Volume 6 Number 4 (August) - Joint Conference of Restoration

Transcription

Beacon
The Latter Day Saints’
Vol. Six, Issue 4
August 2014
Sharing the Light of Jesus Christ
The Old,
Old Path
The True Story
of the Old, Old Path
page 3
Guided Footsteps
page 5
The Creston Experience
page 9
The Substitute Sermon
page 11
Miracles and Molly
page 13
An Interview
with Francis Baganizi
page 14
The Cornerstone of Zion
page 10
The official magazine of the Joint Conference of Restoration Branches
www.conferenceofbranches.org
Volume 6, Issue 4. Aug 2014
Beacon
Joint Conference
of Restoration Branches
Sharing the Light of Jesus Christ
Columns:
Features:
The True Story of the Old, Old Path..3
Letter from the Editor .................... 1
Guided Footsteps ........................... 5
Bishop’s Corner .......................... 17
The Creston Experience, part 1 ...... 9
Restoration Women’s Ministry ... 19
The Substitute Sermon ............... 11
Into All the World ...................... 20
Miracles and Molly ..................... 13
This is My Joy ............................. 21
An Interview
with Francis Baganizi ................. 14
Saints at Worship ........................ 22
The Cornerstone of Zion ............. 16
The Little Beacon ........................ 24
The Old Jerusalem Gospel
Ron Smith
A Pledge of Stewardship
Marguerite Baker
Building Blocks
Cheryl Phipps
Liberia and the United States
B.Mildred Smith
HEC Muir: A Portrait
of the Old-Time Church
Michelle Sherer
Selecting Hymns for Worship
Joy Muir
Moses, Aaron and the Pharoah
Alan Smith
Also in this issue:
U.S. National Conference Details .............. 2
Book Review: The Call at Evening .......... 15
Items Available ....................................... 18
Editor in Chief: Graphic Designer: Editorial Staff:
Gary Whiting
Tara Broadway
Mission Statement:
Warren Bennett
Hugh Caldwell
Chris Humphrey Joy Muir
Barbra Jordison Kent Pedersen
Alan Smith
This magazine is dedicated to proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ and bearing witness to the everlasting
promises of God. Our intention is to inspire the Saints to walk faithfully in the name of our Savior, bearing
fruit worthy of the Kingdom of God.
Subscribe to The Latter Day Saints’ Beacon at 816-252-1457, [email protected],
or JCRB/Beacon, 1100 West Truman Road, Independence, MO 64050. Send article proposals to
[email protected].
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 2014. Cover photo by Gary Whiting.
Letter from the Editor
fully applied. When the word of
God is thus obeyed, the power of
the gospel is clearly seen.
The Old Jerusalem Gospel
It is interesting to note how
Alma explained the term “restoration” to his son, Corianton.
By Gary Whiting
M
y wife and I returned from
a vacation together a few
weeks ago. During the 10 days
that we were gone, my computer
was turned off. When I turned the
computer on to resume my duties,
I was faced with numerous updates for various programs and the
operating system. It required about
48 hours for all of the changes and
updates to be completed.
I am grateful that the programmers are able to correct errors in the way the computer operates and that they can improve
the design of the programs I use
to do my work. Anyone who uses
a computer is well aware of and
resigned to the perpetual need
for updates for computers.
How unlike the world of the
computer is the word of God.
From the first word He spoke,
God’s word has been perfect.
No need for improvement or an
upgrade. The revelation of God
does not need a version number
as a reference to the latest and
newest rendition.
Some opponents of the
Restoration have called it a new
religion. The world has seen many
new religions and all of them have
one thing in common: they alter or
ignore the full word of God. The
world does not need a new gospel;
it needs the full gospel that Jesus
Christ taught in His ministry and
the same word that was delivered
to Adam in the beginning.
I believe that Joseph Luff
was correct when he called the
Restored Gospel the “Old Jerusalem Gospel.” The act of God
performed through the human
instruments of Joseph Smith Jr.
and others was a restoration of
the full gospel of Jesus Christ.
This is the word which brought
the Universe into existence and is
able to transform lives and bring
men and women to a faith that is
unto life and salvation.
The gospel of Jesus Christ
has been delivered to men in its
pure form at various times in
history. It has infrequently been
believed and obeyed. There are
a few occasions, such as the Zion
of Enoch’s day and the church in
Zarahemla after the visitation of
Christ, when the gospel has been
And now behold, is the meaning
of the word restoration, to take
a thing of a natural state, and
place it in an unnatural state,
or to place it in a state opposite
to its nature? O, my son, this is
not the case; but the meaning
of the word restoration, is to
bring back again evil for evil, or
carnal for carnal, or devilish for
devilish; good for that which is
good; righteous for that which
is righteous; just for that which
is just; merciful for that which
is merciful; Therefore, my son,
see that ye are merciful unto
your brethren; deal justly,
judge righteously, and do
good continually; and if ye do
all these things, then shall ye
receive your reward; Yea, ye
shall have mercy restored unto
you again; ye shall have justice
restored unto you again; ye
shall have a righteous judgment
restored unto you again; And ye
shall have good rewarded unto
you again; for that which ye
do send out, shall return unto
you again, and be restored;
therefore the word restoration,
more fully condemneth the
sinner, and justifieth him not at
all (Alma 19:76-80).
Alma taught that restoration
means to set everything in its
proper place. It means to tell the
Therefore, my son, see that ye are merciful unto your brethren; deal justly, judge
righteously, and do good continually; and if ye do all these things, then shall ye receive
your reward;
Yea, ye shall have mercy restored unto you again; ye shall have justice restored unto you
again; ye shall have a righteous judgment restored unto you again (Alma 19:78-79).
Page 1
truth about everything. It hides
nothing at all. One of the things
that Jesus did not like about the
Pharisees was their tendency to
call good evil and evil good. They
were the guys that painted graves
and ignored the fact that they
were full of the dead.
Jesus brought light and truth
into a world in which the Pharisees had woven man’s wisdom
and the devil’s deception around
and through the revelation of
God. Jesus exposed everything
under the light of heaven—and
people did not like that. Where
the Pharisees had made the word
of God ineffective in the lives of
people and dimmed the glory of
God’s commandments by layers
and layers of religion, Jesus was
the living, powerful and discerning word of God—Light in a
world of darkness.
Restoration, according to
Alma, more fully condemns the
sinner and justifies him not at all
(Alma 19:80). It also means that
the man or woman who will put
their trust in Jesus Christ and will
walk in the light of His word, will
be fully justified through the grace
of God (Alma 19:77-79). This is
the walk of faith which is unto life
and salvation. This is the way of
the strait and narrow path of Jesus,
who is able to save sinners to the
uttermost who live by faith in Him.
In this issue of the Beacon,
we have provided some articles
to draw you into the old, old path
where the Master walks. Zion is
the manifestation of the light of
God and the power of His word
shining through the souls of those
who walk with Him in the path
divine. What are you waiting for?
Rise up and walk! F
Page 2
The United States
National Conference
October 9-12, 2014
Independence Branch,
707 N. Allen Road, Independence, Missouri
Visit www.conferenceofbranches.org for more details.
The U.S. National Conference is scheduled to convene October 9
at the Independence Branch building in Independence, Missouri.
Conference planners are diligently at work designing a conference
that will be significantly different from previous national
conferences.
The focus of the 2014 conference will be the family and the vision
goals adopted by the JCRB at the April General Conference. These
goals, designed to strengthen the families of the church, will be
explored in a way that will help our families respond to the issues
they face today.
The plan for the conference will include classes, participative
discussions on a variety of family topics and worship experiences
that will include some preaching. There will be time designated for
business, but the emphasis will be on bringing tools to enrich the
nuclear family, the church family and the extended family.
President Greene commented on the plan for the 2014 National
Conference:
This will be unlike other past conferences in that we are striving
to bring information and practical helps to encourage families to
manage their circumstances in today’s world. This is not just for
families with children, but singles and grandparents too. We all
have a role to play in developing healthy, spiritually sound families.
The Independence Restoration Branch will host the conference.
This facility worked well for us in 2013 and the conference is happy
to be returning to this venue.
The final schedule is not yet available. Registration information
and the conference schedule will be posted on the JCRB website
when available. If you are interested in the welfare and success of
your family and families in general, this is the conference for you to
attend. Please pray and fast for the blessing of the Lord to be upon
this effort and the persons preparing to minister.
We look forward to seeing you in Independence in October.
The Latter Day Saints’ Beacon
The True Story
of the
Old, Old Path
By Ron Smith
Iused to believe that a path to the old brick church in Lamoni, Iowa, served as
the inspiration for the hymn, “Old, Old Path,” and wondered where it might have
been. The primary sources never mention this path, but the testimony they do
contain is fascinating. — RKS
T
he story of how “The Old, Old Path” came to be has delighted
members of the Restoration for many years. The words were written and set to music by two cousins, Vida Smith and Audentia Anderson. They were on the hymnal committee for the Reorganized Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (RLDS) in Lamoni, Iowa, in 1903.
The hymn made its debut in the youth hymnal, Zion’s Praises, that
year1, but the earliest known published account about its origin did not
appear until nearly two decades later.
Vida Smith, the author of the hymn, presented this testimony to
the General Conference of the RLDS church in 1922, and it appeared
in her hometown newspaper, the Lamoni Chronicle, the next week.
It was after a tedious Sunday school session one Sabbath, a golden,
glorious, summer day (and had it been a rainy, winter day, it would
have been the same), I came up from the primary rooms in the Brick
Church in Lamoni and seated myself in the usual place on the north
side of the church. A slight breeze moved the branches of the trees
near the windows; birds flitted about and called or sat on some
swaying branch and sang in Sabbath softness; the choir sang and
someone prayed, all as usual.
The minister read his text, that old favorite of many men, and a few
women, about finding the old paths and walking therein. Opening
my quarterly I penciled the short simple verse of “The old, old path”
on the blank places found here and there.
