Elder Rhodes read a
letter to President Ross thanking him for his consecrated service. After
releasing the Stake Presidency and prior to reading the name of the new stake
president, he said:
"We have the certainty of revelation from Heaven that this is
who the Lord would have serve at this time."
After announcing the
new Stake Presidency, President Ross spoke to us.
He quoted D&C
59:21 "And
in nothing doth man offend God, or against none is his wrath kindled, save those who confess not his hand in all things, and obey not his commandments."
He gave an analogy of
a parent allowing a child to play on a playground. The parent does not do
everything for the child, he allows the child to grow and learn. And so it is
with God. He allows us to grow and learn. Heavenly Father will not violate our
agency. God does not eliminate challenges. The Hand of God is not intended to
make our lives perfect. He expects us to grow and learn. He talked about how
the Apostle Paul could not see for a time. If you want a blessing you will get
a commandment because all blessings are predicated on obedience to commandments
as we read in D&C 130: 20-21.
He mentioned that he
started a list of all the times in his life that he saw the hand of the Lord.
He testified that God knows us and that Jesus is the Christ. Christ stands at
the door with his arms open to receive us.
The outgoing
presidency and incoming presidency all bore testimony. The new Stake President
whose last name is Boyack said when he submitted the names of his counselors to
Elder Golden, Elder Golden said, “I already knew who they were." President
Boyack shared a little from D&C 105, which discusses the early Saints
efforts to establish Zion. He quoted from several verses including verse 11
which states, "And
this cannot be brought to pass until mine elders
are endowed with power from on high."
He then talked about
the temple and asked us to each be students of the Temple.
Elder Rhodes' comments:
He said that he was recently
given a book on the atonement, and it caused him to study the scriptures on the
subject. He asked what does the Savior say about the atonement. Repent and be
clean so we do not suffer even as he did. (D&C 19:15-18) Christ pleaded
before the Father for us. He quoted from John 17:3 And this is life eternal,
that they might know thee, the
only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast
sent.
The greatest blessing
is to know the Father and the Son in the way they desire us to know them. God
delights in chastity and obedience. He delights to honor those who serve him.
Elder Golden was the
final speaker.
He said the Church is
presided over by 15 men who are prophets, seers, and revelators. They are true
to the charge God has given them. He stated that Joseph Smith is a prophet of
God. He then shared an account of when Joseph Smith was Mayor of Nauvoo. He
said there was an occasion when an African American man who was not a member of
the Church was fined $50 dollars for misconduct. This man wept because he
wanted the money to purchase freedom for his family in the south. Joseph Smith
had two horses at the time and he told this man to take one of his horses and
to sell it and use the money to buy freedom for his family members. He said he
believes he has studied more about the life of Joseph Smith than most and we
never need to apologize for Joseph Smith. He said that Joseph Smith was killed
because he knew too much of Christ and made too much of Christ.
To Laman and Lemuel, God sent an angel and to many others in the Scriptures. But to Joseph Smith
both the Father and the Son appeared personally. The fact that the Father and
the Son appeared to Joseph Smith indicates that he was worthy.
He said that they who
are found with the Spirit of the Holy Ghost will be well in the last day. He
bore witness of the Father and the Son and said that we will be bound by that
witness.
