Bishopric message

We begin the month of July in Church singing hymns about freedom and end the month with songs about the pioneers. Elder Charles W. Penrose tied these two themes together beautifully with a third theme – Temple work – when he wrote the words of the majestic hymn, O Ye Mountains High.

Temples have gradually grown on me. As a child, I remember passing the magnificent temple on Santa Monica Blvd. whenever we would go to my Aunt Elaine’s house in West Los Angeles. Later, after joining the Church, the L.A. Temple Visitor’s Center became a regular “hang out” place for Sunday-night movies with my friends. We occasionally performed youth baptisms, and a week or so before my mission I received my endowments there. During my MTC experience, I became a regular Temple patron for the first time in my life. My only Temple experience while in the mission field in Peru was the groundbreaking ceremony for the Lima Temple; I will never forget the prophetic promise Elder Boyd K. Packer gave, that Peru would arise and take its place among the leading nations on earth once the Temple was built. After my mission and marriage, Temple attendance became occasional to monthly, and we then moved to the Midwest, where Temple attendance became a few-times-a-year event, mostly whenever we traveled to see family living near a Temple.

Since that time, I have had several poignant revelatory experiences in the Temple. Of equal or greater significance than those, however, has been the spiritual strength gained since I started regularly attending. Regular Temple attendance, to me, means weekly attendance with my wife Trish. That doesn’t necessarily mean we actually make it to the Temple every week, but since establishing a regular “Temple night” we have been getting there 2-3 evenings per month. If we only have an hour or two, we go and do 5-10 initiatories, or maybe sealings. These blessings of regular Temple attendance include better control of my temper and thoughts, increased ability to understand the Lord’s will or Priesthood power, more harmony in my marriage and family, and a desire in my children to participate in Temple baptisms with their friends.

President Howard W. Hunter made the Temple the focus of his short prophetic ministry. In his October, 1994 Ensign First Presidency Message, “The Great Symbol of Our Membership”, he asked us to consider the Lord’s promises for Temple patrons and the qualifications for Temple service in D&C 97:15-21:
“And inasmuch as my people build a house unto me in the name of the Lord, and do not suffer any unclean thing to come into it, that it be not defiled, my glory shall rest upon it; Yea, and my presence shall be there, for I will come into it, and all the pure in heart that shall come into it shall see God… And, now, behold, if Zion do these things she shall prosper, and spread herself and become very glorious, very great, and very terrible. And the nations of the earth shall honor her, and shall say: Surely Zion is the city of our God, and surely Zion cannot fall, neither be moved out of her place, for God is there, and the hand of the Lord is there; And he hath sworn by the power of his might to be her salvation and her high tower. Therefore, verily, thus saith the Lord, let Zion rejoice, for this is Zion—THE PURE IN HEART; therefore, let Zion rejoice.”
President Hunter also counseled us to, “be a temple-attending and a temple-loving people”, to “hasten to the temple as frequently as time and means and personal circumstances allow… not only for our kindred dead, but…also…for the personal blessing of temple worship, for the sanctity and safety which is provided within those hallowed and consecrated walls”.
Temples are changing the world. Endowed people must have the freedom to abide by their covenants. The full sanctifying power of Christ’s Atonement must be extended to all of God’s children. This is the dispensation of the beginning of Israel’s great gathering, on the earth and through ages of time past. Regular Temple attendance will also change our lives. Section 109, the dedicatory prayer of the Kirtland Temple, speaks of these things. The very mountains that surround us here in Utah are symbols that remind us of these truths, as Elder Penrose recognized in his lovely lyrics. I solemnly testify and promise that they are true.

