Sunday Thoughts on Sacrifice

Stoke and Newcastle Ward Building -  Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.  Mosiah 13:16-19

Sacrament Meeting and the other meetings at church were uplifting as always.  It was nice to meet with people all there because it is the day we worship God and remember the Savior's Atonement, learn His teaching, and encourage one another.

In Sacrament Meeting, I learned that Face Book can be a good thing if we use it to post good thoughts, spiritually strengthening ideas and stories, Church news and YouTube clips, and do positive posts with clean language.  If there is anything lovely, of good report, or praiseworthy, we seek after those things.  There are many worthwhile things we can share on Face Book.

In Sunday School, I learned that God's children are being gathered to Him throughout the world.  Those with lineage from the original scattered 10 tribes are being identified in various places throughout the world as they receive their patriarchal blessings.  Abraham's ancestors are indeed larger than the sands of the sea as promised by God thousands of years ago.  We are living in a time when ancient and modern prophecies are constantly coming true.  All people who are baptized with the proper authority and join Christ's restored Church, become adopted sons and daughters into Abraham's lineage and receive the blessings promised.

In Relief Society, a woman shared a story as we discussed the subject of sacrifice.  She and her aunt went to a woman's home to help prepare it before she moved in.  The woman was not able to do the cleaning herself, so this was a service project.  As they cleaned, the auntie found coins in various places and asked if she could keep the coins.  When asked why she wanted to keep a few pence, she replied that she collects coins anywhere she happens across them.  She puts all of the coins she finds into a glass jar.  When she has 100 British pounds, she gives them to someone a church she knows is having a hard time.

Another woman said they had once sold their dining room table and chairs and donated the money to the church fund to help pay off debt the ward had accumulated.  The family sat on the floor to eat meals for months before they were able to get another table.

Loving Jesus Christ will develop charity within our hearts, because charity is the true love of Christ.  As we discover how much Christ loves us, we can learn to feel the love Christ has for our fellow man.  Feelings of love for our Savior eventually gives us the ability to see others as Christ sees them and we are able learn to love his children as he has asked us to.

I am grateful for the Sabbath Day that is different than all other days of the week.  It refuels me spiritually and physically so the week ahead is manageable and things go better than if I'd tried to cram others things into it that had nothing to do with remembering Jesus Christ and what He had done for me.  I testify to you that many blessings come from keeping the Sabbath Day Holy as we have been commanded.