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THE CHURCH OF
mrft<ss•^s International
Headquarters in(Vlonongahela,Pennsylvania
.•^s^e»
^-. ospel News
Blast From The PastPage 2
September CalendarPage 2
Gospel News Quiz'age 3
Word UpPage 3
Meet the BranchPage 4
Editorial ViewpointPageS
2015CampoutPages 6 and 7
Topic SeriesPages
5 Amazing FactsPage 9
Ladies'Uplift CircleNewsPage 9
Children's ComerPage 10
Blessing Bits-•>age12
Apostle Emeritus Isaac SmithBy the Quorum of Twelve Apostles
postle Isaac Donald Smith retired from the Quorum ofTwelve Apostles on April
16, 2015. Brother Isaac has been a great strength to the Quorum and he will
, be missed. Brother Isaac and his dear wife Sister Bonnie have truly given the
strength of their youth to the Church. They have been involved with the missionary
work of the Church for many years among the Apache Tribe at Whiteriver, Arizona. They
moved their family from Pennsylvania to Arizona in 1969 and worked with the Apache
people on a full-time basis for nearly 30 years. They have recently moved back to that
area and continue to support the ongoing efforts of the Church to take the Gospel to
Israel.
Brother Isaac has been a strong voice for the youth of the Church. As GMBA President
he instituted campouts in 1 967, which have been ongoing annually to the present time.
His vision for campouts was that they would be a good environment for the young
people to dedicate their lives to Christ. That vision has become a reality as many young
people, and older people as well, have been baptized into the Church at campouts.
As president of the Quorum of Seventy Evangelists he played an important role in re-
structuring the Mission Board to better facilitate evangelism at home and abroad.
He has traveled extensively throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, Guatemala,
England, Germany, Italy, Dominica, Colombia, Peru, and Kenya to evangelize the Gospel.
Brother Isaac was called into the Quorum of Twelve on October 12,1997 and served for
more than 17 years. During that time he was apostle liaison to various missionary com-
mittees for many years and president of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles from October
2006 to October 2010.
Although Brother Isaac has now stepped back from active service as an apostle he will
continue to serve the Church as an active elder. There is no doubt that he will continue
to be a staunch voice for the Restored Gospel and the Divine Commission of The Church
of Jesus Christ, to take the Gospel to the Seed of Joseph (the Native Americans of North
and South America).
September 2015 Volume 71 • No. 9
(Continued on page 4)
TheChurchOfJesusChrist.org
Sunday
30
6Pray for the kidsin the Church thatare starting school
13
Greet the kids Inyour branch today
20Call your favoritehymn In Churchtoday
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August 2016S M T W T F S
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October 2015SM TW T F
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Tuesday
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8Pray with yourkids before schooleach day
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29Send a card to
someone in
college
Wednesday
2
9
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Support your localMBA
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•
Thursday Friday
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4Thank God for allthat you havetoday
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Remember the MtLaurel Branch
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24
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18Call someone who
is not feeling welltoday
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Saturday
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12Hug your kids andtell them you lovethem
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Pray for yourBranch or Mission
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September 2015
"And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children"
(lsaiah54:13)
American Indian Moses
"Dear Grandpa," Mark began, "I'm writing this letter to you because of a dream I had a few days
ago." In the dream Mark had seen Jesus instructing his grandfather to write a book. Though
Grandpa, Brother Timothy D. Bucci, had already written two booklets - "Apostasy and Restora-
tion" (1952) and "Jew and the American Indian" (1 960) - it would be the letter written by then
15-year-old Brother Mark Kovacic that would spur him to write a book about the Choice Seer.
After much prayer and extensive labor, American Indian Moses - "a timely and profound mes-
age for readers of all faiths and a special message to the Jew and the American Indian" - was
published 40 years ago this month.
(January 1977, p3. Gospel News)
Brother Timothy Dom and Sister Mary Bucci, circa 1978 >
Purpose Statement• To fulfill the plan of God by bringing salvation through Christ to all people.