Review of June’s Home Teaching Message:

“To live greatly, we must develop the capacity to face trouble with courage, disappointment with cheerfulness, and triumph with humility. You ask, ‘How might we achieve these goals?’ I answer, ‘By gaining a true perspective of who we really are!’ We are sons and daughters of a living God, in whose image we have been created. Think of that: created in the image of God. We cannot sincerely hold this conviction without experiencing a profound new sense of strength and power.
In our world, moral character ofttimes seems secondary to beauty or charm. But from long ago the Lord’s counsel to Samuel the prophet echoes: ‘The Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart’ (1 Samuel 16:7).
The Redeemer chose imperfect people to teach the way to perfection. He did so then. He does so now—even yellow canaries with gray on their wings. He calls you and me to serve Him here below. Our commitment must be total. And in our struggle, should we stumble, let us plead: ‘Lead us, oh lead us, great Molder of men, out of the darkness to strive once again.’
My prayer is that we will follow the example of the Man of Galilee, who could be found mingling with the poor, the downtrodden, the oppressed, and the afflicted. May a true song come from our hearts as we do so.”
–President Thomas S. Monson
Review of June’s Relief Society Message:
“When we are baptized, we take upon ourselves the sacred name of Jesus Christ. Taking upon us His name is one of the most significant experiences we have in life. …
“Each week in sacrament meeting we promise to remember the atoning sacrifice of our Savior as we renew our baptismal covenant. We promise to do as the Savior did—to be obedient to the Father and always keep His commandments. The blessing we receive in return is to always have His Spirit to be with us.”
-Elder Robert D. Hales of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
“I was with an eight-year-old girl on the day of her baptism. At the end of the day she said with all confidence, ‘I have been baptized for a whole day, and I haven’t sinned once!’ But her perfect day did not last forever, and I am sure she is learning by now, like we all learn, that as hard as we try, we do not always avoid every bad situation, every wrong choice. …
“… It is not possible to make real change all by ourselves. Our own willpower and our own good intentions are not enough. When we make mistakes or choose poorly, we must have the help of our Savior to get back on track. We partake of the sacrament week after week to show our faith in His power to change us. We confess our sins and promise to forsake them.”
-Julie B. Beck, Relief Society general president.
Announcements:

Canyon Outing – For all Women and Young Women, aged 12 and up
Saturday, July 10th from 10:30am to 3:30pm at Christensen’s Cabin, near Sundance

• We will meet in the church parking lot at 10:30am to carpool, as parking space at the cabin is limited. It takes about halt an hour to drive to the cabin.
• The area is forested and unfenced, with a swift-running stream crossing the property, so please do not bring small children.
• We will relax, enjoy nature, and eat lunch at the cabin. Please bring whatever you would like to cook on a grill, and sign up for a potluck contribution (1 per family).
• One vehicle will leave right after lunch for those who may need to return early.
• We plan to leave for home about 3:00pm, arriving back at the church at 3:30pm
• Please bring a jacket, walking shoes, and WATER shoes if you wish to wade.
• Please sign up if you plan to come, so we will have an idea of numbers.





The Crawford’s home at 1760 S. Main Street will be available for rent in July. The rent can be either to three singles for $350 per month plus utilities, or to a family for $1100 plus utilities. If interested, please call Bro. Crawford at (801) 368-2262.

Lakeview Lighthouse
JUNE 2010
Please visit us at: Lakeviewlighthouse.blogspot.com

