OCR Text |
Show Saturday, April Analysis of conference reveals 5 primary themes By ALF PRATTE rectly to Jesus Christ. Special to The Daily Herald Christ-relate- Although none of the speakers was assigned a topic, at least five primary themes emerged from the recent general conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter--" day Saints. The five broad themes, according to an analysis of the 31 talks given at five sessions, which included the priesthood meeting and solemn assembly sustaining President Gordon B. Hinckley as the 14th president of the LDS church were: The mission of Jesus Christ (9) The prophets, priesthood and caring for the Savior's flock (7) Personal attributes and characteristics important to those seeking to better follow the life of Jesus Christ (6) Marriage, home and family (5) tual safety. Covenants (4) "We have participated in a miracle," Hinckley said in his con- sus' charge to teach all nations cluding remarks. Hinckley said the messages from the 29 men and two women speaking at the conference "fit together into a pattern that is beautiful and wonderful." Nearly 30 percent of that pattern, according to the content analysis conducted by return missionaries in an advanced Book of Mormon class at BYU, related di GOD: (Continued from Page A4) cents. Take away his faith and Ben, an at a school in central Pennsylvania, says he does not know if he would have been able to live with the deaths two weeks apart of his grandfather and grandmother. With God on his side, Ben says, he knows he is destined one day to join his grandparents in heaven. And with that knowledge, he can ward off the pressures of adolescence he can walk away after a his friends sneak off to while game go smoking, for example. - "I pray to him and try to talk to him a lot just to keep myself out of danger. If he came back at that time, I'd go into heaven," said the youth. slightly built, ' 'It kind of makes me feel if I don't reach any goal in my life at least I eighth-grad- er soft-spok- was emphasized by the newest member of the Council of the Twelve, Henry B. Eyring. Other Christ-lik- e qualities examined were keeping the faith, maintaining courage, understanding the divine attributes of mercy and forgiveness and having a little more determination. John Ellis of Clayton, Calif., said another prominent theme in five of the talks was marriage, home and family. This general area included discussions on role models from family history, the eternal nature of families, the wife of the prophet as a role model, the appreciation of one's family and the positive results of nourishing families spiritually at the dinner table. The other major focus was covenants or promises, bonds and oaths, according to Joel D. Babbitt ofSpringville. These included discussions on "children of the covenant," keep- d The nine talks, according to Nelly Thorley of Galveston, Texas, reported on the Book of Mormon as a witness of Christ, Christ's atonement, the Lord's "living water',' as needed to quench spiritual ;thirst, the Lord's plan of happiness, submission to Christ's wUl to assure his approval, devotion to the divinity within each person, denial of ungodliness and the need for understanding the the Godhead. In addition to the major Christ themes, Matthew Tonioli of Tooele said at least seven (22.5 percent) of the speakers called attention to priesthood responsibilities and the importance of prophets and the priesthood. These talks included the foreordination of prophets, the unbroken line of prophets and apostles and the necessity of prophets to assure spiri- en have someone who still thinks I can doit." By the second grade, the God most children know is still a loving protector, one who stands beside them in nightmares and who takes care of relativ who have died in heaven. "When I have a bad dream, I pray to God in heaven. There are monsters in front of me. I pray to God. God comes down from heaven and he starts to sing and they melt down into dust," says Lance at Zion Lutheran School in Bridge- e port. Abigail, a classmate, vividly remembers God visiting her after her grandmother died. Another Biblical theme Je- ing covenants at home and holding on to and celebrating covenants. One of the covenants J. Ballard through authorized missionary work was issued by first counselor Thomas S. Monson. Hinckley's challenge to priesthood leaders was to strengthen individuals. The important character attributes seen in the life of the Savior comprised almost 20 percent of the conference talks, according to Ale-ci- a Stoker of Slidell, La., and David L. Taylor of Provo. One such attribute, humility, Washburn of the Seventy mentioned was the willingness to have children and to teach them the gospel. "Many problems of the world today are brought about when parents do not accept the responsibilities of this covenant. It is contradictory to this covenant to prevent the birth of children if parents are "I saw the angels playing harps and it was real nice. He was holding me up to heaven," she said. In their world, good is rewarded and evil punished. God is not the one who is responsible for parents dying, fighting with one another or hitting their children, but it is to God they take their prayers seeking comfort and assistance. But by the time kids reach ages 10 and 1 1 , the formal teachings of faith receive sterner tests in the light of experience. As he sat through an Imax film on the creation of the Earth, Jacob kept telling himself that this was not how the Bible