LIVING IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD OCTOBER 30, 2025

 LIVING IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD OCTOBER 30, 2025

 

May the blessings of the Lord be upon you as we enter the month of Thanksgiving,

 

Do you have that “Kingdom feeling” as you go through each day? Every day becomes a new opportunity to look into the mirror, and the mirror of our lives and make a personal, self-evaluation. Am I where God wants me, not talking about location? Am I where I need and want to be in my Kingdom living?

 

If not, we simply need to go back to “square one” and ask ourselves some soul-searching questions. The scriptures mention in several places about keeping God’s commandments IF we love Him. That refers to all the commandments and not just the ones that are more obvious or convenient.

 

This type of personal evaluation is always vital to our spiritual growth and development, but especially as we approach another opportunity to partake of the bread and wine, symbols of the body and blood of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Take time to read the prayers that are to be read over the emblems. D&C 17:22-23. God gave specific wording for these prayers. Did you ever wonder why? God apparently gave specific words for these prayers so there would be a unity among the Saints. All over the world when this ordinance is performed, the same prayers are read, if that Branch or group is holding fast to this scripture.

 

In these prayers we are “to witness unto Thee, O God, the eternal Father…”

We profess to take the name of the Son, always remember Him, and keep His commandments, so that we in turn “May always have His Spirit to be with us.” By having His Spirit with us always we can live the “Kingdom life” and it will show in our lives and thus shine out to the world. This becomes extremely important to each of us every day, especially since we don’t know if we will have another day to live.

 

Mark Forscutt, an early church leader, became very ill. Even though he was Administered to several times, his condition continued to worsen.  To all appearances, he passed away, and arrangements were made for his funeral. Just as the family and friends were meeting for the funeral, a slight movement was noticed in Mark.  He was placed on the bed, life returned to him, and gradually he regained his health.

 

Mark later explained, what he had experienced.  After his spirit left his body, he passed to the other world, accompanied by an Angelic Being.  He was taken through a beautiful city.  Mark stopped before a lovely mansion, which he entered.  It was most beautiful.  He was overjoyed when he was told that it was to be his home, if he were faithful. Then the messenger said, "Come Mark." they left the city and returned to earth, where Mark could see his body, and the people gathered about to mourn his passing.  Very reluctantly, Mark stood, not desiring to enter into his body.  "Why, must I return?" he asked.   "Your work is not done, and you have only begun to earn that mansion," the heavenly messenger explained. “They that trust in the Lord in mount Zion, cannot be removed, but abide forever. As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about His people from henceforth even forever.” Psalm 125:1-2.

 

God be with you always

Paul Gage

 

Carol Ann Allen - Obituary

 

Carol Ann Allen

May 22, 1933 — October 15, 2025

Blue Springs

Carol Ann Allen departed this world on October 15, 2025, in Blue Springs, Missouri. Born on May 22, 1933, in Atherton, Missouri, to Richard and Hazel Moore, Carol was a generous spirit who devoted her life to her family, her faith, and her community.

As a dedicated member of the Church of Jesus Christ, Carol took great pride in assisting her husband, Earl Allen, who served on the pastoral staff at their local branch. Her faith was the foundation of her life, guiding her in all that she did. She was known for her heartwarming efforts in attending reunions and planning trips, which brought together family and friends in joyful celebration.

Carol was an immensely talented individual, with a love for woodworking, crocheting & gardening. She took pride in giving back to her church community. Carol’s love of animals, especially her beloved dogs, showcased her nurturing nature and capacity for love.

The light of her life was her family. Carol was immensely proud to be a mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and great-great-grandmother. She often exclaimed with delight, “I just keep getting greater!” Her legacy lives on through her cherished living family members: daughters, Linda Chase and Carolyn Garrett (Steve); son, Jeff Langley (June); grandsons, Tim Chase (Michele) and Josh Chase; three great-granddaughters; and four great-great-grandchildren. They will forever hold close the memories of her joyful spirit and unconditional love.

https://www.speakschapel.com/obituaries/carol-allen

Carol now joins her beloved husband, Earl Allen; her parents, Richard and Hazel Barger Moore; and her sisters, Betty Johnson and Mary Graybill, in eternal rest. The love and lessons she imparted will continue to resonate within the hearts of all who knew her.