Bishopric message

During the past month I have read or listened to much of our April Conference. I love conference and how even though the Brethren have not been assigned topics. Their talks blend together and common themes manifest themselves. Two talks that impressed me because of their similarity and needed message were Elder Koichi Aoyagi’s "Helping Hands, Saving Hands" and President Uchtdorf’s "You Are My Hands".
Elder Aoyagi said "may we follow the counsel and example of the prophet and each day seek out those in need, that we might be the hands of the Lord in helping and saving His children..." and President Uchtdorf said "...every day, as we contemplate with reverence and awe how our Savior embraces us, comforts us, and heals us, let us commit to become His hands, that others through us may feel His loving embrace." Elder Aoyagi quoted President Monson in his talk as having said "My brothers and sisters, we are surrounded by those in need of our attention, our encouragement, our support, our comfort, our kindness—be they family members, friends, acquaintances, or strangers.
We are the Lord’s hands here upon the earth, with the mandate to serve and to lift His children. He is dependent upon each of us." As all three of these quotes suggest, our hands are to become the hands of the Lord in lifting, building, and blessing the lives of others. These talks stood out to me because at the same time I was reviewing them I had the opportunity to witness and be aware of individuals and families in the ward being the helping hands of the Savior for other members of the ward. Had the Bishop not been away, I would not have known of these multiple quiet acts of service. I was impressed as I often have been when I witness your love and concern for each other.
Elder Aoyagi said "I know many of you privately extend your loving and saving hands each day....I do not have time to tell you about all the good things I see Church members do. They follow the counsel of the prophet—not out of duty or responsibility but of their own free will, anonymously and joyfully." This was echoed by President Uchtdorf when he said "I am deeply impressed by the way our Church members extend themselves to others.
As we hear of your selfless sacrifice and overwhelming compassion, our hearts swell with gratitude and happiness. You are a shining light to the world, and you are known for your goodness and compassion all around the globe." With all the good that is being done there are still those who go unnoticed, those who feel alone, those in need of love and encouragement. Elder Uchtdorf suggested that we need to "...let our hearts and hands be stretched out in compassion toward others, for everyone is walking his or her own difficult path. As disciples of Jesus Christ, our Master, we are called to support and heal rather than condemn. We are commanded ‘to mourn with those that mourn’ and ‘comfort those that stand in need of comfort’."
Brothers and Sisters, I know that as we make time in our busy hectic world to follow this counsel we will be blessed. President Uchtdorf spoke of those blessings when he said "As we extend our hands and hearts toward others in Christ like love, something wonderful happens to us. Our own spirits become healed, more refined, and stronger. We become happier, more peaceful, and more receptive to the whisperings of the Holy Spirit."
May these blessings be ours as we become the helping saving hands of the Savior.
-Brother Matthew Wright

Relief Society News

Relief Society Activity
Potluck Picnic and Garden Walk
For Relief Society Sisters and Young Women
Thursday, June 10, 6:00 p.m.
Bring a potluck salad and meet at Posterity Park at 6:00 p.m. Rolls, drink and dessert will be provided. After dinner we will go on a garden walk to see the different ways our neighbors garden



2010 Cub Scout Summer Day Camps at Jeremiah Johnson (Hobble Creek Canyon)
Wolf & Bear Day Camp will be on June 30th
Webelo Day Camp will be on June 26th
*Return 'permission to go slip' to Memoree Durfee no later than April 29th...camp spots will be reserved according to slips returned.
*Pay $15.00 camp fee on donation slip marking cub scout summer day camp in "other" box.

Scout camp: June 26-July 3, Camp New Fork (Wyoming)
Varsity weeklong: Aug 3-7, Camp Wild (Idaho)
Venturer’s weeklong: Aug 3-7, Cedar City/St. George
Each young man needs to earn $52 and have that turned in several weeks before the campout! (Deacons need their money turned in by June 7.)

This year our ward has decided to incorporate supporting a local charity into
our ward activities. The Christmas Box Club ( a charity that helps abused
children that have been removed from their homes) is the charity we have
selected. We appreciate all those who were able to attend our Christmas Box
Club fireside to learn more about the organization and our goal for this year.
We would like every family to counsel together and decide what they can
contribute. The Young Men, Young Women and primary organizations will also
be involved in projects. We will also do some service activities at the ward camp
out in July. We have a list of the items that are needed (all items need to be
purchased new or newly made). Our goal is to collect throughout the year and
present it to the Christmas Box Club at our ward Christmas party! If you have
any questions, would like a list of items needed, or would like to drop off any
items your family would like to contribute please contact Devin Dye (801-362-
9966).