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| Christmas is a time when we reflect on
the birth and promise of Jesus. He was born into mortality to introduce
a new higher law and His gospel. He came to teach us how to love
unconditionally. His mortal life was one of service and charity.
He was a helpful example. Jesus’ greatest gift was His atonement
for the sins of humanity. Jesus’ birth had been foreseen and prophesied
by all of the prophets of the Old and New Worlds. The record of these
exciting dreams, visions, prophesies, and manifestations are recorded in
detail in the Old Testament and in the Book of Mormon.
The ancient prophets and prophetesses, priests and priestesses, great men and women, faithful pillars of ancient societies knew and bore record of the promises they’d received regarding the birth, life, ministry, and resurrection of a Messiah - a Savior.
This Christmas season, let’s take time out from the frenzy of our Everyday cares to reflect on the significance of Jesus’ birth, life and ministry. And may we all enjoy a season of love in the light of Christ. Merry Christmas to all! GOTO INDEX |
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Christmas is a wonderful time for many people. For many  of
us, this is a time for family and friends. We come together, share
gifts, and enjoy one another’s company. We may call relatives who
live far away to share some holiday cheer. Christmas is a joyful
time.
Christmas is also for too many people a stressful time. For others, it may even be painful. They may feel alienated from family and friends. They may feel unwanted and unloved. Christmas may not be a joyful time at all. This separation from loved ones during the Christmas holidays only serves to deepen the pain and the suffering. Too many turn to isolation, drugs and alcohol to deaden their pain. Others may not isolate themselves, but their pain is revealed by what they do, how they harm themselves when they are “out on the town.” Pay attention to signs of risk-taking. Be a friend. Help others to experience a safe and sane holiday season. The only way you will know if someone you know and love is safe and sane is to be close to them. Use the “uh oh!” method. If you hear someone you know say something or see them do something that causes your first reaction to be “uh oh!”, that is the time to act. Make the time to “close ranks” in love. Envelope the person in your love. Show them that you care. Reaching out in kindness will help in more ways than one. As disciples of Jesus, let us be sensitive to the pain others around us may be experiencing during Christmas. Let’s make an extra effort to reach out in kindness and love as we encounter these silent sufferers. Make the effort to share with them the joy you are experiencing. Make time to listen and be with them. Reaching out with kindness is a basic act of compassion and charity. It is about human dignity and maintaining it. Being kind is something we do because we believe the words of Jesus Christ, our Savior. Kindness and the courage to reach out in times of need are part of being a disciple of Jesus Christ. This is the essence of the Baptismal Covenant. Bearing the burdens of others and mourning with those that mourn are acts of kindness. Reaching out in kindness is the spirit of what we promise to do after we have accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior and make the Baptismal Covenant. The gift of the Holy Ghost assures us of the companionship and aid we need to fulfill this basic and essential covenant. The Holy Ghost will alert us to situations that would ordinarily breeze right by us and be ignored. Let the Spirit guide and prompt us to act during this season. Doing so will allow the extension of temporal and emotional salvation to many in pain, if we will just pay attention to what is occuring around us. Compassion and charity, once experienced, cannot be contained within oneself. These are powerful actions and emotions that arouse a response by further acts of compassion and charity. These are acts of kindness; reaching out to one another is what we, as disciples, do. Often our desire to reach out in kindness is so powerful, it cannot be restrained. We feel compelled to act - to do something. Sharing compassion and charity gives us a greater sense of self-worth, accomplishment, and joy. We do it because of the love we feel for one another. We do it out of kindness and respect. Human dignity is the right of every woman, man, and child. The statement that respect is earned is in actuality contrary to the Gospel. Jesus teaches us that respect for every person, regardless of station in life, is required. People may undergo times where they bring upon themselves disrespect. Nevertheless, Jesus teaches us to show respect and help each other when we’ve done these things to ourselves. Confessing, making amends, and recovering our self-respect help others to respect us.