Afterward I walked towards my home with Mrs. Alice E. Cobb, a
beloved and revered friend, herself a poet. We spoke of the sermon
and talked of the text and I read to her my lines. She surprised me
by her immediate interest. “You must let Audentia put music to
those,” she said, and made me promise to go with the verse to Mrs.
Anderson. So I ran in and told my cousin and she copied the words
hastily; then I hurried home to my home cares.
In the afternoon I seated myself at the instrument and dreamed out
a melody. Audentia at the same time, with more skill, had evolved
the same melody, although
we were blocks apart and had
no means of knowing until
it was done that the melody
had come to both. Later we
submitted it to members of
the Hymnal Committee, being
urged to do so by Sister Viola
Blair. The words are exactly
as penciled in the quarterly
that Sabbath morning and the
melody what came to Sister
Anderson that afternoon.2 3
Fifteen years later, Vida rewrote her testimony for the Saints’
Herald and included a number
of interesting details. Instead of
referring to a “tedious Sunday
School session,” she explained,
I was teaching at that time in
the primary department of the
Sunday school in the Old Brick
Church in Lamoni. That morning
I had conducted a review on
the life and works of Christ. It
had been most gratifying, even
inspirational to me.4
Of course, anyone who has
taught Sunday School to primary
children on a hot summer morning in the basement of the church
will undoubtedly understand that
“tedious” and “inspirational” are
not mutually exclusive adjectives.
Vida also replaced her humorous
comment about the few women
who wanted to walk in the old
ways as she continued:
The minister read his text,
which I had used in my review,
and which is a great favorite
with all members of the
Restoration: “Ask for the old
paths … and walk therein.”
Immediately my mind went
again into my review. I saw the
upturned faces and heard the
replies, marveling at the keen
perception of some of them.
Page 3
From my seat I could see the blue of the summer sky, and I thought
on its beauty; how often, too, I had seen it dark and stormy! But
following the old path was as sweet then, for I knew the blue would
come to me. I reflected on the thought I had stressed in the review,
that when Jesus came to earth, this old path was the one he walked
in; that for ages and ages it had been there, and was still here, and
Jesus chose to walk in it. That made it easier for us to understand,
for we all find in the old path understanding and kindness and the
love of Christ.
Sometimes the shadows are so dark and the mountains so steep
that we almost forget to follow; but there are the shining footprints
of Jesus, and we reach for his hand and look up and find light and
comfort. I thought of the dear friends who had gone all the way with
me, and always would; for in this path is that which makes friends
true, considerate and understanding. It takes all these things, with
love, to keep friends, and if we are in the old path we shall be like
Him, whose feet have made it sacred.
I seized my pencil,
and into my quarterly went
the little verses—my expression
of gratitude for that “old path.”
I seized my pencil, and into my quarterly went the little verses—my
expression of gratitude for that “old path” and for the story of Jesus
which makes it so sweet and enjoyable as well as abiding. 4
Vida also included the following details concerning the melody:
After lunch in my quiet hour, I sat down to the piano. ... I strummed
out a melody with quick action — the words and the melody coming
clear while I was at the piano. The telephone called me. It was Audentia
saying she had a melody, and she sang it to me. It was the same melody
that we sing today and the same one that had come to me.4
The same year that this article was printed in the Herald, Carlyle Keuffer included a very similar version in his book, Stories of our
Hymns,5 and credited it to Vida Smith.
Audentia Anderson, who wrote the music to accompany Vida’s
poem, never wrote her version of the story for publication, but she did
share her recollections in two personal letters in the 1940s. By 1941,
the story had been performed as a radio play and Audentia wrote to
Brother Fry protesting that several of the details in that production
had not occurred.6 In 1949, Camilla Collins adapted Keuffer’s story
for inclusion in the children’s Sunday School publication, Zion’s Hope.
The editor sent a draft to Audentia for proofreading and received a
letter in reply, in which Audentia took great exception to some of the
details of Camilla’s story as well as Keuffer’s reporting of the event.7 8
Among other objections, Audentia insisted emphatically that there had
Page 4
not been a phone call. Audentia’s recollection of the event was
summarized in her 1941 letter to
Brother Fry as follows:
[I] Didn’t get a chance to
look at the words even, until
mid-forenoon Monday, when
morning work was done. I put
the poem on the piano rack,
and, not touching the keys,
just read it over, clear through.
Then putting my hands on the
keyboard & beginning at the
first line again, the melody just
sang itself into the words. I
didn’t have to change a single
thing, just harmonized it, and
tucked it away in my handbag,
to take to Vida’s that evening
... I got to Vida’s earlier than
the others ... I went into the
sitting room, & ... sat down at
her organ ... and said, “O Vida,
here is a tune for the words
you gave me last night; what
do you think of it?” —and
proceeded to play and sing it. I
sang all four verses, and when
I finished, I turned. There sat
Vida ... “Audie,” she said, “ that
was the very tune that came
to me with the words, but I
didn’t know how to express it
6
in music.”
In spite of their differing
memories after almost half a
century, the testimony of the
Spirit that prompted the collaboration on this hymn was
affirmed in both of her letters.
In fact, every account written by
either Vida Smith or Audentia
Anderson described the origin
of this hymn in spiritual terms.
Although Vida called it “just
an ordinary incident in my busy
life”4, she also said: “I feel gratified that the lot was permitted
me to be the channel of grace for
this one little song.”5
Audentia summed it up this
way:
We both felt the THRILL of
the spiritual experience, a thrill
I may say that I never failed to
feel when the song was sung,
for years and years. I have
attributed its hold upon the
people to the fact that there
must have been spiritual light
in its origin.6 F
Endnotes
1. Zion’s Praises. Herald Publishing House, Lamoni, Iowa, 1903.
Hymn 207.
2. Smith, Vida E. “The origin of
‘The Old, Old Path.’” Saint’s
Herald Conference Daily, October
7, 1922, p. 45.
3. Smith, Vida E. “The Old, Old
Path.” Lamoni Chronicle, Lamoni, Iowa, October 12, 1922, p.
1. col. 2.
4. Yates, Vida E. Smith. “‘The
Old, Old Path’ How it came
to be written.” Saints’ `Herald
85:39 (January 8, 1938).
5. Kueffer, Carlyle F. Stories of Our
Hymns. Herald House, Independence, Mo. 1938. pp. 135-136.
Credited to Vida Smith.
6. Anderson, Audentia. Letter
to Brother Fry. April 2, 1941.
A typed copy is on file in the
archives of the Reorganized
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter
Day Saints, Independence, Mo.
7. Anderson, Audentia. Letter to
Lillie Jennings. March 21, 1949.
Archives of the Reorganized
8. Jennings, Lillie. Letter to Audentia Anderson. March 17, 1949.
Archives of the Reorganized
Guided Footsteps
By Marguerite Baker in “Stories of the Restoration”
“W
hat are you fellows doing this week end?” demanded a
carrot-topped boy of his three teenage companions.
“Nothing much,” replied Mike. “I’ve got the lawn to mow Saturday morning. Sunday, I’ll lie in bed until nine and then race to get
to church on time. Then I go driving with the folks after dinner.”
“What a bore!” Don remarked. “Me — I’m off for a trip to the
north woods with my uncle and cousins.”
“Take me along,” moaned Garvey. “My people are having a
family reunion. I’m expected to be there — I’m Garvey Fox the
Fourth, no less.”
“Say, by the way,” Mike paused in buckling the strap that held
his books. “What’re you doing, Red?”
“Wouldn’t you know?” Don volunteered. “Phelps is going to
freeze in that hole in the wall back of Jergens’ Music Store and beat
out some new tunes on that tiny piano.”
“What price genius!” That was from Garvey Fox.
Methodically Phelps busied himself rearranging the contents of
his locker until the other boys left. Long after their shouts had died
away, Phelps stood by the closed and locked compartment.
Weekends! Sure he wanted to have a good time weekends.
Worse yet, Thanksgiving was only one week away and Phelps
dreaded the thought of it. It was a forceful reminder of everything
he longed for and had never had — family, friends, ties of love.
Phelps tried so hard to dodge all reminders of Thanksgiving
with its family gatherings and traditional turkey dinners. For Phelps,
Thanksgiving meant desperate, utter loneliness, and this time even
worse — no place to live.
Mr. Jergens, owner of the music store, had given Phelps a cubbyhole of a room at the back of the store to sleep, study and practice his music in — in exchange for his services in the store. Also,
Phelps was paid a very small salary.
Yesterday Mr. Jergens had asked Phelps to find a room elsewhere as he needed the room for some new stock he was expecting.
Phelps knew rents were high, far above his meager earnings. He
knew, too, that his music would suffer, for where could he find a
room with a piano?
He had to find a room with a piano so he could work toward winning the contest for the music academy scholarship. Phelps was becoming increasingly worried about his prospects, not only for Thanksgiving,
Page 5
but for his future as well. He resolved to skip as many
meals as possible and save as much of his earnings as
he could towards room, rent and a piano.
As Phelps left the school grounds he held two
newspaper clippings in his hand, “room for rent”
ads. He went to the first address, then another, and
they were either rented or were more rent than he
could afford to pay.
Tired, he went back to the store and asked Mr.
Jergens to reconsider, but the music proprietor
shook his head, saying, “Can’t do it, Phelps. I’d like
to help you out, but I’ve got to have that room.”
“Oh, that’s ok,” Phelps answered, trying to
sound cheerful, but the lump in his throat nearly
strangled him.
Saturday, Phelps worked at the store. In the
afternoon he waited on trade, sold sheet music, and
played the piano for customers. His strong hands
“Thanks!” Phelps replied shortly. “When I need
a tin cup and a pair of dark glasses, I’ll ask for them,
see? Until then, I’m on my own.”
Wednesday afternoon, Phelps tramped the
streets looking for a room. Mr. Jergens said he had
to be out Thanksgiving and he had no place to go.
By evening he was tired and famished. He hadn’t
eaten a bit for three days. He was saving every cent
for rent on a room he hoped to find. Tonight was the
deadline. Tomorrow he had to move.
