SERMON: Be of One Heart and Mind

Be of One Heart and Mind

“The Lord called his people Zion, because they were of one heart and one mind and dwelt in righteousness, and there was no poor among them”

 Genesis 7:23

 

The church helps us be of one heart and mind (Genesis 7:23). Christ said, “If ye are not one ye are not mine” (D&C 38:27). He knew that we would need the church, its prophets and leaders, its organisation, and his teachings if we were to be of one spirit with him. Paul taught that the church is “For the perfecting of the saints,….till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the son of God” (Ephesians 4:12-13)

Argument and contention should not exist among the saints. The Lord said to the Nephites, “And there shall be no disputations among you, as there have hitherto been; neither shall there be disputations among you concerning the points of my doctrine, as there have hitherto been. For verily, verily I say unto you, he that hath the spirit of contention is not of me, but is of the devil, who is the father of contention, and he stirreth up the hearts of men to contend with anger, one with another” ( 3 Nephi 11:28-29).

Members of the Latter Day Church of Jesus Christ who are not in harmony with the church invite the spirit of apostasy to creep in to their lives. If latter day Mormons do anything contrary to the standards of personal righteousness that the church has laid down then they are in spiritual apostasy and they need to repent, since all true Latter Day Mormons speak the same thing and they have no divisions among them, and they are joined together in the same mind and in the same spirit.

Personal apostasy usually occurs by degrees. When we beguine to criticise the church and its teachings, we then “become blinded and understand not the things which are prepared for us” (D&C 78:10). We do not follow the commandments, and before we are aware, we are inactive and disbelieving, and we leave the church. We would ask that all those rebellious spirits would stop and ask themselves the questions that need asking such as: Are my actions and my critical nature having the effect s of bringing me closer to Christ, to God, to virtue, to prayer, to eternal life with God. Those in rebellion should ask themselves "what have I gained by my criticism? Peace, Joy, growth or have I merely satisfied my own pride?

Latter Day Mormons should remember the story of the people in the book of Jeraneck who when they did not live in harmony with God ended up loosing sight of the truth "My time in the north countries is soon at an end and although it has been a time that I shall never forget a larger part of the people have fallen in to error and they have fallen away from the teachings of the church and their God and they have fallen foul to the worshipers of the evil abomination Odinon (BofJ 15:72)

 

So with this in mind it is so very important for us to come to terms with the fact that the wise Latter Day Mormon will not take the first step in separating themselves from the church, as many do through apostasy. The wise Latter Day Mormon will pray frequently and regularly, read their scriptures, and generally stay close to the Lord. He will diligently fulfil his church and family duties and will follow Lord in all things. As members of The Latter Day Church of Jesus Christ our safe guard against apostasy, then is to be faithful to the church, be fully committed to the building up of the kingdom, and live in harmony with righteous principles. Enoch’s people, for example, “were of one heart and one mind, and dwelt in righteousness” (Genesis 7:23). After the Saviours visit to the Americas, the Nephites “did walk after the commandments…they were in one, the children of Christ, and heirs to the kingdom of God” (4 Nephi 1:12, 17) Let us also “be of one mind” so that we may “Live in peace” (2 Corinthians 13:11)

Church statement on the disaster in Oklahoma

The Latter Day Church of Jesus Christ would like to express how deeply saddened we are to hear of the loss of life and devastation caused by yesterday’s tornado in Oklahoma. The church would like to offer our heartfelt condolences to the victims and their families at this difficult time. The Prophet of the Latter Day Church Matthew Gill said that he is “deeply saddened and shocked at the tragedy unleashed in the Oklahoma by the tornado. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families of the victims of this horrific disaster. I pray that the Lord God will give the people of Oklahoma the courage and strength they will need to recover from this horrible ordeal”

 

SERMON: The Lords Tenth

“Honour the Lord with thy Substance”

Proverbs 3:9

 

For members of the Latter Day Church of Jesus Christ the payment of tithing is a sacred obligation to the Lord, the giver of all blessings. Latter Day Mormons must remember that paying tithing does not represent giving gifts to the Lord and the Church. Paying tithing is discharging a debt to the Lord. The Lord is the source of all our blessings and so we have an obligation to pay our tithing.

