial)
i. "Cursed is he that ... shall hearken unto the precepts of men, save their precepts shall be given by the power of the Holy Ghost." 2 Nephi 28:31
ii. Men have good ideas, but don't let the good hold us back from being the best.
iii. Gifts of the Spirit
1. Hymn: More lyrics to A Might Fortress, verse 4 mentions gifts of spirit. I hope the new hymnbook has at least one hymn about gifts of the spirit
2. 1 Corinthians 12, Mormon 10, see videos.
3. Attributes and gifts, rather than behaviors and progress towards patches and stickers
4. Seek the best gifts
a. Are many, and can get caught up in lesser things, even lesser gifts of the spirit. In JS day, the issue was tongues. JSM Ch 33
b. Charity is best gift, others will fail
c. MJA O 1987: less-conspicuous gifts: the gift of asking; the gift of listening; the gift of hearing and using a still, small voice; the gift of being able to weep; the gift of avoiding contention; the gift of being agreeable; the gift of avoiding vain repetition; the gift of seeking that which is righteous; the gift of not passing judgment; the gift of looking to God for guidance; the gift of being a disciple; the gift of caring for others; the gift of being able to ponder; the gift of offering prayer; the gift of bearing a mighty testimony; and the gift of receiving the Holy Ghost.
5. Points
a. Come in couplets, or dyads
i. Know Jesus, believe on them that know
1. TSM A 2017
2. "If you do not have a firm testimony of these things, do that which is necessary to obtain one. It is essential for you to have your own testimony in these difficult times, for the testimonies of others will carry you only so far."
ii. wisdom, knowledge
1. Teach wisdom and knowledge
iii. heal, to be healed
iv. tongues, interpreting tongues
v. Speculation
1. Gift to teach? to be taught?
b. Leadership
i. Administration. Run organization, versus
1. Last ward syndrome
2. Last podcast syndrome
3. Harvard Business Review
ii. Operation
1. discerning of spirits
2. things go on in ward not right, influenced by Satan
3. One leader commented about constantly thinking celestial. pooh-poohing it. HG said "look unto me in every thought" Fist counselor in bishopric quoted the same scripture
c. bishops and gifts
i. bishop doesn't hold all
1. ability to discern gifts
2. Other leaders, YW, RS, Primary
ii. Not everyone has all gifts, but some do, for a "head" and every member profited by. Pres. of Church
iii. Madsen JS and gifts of the spirit: https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/truman-g-madsen/joseph-smith-spiritual-gifts/
d. Gifts don't function separate of discipleship
i. talent versus a gift
ii. Evil gifts
IV. Point II D&C 47 John Whitmer historian
i. Served as a time, Apostatized Kirtland Safety Society
ii. Sell back to the church, 2024
V. Point III D&C 48
i. Lands temporal revelations
ii. Not immediate:
1. Temporary DHO Oct 2024
2. Temporal:
a. Lands, gathering
b. savings
3. Place not yet revealed
VI. Christ Quotient
i. Second Coming Quotient: Gifts of spirit need to prepare?
1. Prophecy
2. Interpret prophesy (Daniel and Joseph of Egypt)
3. Knowledge
4. Wisdom
5. Charity and Virtue
ii. Atonement Quotient
1. Organized religion and atonement
a. Not just forgiveness, and generalized but vague goodness (spiritual, not religious cop out).
b. Need covenants:
i. "And thus all things were confirmed unto Adam, by an holy ordinance" Moses 5:59
ii. Martin Luther. Had his views on things. he admits they evolved, but infant baptism, images, and no free will
iii. Ideas, but no revelation. He was a thinker, not a revelator.
2. Inclusive without being chameleons
a. Seeker-fieldy megachurches dilute the gospel
b. Soft Christ's hard edges, declaw the Lion of the Tribe of Judah
3. Gifts of spirit
a. "What;s your superpower." Parlor game nonsense. Comparative advantage/unique selling point. But natural talents, not gifts of the spirit
b. Gifts necessary
i. for work: Tongues, administration, discernment
ii. For living: healing and miracles
iii. Salvation: faith, hope, and charity
iv. Faith in Christ, hope in Christ, Pure love of Christ: that's the point
 
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