Friday came and went before I realized the week was over. I missed posting my general conference book club posting.
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Better late than never.
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Each week one of my grandchildren is grandchild of the week. Because I am too far away to be part of their lives, I send letters and gifts. With eight children to highlight, each one gets to be the center of my attention every eight weeks. I love writing letters, expressing my love and bearing my testimony of Jesus Christ. Because the Articles of Faith are like a summary of Latter-Day Saint beliefs, I've challenged the oldest four to memorize them. When it is their turn, I send a worksheet as well as some memorization ideas. Imagine my delight, when L. Tom Perry made the Articles of Faith the subject of his 2013 October Conference sermon. Unless otherwise noted, all quotes come from his sermon.
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When old Brother Doyle asked me to take the missionary lessons, I didn't hesitate to accept. Off and on I attended Primary as a little girl. While in these classes, I heard and even memorized portions of the articles of faith; they helped me understand doctrines and principles of Jesus' gospel years before I accepted the invitation to learn more and be baptized. Living the principles has been a sometimes difficult but always joyous journey.
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I learned the nature of the Godhead. I am responsible for my actions. Obedience to the commandments is crucial in my Christian journey. Like someone once said, they are the ten suggestions. Ordinances are important. Studying and attempting to live by doctrines is important. "This doctrine is to the Church like a battery is to a cell phone. When you remove the battery from your cell phone, it becomes useless. A church in which true doctrine is no longer taught is similarly useless. It cannot guide us back to our Heavenly Father and our eternal home." Jesus' true priesthood with its proper authority is essential to the gospel. Spiritual gifts and the word of God can help us avoid the pitfalls of mortal life. Sharing the gospel and obeying the laws of the land are crucial. Those who strive to embrace and emulate the character of Jesus Christ will find happiness and joy on earth as well as in the eternities to come.
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I hope and pray that through my letters I can help my grandchildren catch the vision of the true joy found in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