said it happened. "It was very confusing," said the at Solomon Schec-te- r School in suburban New York. At the fundamentalist Red Lion Christian School outside of York,-Paa girl wondered about the fragility of life. "Yesterday, two baby rats died and it made me think about God. Because God made the rat and he took away her babies," Jessica fifth-grad- things are going to happen to good r people. "I will praise and love you even if my problems aren't worked out because I've got a pretty good life without many of the things I ask for. All I need is you," said Dan, a Catholic fifth-gradfrom Hano; ver. Pa. And Viviana, from Zion Luther-er Bow old arc you? What ia h.van life? Do you have a Sega Cd? I do. ., de said. Now, for the first time, the children express doubts about whether they and their friends will make it to heaven. At Zion Lutheran School, one girl who has experienced how mean kids can be believes some of her classmates are not going to make it to heaven. But most hold on to belief in a personal God who loves them un"a friend who conditionally never leaves you and always loves you," in the words of Rachel, a student at the Christian School of Southern York County. In letters to God, many fifth graders spoke with the voice of faith that realizes sometimes bad an School, assured God: "I have a lot of problems but they can wait until I go to heaven." When Johnathan's father was diagnosed with cancer, he prayed and prayed and prayed. And his father died. "AH it told me is, if there is a People go to Vegas or Reno or so many other places now to take a i chance on winning big money. But, I have come to believe that Easter is the greatest gamble of all. In Reno the odds arc that most will those big casinos weren't lose built by investors, they are built by losers. Easter is the same kind of more people come to gamble church on Easter than any other day of the year, yet it's all a big gamble. Did Jesus actually arise from the dead, or is he the biggest hoax since Houdini? Gamblers are generally losers, and those who gamble that Jesus is not real --re the biggest gamblers of all. As for me and my house, we have concluded that the empty tomb has far more appeal than the odds that God's son was a farce. 'During this Sunday's 10:30 a.m. worship and praise service of The Church of The Nazarene there will be a special Easter rnusi-- . cal, followed by a short challenge who will , by pastor John Conlon I re. ask the question "How do Easter?" to spond The Church of The Nazarene is located at 150 N. 700 West, Provo. During the morning service ' there is a children'i church for all children and an infant nursery. The FelSunday evening Bible Study Church in American Fork again hosts the annual Easter Sunrise Service and Breakfast on Sunday at 7 a.m. It will be held in American Fork canyon about 500 feet before the Timpanogos Cave visitor center. It starts with breakfast and concludes with a Bible message centered around "Jesus Christ as our scapegoat to escape sin's penalty." The public is welcome. Call 3 if Pastor Robert Hays at a ride is needed. 756-619- First Baptist Church of Provo is proud to present the Easter presentation of "Once and for All." The Easter Cantata will be performed this evening at 7 p.m. The celebration is to Rejoice in the Risen Savior. The church is located at 144 W. Columbia Lane. Easter Sunday services begin at 9:45 a.m for Sunday school and 10:45 for worship service. For more information call 1 374-848-9. -. lowship and Sunday School begins at 6 p.m. with classes for all ages. A friendly welcome is extended at all service and everyone is welcome. The mission of The Church of The Nazarene in Utah Valley is in "Healing Hurts and Building Dreams through Jesus Christ. St. Mary's Episcopal Church, Provo, celebrates Easter with special services announces Rev. Dr. Alan C. Tull, rector. Located on 50 W. 200 North, Provo, the church has been serving all of Utah Valley since 1907. Easter Day celebrates the day of Christ's resurrection from the dead. Service at St. Mary's are planned for 8:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. At the second service the choir with special music will add to the service. An Easter egg hunt for the children, also follows the As he has done many times in the past, Hinckley also spoke of the mass media referred to in six other conference talks. In his concluding remarks asking members to go forth with new energy and greater service, Hinckley said: "I am not asking anyone to do this at the expense of your families. The Lord will hold you responsible for your children. But I am suggesting that we spend a little less time in idleness, in the fruitless pursuit of watching some inane and empty television and I hate to admit it but I think about it a lot. ... There's a kind of comfort in that you believe in the next world, but the only reason I believe in it is to comfort myself," said Rachel, an eighth-gradat Solomon Schecter. at Zion Abdul, an eighth-gradLutheran School in Bridgeport, wants to know not only why people kill each other over matters as simple as the color of their clothes, but why his grandfather had to die of er er A5 Page Local musicians join o capture focus of Easter through music By BOB HUDSON The Daily Herald To many Americans, Easter is a time to show off new clothes. Others await a visit from a bunny who brings candy and toys. K. Many Christians, including Alan Foote of Orem, find that disturbing. "Around Easter time, we get so caught up in our lives that