I would call this Sunday, my second Sunday in a row that is a spiritual high for me.
I woke up at 5:15 or so in order to be at church by 7 to have plenty of time to practice the organ. Between 9 and 10, I prepared my lesson for priesthood; at 10, I had branch presidency meeting.
Church started at 11, as always. I gave the lesson. It was from Elder Dallin H. Oaks’ talk from the April 2014 General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, entitled “The Keys and Authority of the Priesthood.” It ties in greatly with the Sunday School lesson.
Thom Barbola taught Sunday School today. We are currently in the Old Testament and read from the Book of Ruth. This is how it ties greatly with the lesson in priesthood. Women don’t have the priesthood authority like men do, but as they are obedient to the gospel of Jesus Christ and serve faithfully in their callings, they are greatly blessed by the priesthood. It is also through Women, that Men are better able to serve in priesthood functions. Ruth is a great example of this because she was faithful and obedient to the gospel of Jesus Christ and thus blessed because of it and was a huge blessing to her husband.
In sacrament meeting, the theme was on repentance and the atonement. Our hymns were as follows:
Opening: 241 Count Your Blessings
Sacrament: 193 I Stand All Amazed
Intermediate: 301 I Am A Child of God
Closing: 19 We Thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet
Our first speakers were the sister missionaries. Both spoke on repentance and how as you repent through the atonement of Jesus Christ, great blessings lay in store after you repent and come unto Jesus. The closing speaker, Chase Johnston, also hit on that same subject.
I went home for about 2 1/2 hours before going back to church for Seminary Graduation.
I played the organ for graduation. The hymns were “True to the Faith” and “As Zion’s Youth in Latter Days.” The congregation was extremely loud (my favorite!) so I got to play louder than normal. The first talk was given by a young man from Fon du Lac who shared how scriptures have helped him to prepare for his mission. Then the sister missionaries from the YSA branch sang a beautiful musical number. One of the graduating young women gave a talk about how the scriptures have helped her through trials in her life. President Cropper of the Stake Presidency shared how memorizing scriptures have blessed him , particularly a time on his mission when a rifle was pointed at him and if it wasn’t for reading the scriptures and knowing for himself that the church is true, he may not be alive right now.
Tomorrow is Memorial Day and I have the day off!!! Woot woot!