Sunday

So..
Sunday. We got up and had breakfast without remembering at all that today is fast Sunday. (we have Stake conference next week). Rich had to go to work earlier today, so we had to take both cars. Jonathan went with rich the rest got into the van with me.
Got to church and as the kids get out of the car, I realize that Jacob is wearing: White shirt, tie, vest and 'sweat pants'..
A big sigh, tell the girls to find daddy and take Jacob home again. To find church pants.

So after coming home, it takes him a while to find pants. Because the child has stuffed all his dirty clothes in his room under the bed.. (yes, he is my son.. 'nuff said..)

We finally find a pair for him to put on, and get back to church just in time for closing prayer. So.. No sacrament meeting for us. Anyhow.

Sunday school was good but the combined R.S./priesthood is what felt like the reason I went to church today.. So here is a recap.

Alma 42

Mortality is a probationary time to enable man to repent and serve
God—The fall brought temporal and spiritual death upon all mankind—Redemption
comes through repentance—God himself atoneth for the sins of the world—Mercy is
for those who repent—All others are subject to God’s justice—Mercy cometh
because of the atonement—Only the truly penitent are saved. About 73 B.C.

1 And now, my son, I perceive
there is somewhat more which doth worry your mind, which ye cannot
understand—which is concerning the justice of God in the punishment of
the sinner; for ye do try to suppose that it is injustice that the sinner
should be consigned to a state of misery.

2 Now behold, my son, I will explain this thing unto
thee. For behold, after the Lord God sent our first parents forth from the
garden of Eden, to till the ground, from whence they were taken—yea, he drew out
the man, and he placed at the east end of the garden of Eden, cherubim, and a
flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the tree of life—

3 Now, we see that the man had become as God, knowing
good and evil; and lest he should put forth his hand, and take also of the tree
of life, and eat and live forever, the Lord God placed cherubim and the
flaming sword, that he should not partake of the fruit—

4 And thus we see, that there was a time
granted unto man to repent, yea, a probationary time, a time to repent
and serve God.

5 For behold, if Adam had put forth his hand
immediately, and partaken of the tree of life, he would have lived
forever, according to the word of God, having no space for repentance; yea, and
also the word of God would have been void, and the great plan of salvation would
have been frustrated.

6 But behold, it was
appointed unto man to die—therefore, as they were cut off from the tree of life
they should be cut off from the face of the earth—and man became lost
forever, yea, they became fallen man.

7 And now, ye see by this that our first parents were cut off both
temporally and spiritually from the presence of the Lord; and thus we see
they became subjects to follow after their own will.

8 Now behold, it was not expedient that man should be
reclaimed from this temporal death, for that would destroy the
great plan of happiness.

9 Therefore, as
the soul could never die, and the fall had brought upon all mankind a
spiritual death as well as a temporal, that is, they were cut off from the
presence of the Lord, it was expedient that mankind should be reclaimed from
this spiritual death.

10 Therefore,
as they had become carnal, sensual, and devilish, by
nature, this probationary state became a state for them to prepare; it
became a preparatory state.

11 And
now remember, my son, if it were not for the plan of redemption, (laying it
aside) as soon as they were dead their souls were miserable, being cut off from
the presence of the Lord.

12 And now, there
was no means to reclaim men from this fallen state, which man had brought
upon himself because of his own disobedience;

13 Therefore, according to justice,
the plan of redemption could not be brought about, only on conditions
of repentance of men in this probationary state, yea, this preparatory state; for except it were for these conditions, mercy could not take
effect except it should destroy the work of justice. Now the work of justice
could not be destroyed; if so, God would cease to
be God.

14 And thus we
see that all mankind were fallen, and they were in the grasp of
justice; yea, the justice of God, which consigned them forever to be cut off
from his presence.

15 And
now, the plan of mercy could not be brought about except an
atonement should be made; therefore God himself atoneth for
the sins of the world, to bring about the plan of mercy, to appease
the demands of justice, that God might be a perfect, just God, and
a merciful God also.

16 Now, repentance could not come unto men except there were a
punishment, which also was eternal as the life of the soul
should be, affixed opposite to the plan of happiness, which was
as eternal also as the life of the soul.

17 Now, how could a man repent except he should
sin? How could he sin if there was no law? How could there be a law save there
was a punishment?

18 Now, there
was a punishment affixed, and a just law given, which brought remorse
of conscience unto man.

19 Now,
if there was no law given—if a man murdered he should die—would he be
afraid he would die if he should murder?

20 And also, if there was no law given against sin men would not be afraid to
sin.

21 And if there was no law
given, if men sinned what could justice do, or mercy either, for they would have
no claim upon the creature?

22 But there is a law
given, and a punishment affixed, and
a repentance granted; which
repentance, mercy claimeth; otherwise, justice claimeth the
creature and executeth the law, and the law inflicteth the punishment; if not so, the works of justice would be
destroyed, and God would cease to be God.

23 But God ceaseth not to be
God, and mercy claimeth the penitent, and mercy
cometh because of the atonement; and the atonement bringeth to pass
the resurrection of the dead; and the resurrection of the
dead bringeth back men into the presence of God; and thus they
are restored into his presence, to be judged according to
their works, according to the law and justice.

24 For behold, justice
exerciseth all his demands, and also mercy claimeth all which is her
own; and thus, none but the truly penitent are
saved.

25 What,
do ye suppose that mercy can rob justice? I say unto you, Nay; not one
whit. If so, God would cease to be God.

26 And thus God bringeth about his great and eternal
purposes, which were prepared from the foundation of the world. And thus
cometh about the salvation and the redemption of men, and also their destruction
and misery.

27 Therefore, O my
son, whosoever will come may come and partake of the waters of life freely;
and whosoever will not come the same is not compelled to come; but in the last
day it shall be restored unto him according to his deeds.

28 If he has desired to do evil and has not
repented in his days, behold, evil shall be done unto him, according to the
restoration of God.

29 And now, my
son, I desire that ye should let these things trouble you no more,
and only let your sins trouble you, with that trouble
which shall bring you down unto repentance.

30 O my son, I desire that ye should deny
the justice of God no more. Do not endeavor to excuse yourself in the least
point because of your sins, by denying the justice of God; but do you let the
justice of God, and his mercy, and his long-suffering have full sway in your
heart; and let it bring you down to the dust in humility.

31 And now, O my son, ye are called of God
to preach the word unto this people. And now, my son, go thy way, declare
the word with truth and soberness, that thou mayest bring souls unto
repentance, that the great plan of mercy may have claim upon them. And may God
grant unto you even according to my words. Amen.

Basically the lesson was on repentance, on how we can not believe what some other churches teaches, that God will somehow 'understand' and forgive without us doing or changing anything.

No matter how well we think we are hiding our sins, or no matter how much the world teaches that they are no sins at all, it still comes down to what God has said.

And that a sin is a sin and will be our sin until e have repented from it. And that includes confessing to the bishop for some sins. And the reason we need to confess, is to rid us of pride. Not to feel bad, but to be humble and receive help and blessings from the priesthood.

I love the Gospel!!