Come Unto Him

Archive of messages sent while serving as a bishop in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

“Come unto me” is an invitation found throughout scripture. During His earthly ministry Christ invited the little children to come unto Him (Mark 10:14) and later beckoned all to come unto Him for rest and peace (Matt 11:28.) When the Savior visited the Nephites shortly after His resurrection, he invited all to come unto Him and touch His wounds (3 Nephi 11:14.)

This invitation isn’t merely an exercise to physically get closer to the Lord, but involves aligning our will with His, and therefore, the Father’s. We do this through Jesus Christ because He is, “the way, the truth and the life: no man cometh to the Father, but by [Him]” (John 14:6.)

So, how do we better come unto Christ?

In order for us to understand the Father’s will and to personally get closer to Christ, I believe we need to better communicate with Him. We do this by creating daily heavenly habits of praying and scripture study. We pray to talk to Him and we study to listen. In both prayer and study, we should also ponder so we can better recognize the promptings of the Holy Ghost while doing so.

If we can better communicate with our Father and the Savior through daily prayer and scripture study, we will better understand His will and be able to more effectively come unto Him. As we do so, we will have the promises found in Omni 1:26 which says:

“And now, my beloved brethren, I would that ye should come unto Christ, who is the Holy One of Israel, and partake of his salvation, and the power of his redemption. Yea, come unto him, and offer your whole souls as an offering unto him, and continue in fasting and praying, and endure to the end; and as the Lord liveth ye will be saved.”

I pray that we can each become closer to Christ by developing these heavenly habits of daily prayer and scripture study. I also pray that we can support and love one another as we strive to be more Christ like.

Thank you for all you do in your homes and in our ward to build His kingdom in our little corner of Payson.

 

Bishop Sullivan

God Knows You

Archive of messages sent while serving as a bishop in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Last week in our combined meeting we talked about two very important truths: 1) God knows you, and 2) God loves you. While these principles seem small and simple, they are of infinite and eternal importance. When we each, individually, can truly believe, feel, and trust in these principles, we can be carried through any trial or difficulty.

We spoke about the Jaredites, who before embarking on their trip across the great waters were promised great blessings in the Promised Land. They had that promise and faith in the Lord. Then they built their barges. Not luxury ships, but some kind dish that would be carried across the ocean by the current. While they didn’t have many luxuries and they didn’t expect them, the Lord did provide for their needs with the instructions to put an entrance at the top and the bottom of the boat and He also provided them with their wants, light through miraculous stones.

With those few things, a boat with two holes and lighted stones to remind them of God’s miracles, the Jaredites left everything else up to the Lord. Their ships “were many times buried in the depths of the sea, because of the mountain waves which broke upon them, and also the great and terrible tempests which were caused by the fierceness of the wind.” Or in short, their journey was difficult and uncomfortable. However, “the wind did never cease to blow towards the promised land[.]”

I invite each of you to look for the lighted stones as the Lord pushes you toward the promised land through trials. Continue to see the small miracles and signs of God’s love for you each day. Recognize that God truly knows you, yes YOU, and give thanks for those small things that lighten the load as we pass through our trials of life.

I testify that God knows you and loves you. His Son, Jesus Christ is our Savior and Redeemer.

Temple Attendance

Archive of messages sent while serving as a bishop in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

I loved attending our ward temple night in preparation for Ward Conference last week. There’s a special spirit when we are able to attend together and participate as a group. A special joy is felt when we all arrive in the Celestial Room at the same time.

Being in the temple this last week, my thoughts began to center on the blessings of temple attendance. I thought about my own wedding, the sealings I’ve attended, when I went through for the first time, and the different experiences I’ve had in the walls of that sacred building over the years.

Time and time again, my personal testimony has grown that the temple is not only a sacred place to make covenants with the Lord, but also a place for us to center our lives and set appropriate priorities. Answers to prayers and personal revelation are found in temple attendance.

