Sunday Happenings

Sister Smith taught our lesson today. It was taken from Elder Renlunds talk in the November 2009 Ensign entitled: "Preserving the Hearts Mighty Change".

Elder Renlund compares the physical care which must be taken to make sure a heart transplant is not rejected to the spiritual care which must be taken to keep our "mighty change of heart" in place and not suffer rejection. "Surprisingly, some patients become casual with their transplanted hearts. They skip their medicines here and there and obtain the needed follow-up less frequently than they should. They think that because they feel good, all is well. Too often this shortsighted attitude puts the patients at risk and shortens their lives."

"Just as with heart transplant patients, however, this mighty change of our spiritual hearts is just the beginning. Repentance, baptism, and confirmation are necessary but not sufficient. Indeed, equal, if not greater, care must be taken with a spiritually changed heart than with a physically transplanted heart if we are to endure to the end. Only by doing so can we be held guiltless at the time of judgment."

"Enduring to the end can be challenging because the tendency of the natural man is to reject the spiritually changed heart and allow it to harden. No wonder the Lord cautioned to “even let those who are sanctified take heed.”5

Alma poses some questions that will help us reflect on our own "changed hearts":

“If ye have experienced a change of heart, and if ye have felt to sing the song of redeeming love, I would ask, can ye feel so now?”8 He further asks if they have been sufficiently humble, free of pride and envy, and kind toward their fellowman.9 By honestly answering questions like these, we can correct early deviations from the strait and narrow path and keep our covenants with exactness.

We need to learn to endure to the end, we can receive the strength we need through:
- praying
- studying the scriptures
- partaking of the sacrament each week
- having the Holy Ghost as our constant companion
- actively help and serve others
- share the gospel with others
- be perfectly upright and honest in all things
- never compromise our covenants with God or our commitments to men
- "we need to frequently biopsy our mightily changed hearts and reverse any signs of early
rejection".

Announcements:

-Tues, March 16: Relief Society Birthday Celebration @ 6:30 p.m. Dinner will be served and nursery will be provided. Please bring something that represents what Relief Society means to you, or something that you learned from Relief Society.

-Book Club: Funny in Farsi, by- Firoozeh Dumas on March 30, 7:00 p.m. @ Sister Olpin's house.