Darkness settled swiftly over the town. The night
was cold and raw. The boy was weak and had lost track
of time. He didn’t know how long he had walked or
what the hour was. As he started down a rather dark
street, a bright glow in the middle of the block caught
his tired eyes. He moved toward it. His feet were
numb and he was cold. As he neared it, he saw it was
a church, warmly lighted. He heard singing, but this
wasn’t Sunday, Phelps
thought. It was Wednespass the church by day — strange time for
church services.
Phelps was about to
when his attention and tired mind
were arrested for a moment.
Strains of a melody came to his ears —
he didn’t know it, he was sure of that
— and yet it sounded oddly familiar.
moved sensitively along the keys. Invariably even
the dull numbers brightened, for his talent lent an
air of excitement to all the music. Phelps had not
only a beautiful, almost flawless technique, but he
had an inborn touch and feel for each selection,
which immediately won the listener’s heart. His was
a rare talent he hoped to develop further. At the
moment, however, the scholarship seemed far away.
He couldn’t continue without a piano.
Phelps continued to look for a room. He
searched unsuccessfully.
Wednesday, Mike asked him, “Say, Phelps, what
gives? I notice you haven’t had lunch all week. On a
diet, or did you just quit eating?”
“Who wants to know?” Phelps countered briefly.
“Look,” Garvey Fox asked, “why don’t you come
home with me? Mom’ll fatten you up in short order.”
Page 6
Phelps, as an orphan, had been handed
from family to family. He had attended
the current church of
whatever denomination
he chanced to be housed
with. Always he had felt
a yearning, a desperate longing to know about his
real parents. Now he wondered if he had as a baby
been baptized into any particular church. He would
never know, for his parents were dead — that much
he knew. Other than that, he knew nothing of his
beginning in this world. Again the nostalgic longing
for a home swept over Phelps.
Phelps was about to pass the church by when
his attention and tired mind were arrested for a
moment. Strains of a melody came to his ears —
he didn’t know it, he was sure of that — and yet it
sounded oddly familiar. He stood still and listened
to the words.
“In this old, old path, made strangely sweet,
By the touch divine of his blessed feet.”
There was something sweetly haunting about
the words. Suddenly, as if propelled by a will stron-
ger than his own, he found himself entering the
church. The singing continued:
“In this old, old path, are my friends most dear,
And I walk with them, with the angels near.”
Someone placed an open hymnbook in his
hands. A finger pointed to the words. His lips
moved and he joined in singing the last stanza.
“‘Tis an old, old path, shadowed vales between,
Yet I fearless walk with the Nazarene,
In this old, old path, made strangely sweet
By the touch divine of his blessed feet.”
He opened his eyes at last to see expressions of
concern and love on the faces of those bending over
him. An old man with a beautiful, shining face said,
“This lad’s going home with me. He’s completely
done in and must have been nearly frozen when he
came in.” There were no questions asked. He felt
love and brotherhood enfold him warmly. For the
first time in his life, he felt he belonged some place.
It was a beautiful, glorious dream.
Old Brother White took Phelps home to his
bachelor quarters. One thing Phelps noticed as he
was taken through the living room, was a piano —
high and old-fashioned — but a piano. Phelps felt
that the gates of paradise had swing shut behind
him as the old man shut the door.
Phelps’ throat constricted painfully. If it could
only be true. If He only did walk all the way with
you, he thought. He bowed his head with the church
full of people. Now the speaker was praying. It
Phelps was fed — warm milk and nourishing food
was a strange sort of prayer — wonderful flowing
— and put in bed in the softest bed he had ever been
words, beautiful thought. It was like nothing Phelps
in. “This is your home, lad, for as long as you want
had ever heard. As the
speaker prayed, a quiet
In the days that followed,
peace settled over the
Phelps asked many questions
lad. It was as if at last he
had come home. Only
about Brother White’s church.
his weakness reminded
He learned about books he had
him now of his plight.
never heard of — the Book of Mormon,
Phelps listened to
the people as one after
Doctrine and Covenants,
another they voiced their
Church History and others.
prayers in the same spirit
of humility and simplicity. They called each other Saints and spoke of buildit,” Brother White offered. “I’m lonely, and I’ll gladly
ing Christ’s kingdom on earth.
share it with you.” Phelps was only dimly aware of the
man’s bowed head, but his prayer for Phelps envelAfter another hymn, testimonies were given.
oped
the boy like a protective cloud.
Phelps saw a great hulk of a man weep unashamedly
as he told what the Master meant to him and his desire to serve him. The lad studied the faces and noted
the spirit of humility that rested on all. Suddenly
Phelps found himself standing on his feet, impelled
by a power not his own. “It’s good to be here,” he
said. “I’m glad I found this place and you people.”
He sat down quickly, abashed by his own boldness.
Phelps dreaded the moment he would end this
peaceful scene. When he at last turned to leave,
friendly hands reached out to clasp his. As Phelps
stared dizzily into smiling faces — beautiful faces,
he thought dazedly, his knees buckled and he sank
to the floor unconscious.
Thanksgiving was spent with Brother White in
the home of Saints where they dined in true traditional style. And Phelps was deeply thankful.
In the days that followed, Phelps asked many
questions about Brother White’s church. He learned
about books he had never heard of — the Book of
Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, Church History
and others. Phelps found himself reading all of the
books eagerly. The days flew by and the eyes of his
understanding were opened. At last the day came
when Phelps asked to be baptized.
When he was confirmed, truly the Spirit descended on the speaker and his assistant and rested
Page 7
on the head of the young lad. Phelps listened carefully to the words of the confirmation. Suddenly,
electrifying words hit him like a powerful shock,
“Be it known to you, Phelps Wilcox, that you were
blessed into this church in your infancy. The Lord
has guided you to this day and has reclaimed you for
his own, for you have a work to do for the master in
the days to come. You will go forth as an ambassador for God and serve in foreign missions. Prepare
yourself accordingly.”
Consternation possessed Phelps — incredulity,
then unbelief. It wasn’t possible that this elder had
spoken the truth. He didn’t even know who his parents were and there was no way of tracing them. All
he knew is that his name was Phelps Hyde Wilcox.
passive unconcern as Brother White opened the envelope with hands that were not quite steady. As he
read the letter, a slip of paper fluttered to the floor.
Phelps picked it up and could scarcely believe his
eyes. It was a copy of a child’s blessing certificate.
On it was the name, Phelps Hyde Wilcox, the
date and place, which was Kirtland, Ohio. His
mother’s and father’s names were listed in the lower
left-land corner.
Father’s name — Phillip Gerald Wilcox.
Mother’s name — Anne Marie Hyde Wilcox.
Phelps’ stoic unconcern was gone — he wept
like a child. And Brother White shed tears of happiness with the lad.
“Now we know who your parents were,” the old
man rejoiced, “and we know you were blessed into
Christ’s own church. Truly the hand of the Lord has
been over you, Phelps, all the days of your life, and
has directed your footsteps to this day. He will
Consternation possessed Phelps
continue to guide you
through the work he has
— incredulity, then unbelief.
set aside for you.”
Brother White suggested they write the Auditorium and see if there was a record of his blessing.
“Your name isn’t a common one,” he said. “The
It wasn’t possible that this elder
had spoken the truth. He didn’t even
know who his parents were and there
was no way of tracing them.
middle name would suggest you carry your mother’s
family name.”
Phelps said, “Go ahead. Write what you wish,
but I know it’s hopeless.” So Brother White sent the
letter to Independence, Missouri. Phelps dismissed
the entire matter and practiced for the contest. He
was able to give his full attention to it now, for the
battle for his daily subsistence had been lifted from
his shoulders.
The morning of the contest arrived and, with it,
a letter bearing the church seal. Phelps watched in
It was not surprising
that Phelps carried away
the highest award in the
contest — a substantial
cash prize and scholarship — for Phelps was
endowed with the joyful knowledge that he had
found his place in the world. His joy was full when
he received his award, and he resolved to perfect his
talent for service in God’s church.
Phelps’ parents were dead to him, but the lad
had been taken into God’s family on earth. He
knew he would never need to envy his school friends
again, for he had been given many brothers and
sisters. He was happy in the fatherhood of God and
the brotherhood of Christ and his Saints.
And the “old, old path” he had found anew. F
For thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out.
As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek
out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where thy have been scattered in the cloudy and
dark day (Ezekiel 34:11-12).
Page 8
The
Creston
Experience
and Other Testimonies
By Cheryl Phipps
Part 1
I
had many wonderful testimonies from approximately the fall of
1961 through the spring of 1963. Many of my testimonies were a
part of what is known as the “Creston Experience.”
The prelude to the Creston Experience actually began in 1956 when
the congregation was told under the influence of the Spirit that the Lord
had a special work for them to do. At that time the Creston Congregation was known as a “problem congregation” throughout Lamoni Stake
and the Church. Church services were not very well attended and they
had a poor record when it came to obeying the financial law.
In the fall of 1960 Paul Winans was asked to be pastor of the congregation and Delbert Smith became the Seventy for Lamoni Stake.
Paul had been ordained to the office of High Priest and had an experience during his ordination that led him to agree to becoming pastor.
When Delbert visited the congregation, he shared with them that if
they were really concerned about the lives of the people around them,
they needed to put them on their hearts and pray about them that the
Lord would move in their lives.
Paul, as pastor, realized he needed to encourage his congregation
to fast and pray. He often did this during prayer services and when he
preached. Paul felt the Spirit prompt him that they should pray and
fast for “ten and one” — five females and five males plus one other
man. The men were non-member husbands that, of course, their wives
wanted to see join the church.
Paul and Delbert also pointed out the necessity of each member
filing his/her tithing statement and paying the tithing owed. They also
stressed the need to be obedient to the Word of Wisdom (I remember
them stressing giving up coffee, tea, hot chocolate and pop).
As I stated before, Creston had a very poor record in keeping the
financial law. About 10 percent of the congregation filed and paid.
