The Aaronic Priesthood - Joint Conference of Restoration Branches

Transcription

Vol. Four, Issue 5
October 2012
Beacon
The Latter Day Saints’
Sharing the Light of Jesus Christ
The Aaronic Priesthood
Home Ministry Testimony page 2
Ministry of the Deacon page 4
The Aaronic Priest page 7
The Exciting Calling
of the Aaronic Teacher page 9
Thoughts on the Ministry
of the Aaronic Priesthood page 12
A Teacher’s Ministry page 13
Walking with the Seventy page 17
The official magazine of the Joint Conference of Restoration Branches
www.conferenceofbranches.org
Volume 4, Issue 5. October 2012
Beacon
Joint Conference
of Restoration Branches
Sharing the Light of Jesus Christ
Features:
Columns:
Home Ministry Testimony................... 2
Letter from the Editor..................... 1
Ministry of the Deacon................... 4
Restoration Women’s Ministry.... 19
The Aaronic Priest.......................... 7
Salt and Light............................... 20
Nathan Perry
George Baldwin
Gary R. Whiting
of the Aaronic Teacher................... 9
R. Magargee
of the Aaronic Priesthood........... 12
Carl D. Cederstrom
A Teacher’s Ministry.................... 13
Richard Hoff
Walking with the Seventy............ 17
Mission Statement
The Aaronic Ministry
A Gathering of Saints
Witnessing at Work
Saints In Worship........................ 23
The Lord’s Prayer, Part 5
The Little Beacon......................... 25
King Benjamin’s People Respond
Also in this issue:
2012 US Conference Budget........ 15
Items for Sale............................... 16
2012 General Conference
Final Figures............................... 24
Editor in Chief:
This magazine is dedicated to proclaiming the gospel Gary Whiting
Graphic Designer:
Tara Broadway
of Jesus Christ and bearing witness to the everlasting
Editorial Staff:
promises of God. Our intention is to inspire the Saints
Warren Bennett Barbra Jordison Kent Pedersen
to walk faithfully in the name of our Savior, bearing
Hugh Caldwell Joy Muir
Chuck Perry
fruit worthy of the Kingdom of God.
Subscribe to The Latter Day Saints’ Beacon at 816-252-1457, beacon@conferenceofbranches.org,
or JCRB/Beacon, 1100 West Truman Road, Independence, MO 64050. Send article proposals to
beacon@conferenceofbranches.org.
The Latter Day Saints’ Beacon is published under the editorial responsibility of the Books, Tracts, and Periodicals
Division of the Communications Committee (Gary Whiting, division chairman). The magazine is mailed from Independence, Missouri (USA).
© Joint Conference of Restoration Branches 2012. Cover photo via Canstockphoto.com
Letter from the Editor
The Aaronic Ministry
By Gary R. Whiting
M
y home branch, Zion’s
Outpost in Park City, Kansas, suffered a huge loss recently.
Robert Charles Skeen died on
August 27, 2012. He was 87 years
old. He was a dear friend and
brother to all of us. Bob was also
a deacon.
For many years Bob was
our only functioning deacon.
He served in this capacity since
his ordination in 1968. Bob
never imagined that a different
or “higher office” would mean he
could serve better or more significantly in the church. He gave all
he had to being a deacon.
Bob’s ministry was marked
by selflessness. He arrived early
for church services and was in
position to greet the Saints and
visitors when they entered the
building. His friendly smile and
handshake was full of love for
every person he met.
Bob always looked for places
to help. Quietly and invisibly,
Bob would take care of details
others would overlook. He made
certain that the sanctuary was
ready for each service. He always
helped clean the sacrament trays
and cups. He emptied trash cans
and made sure that paper towel
dispensers were full. He simply
made sure that people did not
have to worry about those kinds
of details and could concentrate
on their worship and fellowship.
His love for Jesus and the
gospel was very powerful. He
loved prayer services and he almost always participated in vocal
prayer. When he prayed he would
include the Saints of the branch,
the church at large, the country
and those in the military service.
He especially loved to pray for
those who had special needs and
for those Christians who were
persecuted for their faith.
Bob’s prayers were always
very humble and he always spoke
of his great love for the Father
and for the work of Jesus Christ.
He knew the Master and it was
this love and relationship which
empowered his ability to serve in
the name of Jesus.
This was a man who was
humble and full of love. He was
patient, kind and gentle.
Bob’s ministry was rarely
behind the pulpit. He served in
the midst of us. His last formal
sermon was given in March 2012.
By then the physical afflictions
that eventually ended his life,
were manifesting themselves
more strongly. His voice was
weak, his eyes dim and his hands
were shaky. Nevertheless, Bob’s
testimony was sure.
He spoke about God’s protection throughout his life. He
testified about his deep belief in
and the satisfaction he had found
in the Restored Gospel. He spoke
of the glory of the Savior and of
his deep gratitude for all God had
done for him in his life. His final
testimony was that he was going to
love and trust God to the very end
of his life. Bob did just that and
is now entered into his rest after
having fought a good fight of faith.
As you read about the ministry of the Aaronic priesthood
in this issue of the Beacon, think
about Bob Skeen, or perhaps the
deacon, teacher or priest that has
ministered in a similar fashion in
your branch. For my branch, Bob
Skeen exemplified the kind of
ministry that the Aaronic priesthood is designed to give.
You may not agree with every
statement made by every author
in this issue, but the men who
wrote these articles have served in
the offices of the Aaronic order.
Please read what they have to say
with charity. They speak from
experience and some passion.
I pray that each of you will
be inspired to serve the Lord
Jesus in the area of your specific
calling with faithful diligence. As
I learned from Bob Skeen, the
Lord is able to supply your every
need, He honors the humble and
is pleased with those who give
faithful service. May that be said
of each of us when we come to
the day of our rest. F
Visit our website at www.conferenceofbranches.org for back issues of the Beacon,
Conference materials and priesthood contact information.
Page 1
Home Ministry Testimony
By Nathan Perry
B
efore I was ordained to the office of Priest in June of 2008, I had no idea what a home
visit was. Although I had been raised in the church since birth and have been involved
in my branch’s activities, the concept of priesthood going into the homes of the Saints was
a rather foreign and misunderstood concept to me. As a young member of the priesthood, I
thought that home ministry was intended to address marital and financial problems, doctrinal questions, and conflicts between members or with the church itself. While each of these
is quite possible, and often a reality for home visits, I want to share my testimony of the
benefits and blessings that occured when I began to visit homes.
My “journey” began shortly after I was ordained. During this time, a few men in the
priesthood began setting up a home ministry program that not only gave opportunity for
each family to be visited, but for each of the priesthood to be active as well. As the men were
formed into teams, I was partnered with a man who was newer to the priesthood than I was.
Having never conducted a
home visit, I was bewildered
about how to conduct the
I entered into these homes
visits. The bigger conflict to
not knowing how to teach
me, however, was the families
that had been assigned to me.
and share the gospel in a way
nineteen years old, and
that had not been previously taught, II was
had been ordained for less
but because I entered into the
than a few months, yet I was
assigned to minister to our
homes, the Lord blessed me
branch pastor, four members
and the families immensely.
of the seventy, and two future
High Priests. I had no idea
how I would minister to these
families. I knew nothing compared to these men and their families, and I became somewhat
discouraged and nervous; however, upon entering into these homes, I was blessed beyond
measure, and to this day home ministry is one of my favorite ways to minister and fellowship
with the Saints.
I entered into these homes not knowing how to teach and share the gospel in a way that
had not been previously taught, but because I entered into the homes, the Lord blessed
me and the families immensely. These visits consisted of nothing more than a discussion
and class on our branch’s monthly theme as well as discussion and a brief period of prayer
where we prayed for each other’s needs. While this may seem like a simple concept, I began
to understand that I was like a young and tender sapling. The families that I visited were
like large oak or maple trees, established and immovable. I then realized that both the large
trees and the smallest of trees need water to sustain life. The water, symbolic of the gospel,
was fed to one another when I would visit into the homes of the Saints. Not only were we
spiritually fed, but we developed a deep fellowship together. I grew to love my families like
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The Latter Day Saints’ Beacon
the Savior loves his creation. I was a shepherd to them. They were my flock, and I felt it
necessary to pray for them daily, and I still do.
The 34th chapter of Ezekiel is a chastisement to the shepherds of the Lord’s fold (v 2-7):
Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy and say unto them, Thus
saith the Lord God unto the shepherds; Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed
themselves! should not the shepherds feed the flocks? Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you
with the wool, ye kill them that are fed; but ye feed not the flock. The diseased have ye not
strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that
which was broken, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away, neither have
ye sought that which was lost; but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them. And
they were scattered, because there is no shepherd; and they became meat to all the beasts
of the field, when they were scattered. My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and
upon every high hill; yea, my flock was scattered upon all the face of the earth, and none
did search or seek after them. Therefore, ye shepherds, hear the word of the Lord.
While this chastisement was given during the times of the Old Testament, it remains true
today. We have been called to share our gifts and talents that the Lord God has given us and
utilize them to feed his flock. Have we failed as a church to continue our home ministry? Not
completely. Complete failure would result in a diminishing of the church and a breakdown
of family relations to church.