Latter Day Mormons know that it is important to teach our families that the Lords tenth is sacred, In our family councils we can teach our children how to manage their money and pay an honest tithe. We can help our children learn how to figure out the proper tithing for allowances or earnings. It is important that members of the church  study with our families the scriptures that tell us about ancient tithes as the first fruits such as the one found in Proverbs 3:9 and the firstlings of the flock found in Genesis 4:4. These inspire us to give the Lord the top tenth of our income. If we are wise, we will show by our example that paying tithing in season, when income is received, is easier and gives us a greater wisdom in managing the remaining nine-tenth us a greater wisdom in managing the remaining nine-tenths.

Honest tithe payers have discovered that the Lord literally opens the windows of heaven and pours out more blessings, spiritual and temporal, than they can receive. The greater our sacrifice the greater the blessings seem to be. Latter Day Mormons know that prosperity comes to those who observe the law of tithing. We are not talking about prosperity in terms of pounds and pence alone, although as rule Latter Day Mormons who are the best tithe payers can be prosperous financially. However what church counts as real prosperity is the growth in a knowledge of God, and in a testimony, and in power to live the gospel and inspire our families to do the same, this is prosperity of the truest kind.

Members of the Latter Day Church of Jesus Christ know that obeying the law of tithing helps us overcome selfishness, help's build the kingdom, and help's us perfect ourselves. It is important to remember that a tithe payer becomes in a very real sense a partner, albeit a humble one, with the Lord in a tremendous, eternal programme laid out for the salvation of human kind. To those who tithe with the Lord the principles of truth become clearer of comprehension, the living of them easier of accomplishment. Doubt retreats, faith advances certainty and courage up lift our souls. The eternal voice of our father is heard more clearly and we become more like our father in heaven and our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

SERMON: Attend Sacrament Meeting

The ordinance of the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper is extremely important because it commemorates the central fact in revealed religion, the atonement of Jesus Christ. The Lord gave this ordinance by which his life and mission, his death and resurrection, the great sacrifice he had offered for the redemption of man, should be kept in everlasting remembrance by his followers, and we Latter Day Mormons hold this ordinance as highly as we hold any ordinance given to us by God.

Shortly before the Saviour was crucified, he met with his disciples to observe the feats of the Passover. He broke bread, blessed it, and gave it to them, saying “This is my body which id given for you, this do in remembrance of me” (Luke 22:19). Afterwards, he blessed the wine and gave it to them with these words, “This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.” (Luke 22:20)

After his resurrection, the Saviour visited the American continent and instituted the same ordinances among the Nephites (3 Nephi Chapter 8; 18/Utah). The Saviour also visited other lost sheep during this time such as those remaining people in the Book of Jeraneck who believed still in his name; there, he also gave instruction on this special ordinance.

In the restoration of the fullness of times the Prophet Joseph Smith received specific instructions about the sacrament. Included in these instructions are the prayers to be offered, and the authority to be used in administering it also the obligation assumed by those who partake of the emblems of the atonement. It must be remembered today by all of us that all those who partake the sacrament bear witness to the Lord, that they are willing to take upon themselves the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, that they are willing always to remember him and that they will always keep his commandments. If they do these things, they are promised that His spirit will always be with them.

It is important that we remember that as members of the church, we partake the sacrament worthily, as members we must rid our minds and our souls of ill feelings towards others. Latter Day Mormons must remember to examine ourselves to see if we are living our lives according to the teachings of the everlasting Gospel. In partaking of the sacrament, we renew the promise that we made to follow him always and to live our lives in his name. 

It must be pointed out that Sacrament time is not a time for entertainment, or a time to tell stories unrelated to the Gospel, but rather, it is a time in which we are to grow spiritually. Every sacrament meeting should be a spiritual feast. It should be a time for meditation and introspection, a time for singing songs of praise to the Lord, and most important of all it should be a time for renewing ones covenants and promises that we have made wit our father in heaven and our Saviour. For us Latter day Mormons it should be a time for hearing the words of the Lord with reverence and appreciation for it is to the Lord that our minds should be turned.

Latter Day Mormons know in their hearts that purpose of sacrament meetings are to worship the Lord, partake of the sacrament, and receive gospel instruction. It is our duty as members to be ready both body and spirit for the Sabbath so that we may enter sacrament meetings ready to partake of the sacrament and also of the sprit of the Lord. Let us remember the words “Thou shalt go to the house of prayer and offer up thy sacraments upon my holy day” (D&C 19:2; 59:9/Utah.) 