Mission Statement•The Church of Jesus Christ will teach the Gospel to all nations, baptlzing them in the name of the Father, and
of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; teaching them to observe all things commanded by Jesus Christ.
* To draw Israel to Christ through an effort focused on the Native Americans of North and South America.
Vision Statement• The full manifestations of God's Spirit and power among the Saints, resulting from living and worshipping in
unity and righteousness, stimulate continuous growth of theDomestic Church—even at a rate of doublingover a five year period—while strengthening the International Church.
THE CHURCH OF*
GOSPEL NEWS QUIZSearch through this issue for answers to these questions:
• What did Brother Isaac Smith institute in 1967? (Page 1)
What sincere, loving question does God ask us? (Page 3)
What promise did God make to Abraham? (Page 5)
• List five facts about the Book of James. (Page 9)
• Who was the first General Circle Vice President? (Page 9)
The Case For Christ: Holding The "Word Up" By Elder Doug obradovich
/s reading scripture difficult for you?Do the "thees"and "thous"make Christ's words seem Irrelevant,
even losing their potency in translation?Let's take a deeper dive into Jesus' message and see if we can make sense of it all.
If successful, let's agree to hold the "Word Up"!
M"What would ye that I should do for you?" (Mark 10:36)
y generation grew up reading the story of "Aladdin and the Magic Lamp," but in 1992, Disney provided the cartoon visual. Instantly, the genie
was granting three wishes on the big screen. Given such an opportunity, would I wish for wealth, love, contentment, or something I would
later consider frivolous? It doesn't really matter, since I never found a magic lamp. Or did I?
Maybe on July 27,1 976, while standing waist-deep in an Augusta, Kansas lake with Brother Anthony Brutz, I had my magic lamp. I wasn't necessarily
considering three specific choices, but I certainly was met with the same question Christ had addressed to James and John, the sons of Zebedee, "What
would ye that I should do for you?" In that moment of baptism, I answered, "Save my soul, Lord." Since then. He's continued to inquire.
He does the same for each of us throughout our lives. Are you searching for something specific? "What would ye that I should do for you?" Are you
unemployed? "What would ye that I should do for you?" Are you in a personal struggle? "What would ye that I should do for you?" Are you wrestling sick-
ness? "What would ye that I should do for you?"
What keeps us from asking,'Won't you meef my spec/fic need,/.ord.7" You may feel undeserving, too far from God, or simply be attempting to solve your
own problems. Jesus promised, "Ask, and it shall be given you" {Matthew 7:7). But you must ask! When I moved from Florida 22+ years ago, I ques-
tioned a friend, "Why didn't you ever come to church with me?" Joe's answer, a painful indictment, "You never asked." Is it really that simple? Yes, it's really
that simple.
Like so many of you. God has blessed me in many ways over the years: salvation, a loving wife, wonderful family, lifelong church companions, good
health, the means to support my family, and so much more. Everyone has wants and needs. Upon meeting these, God positions Himself to be
'<ed and praised. When found within this grateful spirit, we become His ambassadors of joy, drawing others to Jesus Christ. Years ago I accepted
rfc^-diving undeserved blessings and no longer wrestle with an "Oh wretched man that I am" mindset; and neither should you. Instead, listen for His sin-
cere, loving question, 'What wou/c/ye fhaf/i/iou/d do for you.7" Then ask Him specifically for what you need. Do you know what's best of all? He neverlimits us to just three wishes!
Do you have a favorite verse you'd like us to dissect? Please send it in to: "Word Up"
September 2015
Domestic Church — Mt. Laurel, NJ Branch
ecause of a number of brothers and sisters who were living in southern New Jersey, Brother Joseph Perri requested from theAtlantic Coast Region Mission Operating Committee to look into the possibility of opening a mission in the Mt. Laurel area.Brother Joe Perri was instrumental in getting the work in Mt. Laurel started. A room was secured at the Springville School, and
Wednesday evening meetings were held on a trial basis. With a good attendance, it was then decided to begin Sunday morning wor-ship services at the school beginning on October 31,2004.