Although it is not a forgotten
or failed concept, we have
There are many ways
fallen away from these Spiritfor home ministry to blossom
building relationships that
are essential in the life of the
into an ever growing expansion
church.
of fellowship, teaching, learning
There are many ways for
and family relations.
home ministry to blossom
into an ever growing expansion of fellowship, teaching,
learning and family relations. One way is for the priesthood to recognize their stewardship
over the sheep of the fold and commit to this fundamental ministry. The Saints must also
begin to invite priesthood into their homes.
I would also like to stress that, while it has been typically thought that home ministry is
an Aaronic ministry, the Melchizedek priesthood also has the authority and duty to minister in the homes. When I was ordained to the office of Elder in June of 2011, I promised
myself that I would continue to visit the homes of the Saints. Because of my school schedule, I have not been able to visit as often as I used to. I feel that a part of my ministry has
been left wanting. I miss being in an intimate worship setting with a group of the Saints, my
friends, my family, my brothers and sisters. I miss ministering in the homes with my brother
and father; nevertheless, I still try to take the time to check in with my families, and I hope
to visit with them as soon as possible.
I can honestly say that I have benefitted greatly by my ministry in the homes of the
Saints. It has caused great growth in my ministry. No amount of preaching, attending
classes, or simple study could have made me who I am today without first knowing the heart
of the gospel: the Saints and their needs. I have many personal testimonies that solidify my
belief in the need for ministry in the homes. I long for the day when I am out of school and
have more time to visit with the Saints. F
Page 3
Ministry of the Deacon
By George Baldwin
M
y study of scripture has convinced me that the Aaronic priesthood stopped functioning properly in the early 1900s. I discovered this by accident in the mid-1990s as I was
preparing for a junior/junior high camp.
As a member of the Aaronic priesthood, I wanted to teach the children about the Aaronic
priesthood duties as defined in the scriptures. While preparing for the class, I discovered that
what I was taught, and what has been traditionally taught as the function of the deacon, was
not in the Scriptures. This caused me to look more closely at the Doctrine and Covenants. I
was drawn to look for the terms Holy Ghost and/or Holy Spirit. I found the mention of the
Holy Ghost and Holy Spirit stopped in Section 131 (1913) and was not mentioned again until
Section 151 (1974). This is about a sixty-year gap between mentions of the Holy Ghost or
Holy Spirit. Prior to Section 131, Holy Ghost or Holy Spirit had been mentioned on a fairly
regular basis.
This piqued my curiosity and I ran the same search on the Bible—both the King James
and Inspired Versions. These searches provided predictable results and I found no mention
of Holy Spirit in the Old Testament except in Psalm 51:11 and Isaiah 63:10-11 in the King
James Version. Numerous mentions of the
Holy Ghost and Holy Spirit were found in
I found the mention
the New Testament. In Isaiah 63:10-11, the
mention of the Holy Spirit refers back to
of the Holy Ghost and
Moses, the last member of the Melchisedec
Holy Spirit stopped in
Priesthood in the Old Testament and in
Section 131 (1913) and was Psalms; it is a generic holy spirit mentioned.
results in the Inspired Version of the
not mentioned again until The
Bible yielded similar results except for menSection 151 (1974). This is tions of the Holy Ghost in Genesis 4:9; 5:1;
5:44; 6:53; 6:69; 7:13; 7:34 and 8:11. Genesis
about a sixty-year gap.
8:11 is at the time of Noah. In the Book of
Mormon, Holy Ghost and Holy Spirit are
mentioned throughout the book. I then knew something had changed in 1913 and quickly
determined that the change occurred at the death of Joseph Smith III.
Sometime later, I related what I had discovered to several elders and one asked about
angels. I did a search for angels in the Bible, Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants. This yielded a startling discovery: the mention of angels was constant throughout
the Bible, in both versions, and constant throughout the Book of Mormon. Angels were
consistently mentioned in the Doctrine and Covenants until Section 129 where the mention
of angels ceases.
I always believed that we had good prophets in the church and did not understand why the
passing of one would stop the mention of angels and Holy Ghost or Holy Spirit. I also noted
the diminished mention of deacon in the RLDS Church History, Volume Four, after the turn
of the century. I also discovered that the duties of the deacon as I knew them came from General Conference Resolution 471 passed by the General Conference of 1900.
Page 4
The question I needed to
answer was, “Why are the
duties of the deacon so
important?”
The question I needed to answer was,
“Why are the duties of the deacon so important?” I know that one priesthood office is not
more important than another, but I also know that when one link in the anchor chain breaks, the
ship drifts and is soon broken on the rocks. I will conclude by sharing why the deacon’s ministry
is important to the body of the Saints.
The Office of Deacon
The office of Deacon is the key to making all the priesthoods work. It is also the only
Aaronic office whose function is defined in the Bible in five verses, but that definition is
somewhat vague.
Likewise the deacons must be grave, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy
lucre; Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience. And let these also first be proved; then let them
use the office of a deacon, being found blameless. Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober,
faithful in all things. Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own
houses well. For they that have used the office of a deacon will purchase to themselves a good degree, and
great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 3:8-13, italics added by author)
During the reorganization, the duties of the deacon were defined by General Church
Resolution 471. The duties as we have been taught are described in this resolution. It is
important to note that this resolution is not a revelation but the result of study. Below is the
description of these duties from the resolution.
“We have elsewhere written that every branch must have a place of meeting. This place of meeting, if a
public building, hall, or meeting house, or church, must be in the actual possession of the association of
church members worshiping there, at least during its occupancy while worshiping; and if the property is
owned by the church, some one must have constructive possession at all times. What particular officer
of the church has precedence of right in this constructive possession? The right to carry the keys; open
the doors; conduct visitors, either those belonging or not belonging to the church; to see that the floors,
doors, windows, pulpit or stand, seats, table or stand, lamps and other fixtures are clean and in good order;
to open the doors at the hour of gathering for preaching, fellowship, prayer, or business meetings; to see
that the lamps or candles are trimmed, lighted, and burning, in time for evening meetings; to see that the
members coming in find seats; to keep watch over the Saints during meetings, repressing loud talking,
whispering and laughing, reproving the thoughtless, and rebuking the giddy; putting a prompt stop to
rude, indecent, and boisterous acts, by which the propriety, solemnity, and peace of the meetings may
be disturbed; to exercise kind and diligent supervision over the health and comfort of the Saints while in
meeting, by securing a proper ventilation of the room; to light and keep burning the fires by which the
room is kept warm; to have charge of the treasury; to receive, disburse, and account for the contributions of
the Saints, intended for necessary and incidental expenses of the association of members; to keep, preserve
from damage, and account for all personal effects of the association; to visit the poor, ascertain their needs,
and report the same to the church; and in fact, to perform any and all of those necessary duties by which
the welfare of the Saints is secured through a careful administration of the outward ordinances, a faithful
employment of the talents entrusted to that man. It follows then of a necessity that the right, the duty of
the performing these acts—these unwritten but essential things of the law, devolve upon the office of deacon”
(emphasis added by author).
Page 5
To truly understand the office of deacon, one must know the history of the office. As
with all the offices of the Aaronic Priesthood, the deacon is part of the Levitical Priesthood. Under the Mosaic Law, there were three levels of priesthood. First was the priest,
whose duty was to perform the altar sacrifices; below him were the ones trusted to carry
the Ark and teach the law to the people, followed by the ones that prepared the animals
for sacrifice, prepared the temple, and other duties required by the law. This lower level of
priesthood was also charged with caring for
the poor through the offering system. In the
We have overlooked for
early Christian church, the deacon permany years ... the phrases, formed much the same function as the third
level of Levitical Priesthood.
“holding the mystery
of the faith in a pure
conscience” and “great
boldness in the faith which
is in Christ Jesus.”
There are two portions of First Timothy
3:8-13, which we have overlooked for many
years. They are the phrases, “holding the
mystery of the faith in a pure conscience” and
“great boldness in the faith which is in Christ
Jesus.” In the early Restoration, the deacon
was a functioning office. One only needs to
look at early church history to note the deacon’s participation in church affairs. After the
Reorganization, there were many questions about the function of the deacon. Joseph Smith
III made an effort to define the office of deacon, which led to an article in the Saints’ Herald in
1871. This article became the basis for General Conference Resolution 471.
The last statement of the report attached to GCR 471 implies there are many duties
for the deacon to perform. It implies that essentially any undefined responsibility falls to
the deacon. This makes the office of deacon an expansive office, not a narrow office. This
expansiveness is required for the deacon to perform his primary function, which is to teach
basic faith. Every priesthood office is to teach faith but the deacon is the one to lay the
foundation of faith. The eroded foundation of faith has caused many failures in the church
and the people. F
And now my beloved brethren, if this be the case that these things are true which I have spoken
unto you, and God will shew unto you with power and great glory at the last day, that they are
true; and if they are true, has the day of miracles ceased?
Or have angels ceased to appear unto the children of men?