After one and a half to two years of Paul and Delbert sharing with the
congregation, about 75 percent of the congregation were filing their
tithing statements but still only about 20 percent of the priesthood.
Paul held many priesthood
meetings, prayer services with the
priesthood, and classes regarding tithing, the sacrament, and
the ordinances. During this time
the priesthood members were
instructed about their various
offices and responsibilities in the
church and about the importance
of praying, fasting, studying,
obeying the Word of Wisdom, filing and paying their tithing. The
priesthood developed a program
of home visiting which emphasized the ministry of the Aaronic
priesthood in the congregation.
Paul appointed one of the elders
to assist the Aaronic priesthood
in their home visiting. This elder
would meet with them to share
scriptures and pray with them
before they went out.
In the fall of 1960, my twin
sister started dating a Latter Day
Saint boy and began attending
Zion’s League with him. It was
not long before she fell in love
with the gospel and the people of
the congregation. During the fall
of 1961, she began to ask me to
attend Zion’s League with her. I
had dated a Lutheran boy previously who warned me against the
Latter Day Saints and their belief
in the Book of Mormon. Because
of this, when Sharon told our parents that she wanted to join the
church, I encouraged our parents
to say no.
Sharon did not give up on me
though. Every week she would
ask me to go to Zion’s League
with her Sunday night and every
Sunday I would turn her down.
Finally, after weeks of being by
myself (Sharon and I were very
close), I decided that I would attend with her. It would be better
Page 9
than trying to find something to do without Sharon. If I did not like it, I
could stop going.
I also fell in love with the gospel and the people of the congregation. I began attending every Sunday evening church service and Zion’s
League. We also attended prayer meetings on Wednesday night. We
had been raised Methodists and even though Mom and Dad were not
active, they insisted that we attend Sunday morning services at the
Methodist Church.
Our congregation began studying the Book of Mormon and Sharon and I attended those classes. It was not long before we were both
hooked on the Book of Mormon and were avidly studying it.
July 4, 1962, fell on a Wednesday evening. Creston had a huge
Fourth of July celebration that included a talent show at the bandstand
in the park and a fireworks display. Approximately three weeks before
July Fourth, Paul began feeling that we should have a prayer service on
that day. His wife and one of the elders in the congregation discouraged him from doing this, but he felt like the Spirit had led him to
make this decision. Prayer service was held that night and much to the
surprise of Paul’s wife and his counselor, there was a large attendance.
I still remember where I was sitting in the congregation that night.
if the congregation was faithful,
as they had been that night, God
would pour out spiritual blessings
on the congregation that they
would hardly realize was possible.
Towards the end of the service, the Holy Spirit led Paul to stand and
speak to the people about some things the Lord wanted them to know.
He also spoke to Sharon and me under the influence of the Spirit. He
told us about some things that would happen in our lives if we were
faithful. Paul shared that as he spoke that night that the back doors of
the sanctuary swung open and two angels came through. The looked
identical and as they walked through the congregation one of them put
his hand on a man that Paul had been praying about and this was confirmation to Paul that this was the man that Paul must use in a certain way.
The other one put his hand on a young boy being held by his mother
confirming that something special was going to happen in his life.
At the end of the service, Paul shared under the inspiration of the
Spirit that if the congregation was faithful, as they had been that night,
God would pour out spiritual blessings on the congregation that they
would hardly realize was possible. He said that not only would the
Melchisedec priesthood be bringing gifts to them that they needed but
Page 10
also the Aaronic priesthood. We
were told we needed to do three
definite things to insure these
blessings. They were being obedient to prayer and fasting; being
obedient to the financial law and
being obedient to the Word of
Wisdom and the other commandments found in the Scriptures. The
congregation was told that if they
would do these things, they would
receive the blessings promised.
Of course, the congregation
did not want to leave that night
and many stayed and fellowshipped together about what had
happened. The young people
went to another home and had a
Zion’s League worship service.
As the congregation attended
to prayer, fasting, study, keeping
the financial law and the Word
of Wisdom in their lives, their
prayers were answered. It was not
long before some of the nonmember husbands began requesting baptism.
On August 29, 1962, Sharon
and I were spoken to in tongues
during the prayer service. I remember where we were sitting
that night. We were told that God
loved us and even though we had
been denied the privilege of baptism, that many times we had been
baptized by the Spirit. As Paul was
speaking to us he could see the
personage actually giving the message. Through the Spirit, Paul was
made aware that the tongue was
an ancient Lamanite tongue.
From the Fourth of July experience forward, every prayer service
was filled with manifestations of
the Spirit, sometimes more than
one. People came expecting to
receive and in anticipation of that,
they would arrive early and meditate until the time for the service
to start. There was little talking
because people were spiritually
preparing for the service. The
priesthood involved in the service
also came early to prepare. Paul
said that he always assigned an
elder to preside over the prayer
service because they were the spiritual fathers of the congregation.
The young people were also
instrumental in setting the mood
for prayer services by coming
early and reverently preparing.
We often sat in the front pews and
were quick to pray and testify.
The very young also took an active part in these services. It was
not unusual for the prayer service
to last longer than one hour.
At the beginning of the 1963
school year, our Zion’s League
decided to fast lunch and meet at
our history teacher’s home for a
prayer meeting. He was an elder
in the church and lived across
from the high school. Every
school day we met there and
invited our friends, many who attended with us. I can remember
standing in a circle holding hands
and praying for the needs of our
congregation, for the five young
women who had begun attending
and who wanted to be baptized
and the non-member husbands
who had not already decided to
unite with the church.
Because of the wonderful
things that were happening in
our congregation, people came
from all over the stake to attend our prayer services. Delbert
Smith also held cottage meetings
which my sister and I attended.
End of Part 1. F
The Substitute Sermon
By B. Mildred Smith from The Master’s Touch
Submitted by Alan Smith
D
elbert Smith had made careful preparation for this Sunday evening sermon. Previous experience had taught him the high standards of ministry the Creston congregation was accustomed to receive.
The unusual devotion of young and old alike challenged all ministers
who served the group to do their best. It was his best that Delbert
sought prayerfully to offer.
Now he knelt beside the pastor’s desk in the second floor study and
prayed earnestly. “Dear heavenly Father, if you don’t want me to preach
the sermon I have prepared for tonight, what do you want me to preach?”
A prayer service preceded the sermon. It was the custom of the
congregation to gather at the church, fasting, an hour and a half before
each Sunday evening meeting. From 5 to 6 p.m. they prayed for the
minister, for those whom they had invited to the service, with whom
they hoped to share the gospel, and for the presence and ministry of
God’s Spirit in all that would be done in his name. When the prayers
were ended, the people disbursed, going to pick up those for whom
they had prayed, to reassemble for the preaching service at 6:30 p.m.
As he listened to the sincere prayers of the Saints, Delbert became
aware that the message he had prepared for the evening was not what
would most adequately minister to their needs. God had something in
mind for that night. When the people went to pick up their friends, he
quickly ascended the stairs to the pastor’s study to talk the matter over
with the Lord.
As he prayed, a passage of scripture from the Book of Mormon
was impressed upon his mind. Rising quickly from his knees, he found
the text and read it. No revelation burst upon his consciousness. No
new ideas, or brilliant interpretations flooded his mind. In fact, he
didn’t have a clue as to what he could or should say about the passage,
or the ideas it presented to bring ministry to the congregation already
assembling below him.
He was familiar with the inspiration of the Spirit and knew without
a doubt that the Book of Mormon quotation was the scripture that
he should read. Thinking that the setting for the passage might yield
some enlightenment, he read that which went before, but even this
did not help. Carefully he perused that which followed. Still there was
no elaboration. Only the unmistakable assurance persisted that this
scripture held the key to the message of the Lord for the people this
night, obscure though that message remained to him. He read it again
and again until it was fixed firmly in his memory.
There was a knock on the study door and Paul Winans spoke. “It’s
time to go into the service, Delbert.”
Page 11
“Coming!” Delbert replied,
closing his Book of Mormon
slowly, still wondering what he
would say when he faced the
expectant congregation.
My husband loved the hymns
of the church and was accustomed to singing them lustily
when there was opportunity.
During the opening of the service
this evening, however, the sound
of his voice was missing. Instead
he continued talking to the Lord
about the problem at hand.
“Father, what do you want
me to say?” he pleaded. “If you
don’t give me something to say,
I’ll just have to read the scripture
you’ve offered me and turn the
his body, he opened the Book of Mormon and read the passage now so
clearly established in his consciousness. I always could tell whether my
husband’s sermons were inspired of God by the way he read his opening scripture. Tonight his voice was rich and full as he repeated the
words of the ancient prophets. It reminded me of another time when,
inspired by the Spirit of God, he had read the scriptures assigned to
him so beautifully that High Priest Wilbur Chandler had hurried to
him at the close of the service, embraced him tearfully, and exclaimed,
“Delbert, nobody can read like that!”
When he was finished, the congregation sang another hymn, but
Delbert continued is prayer. “God, if you want someone else to bring
the message this evening, I’d be grateful if you’d let me know who so I
can designate my replacement.”
During the hymn a few ideas dawned in his mind. “I’ll present
these thoughts,” he resolved. “Ihen I’ll just tell the folk I don’t have the
Spirit of preaching tonight and I’ll turn the pulpit over to whomever
the Lord will indicate.”
Having made this decision, he felt a calm spread over his body. As
he rose again and approached the pulpit, he hesitated only a moment.
During that moment he became
conscious of a person standing
Elder David Blair approached him behind, and a little to the right
when the congregation dispersed. of him. “Good!” he said silently,
“Paul is going to preach for me.
“You had an unusual experience
He’s just waiting for me to finish.”
tonight, didn’t you?”
preaching over to some of the
other elders while I sit down. I
know you’ve instructed us not to
preach unless we have the Spirit,”
he continued, “and my mind is a
total blank!”