Brother Jim Sgro had the following experience: Just before a region conference and like most Wednesday nights, I was headed to Church,which was currently being held at Springville School. As I approached the school, I heard the Lord speak to me that we would build HisChurch here. I responded to the Lord and said, "Yes Lord, I know we meet here in the school." The Lord spoke to me again and said, no, thatHe would build His Church here. It was dark outside and I did not understand what this meant until the following events unfolded. BrotherTony and Sister Lydia Micale had found the property across the street available and would propose that we purchase it at our Region Con-ference on Saturday. When the proposal came in on Saturday afternoon for Mt. Laurel to form as a branch, it also came with the request towrchase the property across the street from the school. I was unaware of this when the Lord spoke to me on that Wednesday night.
Another confirmation of God's blessing was that the process of deciding on a location, approval to purchase by the branch, as well as theapproval by the local conference and region to purchase the property all occurred within an unprecedented 90 days.
On June 28,2009, the Mt. Laurel branch was dedicated to the honor and glory of God. Our branch Ladies'Circle has held many yardsales along with a car wash. During the holiday season, we have given many food baskets to those in need.
We pray that our branch will be a beacon light to those in the community and surrounding area.
Apostle Emeritus Isaac Smith continued from Page 1
Brother Isaac shown in the front
row middle chair in this photo
with the apostles.
May God bless Brother Isaac and
Sister Bonnie as they begin this
new phase of their lives.
In the love of God,
The/ Qvuyruwv ofTwe^A/e/ Apc^Cte^
September 2015
THE CHURCH OF'
EDITOR-IN-CHIEFCarolynn O'Connor
ASSISTANT EDITORChuck Maddox, Jr.
CONSULTANTSAlex GentilePaul Llberto
Leonard A. LovalvoAnthony Scotaro
Cathy Gentile
OFFICE MANAGER/TYPESETTERErma Draskovich
CHURCH COPYRIGHT PUBLICATIONSCathy Gentile
DESIGN & LAYOUTKen Lombardo
ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANTKarenJo Pandone
QUORUM OF 70 EDITORTimothy Mott
GMBA EDITORDanielMora
daisymora17@)gmail.com586-850-0952
GENERAL CIRCLE EDITORConsuella Hopklns
REGION EDITORS
ATLANTIC COASTMichael Zaino
GREAT LAKESKlm Komjathy
MIDWESTRuth Gehty
gehlyOOI ©gannon.edu814-476-7519
PACIFICMtchetle Watson
PENN-MID ATLANTICChris Nicklow
SOUTHEASTDianne Maddox
SOUTHWESTAnthony Scolaro
THE GOSPEL NEWS (ISSN 0279-1056) is published monthly for$24.00 per year by The Church ofJesus Christ PRINTHOUSE, WorldOperations Center, HOWaltonTeaRoom Road, Greensburg, PA 15601 -9998, 724-837-7799. Periodicalpostage paid at Greensburg, PAand additional mailing offices.
POSTMASTER: SEND ADDRESSCHANGES TO: THE GOSPELNEWS BUSINESS OFFICE, WorldOperations Center, 110 WaltonTea Room Road, Greensburg, PA15601-9998.
The Stars of the CreationBy Elder Duane Lovalvo
"And God said. Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night;and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years: And let them be for lightsin the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so" (Genesis 1:14-15).
rom the time of the Creation, humans have looked up at the nighttime sky and marveled atthe stars that span the heavens. It is incredible to think that the stars and their constella-
tions seen today, in 201 5, have changed very little since Abraham walked upon the Land ofCanaan some 4,000 years ago. This celestial map has proved very useful to navigators through-out the ages of time. The Polynesians, Phoenicians, Ancient Greeks, and Romans all utilized thepositioning of the stars to aid them in navigating the seas. In fact, the U.S. Navy and Air Forcecontinued to instruct their aviators in the use of celestial navigation until 1997! It is only through
the introduction and widespread use of satellites and the Global Positioning System (GPS) that
we have developed an easier means of determining our position on the surface of the earth.What follows are a few scriptural examples of God's wonders in the night sky.
"Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said untohim. So shall thy seed be" (Genesis 15:5).
This was the promise that God made to Abraham, that his descendants would be too numer-
ous to count. God's use of the stars in this particular prophecy may have resonated in the mindof Abraham more than we might think. Abraham hailed from UroftheChaldees,oneofthefirst great cities built in Mesopotamia after the flood waters receded. Scholars believe that the
people of Ur worshipped the Moon. In fact, the science of astronomy was born in Mesopotamia.The Jewish historian, Josephus, reported that Abraham taught his knowledge of the stars to the
Egyptians while sojourning there. How impactful it must have been to this former Mesopotamiansky watcher when the Lord compared Abraham's progeny to the millions of stars that stretched
like clouds across the Milky Way!
"Canst thou bind the sweet influences ofPleiades, or loose the bands of Orion? Canst thou bring
forth Mazzaroth in his season? or canst thou guide Arcturus with his sons?" (Job 38:31-32)
Clearly, Job knew the constellations that the Lord was referring to in this chastisement: the sevensisters of Pleiades, Orion the hunter, Mazzaroth—referring to the Zodiac, or the seasonal posi-tions of the stars, and Arcturus the guardian. These constellations have held great importancethrough the ages of time for their usefulness in navigation and for tracking the days and the
seasons. Job probably lived, like Abraham, in patriarchal times, more than 4,000 years ago. It isamazing that we can look southward on a cold winter night and observe the same bright stars ofOrion that Job and Abraham were so well acquainted with! Interestingly, the Egyptians becameso enamored with Orion (possibly due to the influence of Abraham) that they oriented the Pyra-mids of Giza to line up with the stars in Orion's belt!
'Wow when Jesus was born in Bethlehem ofJudaea in the days ofHerod the king, behold, therecame wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? forwe have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him" (Matthew 2:2).
The Polynesians followed the zenith star Arcturus in order to navigate the Pacific Ocean in theirdouble-hulled canoes from Tahiti to the Hawaiian Islands. Arcturus stood directly over the BigIsland on mid-Summer nights. Perhaps the Wise Men used this same method of navigation to
follow the bright star that appeared at the birth of Christ.
"When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, wentbefore them, till it came and stood over where the young child was" (Matthew 2:9).
What future signs and wonders does God have in store for man who dwells on the Earth?
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In three words or less/describeCampout:Powerful and heartwarming- Lexi D'Orazio
IBest one yet!
Sister Sarah Alessio
Serious, fun, rejuvenating
- Brother Nick Stowell
Unforgettable blessings,indescribable- Sister Hallee Ivey
Spiritual, joyful, prayerfu- Brother Alfonzo Hopkins
^^solutely very blessed- Brother Adrian Vasquez 3
Fun, spiritual, blessed- Paul Calabro
Rejuvenating, exciting,blessed - Olivia Siebert
Weight lifting - Logan Ali"The truth will set you free
1, revived, joyous | _.._, __,.._,,,_. ,.r./_,,
- Sister Carlee Monaghan
.;• .X
- Brother Stacey Light
Love - Sister Tori Liberto
Completely life changingBrother Chuck Maddox, Jr.
Unified - Brother KylieObradovich
"Without Christ you are goingthe wrong way - your life isn't
going to get you to where youwant to go without Christ."
Brother Jerry Valenti
.^t.•Jk<^
Do you have a favoriteCampqut moment to sharefrom this or any other camp?"My favorite memory is when I saw tears
welling up in the eyes of the 7-and8-year-old children as the Spirit of Godcame into our seminar class on Wednesday
morning."- Sister Tonia Monaghan
"My favorite memory at this Campoutwas when my class, the 16-19-year-olds,
combined with the 50-62 year olds."
- Sister Leica Wilson
"I have had the ability to be GMBA officerseveral times and be an eyewitness in
taking multiple people into the water. I amblessed to have been able to experiencethose things and interact with the youngpeople."- Broker Chuck Maddox, Sr.
"I was baptized at the 1976 Campoutand in 1977 I met Candice. I met both myfriends and my wife at campouts so thoseare my favorite memories."