Or has he withheld the power of the Holy Ghost from them?
Or will he, so long as time shall last, or the earth shall stand, or there shall be one man upon the
face thereof to be saved?
Behold I say to you, Nay, for it is by faith that miracles are wrought; and it is by faith that angels
appear and minister unto men;
Wherefore if these things have ceased, wo be unto the children of men, for it is because of unbelief,
and all is vain; for no man can be saved, according to the words of Christ, save they shall have faith
in his name;
Wherefore, if these things have ceased, then has faith ceased also; and awful is the state of man:
for they are as though there had been no redemption made.
But behold, my beloved brethren, I judge better things of you, for I judge that ye have faith in
Christ because of your meekness; for if ye have not faith in him, then ye are not fit to be numbered
among the people of his church (Moroni 7:37-44).
Page 6
The Aaronic Priest
By Gary R. Whiting
T
he term “priest” is probably the most recognized term for a minister in the world of Christianity. Even non-Christians know the word refers to
a minister. Most of the world thinks of the Catholic
priest and not the priest described in modern revelation as a minister of Jesus Christ.
A Jew or Israelite would acknowledge the office
of priest, but as a minister of the Mosaic Temple
rites and worship. This type of ministry is not currently an active part of Judaism because of the lack
of a functioning temple.
Evangelical Christians acknowledge the historical idea of priests as a specialized class of minister;
however, they do not accept the idea that this special
class of ministry exists today. They believe that all
Christians are priests by virtue of being born again.
What is a priest? What is the ministry of this office? Why is this office important to the gospel and
the work of the Church of Jesus Christ?
John the Baptist
The office of Aaronic Priest is a transitional office from the Mosaic Law. It was the primary office
of the priesthood that began with Aaron and the sons
of Levi. These priests presided over the sacrifices and
the various aspects of Temple worship. Paul and the
Book of Mormon writers understood that the Law
given through Moses was to prepare the people to
receive Jesus Christ and the fullness of the Gospel.
These priests were to be ministers of preparation. Aaron and his fellows were to teach faith in the
coming Messiah. With this forward-looking faith,
they were also to instruct the people how to live
righteously before the Lord God of Israel. This dual
ministry was to develop a people of understanding
and righteousness who lived to the honor and glory
of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
John the Baptist was in the line of these priests
of the Mosaic Law. He was a new kind by reason
of the Spirit by which he ministered. John was
ordained to a new ministry in preparation for the
ministry of Jesus Christ.
John’s call was to prepare the way of the
Lord. He did this by announcing His arrival and
by preaching repentance and baptism by water.
John plainly taught that the ministry he gave was
designed to bring people to a point that they could
receive the greater ministry of salvation through
Jesus Christ, the Messiah.
The Aaronic Priest
and the Restoration
of the Gospel
The New Testament provides no useful information about the function of the priest in the Church
of Jesus Christ. The Book of Mormon reveals a
little more. We are, therefore, heavily reliant on the
revelations of God to the Church through Joseph
Smith, Jr. for an understanding of the ministry God
wants from this office of priesthood.
The Aaronic Priesthood, represented by the
office of priest, was the first of the two priesthoods
restored. John the Baptist, under the authority and
direction of God through Peter, James and John,
directed the baptisms and ordinations of Joseph
Smith, Jr., and Oliver Cowdery to the office of Aaronic Priest on May 15, 1829.
This was important because the priest may
perform baptisms. This allowed the church to
grow while the time for organizing the church approached and while the Melchisedec priesthood
was not yet restored. There could not have been six
members on April 6, 1830, if the office of priest had
not been restored.
Because the Aaronic Priest is able to administer
the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper and preside
over the meetings of the church, the organizational
meeting of the church could be convened and the
first conference of the church called.
Page 7
The Ministry
of the Aaronic Priest
Section 17:10 of the Doctrine and Covenants is
the primary source for information on the duty of
the Aaronic Priest. We will examine this scripture a
verse at a time.
The priest’s duty is to preach, teach, expound,
exhort, and baptize, and administer the sacrament
(D&C 17:10a).
These duties being listed first are the chief duties
of the Priest (see also D&C 17:10d).
Preaching is the declaration of the Gospel of
Jesus Christ for the salvation and instruction of the
hearers. Teaching differs from preaching in that it
can occur in both formal and informal situations. It
is the process of leading someone to an understanding and application of spiritual principles.
The priest is a
shepherd. ... He
should know the
flock, discern the
spiritual condition
of their homes
and continue his
instruction to them.
Expounding is the process of opening a subject
for deep exploration and understanding. It is a part
of preaching and teaching. Expounding is designed
to help the hearer take a body of information
gained and see how to apply that learning in following Jesus Christ.
Exhortation means to strongly encourage, urge
and appeal to obtain a desired response. For the
priest, the desired response is the exercise of faith,
obedience to the principles of the Gospel and the
duties of being a saint.
As a minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ, he is
to do all he can to present the gospel, make it clear
and understandable and lead people to obey the
word of God.
Page 8
He is also authorized to administer some of
the gospel ordinances. These include baptism of
water and the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper. The
priest is able to lead the disciple to the gate of the
kingdom, lead them into the kingdom through the
ordinance of baptism and participate in blessing the
believer through the Sacrament.
...And visit the house of each member, and exhort
them to pray vocally and in secret, and attend to
all family duties: (D&C 17:10b).
The priest is a shepherd. He is called to be with
the church in their homes. He should know the flock,
discern the spiritual condition of their homes and
continue his instruction to them. He is a minister to
the family. He should strive to learn all he can about
marriage and family. He must then be available
to strengthen the homes of the Saints. He should
be ready to assist the relationship of husbands and
wives, parents to children and children to parents.
He is to teach responsibility and obedience. Strong
families are critical to a strong church.
The priest is to be a minister and instructor of
prayer. Obviously, to teach prayer he must practice
prayer and be experienced in this discipline. As he
teaches the members to attend to prayer, he begins
to teach them to worship God.
... And he may also ordain other priests, teachers,
and deacons; (D&C 17:10c).
The priest may ordain other members of the
Aaronic order. This should occur with the advice and
consent of Melchisedec priesthood if at all possible.
... And he is to take the lead of meetings when
there is no elder present, but when there is an
elder present he is only to preach, teach, expound,
exhort, and baptize, and visit the house of each
member, exhorting them to pray vocally and in
secret, and attend to all family duties. In all these
duties the priest is to assist the elder if occasion
requires (D&C 17:10d, e).
This is a list of permissible ministries available
to the Aaronic Priest. He may preside, but only in
the case when no elder is present. In the role of
presiding, the Melchisedec priesthood is to be preferred. Nevertheless, the priest should be prepared
to preside when the occasion requires.
The priest, in Section 17, is always required to attend to his chief responsibilities
of preaching, teaching, expounding, exhorting and visiting the families and members
of the church. The elders may, and should,
ask the priests to provide public ministry in
fulfillment of their calling and gifts.
The priest is primarily a standing minister (D&C 122:7b, 9). That means he is to
be with the members in their families and
support the work of the local branch. Priests
may travel for preaching and missionary
work when requested to do so by the eldership (D&C 83:20a, 22).
Priests many preside over branches
(D&C 120:2a). He should not preside if a
qualified and willing high priest or elder is
available. However, in their absence, a priest
may preside over a branch.
The Aaronic Priest may solemnize or
perform weddings (D&C 111:1c). This is
consistent with the nature of his calling as a
minister to families.
As all Aaronic ministers, the priest has
the power and authority to seek the ministry
of angels in his labors and on behalf of the
Church of Jesus Christ.
Conclusion
The Aaronic Priest is a vital minister in
the work of the Gospel in the latter days. He
follows in the example of John the Baptist
who prepared the way for the Melchisedec
ministry and the kingdom blessings given by
Jesus Christ.
The priest is given a wide variety of duties
that focus on strengthening families, teaching
the gospel and ministering through ordinances.
He is to be ready to assist the eldership in a
wide variety of ministries.
The work of the Aaronic Priest highlights the critical, foundational ministry of
the Aaronic Priesthood in the work of the
Restoration. F
of the
Aaronic Teacher
By R. Magargee
It has seemed to the writer that the importance of the
office of Teacher, the honor attaching thereto, and the
extent of the responsibilities of one occupying it, have
been considerably underestimated, so Teachers as a class
have not met the demands of the work to the extent that
they might have been met and should have been met.
Nor are the Teachers alone responsible for this condition,
but the body as a whole. The underestimation is common
to the whole membership, and until the place of the
Teacher, and the comparative importance of his duties,
are properly recognized by the membership, his work will
be beneath the standard set forth in the law (Charles Fry,
Saints’ Herald, Volume 60, page 549, 1913).
F
irst, let us establish that the teacher is to be a man
of God and one who is called of God (1 Corinthians
12:28-31). He is called according to the gifts and callings
God (D&C 16:5d-5e and 17:12). These gifts and callings are best exemplified through his duty to be with and
watch over the church always.