Christmas is a season of reflection of the blessing of Jesus. Let us bring goodwill those around us. That alone will add immeasurably to establishing PEACE. Your servant, Douglas B. Madrid President of the Church GOTO INDEX |
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| 25 And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up,
and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?
26 He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou? 27 And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength,and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself. 28 And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live. 29 But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour? 30 And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. 31 And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32 And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, he passed by on the other side. 33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, 34 And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35 And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee. 36 Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbor unto him that fell among the thieves? 37 And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise. GOTO INDEX |
What was Jesus’ response? How did He approach the questions? Think of situations where someone quizzed you in a similar manner. How did you respond? In light of this parable, what would you do different? Why did Jesus use a Samaritan in this parable? What effect did this have on His followers? If you are a Melichizedek Priesthood holder, what is the significance of the “priest” to you in this story? If you are an Aaronic Priesthood holder, what is the significance of the “Levite” to you in this story? What did the Samaritan do? Why? With whom do you identify most in this parable? GOTO INDEX |
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 Since approval of the revelation enlarging the Quorum of Apostles at the last conference, members of the quorum have wasted no time in getting down to work. Each Apostle has been assigned a geographic area in which to labor, with the goal of establishing at least one family of the Church within that area during 1998. Pres. Robert McIntier explains that he has two main goals for the newly-enlarged quorum. “Doing missionary work, and learning our duties, are the two main areas of focus at the present time,” he said. “We have begun to learn about the function of Apostles by studying the lives of the original Twelve called by the Lord in the meridian of time. We will also study the lives of the first Apostles called in this dispensation.”
As reported in last month’s Unto All Peoples, each of the members of the Quorum of Apostles has been assigned to prepare specific areas for the establishment of future Church families. Some of these areas will take longer than others, but the work has to begin now, if it is ever to be accomplished. Areas currently being prepared include San Francisco and Las Vegas. Work has already begun in Ogden, Utah, and will also begin in the Provo, Utah, area soon. Additional work is being done by the use of modern technology to bring our message to people in many other countries, including Canada, Belgium, England, and South Africa. People all over the world can find our internet web site at: Unlike other Church officers, who work within the Church to strengthen the organization and its members, the Quorum of Apostles is assigned to work outside the boundaries of the organized Church. Their calling is to establish new works in areas not currently served by the Church, to organize and strengthen people in these areas, and to prepare them to become an officially-organized family of the Church. Once they become a family, responsibility for their welfare and continued progress rests with the First Presidency and the Bishopric. The Apostles then move on to new areas, and the process repeats itself. With the renewed efforts of the First Presidency and the Bishopric within the Church, and the expanded work of the Quorum of Apostles on the outside, bringing others in, 1998 promises to be a great year for expanding of the Lord’s little flock, in preparation for the time when it will eventually encompass “every nation, kindred, tongue, and people.” GOTO INDEX |
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| Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
Aloha! Sister Linda A. Watson, formerly of the Salt Lake Family, successfully completed treatment at the Western Blind Rehabilitation Center. Sister Watson entered treatment following general conference in September and was released on 31 October. The Western Blind Rehabilitation Center is located in Palo Alto, California; it is operated by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Sister Watson recently returned from her first vacation in over 15 years. She traveled to Europe for two weeks. Mahalo! GOTO INDEX |
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| As Christmas swiftly approaches and the new year is about to awaken,
I think of new beginnings, and a time to make new discoveries and commitments
to the things that we hold important in our lives. As a disciple
of Jesus Christ we must all look at what is important and what is not,
as we do this we will find that serving our Lord Jesus Christ will rate
as the first and foremost on our list of things to commit to. What does
the Lord expect of us? How can we support Christ in teaching his gospel?
And what can we do to help the mission of the Church?