The singing ceased. Vaguely
Del heard Paul introducing him
as the speaker for the evening and
asking the members to uphold him
in prayer. If only they knew, Del
thought as he smiled a little wryly.
He sat a moment with bowed head
before he rose and took his place
behind the podium. “I’ll read
the scripture, Lord,” he prayed
silently. “The rest is up to you.”
Planting his feet firmly behind
the pulpit to still the trembling in
Page 12
Then ideas began to rush into
his mind. With fluency he rarely
experienced he verbalized the
ideas. While one portion of his mind comprehended and directed the
verbalization, another continued to pray, “Lord, I’m totally dependent
on you. I’ll say what you give me to say, then I’ll have to sit down.”
Again he felt the presence behind him and fleetingly wondered why
Paul, or whoever it was, was still standing. After that he became so
engrossed in the message he was delivering for the Lord that he forgot
to wonder who it was or why. As one train of thought was exhausted,
another flowed into his mind. The sermon lasted nearly an hour.
“That was the most beautiful sermon we have ever heard you
preach!” “Your sermon really ministered to me!” “Thank you, Brother
Smith! That was an answer to my prayer.” The hushed reverence and
tearful thanks of the people as they left the sanctuary testified of the
ministry they had received.
“Brother Smith,” Elder David Blair approached him when the congregation dispersed, “You had an unusual experience tonight, didn’t you?”
“I surely did!” Delbert agreed.
“I think I know something you didn’t,” the older man continued,
his face glowing with wonder. “There was a personage, John the Beloved, standing just behind you and to your right.”
The congregation had had many experiences with John the Beloved during the months where they were receiving special blessings as
a group, as they focused on the Lord, and reaching out to people they
wanted to share God’s ministry with.
“I know,” Delbert confirmed David’s testimony. “I felt him there,
but I never did turn to see him.”
“When you seemed to have finished what you had to say,”
David proceeded to explain, “he would lean toward you, and it
seemed that he whispered. Then
you would speak again with conviction and power.”
“A messenger from God!”
Delbert said, awed. “God has
many ways of keeping His promise
to be with us — even to the end of
the world, doesn’t He?” F
Miracles and Molly
By Michelle Sherer
Editor’s note: This article should have appeared in the June Beacon with the
other testimonies of miracle babies. It did not make it in due to an editorial error.
T
his August (2014), Nathan and I will have been
married for ten years. When
we got married, we were not
in a hurry to have a family
and were fine with waiting until God provided that for us.
I started to get anxious
as friends of ours started getting pregnant, having babies, and building their families. It seemed easy for them. It was not easy for us. Two
years into the journey of trying to have a child, I was diagnosed with
PCOS (PolyCystic Ovarian Syndrome), which basically meant that my
body made it a lot more difficult to get pregnant, if at all.
We went through fertility treatments and were blessed with Kaylee, who is now six. We were told then that conceiving Kaylee was a
miracle and that it was probably a one-time thing. Two years later, we
decided to attempt treatments again and were blessed with Eli. After
the difficulty and expense involved in getting pregnant, the Lord fulfilled a strong and long discussed desire in both Nathan and myself to
adopt. We brought Jesiah home from China in December of 2011. We
still both had a desire to grow our family, but knew that future children would be adopted and we were thrilled with that.
Kaylee desired a baby sister. We repeatedly told her it was not
going to happen because we intended to adopt a toddler, or an older
child, in the future. She prayed almost unceasingly for a baby sister.
I hate to admit that at times, it annoyed me. She had people convinced that her sister, whom she had named Molly, would be joining
our family at any time. Her faith was unwavering. She knew that if she
called upon the Lord and sought a blessing from Him, He would an-
swer. Many times, we just shook
our heads and reminded her that
medically, that was not possible.
By June of 2013, after a series
of aches and pains, I discovered
that I was indeed pregnant. We
would later come to find out that
it was the Molly that Kaylee had
prayed for over three years. Medically, we were told that a third biological child was impossible, and
our doctor reminded us just how
impossible the two initial biological children we have, were for us
to conceive. I was also reminded
by my OB-GYN that God laughs
at us when we say things are not
possible. God indeed sought
to bless us beyond what I ever
intended or imagined. What man
said could not be done, God did.
I firmly believe that the
prayers of our daughter and the
diligence with which she sought
the Lord were heard and honored
in the form of Molly. We are forever changed and thankful for her
presence in our family. We cannot
imagine a more wonderful “number four” in the Sherer family. F
Page 13
An Interview
With Francis Baganizi
By Joy Muir
During the April General Conference, one of the Beacon editors caught up with Brother
Francis Baganizi. We wanted to know more about the life of the church where he lives. This
is a record of the interview of Brother Baganizi which was conducted by Joy Muir.
Beacon: Where do
you live?
this law would no longer affect us. We could meet as
we please.
Francis: I am from
Kayonva, Rwanda.
Beacon: Are other priesthood members present in
your branch?
Beacon: I see that you are here as a delegate to the
Conference. Is this your home branch?
Francis: Yes, I was elected as a delegate from the Kayonva Branch. It is a Restoration branch in Rwanda.
Beacon: Does your branch own a building?
Francis: No, we do not have a building we own. We
meet in various places such as homes or schools.
Beacon: How often do you meet together for
group worship?
Francis: We are able to meet once a week. This requires some planning and work to do so. In Rwanda
if more than three people plan to meet together
they have to obtain a document from the government. If they do not do this, the meeting is illegal
and they could be arrested. I need to obtain this
document each week. If we owned our own building
Francis: No, just me at this time.
Beacon: How often are you able to partake
of the Sacrament?
Francis: We have the Sacrament once a month.
Beacon: Prayer is an important aspect of worship.
How is prayer a part of worship in your branch?
Francis: We pray often when we are together. We
have prayers for the service and pray for each other
and other needs we hear about.
Beacon: What are the most common ways music is
used in your branch worship?
Francis: We enjoy singing. We sing worship songs
but do not have any hymnals. We do not use musical
instruments in the services. We just sing together.
This is the primary way we give praise to God. Of
course we praise God in our prayers also.
Beacon: What is a typical worship service like in
your branch?
Francis: We pray and sing at the start of the services. We talk about the needs in the group, and
we pray for the needs. We read scriptures and sing
more and then there is a sermon.
Beacon: In what ways does your branch teach the
gospel of Christ to others?
Rwanda is located
in central Africa.
Page 14
Francis: We have non-members who attend with
us. At the services they will hear a lot about Jesus
Christ and the gospel. We will often call friends and
talk about what we believe. The church members
like to share after church. We have retreats some-
times. There is a retreat going
on in Kenya right now (During
the April Conference). We are
trying to start a woman’s group
for study.
Beacon: Do you have any youth
activities?
Francis: Not yet.
Beacon: What two things do you
like most about worship where
you attend?
Francis: I enjoy the fact that we
meet as a team. We see each
other often and share the same
beliefs. We worship together. We
feel the Lord’s presence when we
are together.
Beacon: Thank you for sharing
with us.
Francis: You are welcome. F
There is a fund set up
to assist with
International
Delegate Travel
to the General
Conference.
Send Contributions to:
JRCB/Delegate Travel
Fund, 1100 West
Truman Road,
Independence, MO
64050 (USA)
Please note
on your check
the funds are for
International Delegate
Travel.
Book Review
The Call at Evening
By Joel Burford
I
n The Call at Evening, a Restoration book first published in 1920,
Jessie Ward presents a unique story of an elder and the effects
of his ministry on a small town called Leesburg at the turn of the
twentieth century. The elder, Alfred Stewart, sprains his ankle while
traveling as a missionary and is forced to seek care in the nearby town
of Leesburg. Alfred lands at the door of one of the richest and most
revered citizens of Leesburg, who refuses to give aide to the itinerant
minister. The rich man’s daughter secretly slips into the night to help
the crippled Mr. Stewart. She finds him on the side of the road and
takes him to a friend, a doctor.
When Alfred wakes up, he finds himself in the Lakeman’s home,
a nice little place back in a nice forest, away from the main part of
town. During the introductions, Alfred discovers that he has made
new friends and had landed in the middle of a very interesting
household. This introduction marks the beginning of their relationship, which leads to the fulfillment of a wonderful series of events and
ministry given.
Alfred Stewart begins teaching the truths and doctrines of the
Bible to the Lakemans and others. The Lakemans are not church goers and are not quite sure if Christians truly know the true God or not.
For this reason, Mr. Stewart begins a nightly study of the scriptures to
help answer the questions of his new friends. Jennie Burnside checks
on Alfred to see how he is doing and joins them in their meetings.
Mr. Stewart convinces them of God’s existence and goes on to further
teach about baptism, what became of the church, the Restoration and
the Book of Mormon. His points are always backed up with scripture.
The doctrinal matters are all covered in the Bible study lessons,
which are individual chapters. This book is much more than just a
series of doctrinal lessons. It is a well written novel with multiple characters that are well developed. The interaction of the characters and
the stories of their lives are very interesting. Apart from the obvious
missionary purpose of this book, this is a story worth reading just to
know the people of the story it tells. Readers should recognize that
The Call At Evening is an excellent book. It is Restoration theology woven into an enjoyable story. Through the author’s writing,
Alfred explains why the Restoration is the true church. This novel has
served as a missionary tool for many years. I would recommend it to
anybody, especially those who are not sure what to believe or where
they should go with their current spiritual life. F
Page 15
The Cornerstone
of Zion
By Alan Smith
W
hen you step into the Cornerstone of Zion
visitors’ center in Nauvoo, Ill., which opened
officially over the 2014 Memorial Day weekend, be
prepared to come away with a testimony or two …
or three or four. That is the message that is being
shared with visitors to Nauvoo from folks in the
Restoration who are volunteering to man the new
facility, which also serves as a place for the Nauvoo
branch to meet on Sunday mornings.
Countless hours of volunteer time have been
spent in turning the metal building into a showcase
to share another perspective of the message of the
Restoration movement with the public. In a community where the Community of Christ and the Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints have much
more dramatic visitors’ centers, this spot, across the
street from the Nauvoo Mill and Bakery along Mulholland Street, has a testimony of its own to share.
