Christmas Meetings

During the last week I've had several opportunities to listen to some General Authorities share Christmas Messages, appreciation for our efforts, and their testimonies of the Savior.

ICS Christmas Social - December 5, 2011

The ICS department gathered together at the Conference Center today to listen to messages from the Presiding Bishopric - Bishop Burton, Bishop Edgley, and Bishop McMullin.  We then had lunch on the plaza level of the Conference Center.

- What you do matters to the Lord
- Your spiritual progress is bound to the temporal service you give to others
- Though what we do each day appears to be temporal, it is also spiritual
- May you feel that what you do upholds and builds the Kingdom of God


Member / Leader Christmas Social - December 9, 2011

We met as a portfolio today in a chapel near the ROB.  Dave Clare and Elder Christensen shared some thoughts with us and then we had a delicious lunch and some recognition awards.

Thoughts from Dave Clare
- The Lord knows the details of our lives
- We need to qualify so the Lord can use us more fully
- ask the Lord, "Was my offering enough?"
- God knows everything about us

Thoughts from Elder Christensen
- amazing things happen when righteous people get involved in the work
- if you're praying for your talents to be expressed, you are praying for the wrong thing.  You should be praying for those who you are building apps for.   (i.e. youth, clerks, bishops, etc)
- what we do only matters if it blesses their lives
- what we pray for determines what matters to us
- study the Book of Mormon - focus on prophecies of the birth of the Savior
- Alma 7:7 - prophets a half world away had it revealed to them
- take Luke 2 & compare to Mosiah 3 - they speak of the event, Mosiah is just looking forward to the event and Luke captures what took place
- review Pres. Monson's talks from conference - both discuss standing tall and standing firm
(think of Moroni)
- those who have stayed faithful are those who have rooted their lives in the Savior
- Nephi & Lehi - Nephi wanted the same vision - great father / son relationship
- Know thou the condescension of God?  Great Question - Nephi only knows he loves His children
- the spirit taught him about the condescension by letting him see the little babe.
- the spirit then asked what meanest thou the tree?  The answer was the same with greater understanding
- reflect on what makes all of this possible
- don't let life get in the way.  Focus on what is important
- know where you stand, then reach out & bring those you love into that conversation


LDS.org Thank You - December 9, 2011

Today we had the opportunity to have 3 members of the Seventy come to the Riverton Office Building (ROB) and express their appreciation for all that we have done over the last year on lds.org.  It was a great meeting and I'm grateful that I have the opportunity to contribute in a small way with spreading the gospel around the world.

- Elder Kearon - "The work you are doing is helping to illuminate the path, to make the iron rod more clear"

- Elder Malm - D&C 40:24 - "There is more light to come, we have just scratched the surface"

- Elder Robbins -  shared some thoughts from the "1000 years, 1000 people" book and gave a quote from Elder Holland, "When the Lord wants to change the world he sends a baby into the world."