Sunday, July 28th- church at Chatsworth

Sunday, I woke up feeling better and we headed off to Chatsworth for church, in case they needed more flyers to pass out. We stayed all three hours...Yipee! I took notes again, so here is what happened in Sacrament meeting: First we heard from a new Elder from Utah. He was only new to the ward and had been on his mission for 18 months. I think this was his fifth area. He is a tall young man and can play the piano very well.





Then a Sister Chetty gave a talk about the love of Heavenly Father for his children. She gave many scriptural references and then read a letter from God to us based upon scriptural references from the Bible, as follows:

My child, you may not know me, but I know everything about you. I know when you sit down and when you rise up. I am familiar with all your ways. Even the very hairs on your head are numbered. For you were made in my image. In me, you live and move and have your being. For you are my offspring. I knew you even before you were conceived. I chose you when I planned creation. You were not a mistake, for all your days are written in my book. I determined the exact time of your birth and where you would live. You are fearfully and wonderfully made. I knit you together in your mother's womb and brought you forth on the day you were born. I have been misrepresented by those who don't know me. I am not distant and angry, but am the complete expression of love and it is my desire to lavish my love on you. Simply because you are my child and I am your Father. I offer you more than your earthly father ever could, for I am the perfect Father. Every good gift that you receive comes from my hand, for I am the provider and I meet all your needs. My plan for your future has always been filled with hope, because I love you with an everlasting love. My thoughts toward you are countless as the sand on the seashore and I rejoice over you with singing. I will never stop doing good to you, for you are my treasured possession. I desire to establish you with all my heart and all my soul, and I want to show you great and marvellous things. If you seek me with all your heart, you will find me. Delight in me and I will give you the desires of your heart, for it is I who gave you those desires. I am able to do more for you that you could possibly imagine, for I am your greatest encourager. I am also the Father who comforts you in all your troubles. When you are broken hearted, I am close to you. As a shepherd carries a lamb, I have carried you close to my heart. One day I will wipe away every tear from your eyes, and I will take away all the pain you have suffered on this earth. I am your father and I love you even as I love my son, Jesus. For in Jesus, my love for you is revealed. He is the exact representation of my being. He came to demonstrate that I am for you, not against you, and to tell you that I am not counting your sins. Jesus died so that you and I could be reconciled. His death was the ultimate expression of my love for you. I gave up everything I loved that I might gain your love. If you receive the gift of my son, Jesus, you receive me and nothing will ever separate you from my love again. Come home and I'll throw the biggest party heaven has ever seen. I have always been Father, and will always be Father. My question is, "Will you be my child?" (There were scriptural references beside every quote, but I didn't list them as I wanted the continuity, just as she read it. Amazing huh? She gave it to me when I told her how much I liked it)

The next speaker spoke about obedience and said it was through obedience that the Plan of Salvation came about. He quoted John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son..." Then he asked to whom do we have to be obedient? Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father. He quoted Exodus 20:3 "Thou shalt have no other Gods before me..." and 20:5 "Honor thy father and mother..." He talked about being obedient to parents, church leaders and spouses. He said that now days ambition tends to get the better of people...that the world becomes everything instead of God. He quoted Matt 6:24 "No man can serve two masters..." You cannot serve God and Mammon (worldliness).

He said that he recently read a book called, "Gods at war" and asked, "Who is the God that sits on the throne of our hearts?" He said that after his mission he did not renew his temple recommend, after all there is no temple in Durban, so...Then he realized that the temple recommend was not only about going to the temple, but about being worthy to have that recommend, to show God that your motivation is to serve Him. He said that obedience is voluntary...not by force or intimidation, but free agency...and that we should always show kindness to even those who are not obedient. We need to make covenants to become better daughters, sons, parents...No matter our struggles (We know we are not perfect), but to do the right thing does not require perfection. We have to learn and grow step by step. He said he is taking culinary courses and some can cut the carrots really fast with this large knife. He on the other hand cannot do it like they can no matter how hard he tries. The secret is that in a restaurant everyone has their part in preparing a meal. Someone slices the carrots, another cooks the gravy, etc. If someone does not do their job right, the dish fails. He challenged us to help others be obedient without being judgemental...work at it everyday. God doesn't care where you come from, but where you are and where you are going. He quoted Phil 4:13 "I can do all things through Jesus Christ who strengthens us."


We then went to Sunday School and had lesson 28 "We must be chastened and tried." He spoke of Abraham and his wife Sarah and the trouble they had having a child and when they finally did have Isaac, Abraham was told to sacrifice him. He didn't understand, because God told him that through his seed which would be more numerous than the grains of sand by the sea, and yet he was told to sacrifice his son. He was obedient and would have done it, if God had not stopped him, but did you ever think about Isaac? He was obedient too. He knew what was coming and was not a little child like commonly shown in movies. His father was in his 90s. He could have said, "No way, you're off your rocker old man." But, he was going along with it because God had ordered it and their faith was that strong. He then went into an explanation of the gentiles being adopted into the House of Israel, about how we become Children of Christ and claim his geneaology through baptism as we become the seed of Abraham. Through baptism, Christ is both the Father and the Son...the Son of God, but the Father of us gentiles. He had us read a scripture in Titus that talks about how we should not be doing genealogy and he explained what the scripture meant, because all the begats in the Bible were important to those who lived back then. It was very important to trace their geneology back to Abraham. They would boast about the lineage and even make up things to prove they were the seed of Abraham. He then went into Jesus being a part of the Tribe of Judah tracing his roots back to David and Abraham. I am not explaining this very well, but it was a really good lesson and this guy knows his Scriptures. Very interesting.

Then I was off to Relief Society and my favourite teacher was teaching. She posed for me afterwards in her Indian garments. She also spoke of obedience and her lesson was based upon the Liahona article from President Monson's talk at General Conference. She started with D&C 1:39. "Behold the Lord is God." She said on her mission they were given a list of 'Do's and Do Not's. She said to be obedient, you need to know the truth and should always be seeking truth and knowledge. The Lord said, "Truth abideth forever...man cannot be saved in ignorance." President Monson said that truth is knowledge of things that already are and things that are to come. No man receiveth a fullness unless he obeys God's commandments, but when we obey we receive truth and light until glorified in all things. For blessings, be obedient to that truth.

She used the example: She has a degree in journalism and works for the newspaper. To get to places where she can get stories, she needs her car, needs it to be running, gas (she called it petrol), a map. She cannot leave any of these resources out or she may not make it in time for the story. She said we have to use all our resources for the Gospel, like scriptures, Ensign or Liahona, going to our meetings, being taught, serving others, teaching, going to the temple. Using the resources the church provides helps us learn truth, which in turn helps us to be obedient to that truth. She then talked about President Monson burning the field. She said we learn obedience at every step of our lives and that life would be simpler if we would just obey completely, but sometimes we learn by experience, like Monson's story of burning the weeds.

She continued, We are told to honor our father and mother, but did you remember that it has a promise attached? Promised are listed all over the Bible. 'If you do this...you will receive this.'
Follow Jesus Christ and you are promised peace, progress, prosperous, eternal salvation and exaltation. We need to ensure that we continue to work in obedience to God.

Pretty Good lessons. It was a great day. After we got home, Sonali came over again to finish her picture, but didn't stay long. Her brother came to get her. She took all her pictures (and mine) home with her. Having her here made me miss our grandchildren even more, but all is good.