The teacher was an integral part of the church organization in the early (New Testament) church after Christ
ascended into heaven. I confess that his specific duties are
not clearly laid out in the Bible. The Book of Mormon
gives us a little more light into the office of teacher and
the Doctrine and Covenants draws together the information. Through revelation, our Savior has further defined
the use and purpose of the office of teacher.
The old teacher that mentored me when I was newly
ordained described the ministry of the teacher as the
patriarch of the Aaronic priesthood. He is to watch over
the church, be with and strengthen them and keep peace
within the flock. Every teacher must, therefore, be able to
identify the flock for which he is responsible and he must
be in the homes of the Saints as much as he can. I think
that most of his work will not occur in a formal priesthood
visit, but rather as a “best friend” visiting his good friends.
He will display, by his personal action and by diligent
teaching, the attributes of a good Saint. He should be the
Page 9
first to note problems because he is always watching
over the church.
Teachers are revivalists, watchful shepherds, and
spiritual advisors for local congregations (The
Ministry of the Teacher, Herald Publishing House,
1950, page 26).
The requirement that the teacher see to it that
all the members do their duty requires that he know
what those duties are and be capable of clearly discussing them. This includes, but is not limited, to offices of the branch, the duties of priesthood and the
basics of sainthood. He is called to see that there is
no iniquity in the church, not as a policeman, but
rather as a dear brother commissioned by God.
There are, however, occasions when the teacher
must perform his duties in a strong, definitive way.
The teacher does
not have to fulfill
his responsibilities
by his own wit,
intelligence or skill.
Instead, he is
to be directed,
inspired, encouraged
and supported by the
Holy Ghost.
Like all of the ministry, teachers are given the
power and authority to succeed in their ministry,
including the gift of prophecy:
And as ye shall lift up your voices by the Comforter,
ye shall speak and prophesy as seemeth me good;
for, behold, the Comforter knoweth all things,
and beareth record of the Father and of the Son
(D&C 42:5d).
The teacher does not have to fulfill his responsibilities by his own wit, intelligence or skill. Instead, he is
to be directed, inspired, encouraged and supported by
the Holy Ghost (Ephesians 4:11-12 and Moroni 3:2-3).
His responsibility to promote regular church
attendance and encouraging that all fulfill their duty
are inseparable.
Page 10
If the teachers of the church would devote
themselves to the constructive task of bringing
the Saints together in frequent services with
fully prepared hearts and minds, the negative
aspects of their task would be almost eliminated,
and their constructive power in the work of the
church would be multiplied. (Edwards, F. Henry,
A Commentary on the Doctrine and Covenants,
page 78).
Each of the Aaronic ministers are home ministers, but with differing duties. For example, the
priest is geared to the family unit. The teacher, on
the other hand, is a minister to the individual.
The active teacher should notice the signs of
trouble in the flock because he has been deeply
involved with the individuals long before any unfortunate incident occurred. One can not “teach them
the word of God with all diligence” in one lecture or
one visit (Jacob 1:18-19), hence the term “be with”
in the job description.
The teacher is not a standalone minister, nor
the only office responsible for home ministry. Any
other priesthood officer may minister in the homes
of the Saints according to the gifts of callings of
each office. The teacher is responsible to note the
need for other kinds of ministry and freely call for it
as needed.
The whole body of Christ is most fully developed
in Christ when all of the God-given faculties work
together as a unit. All of the gifts of the priesthood
should be available for any single member and the
entire flock as needed. The teacher is in the best position to see the needs of the flock and rally the forces of
righteousness for the betterment of the flock.
The teacher has a very specialized ministry and
therefore does have some limitations in the law.
… neither teachers nor deacons have authority to
baptize, administer the sacrament, or lay on hands
(D&C 17:11e).
The teachers, in turn, as an appendage of the
lesser priesthood, have been singled out by church
law and procedure to assist the elders in certain
areas of service, “agreeably to the covenants and
commandments.” Some of these areas, as given
in Doctrine and Covenants 17:11, are touched on
above, but the teacher must always keep before him
the fact that he is appended to the lesser priesthood
for assistive service to the higher order and should
therefore look to administrative authority for direction, guidance, instruction, and be obedient and
diligent thereto.
It may be noted here that instead of such appendage being a restriction, it is—in the intent of
the law at least—a source of strength, order, and
harmonious integration with the total ministry
of the church that should in very fact release the
teacher into a freedom and power of action that is
not his when trying to function alone, of his own
strength and resources (The Ministry of the Teacher,
Herald Publishing House, 1950, page 45).
I have always felt that these limitations really
freed me to fulfill my calling. I truly was able to be
one of the flock, to be with and strengthen them. I
was their leader, their friend, their encourager, and
I worshipped with them. I partook of the communion beside and with them. I cried with them when
they hurt, and I rejoiced with them in happy times. I
was their teacher, not their policeman.
I liken the office of teacher to a good mother,
such as I had. She struggled mightily to raise a man
of God. She taught me scripture stories and helped
me memorize scriptures. She pointed out blessings
in my life so I would not miss God at work. She
called the elders when I was sick, showing her faith
that God would heal her sick child. She cried with
me when I was hurt and rejoiced when I achieved
success in life. She taught me the necessity and excitement of covenanting with God when eight years
old, proudly sitting beside me when I partook of my
first communion. She corrected me when I strayed.
When she was elderly, and seriously senile, she
delivered a message to me directly from Jesus which
message saved me from a great deal of heartache
and stress.
I loved her, but most importantly, she was my
rock, she never strayed from her faith and she
kept the bar high for me. So it is with the office of
teacher—to be an immovable rock in the lives of
the flock, to keep the bar high for the flock, and to
provide a loving revelatory force among the flock.
The teacher has a prominent position in ministering to the erring. I feel very strongly that in most
cases, if an individual must be brought before an
elders/bishops court, that incident is a failure on the
part of the priesthood as a whole and specifically
those of the office of teacher. Occasionally, there
will be those members who, in spite of all teaching
and loving, will choose unrighteousness, but that is
rare. The good teacher will weep for them just as
Christ wept for Israel.
We have stated earlier that the teacher should
be the first to note and be involved with individuals
long before the issue comes to church court or other
authorities. Note the process that existed under the
administration of Alma in the Book of Mormon.
Therefore it became expedient that those who
committed sin that were in the church, should
be admonished by the church. And it came to
pass that they were brought before the priests, and
delivered up unto the priests by the teachers; and the
priests brought them before Alma, who was the
high priest (Mosiah 11:112-113, emphasis added).
Occasionally,
there will be those
members who,
in spite of all teaching
and loving, will choose
unrighteousness, but
that is rare. The good
teacher will weep for
them just as Christ
wept for Israel.
This writer believes that today, during the disorganized state the church is experiencing, the elders/
bishops courts are impractical and unenforceable,
therefore, the work of the teacher is more important than ever.
The teacher is called to, what this writer feels
is the most exciting, most trying and most rewarding responsibility in the plan of priesthood. Relish
it! Fulfill it! Be pleased that your Savior has offered
you this most precious opportunity to serve Him
and the flock. I pray that God will bless each of you
who are called to this exciting adventure. F
Page 11
of the Aaronic Priesthood
By Carl D. Cederstrom
A
ll too often when a church member faces a
situation that requires priesthood ministry,
their first action is to call the presiding elder of the
branch they attend. Consequently, the pastor may
become overwhelmed by the many demands on
his time. In small branches with few priesthood,
or where the membership is scattered, this may be
inevitable, but it is not ideal.
The Aaronic Priesthood is called to be the
standing ministry of the church. Not standing in the
back of the church on Sundays, but standing at the
ready to respond in the homes of the Saints. Frequently, the comment has been voiced in worship
The Aaronic Priesthood
is called to be
the standing ministry
of the church.
Not standing in the
back of the church
on Sundays, but
standing at the ready
to respond in the
homes of the Saints.
settings that “the pastor doesn’t use the Aaronic
Priesthood in public worship services to their fullest
extent.” Whether that statement is universally true
throughout the church is not relevant to the overall
Aaronic ministry. A key area of their ministry is outside of the formal worship gatherings of the church.
They are called to personal and family ministry and
to be with the Saints in their homes.
One of the responsibilities of a Bishop is that of
President of the Aaronic Priesthood. In turn each
office within the Aaronic priesthood is organized
into quorums. A prime function of these quorums is
Page 12
to teach the duties of the priesthood offices. When
magnified, these duties and responsibilities extend
and enhance both the ministry and the worship of
the branch members and the church at large.
A review of the scriptures indicates that the
Aaronic Priesthood was and is a forerunner for
the Melchisedec Priesthood, e.g., Aaron for Moses, John the Baptist for Jesus. In the Restoration,
Joseph Smith, Jr., received the Aaronic Priesthood
before receiving the Melchisedec Priesthood.
Opportunities to provide ministry may take
diverse forms and occur in different circumstances.
