The Ensign. Zarahemla Branch Members of The Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. September, 2004 Newsletter

Transcription

1 The Ensign Zarahemla Branch Members of The Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints September, 2004 Newsletter Pastor s Corner Elder Bob Moore We live in an age of doubt. Skeptics of every age have always questioned the beliefs of their respective religion. The ancient Greeks called them atheists. Few ever really subscribed to their views, at least until recent times. The reason: the intricacy and complexity of both our world and the life that inhabits it. They bespeak a more intelligent and powerful Creator. Doubt has overtaken belief primarily because of Darwinism. Charles Darwin proposed that life developed from more fit, but less complex species during a series of genetic mutations. His proposal devised a way to explain creation without relying on divine direction. It depended instead on random selection, nearly infinite resources, and natural law. Although he saw the development of higher, more complex species as God-directed, his champions did not. Thomas Huxley attacked the prevailing, but now forgotten, interpretation that Genesis described a different and separate creation for each species. No evidence for that once-popular notion existed in the fossil record. Huxley won fame for himself and his adopted theory in a debate during June 1860 at the British Association meeting at Oxford. He repeatedly attacked his opponent, Archbishop Samuel Wilberforce, for his rigid views that made no room for scientific discoveries. Wilberforce, on the other hand, ridiculed evolution and asked Huxley whether he was descended from an ape on his grandmother's side or his grandfather's. Huxley won his point, the debate, and his cause when he rejoined, "I would rather be the offspring of two apes than be a man and afraid to face the truth. What is the fruit of the doubt spawned by Darwinism? Skeptics point to the triumphs of technology and science. They certainly are wonderful improvements that enhance comfort, luxury, and opportunity, but those accomplishments pale in comparison to the rise in immorality, violence, hatred, selfishness, materialism, and secularism. Doubt may prompt further investigation and investigation may lead to further discovery, but it is more likely that doubt and the investigation that it prompts lead to disappointment and weakened resolve. People are naturally wicked. While all admire virtues like honesty, integrity, and self-sacrifice, our natural acts are adultery,... uncleanness,... wrath, strife,... envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings (Gal 5:19-21). Resolve disciplines people who exercise it to subdue their natural inclinations in favor of imitating divine attributes. Every person wants to think himself above the corrupt impulses he regularly feels bubbling beneath his conscious. But resolve is rarely enough. Most people need to believe that some higher power requires them to account for their conduct. This belief is particularly present in Christianity. When people doubt the existence of God, they free themselves, at least in their minds, from being accountable to him. This weakens their resolve and they are less likely, far less likely, to inhibit their natural instincts. I spent a week in Michigan this past month working among the saints there, as I have done periodically during the past decade. I have seen the effects doubt has wrecked on them. They are similar to the saints in all areas of the church. Their abandonment by church leaders riddled their faith, exposing it to all manner of doubts. Their weakened faith lessened their resolve and they considered actions and activities once regularly denounced in pulpit and press. The consequences are disastrous: broken families, drug abuse, drunkenness, illegitimate children, killings, adultery, child abandonment, thievery, fraud. Church members or their children are guilty of all these and other detestable acts. Why: because their faith was weakened by doubt and they had no strength to resist temptation on their own. (Pastor s Corner continued on the next page)