The Cornerstone of Zion Center is an effort begun by the Heartland District of the Church of Jesus
Christ in response to the leadings of God to find a
way to tell the original Restoration message to the
thousands of visitors who come through Nauvoo
each year. As much as the project desires to reach
souls for Christ, it also hopes to reach across the
lines of division in the Restoration to unite as many
as possible behind the cause of lifting up Christ in a
positive and encouraging way.
Visitors will hear several kinds of testimonies.
Ask about how the visitors’ center came together
and the people from the Heartland District can tell
you many. It seems that almost every aspect of the
building, from the kitchen cabinets to the chairs in
the auditorium to the baseboard running around the
floors has a testimony to it.
Consider, as an example, the chairs in the auditorium. When an opportunity for seating for the
auditorium fell through, a search was made on the
internet, and some beautiful and comfortable chairs
that matched the colors of the room already chosen
were found at a bargain price.
The building has a gift shop area in the front, a
kitchen and restroom area and a small auditorium.
Videos about the Restoration that have been developed for the center are shown to visitors on a large
screen television during the week. On Sunday morning, the same space serves as a place for the Nauvoo
branch to hold services.
Testimonies are shared in the gift shop, which
features items selected from Restoration artists.
Each person who has items offered for sale in the
beautifully designed gift shop area also has a testimony of Christ to share. Whether it is the items
from a brother in Kenya, the pottery from a sister in
Lamoni or the metal work of a brother in Wisconsin, a testimony is shared along with it.
A multimedia center is now under development.
People can take home a flash drive with selections
of text, electronic images, video presentations, sermons and other multi-media items being offered.
The plan is for sales in the gift shop to help pay
for the continued operation of the center and that
the testimonies offered by those manning the center
will provide another perspective of how people are
responding to the call of these latter days to be about
the business of the kingdom. While funds from the
Joint Conference of Restoration Branches were instrumental in the purchase of the building, many oth-
The Cornerstone of Zion visitors’ center in Nauvoo, Ill.; front entrance, gift shop, and auditorium.
Page 16
er contributions have helped bring
the center to its current state of
operation and have opened more
opportunities for ministry. The
actual construction work was done
with hours and hours of volunteer efforts by Heartland District
members and other helpers.
How can people
help now?
Be sure to stop by the Cornerstone of Zion center when visiting Nauvoo and see the exciting
things that are happening there.
You’ll come away with a testimony
or two you can share about how
God is working today. The center
is run by volunteers. Housing is
available for a couple, for example,
who might want to volunteer for a
week of welcoming people to the
center and sharing their testimony
of God’s love in their lives.
Another opportunity is for
visiting artists to share their
talents with visitors as they come
to the center. For example, some
blacksmiths are setting up shop
outside for a stint this summer.
Contributions can be made to
help keep the center operating as
well. And artists who would like
to help with the center are also
invited. For more details of what
is going on in the center and how
you can contribute to its success,
visit the center’s website at
cornerstoneofzion.org.
The folks in the Heartland
District are excited about the
blessings that have brought the
center into operation. With the
help of the many people from
around the Restoration, it will
continue to bring the ministry for
which it was designed. F
Bishop’s Corner
A Pledge of Stewardship
By Carl D. Cederstrom
T
he voice of the multitudes cries out everywhere for the liberating truth of the gospel.
... All should consecrate of their talents, abilities, and substance
for the prosecution of the great work entrusted to us (D&C 132:3).
The need is great for laborers as well as the resources that make
possible the missionary work that is so sorely needed both in every
city, town or village.
Therefore, go ye into all the world, and whatsoever place ye cannot
go into, ye shall send, that the testimony may go from you into all
the world, unto every creature (D&C 83:10a).
Our labor is to redeem Zion.
Let the church again be admonished that the task of establishing
Zion presses heavily upon us (D&C 132:3).
The task to prosecute the gospel and the building up of the New
Jerusalem was not lost on the Reorganization. The very first revelation given through Joseph Smith III not only identified what the
church is to be actively engaged in, but the means by which the work
can be facilitated.
In order to place the church in a position to carry on the promulgation
of the gospel, and as a means of fulfilling the law, the Twelve will
take measures in connection with the Bishop, to execute the law of
tithing; and let them before God see to it, that the temporal means
so obtained is truly used for the purposes of the church, and not as
a weapon of power in the hands of one man for the oppression of
others, or for the purposes of self-aggrandizement by anyone, be he
whomsoever he may be. As I live, saith the Lord, in the manner ye
execute this matter, so shall ye be judged in the day of judgment
(D&C 114).
As stewards, both priesthood and member alike are accountable to the Lord for their time, their talents, and the resources God
has entrusted to them. This effort will require each member of the
church to recognize his or her responsibilities as stewards over the
law of temporalities.
It is useless to talk about the up building of Zion, with our hands in our
pockets and our hearts harder than flint, while the storehouse groans
in its leanness and no wants are supplied save by a private supply from
a few generous minds ... the law gives us to understand that Zion’s
exactors are to be righteous, and Zion’s children are to tithe themselves,
as they value the blessings that are to follow this tithing (Joseph Smith,
III, True Latter Day Herald, Vol. 10, pages 87-88).
Page 17
The demands upon the church
for ministers to travel is increasing as a time when funds to send
them are becoming more limited.
Bishop Cederstrom has been
encouraging the Saints of the
church to respond to the financial
law through the filing of their
statements and the paying of their
tithes. The promise is if we keep
the commandments the Lord will
provide the means for us to fulfill
all that he asks of us.
... For I know that the Lord
giveth no commandments
unto the children of men, save
he shall prepare a way for them
that they may accomplish the
thing which he commandeth
them (1 Nephi 1:65).
Another promise with a blessing
that the Lord has given the church
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
New Testament Audio CDs .................................................$59.95
Communion Sets (4-cup) ....................................................$51.25
Inspired Version (Leather) ................................................$120.00
Inspired Version (Hardbound) ............................................$65.00
Inspired Version (Paperback)...............................................$44.00
1908 Book of Mormon (Leather) ........................................$60.00
1908 Book of Mormon (Hardbound) .................................$33.00
1908 Book of Mormon (Paperback)* ..................................$18.00
Doctrine and Covenants (Leather) ......................................$60.00
Doctrine and Covenants (Hardbound) ...............................$33.00
Doctrine and Covenants (Paperback)..................................$18.00
Teacher and Student Sunday School Manuals (each) ...........$5.00
The Tender Twig by Verneil Simmons* ...............................$10.00
Brightly Beams Our Father’s Mercy* ....................................$5.00
Who We Are ..........................................................................$4.00
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?
Christ in America
Where is the Church?
Evidences of the Book of Mormon
The Dark and Cloudy Day
The Language of the Book of
Mormon
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 18
concerning the law of temporalities
is found in D&C 129:8f, g.
The church has been directed to
accede to the rendition of the
Bishopric with respect to the
temporal law; and until such
heed is paid to the word which
has been given, and which
is in accordance with other
revelations given to the church,
which had been before given,
the church cannot receive and
enjoy the blessings which have
been looked for when Zion
should be fully redeemed.
The Bishopric greatly appreciates those that have filed their
tithing statements and continue to
submit a current statement each
year. We are grateful for those
that have filed a new tithing statement or a have made new start.
We also want to thank each of you
that have faithfully paid your tithing and made contributions to the
Missionary, General fund or the
international oblation fund. Lastly, we desire to pledge ourselves to
serve the Lord Jesus Christ in our
responsibilities over the temporal
affairs of the church.
One of the goals (objectives)
that the conference passed in
April was to emphasize the law of
temporalities. Many spoke of the
need to increase the amount of
tithing paid by each one who had
increase and or surplus. A goal
of reaching 30% on both tithing
statements received and tithing
paid among Saints was passed.
Lastly, the General Conference
met its budget. Stewardship,
though not the general theme for
the General Conference, was certainly practiced by the Saints as
they poured both their hearts as
well as their generous giving. F
Restoration Women’s Ministries
Building Blocks
By Barbara Giertz
W
hat of our families? What
condition are they in today? There are so many families
broken, wounded and bleeding
out their heart’s blood as another
generation is in danger of being lost. There are many questions that need to be asked and
answered before we can reverse
the damage being done to our
families. What did we do wrong?
What did we miss? What can we
do? How do we fix our family?
Can this family be fixed? Will it
ever be a cohesive unit again?
The answers to these questions have a common foundation
— we cannot do it alone. We must
pay attention to the word of God.
It was disobedience to God’s
word that caused the little family of two to be shut out of the
beautiful garden (Genesis 3:2831). Disobedience to God’s word
caused all of the world’s families
but one to be lost in the terrible
flood (Genesis 8:10-28). An entire
generation of Israel was lost on
the long journey of forty years
because of disobedience and never
saw the Promised Land. Disobedience to God’s word puts our
families at risk and takes away the
promise of participating in the
cause of Zion and in the building
of God’s Kingdom on earth.
the family is the very real result of
allowing the world to have more
importance than the family. When
outside activities separate the
members of a family, the ties that
bind them together are loosened.
It is vital that those ties not be
loosed but be tightened to save us.
The Restoration story began
with one young man, but it was
his family that held him up. His
family first believed his testimony.
This family formed the basis of
the young restoration church:
Joseph Jr, the Prophet; Joseph
Sr, the first Patriarch; Hyrum,
his older brother and staunch
counselor who stood by, and died
by, the prophet. Family. Strong.
Secure. Supportive.
The Reorganization came with
Joseph III, taught by his mother,
Emma, widow of the prophet. And
in each of those lives, the matriarch,
Lucy Mack Smith. These women,
and many others, were strong in
their faith. They were no-nonsense
women. They taught their children
in the family; it was not up to the
schools, society or a village to teach
their children (Proverbs 22:6).