In the 1960s it was the procedure at the Stone
Church, in Independence, to have paper receipts
for Sunday contributions available for distribution
before the following Sunday. These receipts would
be distributed by the solicitor of each group. My
office at Center Stake faced west toward the church
and the parking lots. Every Wednesday I would see
the Deacon P— extending his Aaronic ministry
by visiting the homes of the members with these
receipts. Many of these Saints were homebound because of age and/or illness. Brother P—, who was in
his eighties, deemed it a privilege to minister to his
brothers and sisters. He would share the highlights
of the Sunday services and at least have a bulletin
to share with the people. On another occasion, I
saw him helping on the serving line at the Laurel
Club dining room in the Auditorium. “I do whatever
I can when I am asked.” Brother P— was a living
testimony of a humble servant of God and his fellow
man whenever and wherever he could.
Several years ago at one of the Restoration
Branches in Independence, there was a situation
that had the potential for dissension among the
membership. The Pastorate scheduled a meeting
of the branch priesthood for prayer and discussion.
Wisely, the Presiding Elder selected a Teacher to
offer the opening prayer. What followed was not an
invocation but an intercessory prayer, seeking God’s
Spirit to touch each person present, enabling us to
be humble and receptive of the Holy Spirit. Each
man in that assembly felt the blessing of the Holy
Spirit granted through that humble prayer and acted
accordingly. What could have been a contentious
meeting was instead an amicable one, each man
preferring his brother. Perceived disagreements
were resolved, agreements reached, and peace and
harmony prevailed. The calling of a teacher to be
a peacemaker was clearly manifested by a humble
servant of God.
From 1966 to 1970 I served as Bishop of Far
West Stake. Our family lived near Stewartsville,
twenty miles east of St. Joseph, surrounded on all
sides by corn, soy beans and cattle. Across the road
lived a priest of the local branch and his family. My
first indication of his “out of church” ministry was
when he informed me that he was donating one of
his beef steers for meat for the youth camps. This he
did for the four years I was at Far West. The summer of 1970 he donated several more beef steers
for youth camps and reunion. Not the preached
word but by words in action. Furthermore this godly
brother loaned pregnant sows to teenagers in the
community. When the litter had been weaned the
sow was returned to the brother; the litter became
the start of college funds or a farming occupation.
Men are authoritatively called of God to the various priesthood offices to serve God through ministry
to their brothers and sisters and to those outside the
church. That ministry may be available in many ways
and forms. The important factor is: are you “ready,
willing, and able” to respond to the words of the
hymn “Send Me Forth, O Blessed Master?”
… for whoso is faithful unto the obtaining these
two priesthoods of which I have spoken, and the
magnifying their calling, are sanctified by the
Spirit unto the renewing of their bodies: they
become the sons of Moses and of Aaron, and the
seed of Abraham, and the church and kingdom
and the elect of God; and also all they who receive
this priesthood receiveth me, saith the Lord, for
he that receiveth my servants receiveth me, and
he that receiveth me receiveth my Father, and he
that receiveth my Father receiveth my Father's
kingdom (D&C 83:6c-e). F
A Teacher’s Ministry
By Richard Hoff
The teacher’s duty is to watch over the church always, and be with, and strengthen them, and see that there
is no iniquity in the church, neither hardness with each other; neither lying, back-biting, nor evil speaking;
and see that the church meet together often, and also see that all the members do their duty and he is to
take the lead of meetings in the absence of the elder or priest, and is to be assisted always, in all his duties in
the church, by the deacons, if occasion requires; but neither teachers nor deacons have authority to baptize,
administer the sacrament, or lay on hands; they are, however, to warn, expound, exhort, and teach, and
invite all to come unto Christ (Doctrine and Covenants 17:11).
W
hen I compiled these notes over 40 years ago,
it was obvious to me that men called to this
office of ministry needed to understand the labor to
which they were called and to prayerfully, and with
fasting, prepare themselves to serve. It is also true
that today’s church needs to diligently prepare to
receive this critically important ministry.
The teacher’s responsibilities are outlined in
D&C 17:11. I will briefly review these in this article.
Watch over the church always
To watch over is the duty of a shepherd or a
pastor. Teachers share this calling with the standing
ministry of the Melchisedec priesthood. This calling
requires the teacher to keep his eyes open to look
for signs of health or disease in his flock. He must
also keep his heart in prayer for the insight needed
to spiritually observe and care for the people.
This is the work of a father. The Teacher loves his
people and seeks the welfare of the children of God.
Be with, and strengthen them
This means exactly what it says. A teacher is to
be with the people at all times. This means when
the church is gathered together for worship, work
or play. More than this, he must visit the member-
Page 13
ship regularly in their homes. A diligent teacher will
prepare to be a source of strength to the people at
all times by the nature of his ministry.
See that there is no iniquity
in the church
This is a critical ministry that is sorely needed in
the church today. The teacher is called to “see that
there is no iniquity in the church, neither hardness
with each other; neither lying, back-biting, nor evil
speaking” (D&C 17:11a). These are the “avenues of
division” among our people and as a teacher these
are the attitudes which must be prevented.
These avenues of division have been the heart
of our problem as a people for many years and the
teacher is the ideal minister to address them. This
ministry has, however, been underappreciated and
unrecognized by the church in general. The teachers
These avenues
of division have been
the heart of our
problem as a people
for many years
and the teacher
is the ideal minister
to address them.
have not fully understood their calling and ministry
in this vital area. It is demanding labor but is vital
work to prepare hearts for harmony and unity.
For verily, verily I say unto you, He that hath the
spirit of contention, is not of me, but is of the devil,
who is the father of contention, and he stirreth up
the hearts of men to contend with anger one with
another; Behold, this is not my doctrine, to stir up
the hearts of men with anger one against another;
but this is my doctrine, that such things should be
done away (3 Nephi 5:30-31).
The teacher must teach the members to be more
sensitive to one another and to permit the tender
feelings of love and joy to flow in the body, as well
as the sharing of sadness and pain (Mosiah 9:39-40).
This will help the members as the Body of Christ to
Page 14
function properly and effectively in order to become
of one heart and one mind, a Zionic people.
Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt
love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy. But I say
unto you, love your enemies; bless them that curse
you; do good to them that hate you; and pray for
them which despitefully use you and persecute
you; That ye may be the children of your Father
who is in heaven; for he maketh his sun to rise on
the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the
just and on the unjust (Matthew 5:45-47).
See that the church
meets together often
This should be the desire of a teacher’s heart,
“that the church meet together often.” The ministry
of a teacher in this area is to bring the people to a
deeper understanding and awareness of the honor
of being members of the Body of Christ. He can
help each member to understand more vividly her/
his value as a member of that body and to value the
gifts of each member.
And let us consider one another to provoke
unto love and to good works; Not forsaking the
assembling of ourselves together, as the manner
of some is; but exhorting one another; and so
much the more, as ye see the day approaching
(Hebrews 10:24-25).
See that all the members
do their duty
If pride dwells in the hearts of our people, this
ministry cannot be given effectively. As one member
differs from another, so also will the duties, and unless each member is doing his respective duty, there
cannot be harmony, but rather division.
To warn, expound, exhort and teach
Warn: This ministry as a teacher is a deeply
perceptive, demanding and responsible ministry.
Unless a teacher is righteously prepared, he cannot be receptive to the voice of warning, in order to
portray it to the people.
In this ministry, the teacher must learn to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit, which will quicken his mind,
and to be sensitive to the people so that the warning
will be brought forth with understanding and compassion. This ministry is demanding because it requires
the constant attention and awareness of a teacher.
This ministry is responsible because as a father is
responsible for his children, so also a teacher becomes
responsible for the people to his Heavenly Father, that
the voice of warning be conveyed righteously for the
benefit of the body.
Expound: This ministry is to bring light and
truth, understanding and direction to the minds of
our people as the voice of Godly intelligence; the
teacher shares this ministry with all the priesthood.
Exhort: This ministry carries the voice of advice
and admonishment and the voice of fatherly counsel.
It is to be given as the teacher discerns the necessity
of it. He shares this ministry with all the priesthood.
Teach: This ministry is for instruction and guidance.
It provides learning for the discipline of the people if
they are to become obedient disciples of Christ.
To invite all to come unto Christ
This ministry is a door for the teacher to lift his
voice and beckoning hand to those outside the faith
and to invite them to have fellowship with the saints,
who are the Body of Christ.
The teacher’s ministry is the most misunderstood
ministry in the church. The area of his ministry is very
personal. It has often been said that the teacher’s
ministry is similar to that of the patriarch because of
its fatherly nature. The very nature of this ministry is
pastoral, not by election, but by the responsibilities of
this calling. When we look at the Aaronic Priesthood
as a whole we see a threefold ministry:
• The priest as spiritual
• The teacher as relational
• The deacon as physical
Together they meet the basic and foundational
needs of the Body of Christ.
And, behold, the high priests should travel, and
also the elders, and also the lesser priests, but
the deacons and teachers should be appointed to
watch over the church, to be standing ministers
unto the church (D&C 83:22; September 22 and
23, 1832).
Today when the
ministry of the teacher,
by the nature
of his duties,
is greatly needed,
there are so few
available.
