Church News

“But, as President Kimball noted, ‘We do not go to Sabbath meetings to be entertained or even solely to be instructed. We go to worship the Lord. It is an individual responsibility, and regardless of what is said from the pulpit, if one wishes to worship the Lord in spirit and in truth, he may do so by attending his meetings, partaking of the sacrament, and contemplating the beauties of the gospel. If the service is a failure to you, you have failed. No one can worship for you; you must do your own waiting upon the Lord.”

Church News  |  (Ensign, January 1978.) — Church News, July 6, 2002, p. 16

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It is a relatively simple thing to pour out gratitude to God when the cup is full, the harvest plenteous, the peace secure; but it is much more challenging to have the faith to believe that even in adversity and persecution, even in times of darkness and devastation, the Lord’s hand is in it for the benefit of his children.

Church News  |  LDS Church News, June 10, 1989

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The war in heaven never ended, we simply switched battlefields. In pre-earth life Satan sought us by gift and was rejected with his plan by our Father in Heaven. Now, here upon the earth, he seeks us by the commission of sin. During the Missouri persecutions there were many who apostatized from the Church and even became enemies. The Prophet Joseph Smith spoke of their sad state and warned against apostasy.

At the conclusion of the Prophet’s remarks, Isaac Behunnin, a member of the Church, stated: “If I should leave this Church, I would not do as those men have done – I would go to some remote place where Mormonism had never been heard of, settle down, and no one would ever learn that I knew anything about it.” To which Joseph Smith replied: “Brother Behunnin, you don’t know what you would do. No doubt these men once thought as you do. Before you joined this church you stood on neutral ground. When the gospel was preached good and evil were set before you. You could choose either or neither. There were two opposite masters inviting you to serve them. When you joined this church you enlisted to serve God. When you did that you left the neutral ground, and you never can get back on to it. Should you forsake the Master you enlisted to serve, it will be by the instigation of the evil one, and you will follow his dictation and be his servant.” He [further] emphasized the fact that a man or woman who had not taken sides either with Christ or Belial could maintain a neutral position, but when they enlisted under either the one or the other, they left the neutral ground forever. (Juvenile Instructor, Aug. 15, 1892, p. 492). . . Why is it, then, that the apostates will not leave the Church alone? Because they are the servants of sin and have another master whose bidding they now do.

Church News  |  Church News, January 4, 1997, p. 13

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The Sabbath involves much more than refraining from inappropriate activities. The Lord’s prophets have provided ample instruction on how to keep the Sabbath day holy. They include such things as reading the scriptures, conference reports and Church publications; studying the lives and teachings of the prophets; writing in journals; praying and meditating; writing or visiting relatives and friends; listening to uplifting music; family gospel instruction; family councils; genealogical research; fellowshipping neighbors and those of other faiths; and setting aside time for wholesome family activities. The Sabbath should be a day of joy, a day in which one’s spirit is lifted, in which the feeling of being a child of God touches the soul. And it will be for those who keep the Sabbath day holy.

Church News  |  Church News, July 6, 2002, p. 16

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Do not let our faith be shaken by critics who never seem to recognize that knowledge of things divine comes by the power of the Spirit and not of the wisdom of men.

Church News  |  Church News, October 9, 1993

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The disciplinary council for a senior Church leader consists of members of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Although the removal and excommunication of Church leadership is rare, the Church holds the most senior leaders to the same standards of conduct—if not more so—as all other members of the Church.

Church News  |  General Authority Released Following Disciplinary Action

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“Years ago a scientist named A. Cressy Morrison tried to dispel the notion that the earth was created by pure chance. In his book, Man Does Not Stand Alone, he itemized a number of factors that, had they been different, would have made life impossible on the world. If the earth’s crust were 10 feet thicker, there would be no oxygen, or if the oceans had been a few feet deeper, oxygen and carbon monoxide would have been absorbed. If it were not tilted at 23 degrees, we would have had no seasons and water vapor would have moved to the poles. If the moon were closer, tides would have been so enormous that lowlands would be submerged. The planet’s atmosphere is just thick enough to let in the solar rays needed for vegetation, but not enough to kill life. Essential elements exist in just the right proportions for life, he wrote, citing many other factors that argue against a haphazard creation.”

Church News  |  Church News, June 15, 1996, p. 16

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