From the Desk of…

Order of Patriarchs – Quorum President Carl VunCannon, Jr

“Therefore nothing entereth into his rest (Kingdom), save it be those who have washed their garments in my blood, because of their faith, and the repentance of all their sins, and their faithfulness unto the end.” (III Nephi 12:32)

One of the duties of the Order of Patriarchs is to keep the Church spiritually alive and spiritually prepared to face the problems of our changing society as well as assisting the Saints in fulfilling the commandments of God. In the last fifteen years, the Lord has counseled the membership and leadership of the Church to prepare the Bride for the coming of the Bridegroom. There are indications that we are becoming unresponsive to the Lord’s will.

To make sure we are effectively responding to the will of the Father, there are some things to ponder:

Make sure our Church attendance is consistent at all Church services;

Make sure we attend “well prepared” for our Church school hours;

Consecrate all we have to God and file our tithing statements;

Learn to give of our substance (the 9/10ths of our increase);

Be more zealous in our missionary outreach;

Study to show ourselves approved. Many of the revelations given to the Remnant Church are addressed to the Church as a whole. There are many pieces within each revelation that specifically deal with the membership. We need to include the accomplishment of these things in the life of our families as well as the Church. If accomplished, the Church will grow to new spiritual heights. Focus on the accomplishment of the building of the Temple and the establishment of God’s Kingdom on earth-Zion;Pray that a hedge may be placed around our young people to protect them from the enticements of Babylon.The Lord’s desire is that, in response to His will, we can establish His Kingdom here on earth and inherit eternal in that Kingdom. “Now this is the commandment, Repent, all ye ends of the earth, and come unto me and be baptized in my name, that ye may be sanctified by the reception of the Holy Ghost, that ye may stand spotless before me at the last day. Verily, verily I say unto you, This is my gospel; and ye know the things that ye must do in my church; for the works which ye have seen me do, that shall ye also do; For that which ye have seen me do, even that shall ye do; therefore if ye do these things, blessed are ye, for ye shall be lifted up at the last day.” (III Nephi 12:33-35)

In “The Priesthood Journal”, January 1940, I found the following written by Patriarch Elbert A. Smith, the Presiding Patriarch of the Church. It could have been written today. It is being shared with you without any editing.

TO THE CHURCH: “It is not necessary for me to remind the church that we are living in a time of world confusion and distress. The times that Christ and the apostle portrayed as coming in the last days are here. The testimony is upon the front page of every morning newspaper. It courses through the air on the radio waves from many stations-tune in at the news hours on any of them and hear it.

“To meet conditions coming on the earth, it may be necessary at the right time to make physical preparations: to do a work of gathering and building. It is necessary immediately to do a work of spiritual preparation, wherever we are, in our homes and in our lives.

“Great opportunities are before us, and great responsibilities. There are dangers that must be reckoned with. There are tasks too great for us to accomplish of ourselves. But remember the song that we so often sing: ‘Though great the task that lies before us, we trust in one divinely strong.’ May we be worthy to receive His blessing.”

I am very much impressed by the urgency of the statement, “It is necessary immediately to make spiritual preparation.” It will be the only way we can fight the war with Satan as he continues to wage war to destroy our homes, our lives and our Church.

May the Lord continue to bless you as you seek to so order your lives to accomplish the will of our Heavenly Father.

Women’s Council – Sister Cindy Patience

Winter has come, but before we know it, spring will be here. At this time, the ladies on the Council are anxious to share some of the plans we have made for 2016, trusting that the resources and events which have been prayerfully prepared will be uplifting, informational, and enlightening to our Church women.

If you haven’t taken the opportunity to go to the Women’s Council website, we hope that you will do so soon. Just go to theremnantchurch.com and select “Leadership” on the drop-down bar, then choose “Women’s Council.” There you will find the Women’s Council Mission Statement, the biographies and testimonies of the women now serving on the council, previews of upcoming events (including the workshop planned for this February 20, 2016 and the Women’s Reception on April 7th at General Conference) as well as many other offerings.

Also, in April at General Conference, we are planning something delightfully special for the Women’s Reception on Thursday afternoon {time to be announced}, so make sure to come and check it out! We promise you won’t go away empty or empty handed!

The website has recently been updated and will offer valuable information to all women of the Church, including encouragement for the branch Women’s Leaders in the form of periodic educational materials and resources. The first educational resource to be offered will include helpful suggestions for starting your own branch visiting programs.

You may even choose to participate in our new “Prayer Warriors” program. The program is designed to encourage the women of the Church to enter their prayer closets, or “war rooms,” and do some mighty work for the Church through their daily prayers. We have prepared monthly themes to aid you in your prayer efforts that you will find listed on the website. The prayer themes chosen for the next six months will be as follows:

January-The Melchisedec Priesthood;

February-The Aaronic Priesthood;

March-General Conference;

April-Faith for the Establishment of Zion;

May-Reunions;

June-Youth Camps and Vacation Church School.

The themes for the following six months will be added to our site in June.

Ladies of the Center Place, don’t forget that you have an amazing opportunity to “work-out” for Zion in the company of your fellow Church sisters at the Monday evening Zumba Class held at 5:30 PM at the Gathering Place Conference Center. The ladies who attend thoroughly enjoy the fun exercise and the healthy benefits they gain from their efforts. Whether you feel that you can keep up or not, come and share and do what you are able. We promise, it’s not a competition!!The cost is minimal and the benefits are great. Please contact Marci Damon at marci.damon@theremnantchurch.com, or call her at 816-461-7215 for more information if you are interested.

Our annual winter workshop is scheduled for Saturday, February 20th from 9:00 AM-3:30 PM. The theme this year is, “Developing Godly Character.” We hope that you will mark this date on your calendars and join us as we learn more about our Lord, ourselves, and about one another. We will hear the wise thoughts of many of our dear sisters and enjoy fun, interactive fellowship. We hope to provide plenty of time for visiting and enjoying one another’s company. It may be cold outside, but there will be ample warm greetings inside.

We hope that you will always feel free to make suggestions as you visit our website and/or attend the events we have planned. Don’t forget that this is your Church and you all play an important part. What you, as women of God, have to offer to the cause of Zion is immeasurable. We love you, ladies.

The Women’s Council