- Brother Doug Obmdovich
"They are all special. Last Campout
(2014) was especially because two of our 'grandkids,Trevor King and Kayla Smith,were baptized as well as one of our young
people, Taryn Haugh."— Sister Sylvia King
"My favorite Campout moment was when
my oldest daughter, Linda, got baptized atthe 1997 Florida Campout"- Sister Edna Calabrese
"My favorite Campout moment was this
year, Tuesday night, when I asked for mybaptism." - Sister Lauren Smith
If you were talking to someone who has neverbeen to Campout, how would you describe it orexplain it to them why it7s worth the effort?"I would say that Campout is worth the effort because the blessingsyou receive are tremendous! The friendships you form are for foreverand become a large support group for the rest of your life. It's thebest thing to know that the people you meet are ones that you cancount on to pray for you in support of what God wants for you."- Sister Nia Haugh
"I would say they are missing out on one of the best parts of being amember of The Church of Jesus Christ. By coming to Campout youno longer have to question if God is a God of miracles, He'll performthem right in front of your face. At Campout you'll feel the blessingsof God like you can't anywhere else."- Brother Jacob Goode
Besides the opportunity to see the Brothers andSisters, what do you look forward to the mostabout Campout?"I look forward to just getting away from the stresses of everyday lifeand to just enjoy the blessings that Campout brings." - Sister Kim Morle
"Worshiping the Lord and praising Him in song with the saints. Also seeingmy daughter enjoy the children of the saints."- Brother Timothy Mott
"Feeling the unity of the Spirit." -Brother Lucas Martorana
"It is an opportunity to socialize and fellowship with friends fromaround the world, make new friends, and enjoy the Spirit of God."
Sister Jul ie Gibson
Fqvorite Campout moment:./ favorite moment of this Campout was witnessing the Spirit of
unity and repentance fall upon the congregation and the blessingsthat followed."- Brother Brad Everett
"I've never been to one before. It is spiritually uplifting and the singing isvery great!"- Sister Nancy Frammolino
Camp reported by the Branch #2 high school and college kids.,'~" ^ _ '' "'-'%;:;»
gglglgg^',,'-• ^^r •• ;' ^^®
golf carts to
transport the
members on camp
people baptized Wednesday night
Glorious week
Second time I'm Free has been
chosen as the camp theme song
souls asked for
salvation! 7 7acts in the Variety Show 9
miles walked that week
(as recorded on a FitBit)
age of the oldest
member at camp
kids attendingWiHsi,
free, thanks to the
scholarship'
people participated in thefirst GMBA5K
Souls rejuvenated!
My Generation Topic Series: Picture ItBy Brother Chuck Maddox, Jr.
love old television shows: The Brady Bunch, Petticoat Junction, and All in the Family, to name a few, but one of my all-time
favorites is The Golden Girls. Maybe I like it because it takes place in South Florida, or because I would love to spend my
days eating cheesecake and drinking coffee with three old friends. Sophia, one of my favorite characters, is a spunky Italian
woman from Sicily who tells it like it is. Before she starts into one of her stories about the Old Country, she says, "Picture it,"
and then leads into the story. I am going to borrow Sophia's expression as I set two scenes for you. (I may or may not be eat-
ing a piece ofcheesecake and drinking a cup of coffee.)
Picture it. 2015. You are 13 years old. You are driving through the narrow Pennsylvanian streets headed to GMBA Campout
at California University of Pennsylvania. There is a nervous feeling in the pit of your stomach; you haven't seen any of your
friends since November Conference, and you are anxious to catch up and reconnect. As you drive closer to camp, the unset-
tling feeling grows deeper, your heart picks up pace, and you wonder who you will see first. You think to yourself, "Will I know
their name? Will they know my name? Will I accidently step on their toes while trying to give them a hug?" Numerous thoughts
flood your mind, but all of a sudden, you drive onto the Cal U campus, see the first church person, and your fears subside. You
finally made it. You're at GMBA campout.
