Sacrament Meeting Program

Presiding: Bishop Todd Christensen
Conducting: Brother Grady Stoner
Opening Hymn: #264 - Hark! All Ye Nations!
Invocation: Melanie Parker

Ward Business

Sacrament Hymn: #176 - 'Tis Sweet to Sing the Matchless Love
Administration of the Sacrament

Speaker: Ian Balmforth
Speaker: Hannah Salvin
Intermediate Hymn: #294 - Love at Home
Speaker: Creggan Wagstaff

Closing Hymn: #1010 - Amazing Grace
Benediction: Bob Ballif

The Lord is Hastening His Work

By Elder Quenten L. Cook
Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

Charles Dickens famously began his classic novel A Tale of Two Cities with the assertion that “it was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” In a sense, this is true in our day.

We live in a turbulent time when “the whole earth [is] in commotion.” President Russell M. Nelson’s admonition to be peacemakers, as followers of Jesus Christ, was emphasized beautifully this morning by Elder Gary E. Stevenson. This is an essential part of fostering unity, peace, and healing for “the worst of times.”

We also live in “the best of times,” which will be my emphasis. The Lord, in the preface to the Doctrine and Covenants, section 1, declared the fulness of the gospel would “be proclaimed … unto the ends of the world.” The Lord is truly hastening His work in our time. We should be profoundly grateful for the hastening, which has occurred and is occurring despite these challenging times. We live in a day when the Lord’s followers are privileged to hear His voice and respond with open hearts and minds. Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, who are committed to the Savior and His commandments, are finding purpose and profound personal peace.

At various times in the history of the Church, there has been a significant increase in those who have entered the covenant path. One such period occurred between 1837 and 1850. Some of the early Apostles in the Lord’s restored Church served missions in the United Kingdom. These missions resulted in thousands joining the Church, and by 1850 there were more members of the Church living in the United Kingdom than in the United States. At that time, the Lord directed these Saints to gather to Utah. A mass emigration occurred, some supported by loans provided through the Perpetual Emigrating Fund.

I love the account of the arrival to the Salt Lake Valley of a large number of converts from England and Wales in 1852. The group was met by the First Presidency at the mouth of Emigration Canyon, accompanied by Captain Pitt’s Band. The Deseret News described them as “a band of pilgrims [including] sisters and children, walking, sunburnt, and weather-beaten, but not forlorn; their hearts were light and buoyant, which was plainly manifest by their happy and joyful countenances.”

As they “passed the Temple Block, … thousands of men, women, and children, gathered, from various parts of the city, to unite in the glorious and joyful welcome.” President Brigham Young addressed them: “May the Lord God of Israel bless you. … We have prayed for you continually; thousands of prayers have been offered up for you, day by day, to Him who has commanded us to gather Israel, save the children of men by the preaching of the gospel, and prepare them for the coming of the Messiah.”

In the spirit of that joyful occasion, let me once again assure all new converts and those returning to the Lord’s Church: We love you; we need you; the Lord needs you. We may not welcome you with marching bands, but we pray the blessings of heaven will attend your efforts to progress along the covenant path that leads to God the Father and Jesus Christ in the celestial kingdom.

The Lord Is Hastening His Work

Elder Cook teaches that as the Lord hastens His work, Church members have a sacred duty to accept and welcome new and returning members. He offers counsel for these new or returning members.

Elder Quentin L. Cook