"Thy Kingdom Come"

"Many have asked, 'How is it that the Prophet Joseph Smith, age 14, could go into a grove, never having prayed before vocally, according to his own account, and in that first prayer receive such great and marvelous blessings?' Does that mean that he simply had far greater faith and worthiness than the rest of us?
"One response is that the visitations received by the Prophet Joseph Smith weren't just an answer to his own prayer, but to the prayers of literally millions, maybe even those beyond the veil, who had been seeking and reaching for generations for the restoration of the gospel and the reestablishment of the kingdom of God on the earth; fulfillment, in fact, of a phrase offered by billions, 'Thy kingdom come.' (Matthew 6:10.)
"That is an important insight. You and I pray not alone. We pray as part of a great modern movement and, in effect, we can be empowered in that very process. And if we care - or even care enough to try to care - to be instruments, unique privileges descend upon us, among them the authorities and gifts and blessings of the Holy Ghost and the crowning blessings of the priesthood." - Truman Madsen

Monday, February 11, 2013

Questions and Links for CHFT 33-34

This Thursday, February 14, ONLY THE MORNING CLASS will meet for institute. The evening class will not meet this Thursday, but will meet on Feb. 21. Both classes, on their respective dates, will discuss chapters 33-34 in Church History in the Fulness of Times. Here are a few study questions and links to related articles. Chapter 33: A Decade of Persecution, 1877-87 1. How was John Taylor prepared to lead the Church during a decade of persecution? BONUS: Read “Jubilee, Year of” and “Sabbatical Year” in the Bible Dictionary. Which aspects of the sabbatical year and the year of jubilee (7X7=49, 50 year celebration) were practiced during 1880? 2. When did Joseph Smith first receive the revelation on plural marriage? When did he teach this law to leading brethren? When was this revelation first read in general conference and published? 3. Who was George Reynolds and why did he go to prison in 1879? What did he do while incarcerated? 4. How did the Edmonds Act of 1882 change the face of Utah’s government and the lives of the Saints? What was the Edmonds-Tucker Act of 1887? 5. List areas where missionary work continued during the decade 1877-87 (as mentioned in this chapter). 6. Where did members of the Church go to avoid prosecution for polygamy? Chapter 34: An Era of Reconciliation (1888-98) 1. Why was Wilford Woodruff’s daily journal so important to the Church? 2. How many Utah citizens had been deprived of their right to vote by 1890? 3. How did President Woodruff know the time had come for the Saints to discontinue the practice of plural marriage? Who read the manifesto in general conference? 4. What had to happen before statehood could be granted to Utah? What was the Political Manifesto? 5. How long did it take to build the Salt Lake Temple? Give three promises prophesied during the Salt Lake Temple dedication. How many people attended dedicatory sessions? 6. How many new missions were opened by Wilford Woodruff? What other changes were made during his presidency? Related articles: “John Taylor: Defender of Truth” Ensign Jan. 2003; “Polygamy Then and Now” LDS Newsroom May 2008; “A Temple to Exalt” Ensign Aug. 1993; “Wilford Woodruff: Contending for the Faith” Ensign Jan. 2006 Videos on YouTube: “The Mountain of the Lord,” “Only a Stonecutter”
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