our focus on the Savior really diminishes," Foote said. "Sometimes we set aside the real meaning." Foote has long dreamed of doing something to enable people to renew their focus. Now he has. He and "all of the most incredible voices in the valley" are featured in "The Trial." It is a dramatic presentation available on compact disc and audio cassette. Foote says "The Trial" is a witness of Jesus' resurrection, "This is a way to get back to (the real meaning of Easter) and to understand Christ's life and the reality of the resurrection." Alan Foote er He speaks of his last visit to the hospital where his grandfather told him he would die soon, and Abdul crying out to him, "Don't say that." When his grandfather died the next day, Abdul said he was mad at God, and still wonders why he lost such a close friend. "If you love me, why do you take someone I love so much away from me?" he asks. Still, there are many children who have kept and strengthened their faith despite evil and tragedy children like Rafi, an eighth-gradat Solomon Schecter who refuses to blame God for the Holocaust. He sees God in acts of charity and experiences God as a voice in his own conscience. "I believe God's in all of us," Rafi said. - the reason Christians celebrate Easter. Alan Foote people in and have them spill their guts." The setting allows believers and alike the opto portunity express themselves about the purported resurrection of the man called Jesus. ; "It's in terms we can understand," Foote said. "It's a contemporary look at a period unnon-believ- paralleled in history." After years of presenting the production as a play, Foote de- cided his work would lend itself to production of a musical. Earlier this year, he joined forces with David Eyre and Brent Raymond. Eyre has done musical work with the Osn monds. Raymond is a local musical arranger. "David and I knew all these people were very special in what they did," Foote said. "It was just odd that we were able to get everybody together so we could get it out at Easter time.' well-know- Set two years after the cruci- fixion, "The Trial" attempts to decide if Jesus did indeed rise from the dead or if he perpetrated a hoax of ridiculous proportions. "This is a way to get back to (the real meaning of Easter) and to understand Christ's life and the reality of the resurrection," he said. The production began as an LDS Church ward play roughly 15 years ago, with the same purpose in mind. "It grew to a multi-medi- a presentation for (an Orem stake) and now we're a double CD, double audio cassette dra- matic musical presentation," Foote said. Foote said he chose a trial setting, "because I felt it was the only way you could bring jB jzbi "It's he pointed out. "It's a testimony of Christ. We're not out there to stir controversy. We're just there to testify of the Savior. This does it very well . " Foote, who was raised in California, majored in dramatic arts at BYU. He has produced motion pictures, some children's TV shows and industrial-type videos. , "You have more failures than successes." he said. "But you keep beating the wall until it falls over. Hopefully it falls in the right direction." Eventually, Foote said, he n would like to do a musical of "The Trial," possibly as an Easter pageant. full-blow- eighth-grad- er God." By the eighth grade, children are beginning to develop their own sets of beliefs, values and commitments. The lessons of religious education teachers and clergy are less important than their personal experiences with God. "I'm very scared about death, Rev. Dean L. Jackson, pastor of the Assembly of God, has announced the following special Easter Sunday. There will be a special illustrated sermon entitled "The Crushing" beginning at 10:40 a.m. This message will deal with what Christ went through in order to become the way in which we can receive eternal life. Gerry Wood will also be presenting a special mime presentation this service. video will be A the first time ever for presented and will feature the comprehensive medical, forensic and historical facts of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. The video is titled, "How Jesus Died: The Final 18 Hours" and captures every detail of the last few hours leading up to Jesus' death on the cross. From His entry into Jerusalem for the last supper, through His prayerful agony in the Garden of Gethsemane, His trials before the Sanhedrin and Pilate, the scourging, the crowning with thorns, the nailing of His hands and feet as well as those final three hours of torment, ending in His exdrath. Four Jevarious of aspects perts explore sus' crucifixion. Each revealing important understandings from their points of view as a medical examiner, a historian, and archaeologist and a medical expert on pain. Nothing will bring you closer to understanding what Jesus endured on the cross then watching "How Jesus Died: The Final 18 Hours." full-leng- th world-renown- Rock Canyon Assembly is located at The Faith Independent Baptist peace of mind and personal contentment. "All three needs regardless of ethnic background, culture or country can be met if we look to the divinity that is in us," Faust said. THE DAILY HERALD, Provo, Utah, God, he lets righteous people at Solomon Schecter. "I don't believe in die," said the Local churches announce services ' self-estee- cancer. er fifth-gra- in good health.' In addition to the five general themes, Marco Bellini, from Brescia, Italy, said he sensed a growing emphasis on the diversity of the