A memorial visitation will be held from 2:00 P.M. to 3:00 P.M. on Thursday October 30, 2025, at the Church of Jesus Christ Oak Grove Restoration Branch, located at 1203 N Broadway, Oak Grove, MO 64075. A Celebration of Life will follow at 3:00 P.M. In lieu of flowers, contributions in Carol's honor can be made to the Church of Jesus Christ Oak Grove Restoration Branch.

As we remember Carol Ann Allen, we reflect on the gentle touch she had on our lives, her unwavering kindness, and her generous spirit. She leaves behind a legacy of love that will nurture generations to come.

speakschapel.com

Carol Ann Allen Obituary October 15, 2025 - Speaks Chapel

LIVING IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD OCTOBER 23, 2025

 LIVING IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD OCTOBER 23, 2025

 

Psalm 46:1-5 Inspired Version: 1 God is our refuge and strength, a present help in trouble. 2 Therefore, we will not fear though the earth shall be removed and though the mountains shall be carried into the midst of the sea, 3 And the waters thereof roar, being troubled, and the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. 4 Yet there shall be a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High. 5 For Zion shall come, and God shall be in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God shall help her right early.

 

What a beautiful promise of blessing from our most wonderful God and Father! Zion is coming as God’s people live their lives as they will be lived in Zion. Each one must become of one heart and one mind with our Savior. That is how we learn to dwell in righteousness. The people of God have always, since the Garden, dealt with the hardships, trials, tribulations of life, and the influence of others and their beliefs.

 

The words of Doctrine and Covenants 81:3 a “And again, I say unto you, I give unto you a new commandment, that you may understand my will concerning you; or, in other words, I give unto you directions how you may act before me, that it may turn to you for your salvation. 3b I, the Lord, am bound when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise.” have been the challenge of every dispensation to “live in the Kingdom of God.” To rise above the ways of the world and be the salt and light that Jesus hs given us to be. People must be able to “see the Kingdom” in and through us. That is the only hope for the world.

 

Regardless of what you may think about scriptural warnings as well as many other revelations of warnings given through the years, even as recently as October 19, 2025 at Waldo Avenue RB, life is short and we are called to live each day to the best of our abilities. The words from God were not new, but with current emphasis. “Put your homes in order, for the Bridegroom cometh.” Were you affected by the internet outage this past Monday? It was on a limited scale but could be warning of what is ahead for the world. Our speaker last Sunday referenced Matthew 25 and the three parables Jesus gave in explaining about conditions just prior to His return. Though we have heard these parables many, many times, the key is that we must be ready 24/7 because we don’t know when we will draw our last breath. It is estimated that there are two deaths in the world every two seconds. That brings it a little closer to home, doesn’t it? The sermon referred to can be viewed on the Waldo you tube page

 

The length of our life on earth is not what matters, but how we live our lives. Take a few minutes to refresh your memory regarding the Kingdom of God as found in Doctrine and Covenants 65.

 

God bless and keep you,

Paul Gage

 

ZIONWORKS NEWS for OCTOBER 11, 2025

 

ZIONWORKS NEWS for OCTOBER 11, 2025 

 

  The pure and sincere hopes for Christ’s return are seen, heard and discussed every day. That is a wonder and a miracle. The opposition to Christ and any sound judgement or truly virtuous outlooks are more loudly and hatefully expressed everywhere. Still, the truth rolls on, unstoppable because it is eternal.  

  It seems that this present out-in-the-open spiritual war has can only escalate now. It has made lives more difficult while making our choices easier to make and our commitments bolder and more prayerfully chosen and present in our hearts and minds in our daily lives. This war will become more treacherous before it ends, with our safety and well-being at greater risk and the hearts and souls of our precious young ones desperately needing Christ’s shelter and protection. Each one of us knows that Jesus’ shelter and protection is provided by those individuals who will work and sacrifice to provide His place of safety and refuge for the innocent and pure-in-heart. 

  There are many people and organizations in our country and abroad who don’t just recognize the various desperate needs for Christ’s people’s safety and growth; these people and organizations join efforts and organize to co-op with their skills and create working, thriving and powerful institutions. These institutions, or help organizations, help millions to survive spiritually and physically. Their successes are stunning, but not without great struggle and trials. Life is always like that. 