It is amazing that in the 1840s there was an
abundant number of teachers in the church. The
elder was the most numerous priesthood office and
then the priests, the teachers and the deacons in
the average branch. Today when the ministry of the
teacher, by the nature of his duties, is greatly needed,
there are so few available. How we need to ask the
Lord for men to serve in this ministry which is called
to address the spirit of contention, division, disunity,
backbiting and hardness between the Saints. F
2012 U.S. National Conference Treasurer Budget
Administrative
Building
Meals
Printing
Quarters*
Total Budget
$550
$2,200
$3,000
$1,700
$330
$7,780
* Quarters should be paid through contribution by those staying in the building.
Budget Does not include Copier move or Cart Rental which are not being used this conference.
Page 15
Items available from the JCRB office
Call 816-252-1457, write, or visit 1100 West Truman Road, Independence, MO 64050 to order.
Book of Mormon Audio CDs...............................................$69.95
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Communion Sets (4-cup).....................................................$51.25
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1908 Book of Mormon (Leather).........................................$50.00
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Teacher and Student Sunday School Manuals (each)............$5.00
The Tender Twig by Verneil Simmons..................................$10.00
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Sunday School Manuals are in the form of quarterly curriculum for grades Kindergarten through Senior High.
All leather-bound scriptures are gilt-edged and thumb-indexed.
*Not in stock, but available for order.
For a suggested donation of $1.00:
Who Authored the Book of Mormon: God, Man, or the Devil?
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Of Such is the Kingdom (Baby Blessing Tract)
CDs and DVDs of recent classes, preaching services, and other events
are also available for a nominal fee. Contact the conference office for details.
Page 16
Walking with the Seventy
Editor’s note: There have been some questions about the use of missionary testimonies in the Beacon. There are a
couple of reasons why they have not been more common. The first reason is that the Beacon was birthed as a supplement to
a regular newsletter which we called the Observer. The Observer was intended to be a place for JCRB and branch news. Its
mission was to also include missionary testimonies and it did include them.
When the Observer ceased publication a few months ago, it created a challenge to the Beacon staff. At the April
Conference the Seventy promised to forward reports of their travels to the Beacon for publication. I know they are working
on that assignment. This issue does include two reports from the Seventy.
The Beacon has published a number of testimonies from the Saints and we intend to publish as many as we can from
those that we receive. As with any written matter sent to the Beacon, printing requires approval of the editorial staff and must be
subject to the needs of the magazine. We appreciate the testimonies, articles, sermons, poems and stories you have sent us and
look forward to the contributions that you will forward to us in the future.
Ron Smith’s Trip to Kenya
E
ric Odida and I spent two wonderful days in
Naivasha with Elder Nelson Mutahi and his
wife Elizabeth. They were forced to leave their
home in Sotik during the violence following the
last elections in Kenya. Nelson testified about the
wonderful hand of the Lord over his family during
those terrible days when they had to take refuge
in the police station in Sotik. When the shooting
started, they had to leave their home without food,
blankets, or water, and only what they could carry in
their hands for their children. He testified how God
provided water and milk each day.
One day, when one of the children asked for
andazi (a fried pastry), Nelson went out to see if
he could find some. All the shops had been looted,
and there were none to be had. On his return to the
police station, he helped a lady carry a load of packages to her home. When she arrived, she opened
one of the packages, and gave him a whole bag of
mandazi (the plural of andazi).
A year later, when Nelson was able to return to
his house, he found that nothing had been taken.
To his knowledge, his was the only house not looted
of everything valuable. The family now resides in
Naivasha, where they have been totally isolated
from the church. On Friday, Nelson invited several
acquaintances into his home to visit with Eric and
me. One young man who works in the prison there
was very attentive. He went home and told his wife
about what was being said. They brought their fam-
ily to visit on Saturday, and we spent the majority of
the day talking about the scriptures.
We were scheduled to return to Nairobi on
Saturday night, but decided to stay over so that we
could take Joel and Nelson to church in Nairobi on
Sunday morning. I taught the Sunday School class
and preached. We also had a baby blessing.
A year later,
when Nelson was able
to return to his house,
he found that nothing
had been taken.
To his knowledge, his
was the only house
not looted.
At about 2:00 p.m. we went back to the Odidas’
for a wonderful dinner and sent Joel and Nelson
back to Naivasha. It sounds like the two families are
planning to meet together on a regular basis. Please
pray for them.
In the evening, I had the opportunity to go out
with James Yogo and David Omollo, both of whom
are priests, to visit with the saints of the Jacaranga
branch. I taught a class on the kingdom of God in
David’s home with seven of the members, asked a
Page 17
blessing on another home, and visited with James’
wife, Ruth, at her vegetable stand.
We traveled upcountry to Nyamabagege, where
Elder Michael Onyego, the soapstone carver, lives.
We had to wait for the insurance company to deliver
the insurance documents for Eric’s car. It expired
two days ago, while we were in Naivasha. Had we
been stopped at any of the police check points on
our way back to Nairobi, there would have been a
big fine and probably jail time because Eric and I
did not have enough money between us to pay a
fine. Thank you, Lord! Please pray for the new little
group in Naivasha, and all the saints.
I wish that I
had time to write
all the blessings
that He has given.
We had a wonderful time with Michael and
his new bride, Scovia. I found out what “missionary work” meant from Michael the day we walked
around the area praying in many of the homes. We
had had classes in the morning, and several hours
of visiting. It was getting dark, and there were still a
couple of stops to make. As we started up a narrow
cow path, along yet another plowed field of maize,
toward the hut up the hill, Michael said to me, “Now
you know what they mean by missionary work!”
I also discovered what it means to be a “muzee.”
I already was aware that it is a Kiswahili word meaning “old man.” We had talked about how Eric and I
were both getting to the point in life where we were
getting forgetful. I found that quite often I was being
referred to as “muzee.” So I asked Duke, a priest
who had spent a few days with us, how old one had
to be to considered an official muzee? He replied
that they give you a test to see if you qualify. I told
him that I did not recall ever taking such a test. He
assured me that I had just officially qualified!
We have covered a lot of ground since then. We
were blessed to be in Migori, in the home of Hulda
Simba. We held classes and confirmed several in
Kehancha, on the Kenya/Tanzania border. We also
held scripture classes and prayed in many homes in
Kehezron, Oyugis, Ringa, and Kisumu. The Lord
has been with us. I am especially grateful that I have
not been plagued this trip with the itchy welts that
have accompanied every other trip that I have made
to Africa!
I wish that I had time to write all the blessings
that He has given. As this is being written we are
planning for the priesthood retreat this next weekend before leaving for home a few days later. F
Jim and Patrick McKay visit St. John, Kansas
J
im and Patrick McKay recently traveled to St.
John, Kan., to visit with an elder and seventy in
the Church of Jesus Christ (Bickertonite). This is
a community which was first named Zion Valley by
William Bickerton when he led a colony of saints
from Pennsylvania to establish a stake of Zion on
the borders of the Lamanites in 1868. The community was later incorporated and became known as
St. John, Kansas.
These two elders graciously received us into
their home, putting us up for the night and feeding us. We spent hours discussing the latter day
work and learning more about their side of the
Restoration. We were able to bear our testimony
Page 18
of the movement of the Spirit which both birthed
and sustained the Reorganization. We found the
Holy Spirit in our midst attempting to find common
ground to heal the breach in the Restoration and
begin reuniting and sewing us back together bringing to pass God’s strange act as predicted in the
28th chapter of Isaiah.
We intend to remain in touch with these brethren, creating a common fellowship to help strengthen their small branch as well as building a bridge
with this portion of the Restoration. We left several
articles with them to read, pray and ponder over to
give them a greater understanding of our portion of
the Restoration. F
Restoration Women’s Ministries
A Gathering of Saints
By Barbara Giertz
A
gathering of Saints is a
wonderful time because of
the Spirit-filled events that often
occur. This past summer with all
the camps and reunions, by all reports, was such a time. Attendees
were from all parts of the country
and all parts of the church.
The moment one arrives on
the campgrounds, there is a feeling of camaraderie that increases
as others arrive and the week
begins in earnest. The teenagers
quickly gather together under a
shade tree and bring one another
up to date on happenings since
their last meeting that may only
have been at last week’s camp.
The younger ones gravitate to
the play area and join friends and
make new ones.
Old friends who have not
seen each other since last year’s
reunion, or longer, embrace and
stand back to assess the results of
a year-long absence. Newcomers
to the reunion slowly settle in and
hope for acceptance among the
regular attendees at the reunion.
Most of the time, they do not
have to wait long.
But sometimes, it seems that
the new folks feel isolated, even
among the crowd of Saints. What
holds them back or what slows
the “old-timers” from stepping
up to welcome them? Is it just
the natural reticence we feel
in new surroundings and new
groups? Perhaps it is a myopic
sight that the regulars just do not
see them. Whatever the reasons,
no one should be left out of the
Saints’ gatherings.
I recall the time when I had
been away from the church for
a long time. Events in our family life strongly prompted me to
find a spiritual home as soon as
possible. I had a small child and
realized that he, too, needed a
spiritual base in his life. I went
looking and found a medium-size
RLDS congregation in a town
some 50 miles away. That worked
pretty well for me.