Picture it. 2015. You are 52 years old. You are driving through the narrow Pennsylvanian streets headed to GMBA Campout
at California University of Pennsylvania. You are thinking about the luggage in the trunk, praying you didn't leave anything at
home. As you think about the week ahead of you, several questions enter your mind: "What will the food be like this year? Who
will my seminar teacher be? Will I be able to get any rest this week on those lumpy dorm room beds? Will I remember everyone's
name as they greet me?" You start to wonder if going to camp is worth the effort it takes to get there, and then you remember
attending camps as a young person: the relationships you developed, the first time you felt the Holy Spirit, and the moments
that made you cry with laughter with people you have known since you were a teenager.
People come to campout for different reasons, and oftentimes, those reasons change with age. As we grow older, the natural
aspects of traveling to camp seem to overtake the spiritual aspects; nevertheless, we leave camp as a 52-year-old feeling the
same way we felt as a 13-year-old: rejuvenated, refreshed, and ready to overcome the world. I hope God gives each of you
the opportunity to experience the redeeming power of Jesus Christ so often felt at camp. Continue reading to the different
thoughts people shared on Facebook after attending camp:
"The first night after camp is always the hardest. I miss everyone so much and wish everyone safe travels home." —
Brother Tyler Hemmings
"I'm in shock that another GMBA campout has come and gone already! The best week of the year always flies by!
If only it was longer!" — Sister Alli Zwick
"Does it HAVE to end.7"—Brother Andrew DiNardo
"Last night at camp. Choirs were amazing. A Spanish-speaking group sang, 'Because He Lives.' Great time - sorry
to leave!" — Sister Karen Progar
"/ had such an unbelievable time at camp. God knew exactly what I needed. I feel so blessed for His guidance,
God-ind dences, and the people He has placed in my life before and during camp. Time to be a freedom fighter." —
Sister Kristina Calabrese
"Such a blessed time at GMBA with my good friends. Sad to leave but can't wait for next year." — Sister Lisa Alessio
"A blessed week with so many of my dearest friends." — Sister Liz Zaccagnini
"Don't want to leave!" — Sister Tori Liberto
"So much love and happiness this week. Beyond blessed with these friendships and memories. I love you guys so
much. God is good." — Sister Leica Wilson
September 2015
12345
The Book of James and Prayer By Brother Kerry Carlin?yfyySytj"Never did any passage of scripture come with more power to the heart of man than this did at this time to
'mine" Amidst a "war od words and tumult of opinions" as to which church he should join, Joseph Smith at
fourteen years of age gained remarkable clarity one spring day as to Whom he should seek for direction. "If
any of you lack wisdom," he read in the Book of James 1:5, "let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally,
and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him." With that, we know, Joseph did indeed ask of God His will,
whreupon the Lord did reveal His plan to Joseph as to the Restoration of His Gospel. Following are five
more amazing facts regarding the Book of James and its teachings on prayer:
Faith - "But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with
the wind and tossed" (James 1:6).
Selflessness - "Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts" (James 4:3).
Obedience - "Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church.. ." (James 5:14).
Confession - "Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed" (James 5:16).
Righteousness - "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much" (James 5:16).
'elebrating the 95th Anniversary ofthe Ladies' Uplift Circle has been a
.fantastic trip through the history of
the Circle for me and although our yearof celebration is soon drawing to a close, Istill find myself awestruck by this organi-
zation that I love.
The Ladies7 Uplift CircleBy Sister Lisa Champine, General Circle President
about a wonderful work for His divine
purposes. And while we do not seek gloryor recognition, it is humbling when ourefforts are recognized by our God.
a voice saying, "The Ladies' Uplift Circle islike the first fruits oftheyear."
Often our articles and reports containinformation on what activities the Circle
has participated in on a Local, Area, orGeneral level. I feel a blessing wheneverI read about the efforts our sisters make
to uplift, nurture, or in some way helptheir branches and missions. I am often
amazed by how their efforts translatefinancially in aiding the missionary effortsof The Church of Jesus Christ. I know thatby small means the Circle has been able
to affect the lives of those near them andthose that are far away.
