AUSTRALIAN RESTORATION NEWS OCTOBER 2018

​From: ​ ​Noel Rowlatt ​
nandjrow@bigpond.com


AUSTRALIAN RESTORATION NEWS OCTOBER 2018

Around and About the Centre Place
by High Priest Paul J. Gage, Independence, Missouri.

And time marches on and waits for no man, or person. It certainly often seems that time is speeding up or I am getting slower. Doctrine and Covenants 83:16 speaks to the conditions of the world as well as our lives and says ":until I have completed my work, which shall be cut short in righteousness." Verse 17 then speaks of our hope in the Kingdom. Everything God has done, is doing, and will do is beyond our human comprehension and therefore we lack, to some extent, the ability to truly appreciate God's love. As the seasons come and go, people make various preparations for each season. Each day of our lives is a "new season," so what do we do to prepare for each day and of course, our life? Sanctification seems to be an aspect of the gospel that we like to hear about, but don't want to take the action necessary for us to become "sanctified." Sanctification and sacrifice go together, hand in hand. To sanctify our lives, we must sacrifice those things that keep us from being sanctified. This is brought to our attention in Doctrine and Covenants 85:16-21. This scripture is worthy of an in-depth study and application by each one who has made a covenant with the Lord. Entering God's Kingdom is not an automatic thing that just happens. No one will simply walk into God's Kingdom with no effort to make sure they have on the "wedding garment." This is referenced in Matthew 22:1-14. DC 85 is filled with a great amount of instruction that is given for us to prepare ourselves. Be sure to read verse 20 a & b. In verse b we are told several things that we must do on our own, and yet the major part of the cleansing of our lives is done by the Lord, after we do what we are instructed to do; Also see DC 81:3. There is always an abundance of events. activities, services, etc going on in the Centre Place. One event, of note, a "Special Prayer Service held at Waldo Avenue RB on Sunday September 16, 2018 and sponsored by the Waldo Avenue RB. The service was filled with a presence of the Holy Spirit as those in attendance shared. The service was open to all who desired to come and pray for the Kingdom of God. The CRE missionary groups continue to be very active.. Recent missions have been made to England and Germany with other mission trips planned for Africa, Canada, India, Nepal, and the Philippines The next issue of Tidings of Zion is being printed and should be in the homes by early October. We also desire to sponsor a mission trip to Australia in 2019. Our prayer for the Saints in Australia and the world is that God will continue to open those doors of ministry to each of us as we work toward sanctifying our lives for His Divine purposes .
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Riches From The Scriptures. by Elder Neil Kerswell, Queensland,Australia. Chapter 21 Church History Part 3. Last Time we met we covered the following: 1. Joseph was persecuted by Churches and people in positions of power for his testimony that God spoke to him. 2. After mixing with some bad company to find some sort of human companionship Joseph repented and asked God for another experience. 3. The Angel Moroni/Nephi told him of gold plates which contained a record of the former inhabitants of the land. He explained to Joseph some Bible prophecies etc. 4. Some people tried to steal the Book of Mormon plates. 5. Martin Harris lost pages of the translated Book of Mormon, he broke his promise to Joseph and showed many people. It was never found. Thankfully God gave some new revelations explaining what Satan was planning to do in relation to the missing pages (Satan was hoping they would be retranslated again and if there was the slightest variation, plant in the hearts of people that the work was false). God had foreseen this and told them the same information was contained in another section of the Book of Mormon and they should start translation there instead
Church History Volume 1 Chapter 3
The work of translation continued without any other extra-ordinary event transpiring until Friday, May 15, when the Aaronic priesthood was conferred upon them through the instrumentality of John the Baptist. On this point we allow Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery to relate the circumstance. Joseph Smith says:-"We still continued the work of translation, when in the ensuing month (May, eighteen hundred and twenty-nine) we on a certain day went into the woods to pray and inquire of the Lord respecting baptism for the remission of sins, as we found mentioned in the translation of the plates. While we were thus employed, praying, and calling upon the Lord, a messenger from heaven descended in a cloud of light, and having laid his hands upon us, he ordained us, saying unto us, 'Upon you, my fellow servants, in the name of Messiah, I confer the priesthood of Aaron, which holds the keys of the ministering of angels, and of the gospel of repentance, and of baptism by immersion, for the remission of sins; and this shall never be taken from the earth, until the sons of Levi do offer again an offering unto the Lord in righteous ness.' [Page 36] He said this Aaronic priesthood had not the power of laying on of hands, for the gift of the Holy Ghost, but that this should be conferred on us hereafter; and he commanded us to go and be baptized, and gave us directions that I should baptize Oliver Cowdery, and afterwards that he should baptize me. "Accordingly we went and were baptized, I baptized him first, and afterwards he baptized me, after which I laid my hands upon his head and ordained him to the Aaronic priesthood, and afterwards he laid his hands on me and ordained me to the same priesthood, for so we were commanded. "The messenger who visited us on this occasion, and conferred this priesthood upon us, said that his name was John, the same that is called John the Baptist, in the New Testament, and that he acted under the direction of Peter, James, and John, who held the keys of the priesthood of Melchisedec, which priesthood he said should in due time be conferred on us-and that I should be called the first elder, and he the second. It was on the fifteenth day of May, eighteen hundred and twenty-nine, that we were baptized and ordained under the hand of the messenger.