The coming U.S. National
Conference has been designed
to address these concerns of our
families. The tearing asunder of
We must take the initiative,
not fearfully, but bravely ignoring
those voices that say we are foolish. It is past time that we give our
families the attention, the trust,
the love, and the dedication to the
welfare of their souls. What God
says to one, He says to all.
[He] hath need to be
chastened, and set in order his
family, and see that they are
more diligent and concerned
at home, and pray always or
they shall be removed out of
their place (D&C 90:9).
As we study, fast and pray
for our families (Mosiah 8:52)
we must not forget the admonitions of the Lord to allow His
Holy Priesthood to honor their
covenant by serving in our homes
as they have been called to do
(D&C 17:10). Ask the priests
to come and share about family
duties of each member. Let them
teach about the duties of each
member of the family and the relationships and privileges of being
in a God-centered family.
Set a time for your family to be together. Let it be as
if carved in stone. Let nothing
interfere with the vital bonding
and strengthening of your family. Come to the Fall Conference.
Help us help each other in the
call to build our families stronger
for the coming of the Lord. F
Thank you for supporting the Latter Day Saints’ Beacon. We will
continue to provide this magazine for free as long as your donations
allow it. If you enjoy receiving the Beacon in your home, please
make your donation today.
To subscribe or donate, send 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 19
Into All the World
were Israel, Brazil, the United
States and Guatemala. This is the
second time Israel has led the nations in hits on his website.
Several of the Seventy were
involved in the 2014 Independence District reunion. Preaching ministry was provided by
Chris Pederson (Sunday), Gary
Metzger (Monday) Dan Norman
(Tuesday) and Neil Simmons for
the last three days of the reunion.
The classes were taught by Seventies Bob Moore and Frank Frye.
All the sermons and classes were
recorded. Seventy Jim McKay
ministered as the camp pastor.
Brother Knotts attended
the Missionary Family Reunion
in Lamoni and reports that the
preaching went well. He continues to do normal ministry in
Lions and SAFE, a program having to do with the city youth. He
is active in the local ministerial
alliance. He also was a part of the
“We Dig Nauvoo” excavation.
One baptism was performed
during the reunion. The baptism
was administered by Gary Metzger
with Dan Norman and Jim McKay
officiating in the confirmation.
Liberia
and the United States
Liberia
Seventy Stephen Gardee
reports that he traveled to Gardour town on the 14th of June to
assess the condition of the church
there. Upon arrival, he and Elder
Samuel Cooper were welcomed
by Priest Elijah Wilson. “We
attended service with them on
Sunday. Most of the members
were not in service because they
were on their farms trying to stop
the birds from eating the newly
planted rice.”
Please remember to pray for
the Saints in Liberia and Nigeria
in particular. Both of those countries are seriously affected by the
Ebola virus outbreak. Pray for the
safety of the church members and
that the hearts of the people in
those countries would be open to
the message of the gospel.
Iowa
George Knotts has a website (http://personal.graceland.
edu/~gknotts/) which displays
his gospel-oriented art. He uses
this as a way to project the gospel
especially through his skills as an
artist. He reports that his web site
has remained active. In the last
reporting period he registered
5,912 hits. The top four nations
for hits (visitors to the web site)
Page 20
Missouri
North and South
Carolina
Ron Smith traveled to North
and South Carolina to visit with
church members there. He was
accompanied by his wife Di because another missionary was not
available. He spent 17 days on
the road. He was able to visit with
several Saints in various cities. He
participated in two administrations,
taught classes and preached eight
times and made nine home visits.
Brother Smith said that he
was received almost everywhere.
There were many opportunities
to answer questions and encourage the Saints there. He received
many invitations to return.
Some non-member teens
attended the reunion. They were
anxious to know more about the
gospel. They met with Levi Vickery for study and fasting.
Missouri
Seventy George Mefford has
been busy locally with his branch.
They are very active in the
neighborhood around the branch.
Brother Mefford has also been
writing tracts for missionary use.
Indiana and Ohio
Greg Thomas has been busy
traveling many places. Recently
he reported that he has been
ministering in Indiana and Ohio.
Greg and his wife serve as the directors for the Family Missionary
Reunion. This reunion was held
at Graceland University at the
end of June. Many of the Seventy
were involved in this ministry. F
This Is My Joy
HEC Muir: A Portrait
of the Old-Time Church
By Joy Muir
A
number of years ago, Paul
Ludy brought me a group of
little old books he obtained in his
role as our “Old Bookman.” The
name written on the cover of the
books was HEC Muir and I was
probably the only Muir he knew
and he gave them to me.
I glanced at one of them and
then put them away in a safe
place in a closet thinking I would
look at them more closely when I
had time. I recently realized HEC
must be the grandfather of some
Muirs I grew up with in Port
Huron, Mich. I contacted them
to say I would send the books to
them. Before sending them to
Michigan, I decided to look at a
few of them. This began a fascinating and personal glimpse into
the church of many years ago.
I could not put them down
once I began to read. Hours
passed as I read the penciled
notes Brother HEC wrote in his
Priesthood Diaries. The cover of
the oldest one said, “Priest’s Diary,” and his first entry was dated
Sept. 12, 1910. He mentions attending a prayer service at which
a message was given through the
gift of tongues and he was called
to be an elder.
The next little booklet is his
first “Elders Diary.” In that new
diary he wrote. “Ordained to office of elder at Marlette, Michigan on November 5, by William
Grice, District President, and
Apostle F. A. Smith.”
The entries in all the booklets are in pencil and not always
easy to read. They contain a
wealth of personal history that
gives insight into church activities of his day. Each priesthood
member was expected to record
every single church function
he engaged in. This included
sermons preached, baby blessings performed, assisting with
services, administrations, etc.
Brother Muir even wrote down
when he consecrated oil
for administrations.
There is so much I
could share, but due to
space limitations, I will
just mention some of the
experiences I found most
interesting as I read the
little booklets dating from
the early 1900s into the
early 1960s. I noticed he
went to New Philadelphia,
Ohio, to preach many
times over the years,
a distance of over 300
miles. I wondered at his
ability to bring ministry
that far away so often
until I pulled out a little
aged sheet of paper that
showed he was employed
by the Pere Marquette
Railway Company.
times church was closed due to
major health concerns, smallpox
one time and a whole month
in 1930 due to scarlet fever. At
times in the harsh Michigan
winters, he wrote about walking to church in the snow. He
mentioned helping out with
revival meetings in a local Baptist
Church. When his own church
was hosting a special series, he
made a note about them having
to pay $2.00 per chair for extra
seating. One time his church
group held a working bee to
gravel his driveway. He mentioned times they held all day services. He carefully recorded all of
the places he traveled to preach,
reunions attended and of General
Conferences. He wrote about
D. T. Williams coming to bring
ministry and of Gomer Griffiths
coming to preach. Another entry
Above: HEC Muir is second from the left.
Below: Brother Muir’s priesthood journals
detail five decades of ministry.
He wrote about the
Page 21
mentioned Roy Weldon holding a
series on the Book of Mormon in
his branch.
An entry in the 1942 Elders
Diary was sobering when he wrote
that. “All evening church services
would be closed for the duration
of the war.” An intriguing entry
spoke of baptizing R. J. McLane
in the moonlight in the Black River in Jeddo. A booklet from 1935
held a receipt from Herald House
showing the “ministerial diaries”
cost 15 cents each and a 6-month
subscription to the Saints Herald
could be purchased for $1.00.
I could see his handwriting
grow weaker as I read the later
diary entries, but he continued to
bring ministry in many ways despite
his age and health problems.
He was ordained to the office of
patriarch in his later years. It was
apparent to me, as I read of all the
ministry he performed, that he was
indeed a special man with a deep
love of the church and the Saints.
As I finished the last entry in
the final little diary I held, I found
myself wishing there was more to
read. The journey I had followed
with Brother Muir through these
diaries thrilled me and brought
me a new and better understanding of the struggles and incredible
devotion of the ministers in the
church in his day.
I just learned from his grandsons that Brother HEC was born
in Jeddo, Mich., in 1885. He
served as pastor for 40 years and
after retiring in 1951 traveled
around doing week-long series in
a number of places in Michigan
as well as back in New Philadelphia, Ohio. He passed away in
March 1970. F
Page 22
Saints at Worship
Selecting Hymns
for Worship
M
usic has been part of Christian worship from the beginning. It has not always been the
kind of music we have used in our
worship for the last few hundred
years, but the church has employed
psalms and hymns and spiritual
songs since its inception. God has
used many talented and inspired
writers and composers who have
generated thousands of hymns and
songs for use in the church.
We have also been blessed by
many Restoration authors and
composers since the first hymnal
was published by Emma Smith
and W. W. Phelps in 1835. The
Restoration has profited much
from the writing of Christian artists such as Isaac Watts, Charles
and John Wesley, Francis Havergal, Fanny Crosby and others.
Church hymnals have typically
contained 400-500 hymns covering a wide variety of subjects, but
the treasury of music for worship
is much deeper than that.
Probably the first thing to
come to mind regarding worship music is hymn singing, but
music is involved in the use of
special music performances,
prelude, postlude and responses
after prayers. When a presiding
minister begins to plan a worship
service of the church, all of these
factors play a critical role in the
success of a service. How does
a presiding minister effectively
plan for the music in a service of
the church? This article will give
some practical principles to be
applied to this process.
Evaluating Hymns
Not every hymn will fit the
purpose of every service. Hymns
about faith and prayer will be
more appropriate for prayer services than hymns about stewardship. Most hymnals will categorize the hymns according to the
main subject matter. This can be
helpful to the presider, but those
categories are not fixed in stone.
The Spirit may lead one to use
a hymn that is more commonly
used for another purpose.
Doctrinal soundness
Three things should be
considered in the evaluation of
hymns before they are used in a
worship service. The first is the
doctrinal soundness of a hymn.
Music is a powerful way to teach
and to learn. It is important that
the words sung or heard in our
services teach good doctrine.