  God’s call to Zion is powerful and somewhat peculiar and specific. It is a call to His people to form cities and communities of great love and great industry. Great trials of our love, our faith and our physical endurance await anyone who enters this endeavor, but each of us know, without a doubt, that success will be the result. 

  Looking back on our efforts in Zionworks, it is heartening to see individual’s and family’s griefs and tragedies shared, soothed and overcome by compassion and action. Strained friendships have become bonds of affection. Help seems to be ready before needs arise. Many remarkable healings have been experienced. In many situations where there were no human solutions, but Jesus solved them. Many, many times we have prayed together and prayed earnestly when alone and have been guided, as a group in our attitudes and actions. We are far from complete yet and have many duties and goals ahead, obviously. Still, looking back, it has been a situation of warmth in friendships and fellowship, attended by Christ’s spirit, upholding each other, growing together, finding direction and working together.  

  We have been reminded recently to consider the question “What is the desire of your heart?” Powerful question. It has also been stated that we can’t hide the desires of our hearts because we will acquire them. Consciously choosing the desire of our hearts will guide us, if we keep our minds on the choice we have made. 

 

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   Three cords of wood were split and stacked on yesterday’s work day! 

 

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                                                   CALENDAR 

 

NOTE: Zionworks meetings will be held twice per month, the 2^nd and 4^th Sundays. Place to be announced in Zionworks News.                              

 

  Your questions and comments are welcome at zionworkz@protonmail.com and yyeoman@protonmail.com . 

 

                                             With Jesus and his love as our bond, 

                                             Your friends at Zionworks 

 

LIVING IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD OCTOBER 16, 2025

LIVING IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD OCTOBER 16, 2025

 

Greetings to all the dear Saints living in the Kingdom of God,

 

Are you, we, living in the Kingdom of God or are we caught up in the ways of the world? The last two messages through Prophet Frederick M. Smith included these words from God. Doctrine and Covenants 137:6, a “Let the church be admonished that the times are portentous and demand faithful adherence to the faith and work of the church, that mankind may be blessed by and find peace in those religiously social reforms and relationships which have been divinely imposed as a great task of achievement. b Remember, and keep the commandments; be alert to keep out of the church and from its members those forces which make for disunity; and in harmony and saintly accord be about the task of freeing Zion from her bondage.” This message was given in 1938.

 

It was followed by Section 138 in 1940. 3a “Let the church again be admonished that the task of establishing Zion presses heavily upon us. 3b Barriers and hindrances to the achievement of this goal should be removed as speedily as possible and practicable. 3c To lay securely the foundations for Zion and her buildings, the work should be accomplished in peace and harmony. Unity should prevail. 3d To this end, all the Saints should work together in the rich fraternity which can and will prevail among them when they keep faithfully the commandments. 3e Great blessings are in store for the church if it will in faith and saintly devotion go forward in its tasks.”

 

As most know, these messages were given between World War One and World War Two and things in the world have drastically changed over the last 85 years. However, we still pray, “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is done in heaven.” What if the Saints of those days had heeded these two messages? Since they are still applicable to us today, why are we not heeding them? It seems we have gone in the opposite direction, that is, a way from Zion. Are the Saints working together in rich fraternity? Are we keeping faithfully the commandments? Are we laying securely the foundations for Zion?

 

In 1980, James Christenson wrote a book entitled, “Zion in Our Time.” As you might expect, he covers the whole range of things relating to Zion. Many things can and have been said about Zion, what it is, how it is to come about, what role does each person have in helping Zion become a reality, how does our living in the kingdom in 2025relate to the full establishment of Zion (The Kingdom of God on earth.) There are, of course, many scriptures and hymns referring to Zion/The Kingdom. The call is to put the scriptures and hymns into effect in our daily lives and not just on Sunday, Wednesday, reunions, etc, but 24/7 compliance with God’s commandments.

 

Genesis 9:22-23 is a good reference. 22 “And this is mine everlasting covenant: that when thy posterity shall embrace the truth and look upward, then shall Zion look downward, and all the heavens shall shake with gladness, and the earth shall tremble with joy; 23 And the general assembly of the church of the firstborn shall come down out of heaven, and possess the earth, and shall have place until the end come. And this is mine everlasting covenant, which I made with thy father Enoch”

 

EMBRACE THE TRUTH, WHICH IS JESUS, AND LOOK UPWARD! What is your relationship to Jesus Christ? A casual acquaintance, a friendly conversation, when time allows, a passing acknowledgment, or a prodigal son/daughter reunion. It is up to us. Jesus is always looking and waiting for us to embrace Him. If Zion is not in our time, we may be among the foolish virgins.

