Brother Glenn Roberts

As members of the church some of us are lucky to be called serve missions. Whether they be young men, young women or senior missionaries when set apart, Heavenly Father blesses them with several gifts which will enable them to bring their message to those that seek it. Firstly, the true Gospel of Jesus Christ and, secondly, the constant gift of the Holy Ghost to bear witness that the message they impart is true.

Missionaries teach that there is an important step to finding truth in the Gospel. This step is found in the Book Of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ.

3 Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts.
4 And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having
faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.
5 And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.

Moroni 10:3-5

Very simply ask your questions and you will be blessed with and answer according to your faith.

Since receiving a testimony, do we pray as we did that day? Or do we pray day in and day out just as a matter of routine?

In 1820 a young boy, 14 years of age, was asking questions himself. Joseph Smith had a question – which church was true? In his studies to find that answer he came across a scripture. That scripture was in the New Testament.

If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

James 1:5

A simple instruction from a loving Heavenly Father; to simply ask when you don’t have the answers. This young man and his prayer brought forth a great reward for all mankind.

Elder Joe J. Christensen, of the First Presidency of the Seventy, gave a talk in 1997 entitled “Ten Ideas to Increase Your Spirituality”. The second item in his talk was, ‘Do I really pray and not just say prayers?’

Ponder that question for a while and ask yourself if you do?

The question is simple, do we really communicate with our Heavenly Father?

As a young missionary an example I used was that prayer was very much like ringing up your mom and asking her how you bake a cake. After you asked the questions, you immediately get up and walk away – not receiving your answer.

Do we listen for the answer to questions we ask of Him?

Elder Christensen in his talk gave two scriptures as examples:

17 Therefore may God grant unto you, my brethren, that ye may begin to exercise your faith unto repentance, that ye begin to call upon his holy name, that he would have mercy upon you;
18 Yea, cry unto him for mercy; for he is mighty to save.
19 Yea, humble yourselves, and continue in prayer unto him.
20 Cry unto him when ye are in your fields, yea, over all your flocks.
21 Cry unto him in your houses, yea, over all your household, both morning, mid-day, and evening.
22 Yea, cry unto him against the power of your enemies.
23 Yea, cry unto him against the devil, who is an enemy to all righteousness.
24 Cry unto him over the crops of your fields, that ye may prosper in them.
25 Cry over the flocks of your fields, that they may increase.
26 But this is not all; ye must pour out your souls in your closets, and your secret places, and in your wilderness.
27 Yea, and when you do not cry unto the Lord, let your hearts be full, drawn out in prayer unto him continually for your welfare, and also for the welfare of those who are around you.

Alma 34:17-27

7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.

Matthew 6:7

Pray as you should, ask our Heavenly Father. Tell him your problems. Tell him everything that has gone well, give thanks and seek counsel. Pray properly.

I bear witness to you now that prayer works. That our Heavenly Father does listen and hear our prayers. We may not get a huge vision, we may not get a fanfare with the answers. The Lord will answer in ways we are susceptible too and spiritually able to receive. In my life there have been times where prayer has been my only course of help and I have seen my prayers answered. Jesus is the Christ, his church IS here now on earth and our Heavenly Father awaits for His children to talk to him. Amen.

Taken from a talk given by Gideon Batt (12) at General Priesthood Meeting

Faith is a hope, a belief that something can happen, without faith, we cannot build a stronger connection with Heavenly Father.

How – in what manner, by what means an action is completed.

Show- is how we reflect a particular thing, belief or faith.

We can show faith by trying to be like Jesus, like the primary hymn says, like being kind and loving, as well as by going to church, inviting friends to learn more about the gospel and reading and pondering the scriptures. We do it no matter where you are, as long as you have the right mind set and are focused on following Christ

In President Russell M. Nelson’s talk ‘Christ is Risen‘ we read “faith in him will move mountains” (he wasn’t talking about Snowdon, he was talking about our physical or emotional challenges) and he says that faith in Jesus Christ is “the foundation of all belief and the conduit of divine power”. He also quotes the apostle Paul, saying; ‘’without faith it is impossible to please god, for he that cometh to god must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.’’

Impossible can be quite a negative word, when used, it usually means that whatever you do, this action, task or question cannot be completed. And if it is impossible to please God without faith, then we must build faith. It may not be that easy, but can be practiced. We can go to church, no matter whether its online or in person. It can be practiced by reading the scriptures and taking time to ponder and asking of Heavenly Father to help us answer any uncertainties that we may experience.

