Sunday Report

The lesson for the week was Chapter 3 of the George Albert Smith manual entitled Our Testimony of Jesus Christ.  

Merrily Seely presented the lesson as Julee Schneider was out of town.  She began by asking if we had ever encountered the common accusation that we as Latter-day Saints are not really Christian and do not believe in Jesus Christ, or at least not the same Jesus Christ that other Christians worship.  We have all heard of this complaint against the Church in our day but she assured us that even in the time of President George Albert Smith this seemed to be a common, but troubling belief held by many.  As a special witness of Christ and as His Prophet on the earth,  President Smith held an unshakable testimony of the divinity of the Lord and of the divinity of the mission which He performed for the eternal benefit of all mankind.  

He spoke often of the Lord and of how we as members of the restored Church best understand the divine mission of Jesus Christ, believe Him to be the Son of God who today sits on the right hand of the Father and leads this Church.  We are assured of His authority to speak in the name of the Father, for He came to earth to do the will of the Father and He continues to do that today as He directs the work to be carried out by His Church in preparation for His return in power and glory to reign personally on the earth.

We as members of His true Church have additional witnesses of Christ's divinity in the Book of Mormon and in the words of the prophet of the restoration, Joseph Smith, and the words of each succeeding prophet called to lead this Church.  The resurrected Lord ministered to the righteous Nephites in the meridian of time, and the Father and the Son appeared to the young Joseph Smith in sacred grove, revealing important truths about the nature of the Godhead and the reality of the details of the mission of Christ as presented in the Bible.

All of this wonderful knowledge can form the basis for our own personal testimony that Jesus is the Christ.  Our knowledge, gleaned by searching and pondering the scriptures, listening and testing the words of the brethren through prayer, and coming to recognize the whisperings of the Spirit, making and keeping the sacred covenants and keeping the commandments, will give us the testimony of Christ and the gospel that will bind us to the Father and the Son for all eternity, if we remain faithful to it. 

It then becomes our mission to share that testimony with others for it will bring to them great peace and happiness in this life and eternal joy in the world to come.  We belong to the true and living church that holds the power of God unto salvation to all those who believe. The Spirit will witness of its truth to all who earnestly seek to know.  President Smith encouraged us to live as worthy exemplars of the Lord, that through our lives others will know that we are indeed believers in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Next Week:  Chapter 4  The Prophet Joseph Smith given by

Have a great week and try to find a quiet time to read for yourselves the words of George Albert Smith on the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Relief Society Presidency