 

God bless

Paul Gage

 

To all Medicare Recipients,

 The following is something available for anyone in the USA to whom it may be applicable:

To all Medicare Recipients,

Annual enrollment period begins on October 15th. There have been a lot of changes to the Medicare advantage world coming for the year 2026. If you are on a Medicare advantage plan, you definitely want to find out what's going on. I offer a no cost consultation. I work with many of the Saints in this area and have been doing Medicare for over 8 years now. If you would like for someone to be honest with you and to be able to trust that they have your best interests at heart, please give me a call or text at 816 536-5970. Unfortunately there are a lot of bad actors in the insurance world and I just want you to know that I always put my clients needs first. Let me help you through this difficult and confusing time with your own personal Medicare expert to guide you through. 

Thank you very much.

Stuart Gage

LIVING IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD OCTOBER 9, 2025

 

LIVING IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD OCTOBER 9, 2025

 

Greetings to all in the precious name of JESUS CHRIST,

Would you live your life any differently if you were not a follower of Jesus? To know Jesus, or even to know about Him, should be the deciding factor as to how we live each day of our life.

We make a strong effort to live our lives as we think, or know Jesus would have us live it, but it is easy, many times, to let things slip, either by doing or not doing something. In I Peter 5:6-11 we receive some very sound and solid counsel from the Apostle Peter as to how to live our lives and conduct ourselves. “6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time, 7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. 8 Be sober. Be vigilant because your adversary, the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour--9 Whom resist, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. 10 But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. 11 To him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”

The adversary can sneak into our lives and homes in subtle ways which we might not be alert to notice, until sometimes, it may be too late. Therefore, we must constantly strive to live a life worthy of God’s Kingdom. We must know of a surety that God will prevail. In Revelation 11:15 we read “...The kingdoms of this world are become the Kingdom of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He shall reign forever and ever.” If we believe that, it then becomes our duty to do all that we can to be ready for His Kingdom.It is our stewardship to comply with God’s directions to hasten His Kingdom. We find in Doctrine and Covenants 65 this counsel, “ 1a Hearken, and lo, a voice as of one sent down from on high, who is mighty and powerful, whose going forth is unto the ends of the earth, yea, whose voice is unto men: Prepare ye the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.

1b The keys of the kingdom of God are committed unto man on the earth; and from thence shall the gospel roll forth unto the ends of the earth, as the stone which is cut out of the mountain without hands shall roll forth until it has filled the whole earth. 1c Yea, a voice crying, Prepare ye the way of the Lord; prepare ye the supper of the Lamb; make ready for the Bridegroom; 1d pray unto the Lord; call upon his holy name; make known his wonderful works among the people; call upon the Lord, that his kingdom may go forth upon the earth, 1e that the inhabitants thereof may receive it and be prepared for the days to come, in the which the Son of Man shall come down in heaven, clothed in the brightness of his glory, to meet the kingdom of God which is set up on the earth. 1f Wherefore, may the kingdom of God go forth, that the kingdom of heaven may come, that thou, O God, may be glorified in heaven, so on earth, that thy enemies may be subdued; for thine is the honor, power, and glory, forever and ever. Amen.

We have that calling and responsibility to prepare the Kingdom of God in our own homes, branches, communities and the world. US President John Quincy Adams stated, “Duty is ours; results are God’s.” We, each, have the duty of obedience to God’s commandments, which always comes back to the greatest commandment, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.” This is the theme for this school year for Center Place Restoration School. Jesus means for it to be the hourly theme for every one of those who claim to be His disciples. It is to be the guide for our daily walk with Jesus, IF we want to be in His Kingdom, now and when he establishes it in its full glory.

The keys of the kingdom of God have been given to us. Do we use those keys to open the kingdom to others or think we can keep it locked up just for ourselves? It is our duty, stewardship, covenant and commitment to open the Kingdom to the world, a world that is in great need for God’s kingdom to go forth so that the kingdom of heaven may come.