2 (Pastor s Corner continued - - -) The battle between the natural man and his divine potential is won in the victory of faith over doubt. That victory is a choice. Psychologists learned nearly a generation ago that people are not reasoning beings, but rationalizing ones. We do not do what is logical or reasonable, but what we can rationalize. When people are able to rationalize doubt, they can devise a way to satisfy their most attractive natural inclinations. Sometimes the only way to lift oneself out of doubt s quagmire and its debilitating consequences is to force oneself to believe. I remember the statement of one church member who had lost his faith in the Bible and, consequently, his belief in Christianity because someone had convinced him that the book of Daniel, which Jesus quoted, was not written when it claims to be written and is, therefore, not prophecy. He said, If I could only believe again. As in the case of Huxley s victory, doubt succeeds against our understanding of the truth, not against the truth itself. The fossil record disproves separate creations, but not the Bible. It was the popular opinion in Huxley s day, not the Biblical revelation, that was errant. Today, doubt is spread among the saints, not because the restored gospel is errant, but because the prevailing notions of it are less than accurate. But people are susceptible to doubt, not because of the force of reason, but because of the power of rationalization. Some attraction, whether it is a physical, mental, or emotional desire, finds fulfillment when the resolve compelling saintly discipline is broken. Often that attraction lies deep in the subconscious, undetected, and little understood. Where does doubt end? Does the doubt fostered by divided Restoration Branches end by returning to the Unitarianism prevalent in the Community of Christ, a short cut to secularism? Are the weaknesses of the Reorganization ended in joining the Church of Christ or the Mormon Church? Does doubting the Restoration lead to the Protestant faith? Does the denominationalism and fragmentation of Protestantism mean Catholicism is right? Do the doubts fostered by the Priory of Zion against the Vatican make Jesus less than divine? Do the doubts over Jesus divinity make secularism better? Does the inability of secularism to raise people above their basic instincts make existentialism and its accompanying suicide a good choice? Doubt leads to death, but most people don t go that far. Sane people stop when their motivating impulse finds satisfaction, but then it is generally too late to rekindle belief. I encourage all to resist doubt. We are fortunate in our branch to have many capable people who can help others detect the fallacies of critics, discern the difference between reason and rationalization, and encourage saintly discipline and devotion. Each owes it to themselves, their families, and especially their children to stop doubt in its tracks and choose belief. I have never seen a doubter of the restored gospel as happy as he once was when he basked in the latter-day light, but I have seen many languish in doubt s crippling effects and their children ravaged by the most primitive human instincts. MEMORY VERSE FOR SEP- TEMBER My brethern, count it all joy when ye fall into many afflictions; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. If you have anything to submit for the newsletter, please call Marilyn ( or work ) OR it to Marilyn (mholey1@comcast.net), put it in the NEWSLETTER BOX OR give it to me at church. Deadline for the October Newsletter will be September 19th, This Newsletter will be distributed on Sunday, October 26th, 2004 Thank you for supporting the congregational newsletter. Marilyn

3 September 5th Devotions Musical Schedule Ashley Gault Jeri Gault Jill J Moore September 12th Devotions Jeri Gault Jill Moore Ashley Gault September 19th Devotions Jill Moore Debbie Bellville Sylvia Thomas September 26th Devotions Ashley Gault Linda Drown Jeri Gault September 12th September 19th September 26th Special Music Schedule WORD SEARCH Mosiah, Chapters 7-11 Sara & Joshua Fitzgearlds Rolland & Marilyn James Farwesta Girls N O L U M A M Z D P H V M E W O O V H H D D B R H O Z L M X I J M Y J S F O T X H E D J Q Z L U R P A P U F D C R L Y K Y G U S O H I B S M G J W Z H B S T N E M D N A M M O C Q N K W Y S J I F N N N N R D R F Y P Y T H A T O N E M E N T F N S Z U I R S I S S B P G V B Y M A R U I T T U R H E L A M Z R M T R O I A S Q E N P R O H K H P Y S K V T E I T H Q T K H C F U A M L A B I N A D I B B X F M B I A B Z U R I W V G V C G D A M S E M P L P C H THIS MONTH IN CHURCH HISTORY September 21, 1823 The angel Moroni visited Joseph Smith, Jr. and told him That God had a work for me to do, and that my name should be had for good and evil, among all nations, kindreds, and tongues; or that it should be both good and evil spoken of among all people... He was shown by vision where the plates of gold were deposited. September 22 and 23, 1832 Section 83 was given through Joseph Smith, Jr. It was received in the presence of six elders and is known as "the revelation on priesthood." September 10, 1845 The "anti-mormons," who had sworn to expel the "Mormons" from the State of Illinois, began burning houses in the vicinity of Green Plains, Hancock County. It is reported that as many as one hundred or one hundred and twenty-five houses were burned within a short time. September 18, 1864 Under direction of E.C. Briggs a branch of the Reorganization, composed of seventeen members, was organized at Bir- BOOK OF MORMON TRIVIA Question: In what year did Martin Harris lose the 116 manuscript pages of the Book of Mormon translation? ANSWERS TO LAST MONTHS TRIVIA 1) Title of Liberty 2) Tree of Life 3) Plates of Brass 4) King Noah 5) Captain Moroni Find the following words found in the Book of Mosiah, Chapters ABINADI ALMA AMULON ATONEMENT BAPTIZE COMMANDMENTS HELAM INIQUITIES PRIESTS PRISON PROPHESY REPENT SALVATION TRUTH WATERS OF MORMON ZION