By doing these things, we will show Heavenly Father, that we believe in him, and hope that He is real. This is exercising faith, and Heavenly Father has promised that he will reward our efforts.

I was really looking forward to going to the temple for the very first time this week. I am so disappointed that we couldn’t attend. But I am thankful for the Holy Ghost I felt during my interview to prepare to go. Feeling the Spirit helped strengthen my faith. And I am looking forward to the time I can go.

And I leave this, my testimony  with you, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen

Wherefore, I am in your midst, and I am the good shepherd, and the stone of Israel. He that buildeth upon this rock shall never fall

Doctrine and Covenants 51:44

Recently, Russell M. Nelson, the prophet and president of the Church, remarked that “adversity is a great teacher” and asked “What have you learned in the past two years that you always want to remember?

The pandemic certainly has been a very different experience to the ‘normal’ that so many seem keen to rush back to. As a parent, self-employed musician, personal trainer, classroom teacher, church leader, gym enthusiast and human being with the average dose of foibles it has been a haphazard ride that took an unexpected toll over the months. Both sleep and the sense of well-being diminished and there was a level of challenge not anticipated.

The children in the church love the song about the wise man and the foolish man, based on the teachings of the Saviour found in Matthew –

“Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.

Matthew 7:24-27

One of the things that I have learned during the pandemic and the particular difficulties that I found in coping with it, was the wonderful help that comes through faith in Christ. While all around and – to large degree – inside was in commotion, His teachings, His strength and His love remained a constant influence. I have learned that parts of the ‘house’ I had built in life so far were susceptible to ‘storm damage’ but that He, as the Master Builder, knows how to repair, renovate, replace where necessary, all the while secure upon His foundation. I am grateful for the love of God, His presence within my life and the security He offers.

To repeat the prophet’s invitation “What have you learned in the past two years that you always want to remember?’

B. Batt, May 2021

“We believe all that God has revealed, all that he does now reveal and that he will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the kingdom of God.”

Articles of Faith 9

The mission of the kingdom of God encompasses inviting all to come unto Christ, to receive the ordinances and covenants of the gospel, that they may have ‘peace in this world, and eternal life in the world to come’ (D&C 59:23)

Since the call of President Russell M. Nelson, revelation from God has established a series of organisational changes to bring a dedicated home-centred, church-supported focus. Organisational changes like these are not self-serving, neither are they change for change’s sake. These inspired alterations are given from God as “directions how [we] may act before [Him], that it may turn to [us] for our salvation.” (D&C 82:10)

Although many have pointed to the changes enacted in recent months by President Nelson which have prepared us for this time – and without mistake the hand of the Lord has been in the timing – I am reminded of The Family: A Proclamation To The World. This document, given in 1995 addressed globally the continuing decline of family relationships and spoke of the doctrines, principles and risks involved. It gave corrective guidance and forewarned strongly for such times as these. Personally, I feel it is no coincidence that the Proclamation sits centrally to the renewed focus of a home centred faith.

“Wherefore, gird up your loins and be prepared. Behold, the kingdom is yours, and the enemy shall not overcome.”

Doctrine and Covenants 38:9

So the Lord has prepared us, or at least invited us to be prepared, for this time. What is it we have been prepared to do?

Below are four things that the Prophet and Apostles have recently invited us to attend to.

1. Come Follow Me. The Lord has repeatedly invited us to study his word (D&C 11:22). The church has supported us in doing this by giving us the Come Follow Me study resources. As the saying goes ‘it does what it says on the tin’, or in other words as we follow Christ, we will be guided to him. In last year’s ward conference, one of the messages given from the pulpit was that Come Follow Me is about revelation.
2. Keep the Sabbath day holy. The word disciple is rooted in discipline. Setting one day a week aside for the Lord is a signal to Him of our discipleship, of our discipline. It witnesses that we are ‘willing to be called by His name’ and to be His ‘peculiar people’.
3. Minister. To anyone and everyone. The baptismal covenant to “mourn with those that mourn, comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things and in all places” doesn’t have any stipulation about whom we do these things with and certainly is very open on the how and when! Perhaps some of our ministering will guided by a church assignment, perhaps some of it is targeted to a friend, and perhaps for some of it we “cast our bread upon the waters” of the internet trusting to the Lord that “we will find it after many days” (Ecclesiastes 11:1). By doing so we #HearHim when he said ‘love one another, as I have loved you.’ (John 13:34)
4. Support the rising generation. With repeated scriptural warnings of growing tribulation and commotion in the world, it becomes us to help the next generation be prepared also. Our rising generation need to know that ‘in God we trust’ and they can too.