The Lord bless you and keep you

Paul Gage

 

 

 

Looking for New Editor for Restoration News

 Looking for New Editor for Restoration News

Please reach out if you are interested in being the editor for restoration news.  I am willing to show you how to do the job, but my time commitments have been slowly shifting the past year and I'm not dedicating the appropriate time that I should to this. I'm hoping to find someone more available than me that can take over and keep the email list going for much longer than I have.  Emiley restorationews@gmail.com

ZIONWORKS NEWS for OCTOBER 3rd, 2025

 ZIONWORKS NEWS for OCTOBER 3^rd, 2025 

    

                  STARTING WITH A LIST OF CONCLUSIONS. BE ASSURED: 

 

  God never changes. 

  God sees, acts and exists in and through all earth-time and all eternity. 

  He is all-intelligent. 

  He is love and the origin and originator of all real love. All that He has created            and that ever will be discovered reveal him and his majesty. 

  He loves you with the deepest personal love. 

  He created your mind with potentially infinite capacity for that which is physical and that which is spiritual. These capacities include love, thought, imagination, inquisitiveness, creativity, joy, sorrow, unlimited learning, perception, foresight, hindsight, the longing for fulfillment of life, the love of and longing for truth, justice and fair play among our friends, loved ones and all people: He created you with the capacity for the full range of human and spiritual experience, and even the capacity to, at times, experience what is beyond the veil. 

  He gives us the ability to communicate with each other, to develop in our communication skills, to tell great stories or trivial stories, the capacity for humor and the capacity for light-heartedness. 

  He gave us the ability to experience great injustices, personal agony and deliberate harm, even great physical pain and disabilities. He gives us affinity for other’s suffering and the desire and capacity to help them, soothe them and bear their burdens. We long for and work for fairness in this life, but it can’t always be so because people are free to choose harm and evil here, and because all of us can misunderstand our duties, roles and attitudes here. 

  He placed us on/in this probationary state to be tested and tried, to develop strength of character in dedication and action for that which is loving, just, fair, happy and eternally fulfilling for all. 

  He gave us the capacity (and responsibility) to discern evil from good. 

  He gave us the powerful ability to use all of our senses and faculties to seek out adventure, careers, fellowships, personal worship and group worship. He gave us the capacity to experience joy. He gave us the capacity for friendships, for great respect for others and the curiosity and capacity to try to understand why people act the way they do. He gave us the ability to try to understand unfamiliar cultures, to perceive the hearts of those that are unfamiliar to us and to love them. He gave us the remarkable privilege to pray for his kingdom on earth to become happy reality here as it is in Heaven and to give it our hopes and energies in all we do, for all to see and for all of his pure-in-heart to flee to. 

  He gives us languages, history (including that in the making and beyond), science and scriptures 

He gave us, and still gives us, prophecy. We are assured that all prophecy is or will be fulfilled in its due time and in his way. Being human, we may miss it as it passes by or misinterpret or mistake it; so we pray for enlightened vision and awareness. 

  It is obvious that all we want to achieve, learn and experience just can’t happen in the short time we have here. With all of the spiritual and physical wonders of the universe gloriously begging to be discovered and experienced, our souls will never stop yearning for and taking wonder in God’s marvelous creation, even if it takes an eternity. 

  Here on earth, and assuredly beyond, God has given us serious responsibilities to recognize him, honor him and obey him. We are to embody his nature and employ his love in all of our responsibilities, duties and privileges. Having been placed here for this short time of testing and experiencing, there is great fulfillment potential, as mentioned earlier, in our friendships, relationships, observations, dedication, worship, careers, necessary tasks, fun activities, adventures, misadventures, short-comings and misunderstandings. 

  Glory to God. He gave us his son as an example and as a sacrifice to save us from our sins if we will accept his marvelous love. Of all that have ever lived, none have suffered more pain, grief, agony and tears than God and Jesus over the sin and injustice that “we” inflict on others and ourselves. And yet, we are bid to trade our grief and shame for pure and unjudged joy if we will accept the offer to give up our sins to Him who is pure and did no sin. This is so humbling…so humbling and true…God said that he is, that man[kind] may have joy. Still…so humbling.  

  Looking back on all of these things, their eternal nature and origin in God’s glory; the fact that we are created and entrusted to behold, experience and interact with them is almost too powerful to appreciate. 

  Dear Heavenly Father, knowing our guilt and faults, we recognize that the joy you offer can only be that true, authentic, eternal joy. Thank you, Heavenly Father. 