church. This was particularly evident in the remarks by Faust. He said that, in his experience, "no race or class seems superior to any other in spirituality or faithfulness. " In his remarks, Faust referred to polls conducted by former BYU faculty member Richard Wirthlin that identify the three basic needs of people in the United States as 15, 1935 Provo. of God 3410 N. Canyon Rd., Six new mission presidents have been called by the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-da- y Saints. They will begin after attheir service at mid-yemission a tending presidents semiar nar. The mission leaders, with their wives, will serve for a period of three years. Those called and their mission assignments are: P. Lamar and Sharon Anne Eyre, Sandy, Oregon Portland Mission; John P. and Linda Jean Livingstone, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, Michigan Detroit Mission; Stephen A. and Martha Alice West, Bethesda, Md., Texas San Antonio Mission; Gutenberg G. and Maria Santos, Campina Grande, Brazil, Brazil Marilia Mission; Jose Luis and Blanco, Phoenixville, Pa., Ecuador Guayaquil South Mission, and Jesus and Esmerida Nieves, Carolina, Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico San Juan Mission. Ta-ma- ra Preston LaMar Eyre, 55, is division director for Salt Lake County Youth Services; native, Lyman, Wyoming; bachelor's degree, Brigham Young University, master's degree in social work, San Diego State University; former program manager, Porterville, Calif. , Community Counseling Center; served church as bishop, bishop's counselor, stake high council member, stake president's counselor. Sharon Anne Osborn Eyre, native, Lyman, Wyo. has taught special needs children at Mt. Jordan Middle School, Sandy; served Church as an officer, a teacher and counselor in the women's, youth and children's organizations; nine children. John Peter Livingstone, 44, coordinator, Church Educational System, Regina, Saskatchewan; former institute of religion director, seminary principal in Church Educational System; native, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; graduate, University of Alberta; master's degree. University of Regina. doctor of education degree, BYU psychologist; served receptionistbookkeeper; served licensed church as branch, district president, bishop, counselor to mission president, stake president. Linda Jean Lowery Livingstone, native, Magrath, Alberta, Canada; former church as Relief Society president, Sunday School teacher, Young Women counselor, adviser. Primary counselor; seven children. Stephen Allan West, 60, senior vice president and general counsel, Marriott International, Inc.; native, Salt Lake City; bachelor's, law degrees. University of Utah; member, officer, Interfaith Conference of Metropolitan Washington; served church as missionary, seminary, teacher, Sunday School teacher, bishop's counselor, stake high council member. Martha Alice Sears West, native, Washington, D.C.; homemaker; bachelor's degree, University of Maryland; served church as officer, teacher in Relief Society; officer. Young Women, Primary; three children. Gutenberg Guedes Amorim, 38, lawyer, businessman; native. Campina Grande, Brazil; served church as stake president, bishop, elder's quorum president. Maria da Concekao Neves dos Santos, physician; graduate, Medical School of Campina Grande; served church as Relief Society president, teacher; two children. Jose Luis Blanco, 37, senior systems engineer, GE. Martin Marietta; native, Caracas, Venezuela; graduate. University of Oklahoma, master's degree, Pennsylvania State University; former electrical engineer, Bechtel Corp. ;scrved church as bishop, stake high council member, counselor to stake Young Men presidency. Draper Blanco, native, Provo; bachelor's degree, University of Oklahoma; former special education teacher, Texas, Oklahoma; served church as officer, Primary, Young Women, teacher, Relief Society; three children. Jesus Nieves, 49, church construction manager, Puerto Rico; native, Puerto Rico; graduate, Ta-ma- ra University of Puerto Rico; served church as regional representative, stake president, branch president, stake president's counselor; Esmerida Nieves, native, Puerto Rico; graduate, Puerto Rico Junior College; manager, beauty supply company; served church as Primary officer, Relief Society teacher; four children. Corydon S. "Cody" Batt, son of Gordon R. and Mary Ann Batt of Enoch, has been Seeg-mill- er called to serve in the Ecuador Quito Mission. He will speak in the Enoch 4th Ward, Midvally Road, on Sunday at 11 :30 a.m. He will enter the MTC Wednesday. Jack Mathew Carrick, son of Denis and Darlene Carrick of Orem, has been called to serve in the Ireland Dublin Mission. He will speak in the Aspen 9th Ward, 956 W. 2000 North, Orem, on April 23 at 11:30 a.m. He will enter the MTC on May 3. Elder Matthew Sammis, son of Norman and Eileen Sammis of Highland, has returned from serving in the Paraguay Ascuncion Mission. He will speak in the Highland 4th Ward, 5335 W. 1 1200 North on Sunday at 9 a.m. s Jessica Neuwirth, daughter of Paul and Lea Neuwirth of Orem, has been called to serve in the Oklahoma Tulsa Mission. . She will speak in the BYU 106th Ward, David O. McKay Building, on Sunday at 1 a.m. ; She will enter the MTC on 1 Wednesday. j Elder Tod Ronald Byhee, son of Ron and Lynctte Bybee of Orem, has returned from serving in the Japan Sapporo Mission. He will speak in the Sunset Heights 5th ward, 600 S. 1150 West. Orem, on Sunday at ? a.m. |