Since I was somewhat shy and
did not know any of those people,
I had a plan. My son and I arrived just as the 11:00 am worship
service began. We sat in the back
row. After all, I was not sure how
he would behave and I certainly
did not want to draw attention.
The worship service was so
much what I remembered from
growing up. The hymns were
familiar and warmed my tattered
heart. I thought I would come
again sometime.
As the “amen” was spoken for
the benediction, we were out the
door. Perhaps I was ashamed of my
long absence from that spiritual life
and my God and did not want to
face anyone’s condemnation.
The following week was a
good week and so I thought to
go once again to that RLDS
church. The second Sunday, I did
exactly the same thing: in at 11:00
am, sit on the back row, out the
door on “amen.”
The third Sunday—again in
at 11:00 am, sit on the back row,
head for the door on the benedictory “amen.”
Oops! There were two women
standing in front of the door with
beautiful smiles. “You aren’t
getting away from us until we
know who you are and where you
live!” I was stunned. I managed
to introduce myself and my son
without making a fool of myself
and told them where we lived.
They were completely open and
radiated a joyful attitude. In our
conversation, I learned that this
congregation had determined that
no new person or stranger would
leave their services without being
greeted as friends. The women’s
ministry took that challenge.
Many years have gone by
since that day. I have often
thought of it and realize that the
joy the sisters shared was prompted by their love for our Savior
and the Restored Gospel. I was
loved back into the fold, back to
the gospel and back to the loving
arms of my Savior, Jesus Christ.
Sisters, our sensitivities need
to be sharpened to other’s needs,
both temporal and spiritual. Temporal needs may be beyond our
ability to assist and may require
priesthood intervention. But God
has given us all the capacity to
love and to bring joy to others.
Let us magnify Women’s Ministries in Jesus’ name to see those
who come to the Saints seeking
solace, seeking a purpose, seeking
the Savior. Amen. F
Page 19
Salt and Light
Now Is the Time
to Testify of Jesus Christ
Part Four: Witnessing at Work
By Hugh Caldwell
P
raying to God, I find that
one request in particular gets
good results, “Lord, help me to
witness for you this day.”
This one simple prayer has
opened so many doors for ministry, it’s a wonder I do not remember it every time I head off to
work. But alas, so often I forget.
And on those days, usually no
contacts are made.
But when I do remember to
make this petition, God arranges
the circumstances so that I can talk
with people about spiritual matters.
blessing me.” In answer to the
question, “How’s the world been
treating you?” I might say, “Well,
I don’t know about the world,
but the Lord Jesus sure has been
good to me.” If I see someone
approaching, I often say, “There’s
a man that God loves!
Little statements like these
draw all kinds of responses.
Sometimes it may take three or
four attempts before someone
responds favorably, but that is
ok. A cold response is just a step
closer to a good response. God
Sometimes it may take
three or four attempts
before someone responds
favorably, but that is ok.
A cold response is just
a step closer to a good response.
God wants us to persist
in our efforts.
It helps to have a few “openers” already prepared, for example, when people ask me,
“How are you?” I might answer
by saying something like, “Great,
the Lord Jesus has really been
Page 20
wants us to persist in our efforts.
And then at times someone else
may initiate the conversation,
which is always an added blessing.
A good time to share with
people is during lunch hour, or
break time. There is more liberty
to share on a personal level during these periods. Every company
has different policies. We do
not want our efforts to backfire
by talking too much on the job
when we should be working. God
calls us to be wise as servants
and harmless as doves. If we are
prayerful, God will prompt us
when the timing is right.
I own a floor cleaning business and I have a large number
of accounts. This allows me to
interact with a lot of different
people every day in different
locations. Because I am a vendor,
rather than an employee, I can
talk about God with my customers without being fired or reprimanded. It is like having diplomatic immunity.
Of course, if I were more
bold or outspoken, like some of
the prophets, I could lose that
“immunity” very quickly. When
we become a threat to Satan, he
fights back. We never know when
we may have to lose a job for the
sake of the kingdom. But for now,
God has kept me in this position,
which provides opportunities to
witness for Him almost daily.
One day, the manager of a
store called me into his office.
He said, “I know how you believe
and I want you to read this.” Offering me his well-padded chair
from behind his desk, he asked
me to sit down, and placed before
me the transcript of an email
message, sent by a fellow worker.
It was the testimony of how this
coworker had just lost his wife to
cancer, and how God’s Spirit had
comforted him throughout the
long ordeal.
“You need to read this,” the
manager said. Normally he came
across as being rude and arrogant, rebuffing any kind of religious conversation. Once he had
thrown pennies at me from across
the room, trying to interrupt me
as I shared the gospel with one
of his employees. Now there was
a change in him, obviously he
had been deeply moved by his
friend’s message.
I tried to respond the best I
could. It had taken years for this
opportunity to arise, and it came
unexpectedly. But as the scripture
says, we should always be ready
to answer, “with meekness and
fear to every man that asks of you
a reason for the hope that is in
you” (1 Peter 3:15).
he told me about his family upbringing and the many tragedies
they had experienced, which
hardened their hearts against the
Lord. Now he is the only one in
his family that has turned to Him.
I am glad to be in a position to
keep encouraging him, so that in
due time he might embrace the
hope of Zion.
At another job site, I was
working in a sales office, polishing the floors, as a group of route
drivers sat around a table, letting
off steam after a long, hectic day.
I said, “Well, what about
you? Jesus died for you also, did
He not?”
But he just could not receive
it. The years went by, and his dour
countenance never changed. I
would say to him “Hey, would you
like to hear a neat testimony?” He
would say, “Another one?”
Now, he is a different man.
He’s excited about the Lord Jesus, and wants to talk about him
every chance we get. He keeps
telling me, “I don’t know if I’m
doing any good, but I just hope
God can use me.” Only recently,
A few weeks later, I was
working in the same office, and
again, a few route drivers were
talking in their usual manner.
Although I was behind one of
the wall partitions, I could hear
the sales manager, speaking in an
But as the scripture says,
we should always be ready
to answer, “with meekness
and fear to every man that asks
of you a reason for the hope
that is in you” (1 Peter 3:15).
Are we prepared to give
answer?
I have noticed other rough
characters changed over the
years. One store employee,
known for his constant badmouthing, once told me, “it
seems like you Christians are
always the happy ones.”
told him that if he went to God
in prayer, the Lord could forgive
him for those things. Then the
sales manager related how God
had spared his life on certain
occasions. The conversation was
beginning to sound like a testimony service.
I was minding my own business, trying to ignore their crude
conversation, but one of the guys
called out to me, for no other reason than to elicit my response.
Feeling put on the spot, I did
not know what to say. Without
thinking, I mentioned a scripture
about guarding our tongue, because some day we will be called
to give an account for every idle
word we speak.
Everyone became silent.
Then one of the men spoke up,
and said that God had been good
to him in his life. Another man
confessed that he had been struggling with using bad language. I
exasperated tone of voice, telling
the men that I was in the room
and that they needed to watch
their language. Later, he came
over to me and apologized for the
way his men were talking.
I told him it was no big deal,
but it seemed strange that he
would be so concerned for me. He
was a sales manager and I was just
a grunt worker. Why did he care
so much about what I thought? I
can only think that he knew who it
was that I represented.
For a time, I began to doubt
if my testimony was even getting
through to people. One day, as
I was working at a paint store, I
Page 21
overheard a customer telling one
of the sales reps that he wished
he could quit smoking. I felt like
going over to him and telling
him about the power of God,
but I kept hesitating. Finally he
grabbed his supplies and walked
I mentioned some friends
of mine who had been set free
through the power of prayer. He
thanked me and we talked briefly
before he left. A little while later,
as I continued at my job in the
store, the manager came up and
Every time we share
Jesus Christ with someone,
we are sowing seeds.
The seeds that we sow
shall bear fruit of its own kind.
Our job is to keep sowing,
and leave the results
in God’s hands.
out the front door. I went after
him and caught up with him as he
was getting into his truck.
I told him I had overheard
part of his conversation, and that
Jesus Christ could help him overcome his addiction to smoking.
He nodded and hung his head for
a while. “You know,” he said, “I
go to church and I’m so ashamed
when I walk in, because my
clothes always smell like smoke. I
know that God can take this from
me if I had more faith.”
handed me his cell phone. “That
guy that you were talking to out
in the parking lot has something
he wants to tell you,” he said.
I took the phone and this
man started quoting the scripture
where God says that His word
shall not return to Him void.
(“So shall my word be that goeth
forth out of my mouth; it shall
not return unto me void, but it
shall accomplish that which I
please, and it shall prosper in the
thing whereunto I send it” Isaiah
55:11.) He said, “When you share
with people and speak God’s
words, your efforts shall not be
in vain.” He was sharing this, he
said, to encourage me in my attempts to witness to people.
After he hung up, I realized
that this message was in answer
to my prayer earlier that morning,
when I had told God that I felt
my efforts were falling short. God
had spoken to me through that
man, helping me in my weakness.