None of what we do as The Ladies' Uplift/~ircle would be possible without the
essing of God. The Circle history is fullof accounts where that blessing has made
a way where there was no way, or hasmultiplied our meager efforts to bring
It is with that thought in mind that wewould like to share a few experiences had
about the Circle over the years. Some arefrom our earliest days and some are veryrecent. Whether old or new, the threadthat is woven through them all is the
same: When we work for the Lord, doingwhat we are able to do and working in away that is pleasing to Him, He will bless
us.
June 1924 - Sister Minnie Kennedy, thefirst General Circle Vice President, had adream that the brethren were assembled
as they do in Conference, and she lookedthrough a doorway where she saw the sis-
ters, members of the Circle, all busy weav-ing a large thing like a net, using threadsof gold and precious metals.
May 1935 - Brother Philip Mileco attendedone of the Ladies' Uplift Circle meetings
and had an experience in which he heard
May 25,1964 - Sister Pasqualina Tatti hadthe following experience while her localCircle was studying I Nephi 19: "I saw a
vision that our Lord Jesus Christ was among
us. A crown was against the wa// and anangel stood near the crown and the Lord
Jesus Christ spoke to me saying, 'You peopleare my crown.' The faces of my sisters in theLadies' Uplift Circle were all transformed. Ialong with all the sisters received a wonder-ful blessing." (It should be noted that Sister
Tatti was deaf, but never failed to attendCircle meetings.)
January 2005- Brother John Griffith had
the following experience: "As ApostleLiaison to the General Ladies' Uplift Circle, I
inquired of the Lord as to what I would say
to them if called upon to do so. A heavenlyvoice spoke to my mind in these words: 'Tell
them they are builders.' Not quite under-standing the meaning of what I was given, Iagain questioned the Lord as to the mean-ing. My mind was flooded with words of
inspiration. I wrote them as follows:
(Continued on Page 11
September 2015
When You Feel Alone And Afraid
remember many times during school dayswhen I was happy or excited to be there.But there were also times in school or life
when I felt afraid. There were times when I
wished I were safe back at home, far awayfrom that place. Maybe I was very worried
about something or even about someonewho was mean to others or me. I remember
when a teacher was hard to learn from, orwhen my friends or I were going througha hard time and couldn't understand some
new idea. There were times I wanted to bethe best at something but I was not. I had to
look to see what I was good at. It took timeand effort to keep trying to learn how to do
ie things. Sometimes it worked; other.. .,es it didn't.
As a new school year starts for many of usI want to remind you of the many peoplein the scriptures, both young and old, whoalso had to face new things. Some things
were scary or dangerous. Young Davidstayed alone with his sheep outside, in thedark. His family counted on him to protecttheir sheep from any wild animals. Whatdid he do when a bear attacked? First, he'dworked during the days learning how to
use a slingshot and a rock as a weapon.How many times do you think he had to
practice over and over to swing thoseleather straps with a rock in it? How manythousands of times did he miss his target,
but keep trying? He was not allowed torun home and cry,"/ can't do it! I am tooafraid of being alone in the dark!" How did
he get to be so brave and determined?
The Bible tells us he prayed and talkedto God when he was alone. He made uppraying songs called psalms, and songs
nking God. He played them on his harp.
, - wrote many of the psalms in the Bible,which tell us over and over how he talkedwith the Lord and called on his name. Wecan do this too.
If you are scared at school, you can talk toGod in the name of Jesus. No one has to
know that you are praying in your heartand mind while you are sitting there, or
walking along. You can beg God to showyou how to do something the right way.You can thank God when you figure some-
thing out or do good. You can ask Him tokeep you safe. He will.
The word SEPTEMBER has many letters,
which can be used to make other words.Here are 10. How many more can you thinkof?
SEESEERTEMPTSTEMPER
BET
BESTBEETSEEP
MEETSEEM
Color the picture of David.
