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Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Lorenzo Snow, Ch. 20: The Kingdom of God Moves Forward

Sisters, will you imagine that the year is 1844, in late June, and you are living in Nauvoo. You have just arrived from Denmark after joining The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. You were disowned by your family, and you are so anxious to come to Zion and meet the Prophet Joseph Smith. Or, imagine you are Lorenzo Snow, and you are serving a mission in the Central States.  Then, you receive word that the Prophet Joseph and his brother Hyrum have been martyred. Can you imagine the feelings that existed among the saints after so much persecution, and then the martyrdom?

Remember, that at this time the succession of the Prophet of the Lord had not been clearly established. How has our little band of members been able to grow and flourish to 15,000,000 members today? Read Lorenzo Snow, Ch. 20: The Kingdom of God Moves Forward, and get a feel for those days in Nauvoo. How did our growth as a church fulfill prophecy? How did being tried in the "fire of affliction" affect the Church? Where did the Saints gather their strength from?

I look forward to our discussion Sunday of all the blessings we are heir to by being baptized in the glorious Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Karen Bateman

2 comments:

Stephanie said...

I love this lesson and can't wait to discuss it! I especially like the way President Snow describes our work, "…to grow in the knowledge of God, to keep the commandments of God, to be faithful and to continue to increase and to become more and more perfect as we advance in years."

Jeanne Grant said...

I love this quote - especially how it ends with "as we advance in years":) I am glad to see that it matters! Can't wait for KB's lesson -