Hymns from other traditions ,
even some in our familiar hymnals, will not contain doctrinally
sound lyrics. These can sometimes be altered or they should be
avoided in favor of other hymns.
Singability
A second consideration regards the “singability” of a hymn.
A worship service is generally not
a good setting in which to teach
a new hymn to a branch. Those
selected should be familiar to the
people singing the hymns. This
applies primarily to the tune of
the hymn. It is painful and distracting to watch a congregation
struggle through a hymn that no
one knows. This can take away
from the worship of the hour.
Select hymns with tunes that are
familiar to the people. Use the
local musicians, especially the
pianists or organists, that accompany the singing to help make
these choices.
To expand the hymns known
to a branch, have song services
from time to time in which new
hymns and tunes are introduced.
Such occasions will grow the useful library of hymns for future use
in services. If you are blessed with
musicians, ask them to help teach
the people new hymns.
Different settings call for
judging the singability of a hymn
in a variety of parameters. If the
number of people attending is
small it is often advisable to use
hymns that are shorter. If the
crowd is larger, and especially if
there are skilled voices present,
more difficult or longer hymns
can be used more effectively.
Will there be a musical accompaniment for the service? If a
piano or organ will be used in the
service, some hymns will be more
appropriate than others. For
instance, “God of Our Fathers”
is a hymn written for use with
instruments and it is difficult to
sing a capella. For prayer services, consider using shorter hymns
with familiar tunes. If longer
hymns are selected, omit some of
the verses in order to focus on a
specific message.
A presiding officer should not
feel limited to the use of hymns
in a Restoration hymnal in worship. We are blessed with access
to many different hymnals today.
The Hymnal (RLDS 1960) and
Hymns of the Restoration (various
versions) are a few of the Restoration hymnals that are easily
accessed. There are older hymnals
of the Reorganization, the LDS
hymnal, hymns from other Restoration groups and many hymns
from other Christian churches.
Web sites, such as hymnary.org,
often have a large hymn collection. On hymnary.org one will find
hymns by title and by hymnals
in which they appeared with the
lyrics, music, scans of the original
pages and audio of the tunes for
almost every one of the thousands
of hymns in the collection. Other
useful websites are cyberhymnal.
org and hymnlyrics.org.
Many hymnals contain information about the hymn that
includes the meter of the hymn and
the hymn tune. The meter identification is given as a series of numbers separated by dots, e.g., 8.7 8.7
or given as long meter or short meter. It is often possible to use lyrics
from a hymn with an unfamiliar
tune by substituting the unfamiliar
tune with a known one of the same
meter. Use the hymnals or one of
the internet resources to match
the meter of the hymn with known
tunes. This is a very useful way to
introduce new lyrics.
The musicians in a branch
can be called upon for advice and
counsel in the selection of music.
It is common in some places for
a worship committee to help plan
music for services. If this type of
arrangement is used, the presiding officer must retain the final
approval. He is the one who is
responsible before God for the
conduct of the service.
Functionality
The third consideration is how
well the hymn fits the part of the
service in which it will be used. A
well conceived service will be organized around a specific aim or goal.
The first consideration is the type
of service that is being planned.
Prayer and testimony services have
different components than a baptismal service or an ordination or a
preaching service.
Music is a very important
component of a worship service.
Hymn singing is a common and
important part of Latter Day Saint
worship. The presiding officer is
well advised to seek the Lord in
the selection of hymns. Hymns
should be used to support the purpose of the service and help guide
the people in the various aspects
of worship. If skilled musicians
are available for assistance and
counsel, use them and learn from
them. F
... Enter ye in at the strait gate; for strait is the gate and narrow is the way that leads to life, and few there
be that find it, but wide is the gate, and broad the way which leads to death, and many there be that
travel therein, until the night cometh, wherein no man can work (3 Nephi 13:11).
Page 23
The Little Beacon
Moses, Aaron
and the Pharaoh
By Genie Simmons
M
oses had been sent on a
mission by the Lord. First
he went to Egypt and met his
brother, Aaron. Then Moses
got permission to go before the
Pharaoh. Moses and Aaron asked
Pharaoh, “Our Lord God says
‘Let my people go’ so we can hold
a feast in the wilderness.”
“Who is this Lord?” replied
Pharoah. “Why should I obey him
and let the Israelites go? I don’t
know who this Lord is and I won’t
let Israel go.”
“Let us then go three days
journey into the wilderness to
make sacrifice to our Lord. If we
don’t, a plague will come upon
us,” Moses and Aaron replied.
Pharaoh looked at the two
before him and said, “Who are
you to take the people away
from their work? Why aren’t you
working?” Then Pharaoh talked
with the taskmasters (bosses) of
the Israelites. “Take away the
straw for the bricks. Let them
gather straw. They should make
as many bricks as before.” The
taskmasters went away and did
as the Pharaoh demanded.
The Israelites had to go far
from their homes in search of
stubble to use for the bricks. The
taskmasters made them hurry to
get their normal number of bricks
done. The Israelites were tired
and they were beaten when they
Page 24
did not mmake enough bricks.
Later the leaders of the Israelites
asked Pharaoh, “Why do you
treat these people so?”
“You are idle enough to want
to go to the wilderness to sacrifice to your Lord, now go and get
back to work,” replied Pharaoh.
On their way home, the leaders met Moses and Aaron. The
leaders told them of the Pharaoh’s decision. Later that day
Moses prayed to God, “Why have
you let things get worse for the Israelites? The Pharaoh is meaner
than before. You have not helped
the people at all.”
God spoke to Moses: “I
spoke to Abraham, Isaac and
Jacob. I am the Lord God, the
Lord Jehovah. I made a promise
with them that I would give them
the land of Canaan. I have heard
the Israelites’ prayers. I remember my promises. Tell them I am
the Lord, and I will bring you
out of Egypt. I remind you that I
am the Lord your God, who will
bring you out of Egypt.” Moses
went out and told the people, but
they were too tired because of
the meanness of Pharaoh. Again
Moses prayed to the Lord: “The
people will not listen to me.”
God replied, “Go to the Pharaoh again. The Egyptians shall
know that I am the Lord when I
bring the Israelites out of Egypt.
When the Pharaoh asks for a miracle, throw your rod to the floor
and it will become a snake.” They
went to see Pharaoh again and it
was as the Lord said. Aaron threw
his rod to the floor and it became
a snake. When Pharaoh’s magicians threw their rods to the floor,
they also became snakes. Aaron’s
snake ate all of them. Pharaoh saw
this, but his heart was hard and he
would not let the people go.
The Lord said, “When
Pharaoh goes to the water in the
morning, stand by the water and
say ‘Let my people go into the
wilderness!’ Strike the water with
your rod. The fish will die and
begin to smell. The Egyptians will
not be able to drink the water.”
This went on for seven days and
the magicians of Egypt could not
fix the smell.
The story continued in the
same manner. Every time Moses asked Pharaoh to allow the
Israelites to go, Pharaoh refused.
God made a new plague appear
as Moses spoke the word of the
Lord. The plagues brought frogs,
lice, swarms of flies, illness for
all the farm animals, boils, hail
storms, locusts and darkness.
Each time there was a plague,
the Lord protected the Israelites.
The Pharaoh’s magicians could
not stop them. God gave Moses
the power to stop the plagues
when Pharaoh and the Egyptians
begged him, but Pharaoh hardened his heart and refused to let
the people go.
Finally, Pharaoh was weary of
the troubles Moses was causing.
“Get out and do not come back.
The day you see my face again
will be the day you die!”
“You have spoken well. You will
see me no more,” Moses replied.
“I will make one more plague
against Egypt and he will let you
go,” God told Moses. “I will go
out about midnight and all the
firstborn of Egypt will die, from
the firstborn children of Pharaoh
down to the firstborn animals.”
Moses went one more time to
Pharaoh. One more time Pharaoh’s heart was
hardened and he
said,“No!”
the desert. God protected them
and led them out of Egypt, just as
He had promised.
Every year the Israelites remembered this miraculous deliverance from Egypt with a special
meal and the sacrifice of a lamb.
The Passover celebration was still
being held at the time that Jesus
was crucified. The Last Supper
of Jesus was a Passover meal.
During that meal he taught the
disciples that He was the Lamb of
God and the bread and wine were
to be eaten in remembrance of
Him. Passover is still celebrated
today, reminding Israel of how a
merciful God saved them from
death.”
To read the full story, go to
Exodus Chapter 5, 6:1-12, 7:3-25,
8-13. F
Moses explained to the Israelites how to obey
God. They took a
perfect lamb, killed
it and painted the
blood on each side
of the door. This
simple act of faith
protected them
from the plague. It
was called the Passover, because the
plague passed over
Israel. They trusted
in the word of God
and were saved.
The Pharaoh
was filled with
grief when he saw
his dead son. He
looked over his
land and he heard
the mourning of
his people.”Let the
Israelites go,” he
said quietly.
Joy swept
through the Israelite camp. They
finished gathering
their things. They
followed Moses into
Page 25
Beacon
PRSRT STD
US POSTAGE
PAID
Independence,
MO
Permit # 572
Sharing
the Light of Jesus Christ
c/o JCRB
1100 W. Truman Road
Independence, MO 64050
The Old, Old Path
by Vida E. Smith and M. Audentia Anderson
Photo courtesy of Alma Blair. The footpath
to the old brick church in Lamoni, Iowa,
was considered “The Old, Old Path”
by many Saints.
There’s an old, old path
Where the sun shines through
Life’s dark storm clouds
From its home of blue,
In this old, old path
Are my friends most dear,
And I walk with them,
With the angels near,
In this old, old path,
Made strangely sweet
By the touch divine
Of his blessed feet.
By the touch divine
Find the old, old path,
‘Twill be ever new,
For the Savior walks
All the way with you,
‘Tis an old, old path,
Shadowed vales between,
Yet I fearless walk,
With the Nazarene,
By the touch divine
By the touch divine

Volume 6 Number 4 (August) - Joint Conference of Restoration

Transcription

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