4 Dale and Jenny Orr Family Dale Orr was born in St. Joseph, Missouri, and was raised on a farm near Plattsburg. He was attended the Church of the Brethren with his family. Jennifer (Engelbrecht) Orr was born in Independence at the San and was raised on a farm near Oak Grove, Missouri. They met in Liberty, Missouri, when Jenny started working for the Clay County Family Court. Dale s sister was a friend of Jenny s officemate at work, and they met through his sister. Dale was baptized into the church a few months after their December, 1975, wedding. They were married in the little chapel in The Auditorium. Dale is a science teacher at Winnetonka High School. He is also the chair of the science department and coach of the Science Olympiad team. He s starting his 27 th year of teaching. He is the president of the North Kansas City chapter of the National Education Association. Jenny has worked for Clay County Family Court since 1973, excluding 2 years off after their first child was born. Since 1990 she was been the Superintendent of Juvenile Detention for Clay County. They have three children. Emily is married to Scott Latman and they will celebrate their second wedding anniversary on September 1, They are also expecting their first child in January, Emily graduated from University of Missouri in Columbia with degrees in computer engineering and electrical engineering, and is employed by Circuit City. Scott graduated from Mizzou with a Master s degree in art history and archeology and is employed by Kinko s. They bought a home in Grain Valley where they have lived for the past year. Rebecca (Becca) was married to Stephen Slabaugh June 5, She is attending Mizzou majoring in mechanical engineering and is working part time in a university science lab and at the university hospital. Steve graduated from Mizzou with a Master s degree in trumpet performance and is working for a Columbia pharmacy. They are living in Columbia. Aaron will be attending UMKC this fall, majoring in biology. He ll be living at home and commuting to UMKC, and continuing to work in Liberty. He was named to Whose Who in American High Schools all four years of high school, and he was a member of the homeschool Science Olympiad team for 4 years. He has worked for K-Mart for over 3 years. Jenny has a rich heritage in the RLDS church. Her father, Frank Engelbrecht, is an elder and is currently attending the Remnant Church in Blue Springs. Her mother, Hazel Engelbrecht (deceased) was very active in the Oak Grove RLDS congregation. Her paternal grandfather, C.G. Engelbrecht, was an elder in western Nebraska. Her maternal grandfather, John Teeters, was an elder in western Kansas. Both grandmothers were also active church members. Her father, Frank, baptized her, Dale, and all three of their children. DEAN AND DJ FALCONER Dean was born and raised in Sibley, MO. DJ (Bland) was born in Dallas, TX and raised in Independence. They met when Dean was doing an externship at the University of Missouri at the Independence San and Hospital. DJ was working in the cafeteria as a salad girl. This was during the summer between the junior and senior years in college. Dean was going through a swinging door one direction and DJ was going through the door in the opposite direction. Dean slammed the door into DJ, knocking her down. This started a long romance, eventually leading to marriage. They were married July 7, 1963 at Gudgell Park RLDS Church. Dean serves the congregation in the office of High Priest. They are both retired now and enjoy walking and hiking. In addition to that, Dean likes antiques, lost arts and church activities. DJ spends time spinning, knitting, crocheting, and lost arts. They have one son: Dana Joe Falconer. Relatives in the area are Lloyd and Julia Bland, David and John Bland and numerous cousins. Congregational Tidbits We have some members of our congregation that have left their homes for the first time to start their college education. Let s remember them in our thoughts and prayers. I am also adding college addresses of some so the congregation may send them mail or letting them know we are thinking about them. Joshua McKay CMSU Nattinger Hall Room 218 Warrensburg, MO Jenna Canfield Blanton Hall Roon S. Mullanix Street Kirksville, MO nennarie04@yahoo.com

5 ACTIVITY CALENDAR Zarahemla Branch SEPTEM- BER S M T W Th F S Bob Moore 5 10:30 : Ren Thomas Preaching: Max Hawley No Sunday evening services 6 Picnic in The Park Wait for details 7 8 Patrick McKay :30 : Jim McKay Preaching: Bob Moore 6:00 : Dean Falconer Preaching: Jim McKay 10:30 : Brad Gault Preaching: POTLUCK 6:00 : Patrick McKay Religio 10:30 : Tim Canfield Preaching: Jim McKay 6:00 : Brad Gault Restoration Evidences Tim Canfield Dean Falconer Ren Thomas

6 Zarahemla Branch Members of The Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints 502 Southwest 17th Street Blue Springs, MO 64015