President Hinckley taught, “Attend the temple. You will be blessed for so doing. Every man or woman who goes into the house of the Lord leaves there a better man or woman than he or she was when he or she entered the house of the Lord. The house of the Lord will have a refining effect upon you. It will cultivate unselfishness within your lives. It will build righteousness. It will impress upon you the importance of doing what you ought to do. Go to the house of the Lord."

I add my testimony to that of President Hinckley’s. Regular temple attendance will bring a greater announce of peace and happiness to your life. If you have recently attended, I invite you to go again. If you haven’t been in some time, I invite you to go soon.

By preparing to go to the temple and returning often, we will more fully accept Amaleki’s invitation to, “come unto Christ, who is the Holy One of Israel, and partake of his salvation, and the power of his redemption,” and together we will receive the promise found in that same verse, “and as the Lord liveth ye will be saved.” (Omni 1:26)

Priesthood Blessings - Back to School

 Archive of messages sent while serving as a bishop in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Brothers and Sisters, it’s finally that time of year; the month the kids go back to school! Like many families, our family has always had the tradition to administer Father’s Blessings just before the first day of school. As a child, I looked forward to this day and now as a Father I anticipate it even more. This serves as a special time of year for everyone in the family. Dad’s get to exercise the Priesthood in the home and kids get to receive a sacred blessing from their Heavenly Father.

Fathers have a sacred duty to preside and worthily bless their families with the priesthood they hold. Elder Oaks taught in his 1987 conference address, “Fathers and other elders, cherish and magnify the privilege of blessing your children and the other children of our Heavenly Father.” Not all homes look the same and not all families have a father available to give these blessings. This responsibility then falls on other family members and home teachers.

Because of the great importance of the restored priesthood, I call on every member of our ward to seek out a priesthood or father’s blessing this month before the traditional start of school. Wives, ask your husbands for a blessing. Families, ask your home teachers to bless your home. Grandparents, encourage your children, wherever they are, to use the priesthood in their home. The purpose of the priesthood is to bless our Heavenly Father’s children. Please accept this invitation to allow our Heavenly Father to bless you and your family as we all prepare for the school year ahead.

May the Lord’s blessings be abundant in your home as you seek Him through prayer and through priesthood blessings.

Sign of the Sabbath

Archive of messages sent while serving as a bishop in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

As I go through each week reading the news and watching the politics of the day, I can get pretty depressed. I anxiously await each Sunday to be uplifted. Every Sabbath day brings renewal to my mind and spirit. The sacrament, talks, lessons, and meetings add to the enjoyment of the Sabbath, but perhaps one of the biggest reasons Sunday offers refuge to me is the gathering of the saints, each one of you, as we interact in a gospel setting.

Last year, President Russel M. Nelson invited everyone to ponder the question “What sign do I want to give to God,” as it relates to our activities and attitudes on the Sabbath day (The Sabbath Is a Delight, April 2015). How we worship on the Sabbath is a personal decision we make between us and the Lord.

As a ward, I believe there are few things we could do to strengthen our worship on Sunday and help others as they strive to worship as well. Please consider the following invitations and how they could help you in your Sunday observance:

·       Arrive 5-10 minutes early for Sacrament services

·       Ponder the sacrament or gospel questions as you wait for the meeting to start

·       Sing the hymns aloud

·       Vocally say amen at the end of prayers and talks

We have a wonderful and welcoming ward. These invitations should not be interpreted as us lacking in any areas, but ways that we can be more fully engaged in our worship together each Sunday.

Thank you for all the work you do to build the kingdom in our small corner of Payson.

Bishop Sullivan

Christmas Message 2015

 Archive of messages sent while serving as a bishop in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Christmas Message 2015

When the angels announced Christ’s birth to the shepherds, they said, “For unto you is born this day… a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” Those angels weren’t speaking to mankind in general, they were speaking to you—you, the person reading this— directly. 

Unto you was born a Savior. He came to save you and make it possible that you “might have joy.” 