May each of us signify by our actions that we are true disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ. May we renovate our lives through our faith and trust in Him. May we access the power of His Atonement by our repentance each day. And may we dedicate and rededicate our lives to serving God and His children—on both sides of the veil.

Rusell M. Nelson, April 2019

I used to love hearing Gordon B Hinckley, 15th President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, speak. He always radiated quiet, determined optimism. In 2005 he gave a talk to the Priesthood called ‘If Ye Are Prepared’. He noted the pattern of calamities in the world at that time and remarked:

“What we have experienced in the past was all foretold, and the end is not yet. Just as there have been calamities in the past, we expect more in the future. What do we do?

Someone has said it was not raining when Noah built the ark. But he built it, and the rains came.”

Gordon B. Hinckley, ‘If Ye Are Prepared Ye Shall Not Fear’ October 2005

Much has been prophesied concerning the last days, and – for all that has happened – there is more to come. Perhaps we will return to meeting together soon, perhaps not. And when we do, perhaps there will be further occasions like these days when we cannot meet for a time.

 “I tell you these things because of your prayers; wherefore, treasure up wisdom in your bosoms, lest the wickedness of men reveal these things unto you by their wickedness, in a manner which shall speak in your ears with a voice louder than that which shall shake the earth; but if ye are prepared ye shall not fear.

And that ye might escape the power of the enemy, and be gathered unto me a righteous people, without spot and blameless.”

Doctrine and Covenants 38:30-31

We should take heart and ‘be of good courage’. The Lord has indeed prepared us for times such as these because He wants us to succeed. The truth of the Apostle Paul’s words are borne out by many a scriptural account. He poses this question with resounding, optimistic faith;

‘If God be for us, who can be against us?’ (Romans 8:31).

Romans 8:31

My love, prayers and concern for you all,

Bishop Batt

The Funeral of Brother Bill Lawson

Bro. Bill’s burial will take place on the 22nd May. At this current time, the maximum permitted gathering for his interment is six. As a ward, we will hold a memorial service at a later time when the Chapel is open again and it is safe to gather. We would like to provide a written memorial of messages for his family. If you would like to contribute to this collection, please email the Bishop at woodsettonbishoplds@gmail.com by the 8th May.

Woodsetton Ward Online Social Night

Following an excellent initiative by Bishop Fakatou in Solihull, we will be using zoom to host an online social on Thursday 31st April between 7.00-8.30pm. This will be an unstructured activity just allowing members to socialise with each other and share time together. The zoom link is available on request by contacting us.

BYU Women’s Conference

Live Streaming

Beginning at 10:00 a.m. MDT on May 1, 2020. 
The Live Streaming sessions and the Sister-to-Sister session (pre-recorded) will be available on this page, on the church website, or on Facebook. There is no cost and no registration for this event. Speakers are;

Sandra Rogers Gather All Safely In Christ

Kate Holbrook The Continuing Restoration and Gathering of Israel

Video-on-Demand Sessions

Available May 1, 2020
Beginning at noon MDT
These sessions will be pre-recorded and will be available to watch any time after Noon on Friday, May 1. There is no cost to watch and no registration for this event.

Jean B. Bingham and Sharon Eubank of the Relief Society General Presidency,
“Gathering Together in the Latter Days”
Maria Luisa Torres and David Torres, “Taking Time to Talk: Communication in Marriage”
Rosemary Thackeray, “The Lord Knows You and Is Aware of You”
Gaylamarie Rosenberg, “Gather to Be Perfected but Not Perfect”

Worldwide Devotional for Young Adults with Elder and Sister Gay

Sunday May 3rd 6.00pm MDT (Midnight GMT) available from the church.

You’ve probably heard the saying- knowledge is power. If you wish to be knowledgeable then educate yourself. Educating ourselves; and by this I mean learning in the widest sense, gives us a sense of achievement, a sense of awareness, a sense of power. It can open our minds and help us to be more sensitive to the needs of others because we know more about their situation, their condition, etc.

We are taught in the scriptures to learn or study out of the best books. Those books that can teach us spiritual truth – the scriptures, are vital to our spiritual development.

“You have not applied your hearts to understanding; therefore, ye have not been wise”

Mosiah 12:27

Abinadi, rebuking the priests uttered the words above, reminding us that we can be wise by understanding not only with our heads but with our hearts too.

