SACRAMENT MEETING NOTES - 30 OCTOBER 2016

                              BISHOP JORDAN MERRILL


Our greeters Sunday afternoon were Marlene and Dave Larsen.

Conducting: Earl Blake Snow. 

Announcements: stake conference in our building next weekend, November 5 and sixth.
         Stake priesthood leadership 4:00 PM on Saturday the            fifth. 
        Adult session, 7:00 PM Saturday evening November 5.          (SET YOUR CLOCKS BACK ONE HOUR before going           to bed Saturday evening!)
        Youth leadership meeting 8:00 AM Sunday morning, November 6. 
       General meeting 10:00 AM Sunday morning. 

Relief Temple Day - Thursday, Nov 3rd, 10:40 a.m.

Fast  Sunday will be November 13. 

Book of Mormon reading for Nov 13th: 3 Nephi Chapters 22-26

The names of several new families were read in and welcomed. 

          Invocation: Lindsay McLaughlin

Sustained:   Dori Wilkerson

as Relief Society Compassionate Service leader. 

The program this afternoon was by the Bloomington third Ward primary entitled "I know the scriptures are true."  

Steve Adam

was at the piano and Allie Croft, 

a very enthusiastic music director. 

Their rendition of the hymn "praise to the man" was especially wonderful! 

This is probably the best primary program I have ever seen.  We could understand every word of all the songs and most of the talks. You primary teachers and the presidency deserve a huge  thank you. 

I regret that I don't have pictures of the entire primary to pass on to you.

                        Benediction: Sean McLaughlin

Sacrament meeting notes - October 23, 2016

                           BISHOP JORDAN MERRILL


Our greeters this afternoon were Marlene and Dave Larson. 

Conducting: Earl Bleak Snow. 

Announcements: trunk or treat this Tuesday, October 25 in the pavilion behind the church 6 o'clock

Primary program will be next Sunday, October 30 

Stake Temple day Saturday, November 5  

Stake priesthood leadership meeting will be held Saturday the fifth at 4 o'clock here at the Southgate stake center (the Manzanita building) 

               The adult session of stake conference will be held Saturday, November 5 at 7:00 PM (the Manzanita building) 

               Youth and their leaders will meet at 8:00 AM on Sunday, Nov 6th (the Manzanita building) 

               General stake conference will be held Sunday, November 6 at 10:00 A.M. (the Manzanita building) 

 Fast Sunday, November 13 

Friends of Scouting is going on right now. You can donate online or contact a member of the bishopric or Brent Heaton. 

Book of Mormon study for next week third Nephi chapters 16, 20, and 21.

Invocation: Delaine Anderson. 

Sustained: Ken Pearson as assistant ward clerk. 

Our speakers today were Trudy and Gary Larkins. Trudy

gave a brief history about her & Gary.  Among other things Gary served as a mission president of the southeast Malaysia mission from 2003 to 2006. This included five different countries. They were on a plane a lot and were told later their airtime equaled flying around the world 11 times. Then they served in the temple presidency in the Los Angeles temple from 2011 through 2014. 

Her topic was "it's never too early and never too late."  She told us that we cannot let our family do a makeover in the world's image & that in third Nephi the Savior blessed the children and prayed for them and presented them to the multitude saying "behold your little ones."  Children are strong choice spirits that were saved especially for this time. In Doc & Cov we are told to "stand in holy places and be not moved. Temples, churches and homes are holy places with the temples being the most holy places on earth.

As a temple matron she saw a lot of new brides and suggested that they need to pay more attention to the endowment which teaches us what we need to know to return to Heavenly Father. 

Gary's topic was "Covenants" which is The key difference between us and other Christian churches. In Doc & Cov 84:33-53 we are promised "everything the Father hath will be ours" if we keep our covenants. He encouraged those who are not endowed to meet with the bishop and prepare themselves to receive the endowment. The Atonement allows us to be clean again. 

