Katie S. delivered the lesson from Chapter 20 of the Lorenzo Snow Manual, The Kingdom of God Moves Forward.
“In the large corridor leading into the celestial room, I was walking several steps ahead of grand-pa when he stopped me and said: ‘Wait a moment, Allie, I want to tell you something. It was right here that the Lord Jesus Christ appeared to me at the time of the death of President Woodruff. He instructed me to go right ahead and reorganize the First Presidency of the Church at once and not wait as had been done after the death of the previous presidents, and that I was to succeed President Woodruff.’
“Then grand-pa came a step nearer and held out his left hand and said: ‘He stood right here, about three feet above the floor. It looked as though He stood on a plate of solid gold.’
“Grand-pa told me what a glorious personage the Savior is and described His hands, feet, countenance and beautiful white robes, all of which were of such a glory of whiteness and brightness that he could hardly gaze upon Him.
“Then [grand-pa] came another step nearer and put his right hand on my head and said: ‘Now, grand-daughter, I want you to remember that this is the testimony of your grand-father, that he told you with his own lips that he actually saw the Savior, here in the Temple, and talked with Him face to face.’” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Lorenzo Snow, Chapter 20: The Kingdom of God Moves Forward)
“The Standard of Truth
has been erected; no unhallowed hand can stop the work from
progressing; persecutions may rage, mobs may combine, armies may
assemble, calumny may defame, but the truth of God will go forth boldly,
nobly, and independent, till it has penetrated every continent, visited
every clime, swept every country, and sounded in every ear, till the
purposes of God shall be accomplished, and the Great Jehovah shall say
the work is done.” - Joseph Smith, History of the Church, 4:540.
- What do you do in the face of persecution or trials?
"So it has been and so it ever will be with us. Notwithstanding our difficulties may appear very great, yet there will be means provided for our escape if we ourselves perform the duties incumbent upon us as the children of God. But it may become necessary in the future—and this is the point I wish to make—for some of the Saints to act the part of Esther, the queen, and be willing to sacrifice anything and everything that is required at their hands for the purpose of working out the deliverance of the Latter-day Saints.
First we should know that we are the people of God. … It is our business to step forward as did Esther, and be willing to risk all for the salvation of the people. In undertaking her task, Esther said, “If I perish, I perish.” [See Esther 4:3–16.] … But the people of God will not perish. There will always be a ram caught in the thicket for their deliverance [see Genesis 22:13]. …" (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Lorenzo Snow, Chapter 20: The Kingdom of God Moves Forward)
" and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this? " (Esther 4:14)
- How can I build up the Kingdom of God?
"This is the Church of Jesus Christ. God will not allow His Church to
drift from its appointed course or fail to fulfill its divine destiny..... "I am reminded of a time in the Savior’s life when many abandoned Him.10 Jesus asked His twelve disciples:
“Will ye also go away?
“Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.”
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There
are times when we have to answer the same question. Will we also go
away? Or will we, like Peter, hold fast to the words of eternal life?
If
you seek truth, meaning, and a way to transform faith into action; if
you are looking for a place of belonging: Come, join with us!
If you have left the faith you once embraced: Come back again. Join with us!
If you are tempted to give up: Stay yet a little longer. There is room for you here.
I
plead with all who hear or read these words: Come, join with us. Come
heed the call of the gentle Christ. Take up your cross and follow Him.
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