How do we feel about something we have heard or learnt or studied. I remember attending a school open day where the head mistress said – “we educate the whole child”. This is a great goal. If we want to educate our whole self, we need to be educated – physically, intellectually, emotionally, linguistically, socially and spiritually. This way we can gain understanding, and once we gain understanding we will be hungry for more knowledge.

“Oh remember my son [or daughter] and learn wisdom in thy youth [and always], yea learn in thy youth [and adulthood ] to keep the commandments of God”.

Alma 37:35

By Sandra Pratt, President of the children’s Primary Organisation, Woodsetton Ward

The President and Prophet of the Church has extended the following invite to all people worldwide.

‘God “has all power, all wisdom, and all understanding; he comprehendeth all things, and he is a merciful Being, even unto salvation, to those who will repent and believe on his name” (Alma 26:35).So, during times of deep distress, as when illness reaches pandemic proportions, the most natural thing for us to do is to call upon our Heavenly Father and His Son—the Master Healer—to show forth Their marvelous power to bless the people of the earth.

I am calling for another worldwide fast. For all whose health may permit, let us fast, pray, and unite our faith once again. Let us prayerfully plead for relief from this global pandemic.I invite all, including those not of our faith, to fast and pray in two days on Good Friday, April 10, that the present pandemic may be controlled, caregivers protected, the economy strengthened, and life normalized.

How do we fast? Two meals, or a period of 24 hours, is customary. But you decide what would constitute a sacrifice for you, as you remember the supreme sacrifice the Savior made for you. Let us unite in pleading for healing throughout the world.’

Russell M. Nelson

‘Who Do You Think You Are?’ magazine has sponsored the annual Transcription Tuesday indexing event since 2017. This has always been a very successful event for FamilySearch with many tens of thousands of records indexed on our site, involving thousands of people new to indexing. During the event in February 2020, we had more than 20,000 records indexed in one day.

During the current coronavirus lockdown, we discussed with WDYTYA Magazine the possibility of another Transcription Tuesday event, as a fun and productive activity that everyone can enjoy at home.

WDYTYA Magazine and FamilySearch have agreed to promote another Transcription Tuesday this coming week on 14^th April 2020.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

As a Bishopric we think of you daily, especially at this unusual time.  You may be aware that President Nelson has asked the whole church to join in a worldwide fast to “pray for relief from the physical, emotional and economic effects of this global pandemic” and to plead for “physical, spiritual and other healing throughout the entire world.”

https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/president-nelson-fast-pray-relief-covid-19

Below are some other things that we hope you will find useful to know.

1) The ward has a presence online in two locations, http://www.woodsettonward.blog is freely accessible and has no need for an account to access.  It will be updated at least twice a week with news and uplifting content.  Woodsetton Ward on Facebook will have the same content, except that this platform is also able to show video.

2) We are trialing online discussion for the adults and youth tomorrow (Sunday 28th March).  These will both be provided via Zoom.  You can either connect by internet (requires a webcam and microphone) or just by phone audio. We would love you to attend if possible, the invites are at the end of this blog.  The adult session will be focused around ‘Come Follow Me’ for the week, and the youth session will be to share uplifting thoughts, insights and actions in response to the pandemic.

3) General Conference, next weekend, will be streamed live for all sessions. President Nelson has asked us to study and ponder Joseph Smith History in preparation for this conference season.

4) Please be reminded that our food storage is for use in times of necessity.  If you are able to shop, then please continue to do so as per government guidelines.  In this way, you will retain your store for a time when its use may be unavoidable. If you need help with physically collecting shopping, then contact your ministers, Elder’s Quorum President or Relief Society President.

With love,

Bishop

ADULT COME FOLLOW ME – 3pm

Woodsetton Bishop is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Come Follow Me, Woodsetton Ward

Join Zoom Meeting

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Meeting ID: 432 260 427

Password: 014471

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Meeting ID: 432 260 427

YOUTH – 7pm

Woodsetton Bishop is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Woodsetton Youth Together

Time: Mar 29, 2020 07:00 PM London

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us04web.zoom.us/j/230532713?pwd=TEt0UVlCcExWRXdidUo1bmg2b21QZz09

Meeting ID: 230 532 713

Password: 705150

Dial by your location

        +44 208 080 6591 United Kingdom

        +44 208 080 6592 United Kingdom

        +44 330 088 5830 United Kingdom

        +44 131 460 1196 United Kingdom

        +44 203 481 5240 United Kingdom

Meeting ID: 230 532 713

Find your local number: https://us04web.zoom.us/u/fd6KQT3fD5