The BBC and the Truth about Stonehenge

A note from Matthew P Gill: 

"Once again a programme broadcast on BBC claims to have unlocked the secrets of Stonehenge. This is yet another attempt to try and understand who built it and what purpose it served. However, just like other programmes and other ideas about this sacred structure, they grab at straws, not really knowing, but rather guessing with modern ideas what they would like the facts to be.

Another aspect of many of these programmes is the way in which they try to instruct us on the story of how and why it was built, much of which is guesswork and full of holes, which they fill with man made ideas with no historic or written evidence. Yet again, the Druids have been given far too much credit for this sacred site. Don't leave it to guesswork and unsupported theory. 

The Latter Day Church of Jesus Christ is able to bring to light the REAL reason that Stonehenge was built, and also what purpose it actually served, since we have the only written evidence from the time and from those who lived when it stood in all its glory, and for the glory of Almighty God. We call on all of mankind to discover the real history and story behind this sacred monument, because it was, and remains, a blessing for all peoples."

For more information, please visit our website www.latterdaychurch.co.uk

SERMON: The Power of Example

A Sermon by Matthew P Gill

As Latter Day Mormons, by setting a good example, we can influence character, inspire noble deeds, and attract others to the truth. Through being a good example, we as members of the church can better fulfil our divine mission to change the lives of others, and that divine mission to change lives is immeasurable.

Paul urged Timothy, Paul’s younger missionary companion, to be true to the teachings of youth. “Be thou an example of believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity” (1 Timothy 4:12). It is very important that Latter Day Mormons practice what we believe. We must demonstrate by our actions and deeds that we are an example to others in our faith and our belief.

It is our duty to set an example to those around us and one way we can do this is by having a sufficient knowledge of the scriptures. As Paul says of Timothy, “From a child thou hast known the holy scriptures.” (2 Timothy 3:15) We should demonstrate a deep and abiding knowledge of the scriptures of our faith.

The devotion and obedience of many of our members today, many of whom are modern Timothys, reflect the good examples that must have been set by others in their homes. Their models may have been a mother, father, sister, brother, teacher, a friend, or other good person who modeled good moral behaviours and a strong and devoted faith in the Lord.

The Prophet Jeraneck said his mother and father gave him “a solid foundation,” upon which he could grow. (Jeraneck 15:15) Such examples are crucial for families to raise up children who are examples to others.

Many members seem to be unaware of the influence that they have in other people’s lives, but a Righteous example is a significant force for good for people of all ages. Even though many Latter Day Mormons live under difficult circumstances, they can nonetheless learn how to use the power of good example to lift up their lives.

To those members with family members who do not support the church, for example, we must always remember that they remain our fathers, mothers, sisters and brothers. Even if they do not appreciate your burden, support them with positive actions and attitudes and love them; show them that you believe in them and love them with all your heart; encourage them with noble and godly examples, because it is with this wonderful force, the power of example, that we Latter Day Mormons do the most good. We do the most good for mankind when we consistently improve ourselves and strive to be what we say we believe.

We see an example of righteousness in a family in which others do not serve the Lord in the Book of Mormon, when Shiblon, the son of Alma, was righteous even as his brother Corianton was not. Alma holds up his son to his other son, Corianton, as a great moral example, saying, “for behold, have ye not observed the steadiness of thy brother, his faithfulness, and his diligence in keeping the commandments of God? Behold, has he not set a good example for thee?” (Alma 19; 39:1/Utah)

In the Book of Jeraneck, we learn that the children of the ancient People of Ridnon and Limndon, “were taught by their mothers, and they were taught that they were to be prayerful and to be contrite and be examples to the people around them.” (Jeraneck 9:5)

Now let us put on the whole armour of God and go unto the world and to our families and unto our friends and be a great example of the Gospel and also of God, so that we may stand blameless before Him at the last day, so that we are able to say that we stood as a firm example of the Gospel and of Latter Day Mormonism, even unto the end. Amen.

Reading: "in the last days perilous times shall come" 2 Timothy 3:1-5

"This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away." 

- 2 Timothy 3:1-5