 

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  “…every man that will not take up his sword against his neighbor must needs flee unto Zion for safety. And there shall be gathered unto it out of every nation under Heaven; and it shall be the only people that shall not be at war with one another.” 

 

  Zionworks exists to facilitate this gathering of peace, unity and cooperative work for the establishment of Christ’s kingdom on this earthly realm to be lived and experienced as in his kingdom in Heaven. 

 

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A SERIOUS, INTERESTING AND VITAL 3-MINUTE VIDEO with how-to sequels and links: You will enjoy all of the independent-of-Babylon info on this channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQgEw4Bswj8 

 

                                             CALENDAR 

 

Next Zionworks Meeting: This coming Sunday, October 5^th, at Central Branch, 919 S. Delaware, Independence at 2:00 PM. On the agenda: Your dedication to Zion, your curiosities about Zion and the work, physical and spiritual contributions, dedication and planning to cooperatively make it reality under Christ’s direction. Please come with your ideas and desires for Christ-guided and Christ-blessed fellowship and coordinated effort. All are welcome, of course. 

You are welcome to bring barterables in the way of handy, intriguing, nutritious or tasty items, and to bring items or stories to tell about. 

 

 

  Your questions and comments are welcome at zionworkz@protonmail.com and yyeoman@protonmail.com . 

 

                                            With Jesus and his love as our bond, 

                                             Your friends at Zionworks 

CPRS Tuition Assistance Donations Requested

 CPRS Tuition Assistance Donations Requested

Joint Organ Recital at the Stone Church

 Joint Organ Recital at the Stone Church

LIVING IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD OCTOBER 2, 2025

 

LIVING IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD OCTOBER 2, 2025

 

Greetings: As Peter says in 2 Peter 1-4 “To them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Savior Jesus Christ; Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and Jesus our Lord, According as His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue; Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises; that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust, and besides this, …“ You can finish the chapter on your own, especially verses 5-11.

 

Peter goes on to list a number of things that might be described as “qualities for living in the Kingdom of God.” You can find these qualities in several other scriptures such as Doctrine and Covenants 4. A young man was told in his Patriarchal Blessing, to study D&C 4. Many times we want to hear thunder, see lightning, or angels, but what more could God have said to him that would have greater meaning, not only in this life, but eternally. Verse 1b “therefore,…..that ye may stand blameless before God at the last day;” and verse 1d, “but bringeth salvation to his soul.”

 

We have everything we need, right now, to be living a life that is fit for the Kingdom. If we are honest with ourselves we know that we cannot live a worldly life up to the point of our death and expect to be ushered into Paradise. The time to prepare is NOW, because we do not know if there will be a tomorrow for us.

 

We have many scriptures that remind us of the Parable of the Ten Virgins. I’m sure most every Latter Day Saint and maybe even every Christian has heard sermons, classes, discussions about that parable, BUT do we understand that it is very applicable to us today? Maybe more so for us than any dispensation gone before us.

 

Doctrine and Covenants 32 was given in October of 1830 to two men, but God says quite often that what He says to one, He says to all. Read DC 32 and put your name in place of the two men. You will notice that we are told “It is the eleventh hour, and for, the last time…” This section ends with a direct reference to the Parable of the Ten Virgins.

 

If we believe God is reaching out to us again, let us prove it by our obedience, for if not we will prove it through our disobedience. We are told to trim our lamps and have the supply of oil needed before and when the Bridegroom makes His appearance. The oil is spiritual preparation which no one else can give us even in any emergency. It is preparation we each must make for ourselves. That is why, in the parable, the Wise could not give of their oil to the foolish.

 

October 1 and 2 is Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement when the High Priest goes into the Holy of Holies to offer prayer for the sins of Israel. They have had ten days to prepare. This is the day they expect the Messiah to return. We know Jesus is coming back. ARE YE READY! We cannot let our shield of faith down for it may be the next minute, hour, week, month, year or whatever. We must be vigilant like Gideon’s 300 and endure to the end like those listed in Hebrew 11 and Ether 5 plus the millions of others not named on paper, but as referred in Isaiah 49:16. Let us also remember that this Sunday is another opportunity for us to “Come clean” before the Lord as we share in the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper.

 

God be with you

Paul Gage