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The Ladies'Uplift Circle Continued from Page 9Tell them they are builders;They build the lives of children to a spiritual awarenessThey build families to unity of love and trustThey build confidence in their spouse to do the work of the Lord
They build generations through example
They assist in the building of a Kingdom not of this world
April 18,2015 -While Brother Paul Liberto was praying for the Ladies'Uplift Circle at the April Conference he said in his prayer,"Lord, know you are pleased with the efforts of the Circle..." A brother heard a voice say, "Yea, I am WELL pleased."
From 1920 to 201 5 and beyond, whatever we do as The Ladies' Uplift Circle must be qualified by this question: Are our effortspleasing to the Lord? If the answer from our Lord continues to be "Yea, I am well pleased," we will be blessed beyond measure.
September 2015
Found Among So ManyWe were at a 5K race that my dad was run-
ning in. I had my brother's camera and I leftit on a bench. We went to watch the raceand I realized I didn't have the camera. Wenotified someone in charge and they toldus we could have it announced but it would
be difficult as there were more than 16,000
people at the race. My mom kept prayingand called my Grandma to pray that thecamera would be found or someone would
turn it in. After the race the man we spoketo found us and told us to go to the stage.Someone had turned the camera in! Wethanked God that out of the 16,000 peoplein that crowd He heard our prayer and soft-ened someone's heart to turn it in.—Madison
Goode, 11 years old, Metuchen, NJ Branch
JTO And They Did All Eat andWere FilledApproximately 20 years ago, I was withBrothers Doug Obradovich and Jerry DiFedevisiting the Brighton Indian Reservation in
•ida. That day we brought 40 loaves ofDread to the reservation to pass out to the
Native Americans. We spent the day goingfrom house to house handing out loaves of
bread. We were happy to see that those whoreceived were grateful. After passing out thebread for several hours I turned to ask BrotherJerry, who was in the back seat of the car,
Send us your Blessing Bits [in approximately
how much bread was left to hand out. He
said there was plenty left, so we continuedgoing from house to house handing out thebread. After a good while I asked him againhow much was left. Again He said there wasplenty left. It was beginning to get late soI told him to take what was remaining andgive it all to the few homes that were left.Suddenly we began to realize as we counted
the places we gave the bread to that we hadgiven out more than 40 loaves. The feel-
ing was overwhelming that the Lord had
multiplied the bread, just as He did in the
scripture among His disciples. This was oneof several experiences that happened whileworking with the Native Americans. Praiseand thanks be to God almighty.—BrotherGene Perri, Lake Worth, FL Branch
God's in the DetailsMy husband. Brother Justin, and I wereblessed to find our first home recently.In all of the excitement and preparations
(scheduling our move date, forwardingour mail, picking out our washer and dry-
er, etc.), we never once considered what
we were going to pack all of the things
from our apartment in to get them to ourhouse! One day shortly after we wrote thecontract for our house, a coworker of mine
said a friend of hers announced in theirchurch that they had lots of leftover boxes
from their recent move. She immediately
150 words] and answer the Question of the Month
told me and put me in contact with thewoman, whose name is Karma. We stopped
at Karma's new house (only a few minutes
from our new home) and snagged tons ofboxes and packing materials. I'm so thankfulthat while we were focused on all of our otherto-dos, the Lord put someone in our path to
help us with something we had overlooked.He truly remembers the little things - evendown to moving boxes!—Sister Natalie Shawer-
Cindnnati-Morrow, Ohio Mission
by contacting us at [email protected]
Question for this month: Share an experience or example from your school years where you knew Godhelped you succeed.
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Answer from last month: Share an experience you have had concerning forgiveness. I am ever so gratefulto the Lord for giving me the opportunity to be reinstated into the Gospel after 18 years. His forgiveness to me was shown
the day of my reinstatement as I partook of the Lord's holy communion. When the elder brother came to me, I instead saw
a holy personage giving me the bread and the wine; such blessing was received as it entered my body. God's forgiveness
is the best and utmost blessing anyone can receive.—Sister JosieJasmin, Lake Worth, FL Branch.
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Let the heaven and earth praise him, the seas, and every thing that moveth therein. Psalm 69:34