He also told us that heavenly father is aware of each one of us and told us about a young girl, Ricasa who lived on the island of Borneo. Her mother died when she was 16 so she went to live with an Aunt whose husband tried to molest her. She ran away with nowhere to go and no one to care for her and found a man who ran a frui tstand. She begged him for a job which he gave her and then she begged him to let her sleep in the tiny room behind the stand which is what she did for a couple of years. Then her life changed. Two Young man in dark suits showed up and taught her the gospel. When she turned 21 she went on a mission to Singapore where Larkins were serving as mission presidents. President Larkins sent her out with a missionary companion from Utah; eight weeks later they had 16 people ready to be baptized.  When he asked the missionary from Utah what she had done she said she hadn't done anything; it was Recasa who spoke the language and had the Holy Ghost with her.  In that area they are now baptizing between 500 and 1000 converts a year. A senior couple came to that area from BYU Hawaii and made arrangements for Ricasa to attend, then she ended up in Salt Lake City at general conference and is now engaged to be married in the temple.. God knows everyone of us and wants us back!

Benediction:  Glenda Hacker 

SACRAMENT MEETING NOTES - SUNDAY 16 OCTOBER 2016

                           BISHOP JORDAN MERRILL

Our greeters today were Dave and Marlene Larsen.

Conducting: Earl Bleak Snow. 

Announcements: Book of Mormon reading for next week third Nephi chapters 17 through 19

Wednesday, October 19 the high priests will be having a barbecue at Christensen Park at 5:30; bring your own meat to be grilled.

Tuesday, October 25 is the Ward Halloween Trunk or Treat and chili cook-off.

Weekend of November 5 and sixth will be StakeConference. 

                Stake priesthood leadership meeting will be held Saturday the fifth at 4 o'clock here at the Southgate stake center (the Manzanita building) 

               The adult session of stake conference will be held Saturday, November 5 at 7:00 PM (the Manzanita building) 

               Youth and their leaders will meet at 8:00 AM on Sunday, Nov 6th (the Manzanita building) 

               General stake conference will be held Sunday, November 6 at 10:00 A.M. (the Manzanita building) 

Scouts are now having their "Friends of Scouting" Drive. If you do not receive a form to donate contact a member of the bishopric. 

Fast Sunday for November will be the 13th.

Invocation: Jake Green. 

Ward business: Nate Davis

was advanced to the office of a Teacher. 

Our youth speaker this afternoon was Tyler Slack.

His topic was on the word of wisdom. He told us that two of the blessings of living the word of wisdom are good health and increased stamina and strength. He also shared a story with us of a John K Larson back in World War II who was with the Coast Guard. The Ship he was on had to be evacuated and later when he was rescued with a heavy radio on his back he had to pull himself up on a rope and had run out of strength but he prayed to God and told him he'd always kept the word of wisdom and asked  for those blessings and was suddenly filled with s burst of energy and he proceeded to pull himself up to be rescued. 

Tyler told us that his dad was his hero because he kept all the commandments. 

Our high councilman speaker was Dean Christensen 

of Bloomington seventh ward. His topic was "if ye love me keep my Commandments."  We have to desire to be obedient and then go to the temple and become sanctified so that we can dwell with our Father in heaven in the celestial kingdom. He defined sanctification as "the act of becoming holy."  He also told us that after receiving the blessings of the temple a new level of revelation is given to us as endowed members.

Speaking specifically to Noah Sato who will soon be leaving on his mission he quoted from Doc & Cov 109  "my servants may go forth armed with power": that power being the endowment  in the temple. 

Benediction:  Annie Green

SACRAMENT MEETING NOTES - SUNDAY 9 OCT. 2016

                          BISHOP JORDAN MERRILL

Our greeters today were Kathy Snow

and Dori Wilkerson.

Conducting: Earl Bleak Snow.

Announcements: Stake conference will be Sunday, November 6. 

Invocation: Mabel Lopez. 

Ward business: Released: Susie Hedrick

 as a relief society teacher. 








Sustained: Noah Sato

was called as the assistant ward missionary leader

Baby Hazel Pearl Webb was blessed by her father, Randy. 

Testimonies: 

Earl Blake Snow. 

Jeff Mullins. 

                    Jenna Mullins. 

                                                Cassi Warby.

                    Kathy Snow. 

Roberta Smith. 

                     Jill Webb. 

                                                    Elling Wright. 

Jamelle Mullins. 

                                                    Gordon Harry. 

Wayne Warby. 

Nels Davidson. 

Aaron Carey, former Ward member. 

                              Benediction Kathy Snow 

Book of Mormon reading for next week third Nephi chapter 12 through 15. "Old things are done away, and all things have become new. "

The High priests will have a barbecue at Christensen's Park, Wednesday, October 19 at 5:30. Bring your own meat to grill and sign up to bring a salad or a dessert