This experience is very important and is what sets apart the coming forth of our church from all others. God gave us a gift of authority initially to minister in the Aaronic Priesthood. If we liken the Kingdom of God to my country of Birth Australia. We, who are born here, inherit rights and privileges because we are legal citizens, members of this kingdom of Australia. There are other people within our kingdom who have the right to teach our children, some have authority to serve as police or leaders within this land. In God’s kingdom we have to be reborn through baptism and with this comes some rights and privileges and some people are called by God to be Leaders and teachers. Just like in Australia we need to abide within the laws to maintain our liberty, so it is in God’s Kingdom there are laws we need to abide in for there to be blessings. Let’s read on.
"Immediately upon our coming up out of the water, after we had been baptized, we experienced great and glorious blessings from our heavenly Father. No sooner had I baptized Oliver Cowdery than the Holy Ghost fell upon him and he stood up and prophesied many things which should shortly come to pass. And again, so soon as I had been baptized by him, I also had the spirit of prophecy, when, standing up, I prophesied concerning the rise of the church, and many other things connected with the church, and this generation of the children of men. We were filled with the Holy Ghost, and rejoiced in the God of our salvation. "Our minds being now enlightened, we began to have the Scriptures laid open to our understandings, and the true meaning of their more mysterious passages revealed unto us, in a manner which we never could attain to previously, nor ever before had thought of. In the meantime we were forced to keep secret the circumstances of our having been baptized, and having received the priesthood, owing to a spirit of persecution which had already manifested itself in the neighborhood. We had been threatened with being mobbed, from time to time, and this too by professors of religion. And their intentions of mobbing us were only counteracted by the influence of my wife's father's family, (under Divine Providence,) who had become very friendly to me, and were opposed to mobs, and were willing that I should be allowed to continue the work of translation without interruption; and therefore offered and promised us protection from all unlawful proceedings as far as in them lay. "After a few days, however, feeling it to be our duty, we commenced to reason out of the Scriptures, with our acquaintances and friends, as we happened to meet with them. About this time my brother Samuel H. Smith came to visit us. We informed him of what the Lord was about to do for the children of men; and to reason with him out of the Bible. We also showed him that part of the work which we had translated, and labored to persuade him concerning the gospel of Jesus Christ which was now about to be revealed in its fullness. He was not, however, very easily persuaded of these things, but after much inquiry and explanation, he retired to the woods, in order that by secret and fervent prayer he might obtain of a merciful God, wisdom to enable him to judge for himself. The result was that he obtained revelations for himself sufficient to convince him of the truth of our assertions to him, and on the fifteenth day of that same month in which we had been baptized and ordained, Oliver Cowdery baptized him; and he returned to his father's house greatly glorifying and praising God, being filled with the Holy Spirit."-Times and Seasons, vol. 8, pp. 865, 866. Oliver Cowdery says:- "This was not long desired before it was realized. The Lord, who is rich in mercy, and ever willing to answer the consistent prayer of the humble, after we had called upon him in a fervent manner, aside from the abodes of men, condescended to manifest to us his will. On a sudden, as from the midst of eternity, the voice of the Redeemer spake peace to us, while the vail was parted and the angel of God came down clothed with glory, and delivered the anxiously looked for message, and the keys of the gospel of repentance! What joy! What wonder! What amazement! While the world was racked and distracted-while millions were groping as the blind for the wall, and while all men were resting upon uncertainty, as a general mass, our eyes beheld-our ears heard. As in the 'blaze of day;' yes, more-above the glitter of the May sunbeam, which then shed its brilliancy over the face of nature! Then his voice, though mild, pierced to the center, and his words, 'I am thy fellow servant,' dispelled every fear. We listened-we gazed-we admired! 