From the foundation of the world, we knew that our loving Heavenly Father’s plan required a Savior. Christ came into the world to be just that. On the day of His birth, we joined the “multitude of heavenly host[s] praising God.” We gloried God then and we will glory Him now as we remember that all our pains, sins, sorrows and shortcomings can be swallowed up in the atonement of Christ, the Lord. 

As a bishopric, we invite you to find joy in Christ and in His infinite atonement during this special Christmas season. 

May our Heavenly Father send you His choicest blessings in your home is our prayer. 

Merry Christmas

Mormons and Money

Increased exposure of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints due to the Romney campaign and the church’s own marketing has led to a continuing onslaught of curiosity and news stories. Many of the stories are good and most are well intentioned. However, even some of the good and well intentioned articles are filled with inaccuracies and stereotypes. Most recently, several “news” agencies have published articles relating to the church’s finances. Again, I think some of these journalists are well intentioned, while others have maliciously misrepresented the faith. There are just a few points I would like to make to help clarify the many lies and half-truths that are circulating concerning this matter.

 1.       The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints follows the law of tithing as set forth in the Old and New Testaments. This is the same law that Abraham and the Levites followed (Heb 7) and the same law for which Malachi condemned the Israelites (Mal 3:8). Mormons believe that this law has been restored and that as followers of Christ, we can freely choose to follow this commandment by paying one tenth of our income to the Lord (Doctrine and Covenants 119:3).

 2.     Tithing funds are used for the operations of the church. This means they are used to construct and maintain thousands of meeting houses around the world. The funds are also used to support education around the world through the perpetual education fund, seminary programs and the church run universities. Other areas tithing funds are used are the worldwide missionary program, the building and maintenance of temples, and of course worldwide humanitarian aid.

3.       The church additionally owns for profit businesses. Most of these businesses were started out of necessity when the Mormons were isolated in Utah. They started schools, hospitals and commercial stores to meet the needs of the saints who were gathered in the western desert. Many of the businesses, like the hospitals, were sold when it was expedient, while others have been kept to further the work. Enterprises like Deseret Book further communication needs of the church while at the same time subsidize humanitarian efforts. The land and ranches are all part of the vast welfare system the church runs while at the same time they help the church prepare for a rainy day, or better put, for the coming of the Lord.

4.    All of the money the church makes is put to humanitarian work. 100%. Articles by misinformed or malicious “journalists” would have you believe that only small percentages are given as aid. This is blatantly false. That’s like saying the Red Cross gave zero of its money to charity. The Red Cross does not give its money to charity, it is a charity. The church, being a charity itself, uses its money for operating cost of the church and its welfare program and still gives money to other denominations and charities. For example, much of the money is spent by helping people in local communities pay bills and rent or by letting them shop for free at the local bishop’s storehouse (a grocery store with no register). Because this money never leaves the church, those “investigating” the charitable donations don’t count this. 

5. Mormons believe “in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law” (12^th Article of Faith). There is no shady tax evasion going on in the church. The for-profit organizations are run openly as businesses and file all appropriate taxes and paperwork. The not-for-profit organizations follow all the laws that govern them. Those that wish to be upset at the way churches are taxed or not taxed must have that issue with all churches and it’s an issue they must resolve by talking to their legislator. One cannot single out The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for following tax law as it exists.

In conclusion, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints does great good with the sacred funds it receives through tithing. I have seen, first hand, how these generous offerings have blessed the lives of people in third world countries and people down the street. I have seen members of the church who have been helped and members of other faiths who have had their Christmas taken care of. Most of what is done is done quietly, with no want for recognition. Those that criticize and mischaracterize the Mormons for how they gain and use money have little knowledge of the mission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Members of the church who give, have full faith that those administering the funds do so wisely with an eye single to the glory of God. In the end, we know that all the ventures of the church are for the building of His kingdom and for His glory and to further His work. 

You can view the church's official response here.