We must consistently evaluate what we are doing in our lives to be a disciple of Christ, an example of what he stands for. Are we living in adherence to the laws of the gospel in all areas of our lives so that the Holy Ghost may dwell with us always? Are our homes in order, is our checkbook in order, are we doing the things in our work environment that are examples of Christ? Are we looking for opportunities to teach each other? Are we looking for opportunities to teach others about the church and the Gospel?
What would have happened if Christ had had a great idea for what things could be like and no plan to implement his idea? We must evaluate each area and then we must form a plan to implement our ideas. This may entail seeking advise from priesthood leaders and then from Christ. Once we have done this we must then look at our resources and understand the best way to use our resources to implement our plan. We must be aware of our resources. Resources may be financial, emotional, or spiritual. We must decide on the best way to use our resources to accomplish our plan. Now that we have worked through these items and ideas it is time to put our plan into action. A plan without action is only a good idea, and a good idea is worth nothing unless we can act upon it. We must implement our plan. This is the hardest part of change is to be committed to working a plan. If this becomes notably hard to do, remember to look at our Savior and his commitment to us, to our eternal salvation, and the will and desires of or Heavenly Father and Mother. When Jesus Christ prepared to put his all on the line and suffer for our sins in the Garden, do you think that this was hard for him? He was committed to suffering for the sins of the world but was this an easy thing to do? Christ asked to have the cup pass him by, if it was the will of his Father…, The will of his Father, not his own. A man who was so committed to the plan that he would do anything to place it in action. I testify to you brothers and sisters that we can all make many changes in our lives if we are able to have a passionate commitment to change. We can become, learn, grow, and progress in ways that we cannot comprehend if we are willing to commit to placing our plans into action. When we do this with passion and truth we have the possibility of reaching our full potential, which is endless. I share this in love, in the brother and sisterhood of God, and in the name of Jesus Christ Amen. GOTO INDEX |
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| CHRISTMAS
JESUS CHRIST MARY JOSEPH VIRGIN BETROTHED KINGS NAZARETH INN |
HEROD
BIRTH ELISABETH PROPHECY STAR BETHLEHEM JERUSALEM ISRAEL JEWS |
ANGELS
ZACHARIAS HOLY GHOST ABRAHAM HOLINESS SALVATION SIMEON DAVID EGYPT |
GOLD
MANGER MYRRH FRANKINCENSE WISEMEN GIFTS REMISSION OF SINS ANNA A PROPHETESS GLORY TO GOD GOTO INDEX |
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Heretofore, counselors and executive secretaries have served without clearly defined roles and responsibilities. Presidents, bishops, and presiding elders were solely responsible for delegating assignments within their presidencies. Although, this is not changing, it is clear to the First Presidency that a context for service needed to be established. The First Presidency decided in it’s November 30 meeting to go foward with the following general assignments for counselors and executive secretaries: First Counselors will assume responsibilities for growth. Growth includes such things as: missionary work, fellowshipping of members and non-members, home/visiting teaching, family fun/home evenings, social events, advertising, etc. Second Counselors will assume responsibilities for education. Education includes such things as: sunday school, sacrament and worship services, contributions to newsletter(s), welfare, etc. Executive secretaries will assume responsibilities for resources. Resources includes such things as: recordkeeping, history, budget management*, facilities, etc. Presidents, bishops, and presiding elders are expected to use these outlines and continue to make adjustments as needed. Bishops and presiding elders serving at the local level should seek the counsel and support of the First Presidency prior to making any adjustments and modifications to this outline. The purpose for making these assignments is to assure that the Church’s leadership structure is organized in ways that help it meet the Church’s goals, as outlined in the strategic plan. These assignments also give counselors and executive secretaries a clearer picture of what they are being called to do. We know that these changes are good for the Church. They will help us to meet our goals. May the Lord bless us as we seek to do more to bring the gospel and peace into our communities and to the world. The First Presidency Douglas B. Madrid, President Larry L. Tidwell, First Counselor GOTO INDEX |
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