It is true that so often, we
judge all things by our frail, fleshly
sense of reality. Confined to the
earthly realm, we do not perceive
the spiritual world, where angels
accompany us on our errands of
mercy. Every time we share Jesus
Christ with someone, we are sowing seeds. The seeds that we sow
shall bear fruit of its own kind.
Our job is to keep sowing, and
leave the results in God’s hands.
With God’s help, we make
the workplace a mission field.
Whether we sow in foreign lands,
or in our own local area, it is
all the same from God’s point
of view. By prayer, asking specifically for God’s Spirit to open
doors of opportunity, we have the
power, through the Holy Spirit,
to point another person to Jesus
Christ. It is a great honor to have
a part in that work. F
Thank you for supporting the Latter Day Saints’ Beacon. We will continue to provide this
magazine for free, but your donations help us produce a high-quality product.
To subscribe, send your contact information to JCRB/Beacon, 1100 W Truman Road,
Independence MO, 64050 or call 816-252-1457.
Suggested donation is $25 annually. We appreciate very much your letters and comments.
Page 22
on the Bible, http://bible.cc/
matthew/6-13.htm).
Saints in Worship
The Lord’s Prayer, Part 5:
Deliver Us From Evil
By Gary R. Whiting
T
he Lord’s Prayer is a rich
source of material for the
worshiper of God. It is directly
from the lips of the Savior and
is thus sure to be fully pleasing
to the Lord God, our Father in
heaven. This installment will
conclude our study of the worship principles in this model of
prayer. We will examine the petition, “Suffer us not to be led into
temptation, but deliver us from
evil (Matthew 6:14).
being overcome by Satan’s temptations. More contemporary writers lean more toward the idea of
the trial or testing concept, while
older commentaries talk more
about the idea of temptation that
can lead to sin and death.
The Inspired Version rendering of the verse appears to be the
better translation. I found these
comments that support the wording of the Holy Scriptures.
This part of the prayer was
modified in the inspired translation of the scripture by Joseph
Smith, Jr. In the King James Version the verse is rendered, “Lead
us not into temptation.” The
Biblical commentaries are very
consistent in the interpretation of
this phrase. God does not tempt
us to sin (James 1:13), therefore
it is inappropriate to ask the Lord
to not lead us into temptation.
How then, do they explain the
King James language?
The common interpretation
of this verse includes explaining
that the word temptation may be
referring to trials and not necessarily the temptations to do evil.
The scholars say this petition is
asking the Lord not to put us
into trials or difficult positions
in order to test or train us. They
do recognize that some of those
trials can be the result of a person
Bring us not in, or lead us not
in. This is a mere Hebraism:
God is said to do a thing which
he only permits or suffers to
be done (Clark’s Commentary
on the Bible, http://bible.cc/
matthew/6-13.htm).
“Suffer us not to be led into
temptation” honors the idea that
God cannot tempt us to sin. It
is, furthermore, an acknowledgment of the sovereignty of God in
our lives. Unless every power in
heaven and earth is subservient to
our God, our God is no god at all.
God does rule over all things and
He does have all power in heaven
and on earth. He also rules over
the petitioners, i.e., each of us. By
lifting our petitions to Him, we
God does rule over all things
and He does have all power
in heaven and on earth.
He also rules over
the petitioners, i.e.,
each of us.
This phrase, then, must be used
in the sense of “permitting.”
Do not “suffer” us, or “permit”
us, to be tempted to sin. In this
it is implied that God has such
control over the tempter as to
save us from his power if we
call upon him (Barnes’ Notes
are honoring and worshiping God
as the “only living and true God,
and that he should be the only
being whom they (we) should
worship” (D&C 17:4b).
This verse of the prayer, and
every other petition of the prayer,
doxology: n. pl. dox·ol·o·gies. An expression of praise to God,
especially a short hymn sung as part of a Christian worship
service. (thefreedictionary.com)
Page 23
must be understood in the light of
the closing verse. Jesus ended the
prayer with the words, “For thine
is the kingdom, and the power,
and the glory forever and ever,
Amen” (Matthew 6:14). These
words are a doxology of praise
and a statement of faith.
Our Father in heaven, we
pray to you because we believe
that you are the One True God.
We believe that you have the
power and the will to hear us
when we pray. We believe that
you are the only One who has
him, relying wholly upon the
merits of him who is mighty to
save; Wherefore, ye must press
forward with a steadfastness
in Christ, having a perfect
brightness of hope, and a
love of God and of all men.
Wherefore, if ye shall press
forward, feasting upon the
word of Christ, and endure to
the end, behold, thus saith the
Father: Ye shall have eternal
life (2 Nephi 13:28-30).
power to do something good in
our lives. The whole premise of
this prayer is the supremacy of
God. It is a declaration that we
are fully dependent upon the
power, justice and mercy of God.
This is what Nephi was taught
from on high and preserved for
us in 2 Nephi 13. Our redemption
has come because of the work
of Christ and must continue in
Christ to the end.
The kingdom is the Lord’s.
We are the Lord’s. Come, let us
worship the Lord. F
... ye have not come thus far,
save it were by the word of
Christ, with unshaken faith in
Final Figures
for the 2012 General Conference
Budgeted
Actual
Building Rent (Gathering Place)
$ 5,200.00
$5,200.00
Overnight Bed Rental
$ 1,100.00
$1,420.00
Meals/Refreshments $ 7,000.00
$6,271.39
Video/Audio Streaming
$ 1,750.00
$1,495.51
Printing $ 3,200.00
$2,406.63
Supplies $ 1,500.00
$857.34
Cart Rental
$
$596.25
Sub-Total
$20,550.00 $18,247.12
Delegate Travel
$26,250.00
$29,312.40
800.00
TOTAL $46,800.00
$47,559.52
Actual income for the conference was $28,700.74 which was $18,099.26 short of budget
and $18,858.78 short of total expenses. The $18,858.78 was taken from the General
fund to cover shortage.
Page 24
The Little Beacon
King Benjamin’s
People Respond
(King Benjamin’s Sermon, part 2)
By Genie Simmons
T
he people camped around
the tower until King Benjamin was finished with his sermon.
He taught the people about Jesus
and God. He advised them how
to follow the commandments of
God. When he was finished, everyone was silent for a moment.
Now the King waited restlessly to see what the people’s
response would be. “I hope
they will accept God’s way,” he
thought. Soon he had his answer.
God. Your name will be among
those on the left hand if you sin
against God.
“Keep the name of Christ
in your heart forever. How can
you serve a master that you don’t
know? I want you to be firm in
your faith and to stay steady in your
belief in Christ. In this way, you will
always be filled with good works.”
When King Benjamin was
through speaking he sat down.
“We must have a list of all who
“We believe!” They shouted,
“We want to serve the Lord! He
has changed us through your
words. We want to do good
things! We do not want to sin
anymore.” They continued, saying, “We want a covenant with
God and choose Him. We do not
want to bring on God’s anger by
not following His rules.”
agreed to the covenant,” he told
a scribe. Everyone except the
very small children agreed to
have their name on the list of the
children of Christ.
After this, King Benjamin
anointed Mosiah, his son, to be
the next king. Then he chose
priests to teach the people so they
would know the commandments
of God. Everyone went home.
The people worshipped the Lord
of the land once again. There was
no fighting or even bad words
among the followers of Christ for
the space of three years.
Mosiah became a righteous
king. He followed the example
of his father. He worked for his
food. He followed the commandments of God.
To read the full story, go to
Mosiah 3:1-4:11.
Once the people had spoken, King Benjamin said, “This
is what I wanted you to say! It is
what God wants. Now you will be
known as the children of Christ!”
The king was happy.
King Benjamin instructed
them, “Whoever makes this
covenant with our Lord is free.
Those that are obedient until the
end will be on the right hand of
God. We are called Christians.
“Those who follow something
else will be on the left hand of
Illustration by Tara Broadway
Page 25
Beacon
Sharing
the Light of Jesus Christ
c/o JCRB
1100 W. Truman Road
Independence, MO 64050
PRSRT STD
US POSTAGE
PAID
Independence,
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Permit # 572
If Any Man Desire to be First,
He Shall Be Last of All
And he came to Capernaum; and being in the house, he asked them, Why was it that ye disputed among
yourselves by the way?
But they held their peace, being afraid, for by the way they had disputed among themselves, who was
the greatest among them.
Now Jesus sat down and called the twelve, and said unto them. If any man desire to be first, he shall be
last of all, and servant of all.
And he took a child, and sat in the midst of them; and when he had taken the child in his arms, he said
unto them,
Whosoever shall humble himself like one of these children, and receiveth me, ye shall receive
in my name.
And whosoever shall receive me, receiveth not me only, but him that sent me, even the Father.
And John spake unto him, saying, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name, and he followed
not us; and we forbade him, because he followed not us.
But Jesus said, Forbid him not; for there is no man which shall do a miracle in my name, that can speak
evil of me. For he that is not against us is on our part(Mark 9:30-39).

The Aaronic Priesthood - Joint Conference of Restoration Branches

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