Letter to the Class

image Children,  Hased is the Hebrew word for a contractual or covenant love between God and man. This sort of love is similar to the love between a husband and wife or a parent and child. When we were baptized we made a covenant with God. That covenant is where God is looking out for the weaker of the two parties (our covenant union) and He is willing to pay for all the mistakes in our relationship (sins and transgressions) if we repent. When we come to God with a covenant it supercieds a unconditional love because we are trying to become like the Savior. Jonah was such a prophet that despite his mistakes and how far he ran from the Lord of the Sabbath, he was gathered like a lost lamb by God, his shepherd, and many of those he met along the way were converted. The sailors and the city of Ninevah sought the Lord because the Prophet was that kind of a missionary. He understood the covenant love of the Savior. We know he had his issues but he knew the covenant mercy (the has

Image Surely the Lord will do nothing the save He reveals His secrets to His servants the prophets... Amos 3:7  Brothers and sisters,  The Lord God of Israel is not impulsive like a man. Throughout the old testament, we have seen warning after warning given. Each failed heading crescendoing to a disaster of people, cities, countries, and even the whole world (remember the flood?). Each time God sent His servant to warn and plead with the followers of the Savior to avoid sin and wickedness.  We have a sacred land so long as we keep it that way. It doesn't matter where we live in this world, the world is His and He wants His children to listen and obey. The Lord gave outward symbols, sacraments, tokens, and deeds to lead us to the Savior. The scriptures are full of the testimonies of the prophets warning us and yet people of their time failed to listen. Will we do the same? The message is eternal, a warning, a council, a promise from heeding, a curse from failure to heed

Image Joel warned of taking lightly the important and eternal things and placing an over-emphasis on things that are temporal and weak. All the prophets have seen this when they, the wicked, say "taking it as a thing of naught" (2 Nephi 28:16). The Apostle Ronald A. Raymond said in 2021... "What things do you ponder? What things matter to you? What are the things of your soul?" And we say likewise, what is important to you. What hills will you fight on? No swearing? No rated R movies? No dirty jokes or making fun of others for their weaknesses? Do you seek to attend church every week? Do you seek to read the scriptures daily? Will you stand for right when things go wrong? We encourage you to search yourself and decide that now so when temptation comes that you will quickly turn away as Joseph of Egypt when faced with the temptation of Potiphar's wife.  Assume not that God will not be there. He takes time for you. Take time to know Him. Take time to k

image Children,  The Prophet Hosea was asked to have a rough family life to show by example how we as a church and people tend to stray. He had a cheating wife who had friends and interests that took priority over the prophet and the gospel. Now we will not lie to you, sometimes we all are like Hosea's wife. We find something more interesting than the gospel, like sports, TV, family gatherings, racing, remote controlled cars. The list could go on forever. We must not let them become a possession that we will not give up or let us be pulled away from the iron rod (the gospel). Likewise, sin should not be a weed in our lives to do the same.  Ever seen a dog get distracted? We have. A perfectly take and mannered beast can loose control by the distractions that bother them or they absolutely love. When we let our more basic, carnal sensual, and devilish side get control, we do dumb things. Heavenly Father wants us to control ourselves. We want to control what we see, smell,

image The Lord continues to teach us in times of peace to prepare us for trials to come. Like an Olympian who works to prepare, the Lord tells us to prepare and if we do, we shall have no fear (D&C38:30). He also says He will show us the way to prepare. Alma 13:3 says we were prepared before we came to earth. Herein earth is the tempting, the molding into the people we will become.  When Daniel was a prophet he was among the children of Israel taken to Babylon. The King wanted people not to just bow but to worship him, the king. To worship him because he was a provider and he chose life and death for some was terrifying. The Israelites would not bow initially but faith changed to fear over time. The prophet warned them over and over, like President Nielsen, that times would get harder and harder. Eventually, the King went for the Prophet. He wanted to make an example to all of the church that the King was greater than any Israel God. Taking the Prophet and casting them