'Twas the voice of the angel from glory-'twas a message from the Most High! and as we heard we rejoiced, while his love enkindled upon our souls, and we were rapt in the vision of the Almighty! Where was room for doubt? Nowhere: uncertainty had fled, doubt had sunk, no more to rise, while fiction and deception had fled forever! "But, dear brother, think, further think for a moment, what joy filled our hearts and with what surprise we must have bowed, (for who would not have bowed the knee for such a blessing?) when we received under his hand the holy priesthood, as he said, 'Upon you my fellow-servants, in the name of Messiah, I confer this priesthood and this authority, which shall remain upon earth, that the sons of Levi may yet offer an offering unto the Lord in righteousness!' "I shall not attempt to paint to you the feelings of this heart, nor the majestic beauty and glory which surrounded us on this occasion; but you will believe me when I say, that earth, nor men, with the eloquence of time, cannot begin to clothe language in as interesting and sublime a manner as this holy personage. No; nor has this earth power to give the joy, to bestow the peace, or comprehend the wisdom which was contained in each sentence as they were delivered by the power of the Holy Spirit! Man may deceive his fellow-man; deception may follow deception, and the children of the wicked one may have power to seduce the foolish and untaught, till naught but fiction feeds the many, and the fruit of falsehood carries in its current the giddy to the grave; but one touch with the finger of his love, yes, one ray of glory from the upper world, or one word from the mouth of the Savior, from the bosom of eternity, strikes it all into significance, and blots it forever from the mind! The assurance that we were in the presence of an angel; the certainty that we heard the voice of Jesus, and the truth unsullied as it flowed from a pure personage, dictated by the will of God, is to me, past description, and I shall ever look upon this expression of the Savior's goodness with wonder and thanksgiving while I am permitted to tarry, and in those mansions where perfection dwells and sin never comes, I hope to adore in that day which shall never cease!"-Messenger and Advocate, vol. 1, pages 15, 16. - The testimony of Oliver Cowdery, graphic and beautiful as it is, does not go as far with the history of the events as does Joseph Smith's, but it is gratifying to note such complete harmony in these two accounts of this, one of the most important epochs in the history of the latter-day work. I hope your heart was filled with joy as you read these accounts from the history of our Church. These men truly saw and experienced something special, so great that they struggled I think to put it in words that expressed the majesty, love and power of God exactly as they knew and understood it at the time. We need testimony filled with power and truth like this today. To restate some of the words of Oliver Cowdery (Man may deceive his fellow-man; deception may follow deception, and the children of the wicked one may have power to seduce the foolish and untaught, till naught but fiction feeds the many, and the fruit of falsehood carries in its current the giddy to the grave; but one touch with the finger of his love, yes, one ray of glory from the upper world, or one word from the mouth of the Savior, from the bosom of eternity, strikes it all into significance, and blots it forever from the mind!). A good dose of that sort of ministry to the soul from the Saviour would do us all a world of good. Praise God for what He has done in the past and may we look forward in faith and prayer to the future. Is my prayer in name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
****************** Testimony “We All Have Hidden Talents by Elder Noel Rowlatt, Kingston Branch. Queenslamd. While I am a third generation Latter Day Saint I was not raised in the Church.. My mother was a member and my dad was a non practicing Catholic which meant my mum wasn’t able to attend her church at that time, My formal education finished when I left school at 14 years of age to start work. In those days education wasn’t considered as important as it is today. I had started drinking by the age of 19 when Seventy Vivian Sorenson, at the request of my mother came for a visit one night with an invitation to attend Tiona Reunion in New South Wales. I am forever grateful to a cousin, Athol Duncan, who agreed to accompany me (sacrificing spending Christmas with his wife and family). Experiencing the love and warmth of the people and the wonderful message of the gospel propounded by Apostle Roscoe Davey, I was baptized at the end of the Reunion. I was a very shy and nervous person and had gone through my schooling without ever standing to speak in front of the class. The first time I spoke at a Church School Worship I fainted.. When I was called to the Office of Deacon a year or so later and listed for a sermonette, I had a most attentive congregation (to see if I would make it through; I had to sit down when I felt I was going to faint then stand up and carry on). In response to one Elder telling me I had better give trying to preach away for a while, I replied that I was determined to persevere. Gradually I overcame my nervousness problem but I don’t think I have ever had such an attentive a congregation since. By the time I was 30 I had also served for 2 years in the Office of Priest and was now an Elder and Pastor of the old Buranda Branch. When I committed my life to Jesus I thought I had no talents or abilities but He can make an amazing difference in our lives. I was told in my Patriarchal Blessing that he was involved in the selection of my marriage partner. She was a wonderful wife and mother to our 3 children till she passed away 4 years ago after 60 years of marriage. In retrospect the Lord has guided me in life, as much as I was prepared to let Him, and helped me to develop talents to accomplish tasks in his service I would never have been able to do without His challenge and His help and guidance. It is good for me to think back and see for myself how the Lord has used me and blessed me. Don’t misunderstand me, I don’t say the results were always perfect and you probably wouldn’t go out of your way to hear me preach or teach but I have always said yes, if possible, when tasks for the Lord needed to be done. Some of avenues of service the Lord has helped me with ~ starting with Church School janitor, Youth Supervisor, Youth camp leader (the days when we had to head to the bush taking tents, beds, all cooking gear, and toilet; happy memories!), Pastor many times, Camp Fire leader at Queensland Reorganized Reunions for many years, Reunion Director a couple of times, singing in quartets and church choir and serving as conductor one year, even though I can’t read music but we still managed to sing Handel’s Messiah; leading Witnessing Weekend teams, District President for 2 years till Section 156 was accepted by the Church. performed over 50 Weddings before I had to surrender my marriage license when I ceased attending the Reorganized Church 30 years ago and also conducted many funeral services My wife and I started meeting with some other disenchanted saints a few years later in homes and eventually formed a Branch which evolved into the Church of Jesus Christ Restoration Branch, Kingston over which Elder Alma Kerswell has presided for many years. Growing out of the ministry of Elder Doug Smith and Family and our first Restoration Reunion here in Australia the need for some publication to keep the few saints in our big country informed became apparent so the Australian Restoration News came into being in April 2001 and I have been editing and publishing our little monthly news-letter for the last 8 years. This epistle is starting to read more like a eulogy than a testimony. I want to state that I am a sinner that has stumbled many times along life’s pathway, that as a relatively uneducated young man, who, by the grace of God heard the Gospel and turned my life around and in striving to serve my Lord, developed some talents that I would probably never have realized that I had and in the process overcome my nervousness and shyness and found joy in His service. The point I want to emphasize is as the heading states “We All Have Hidden Talents” and we need to seek to discover and develop them, along with those we already know we have, and we will have self satisfaction and broaden our usefulness in the master’s service. The next time you are asked to accept some task that would be serving your God and your fellow man whether it be teaching a Church school class, visiting shut ins, being the person that makes people feel welcome when they come to church or to finding out if they are OK when they don’t or whatever, please think twice before you reply with “I couldn’t do that” or “I’m too shy” or ”I’m too busy”. You could be closing the door on discovering and developing new talents and abilities to help in the building of God’s kingdom. I can recommend it from personal experience. “If you put your faith in God, He helps you achieve what may seem impossible”.

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Victoria News. Church of Jesus Christ Restoration Branch, Kelvin View by Elder Murray Broughton. Sunday 26th.August – Communion Service. Reading 1 Corinthians 2: 9 -16. Text “Freely Given.” Revelations 21: 1 – 4 & 6-8. 1st Corinthians 15: 57, & 58. Visiting with us were Virinia Nilo and Rebecca Caduco from the Philippines. Monday 27August – Study in Evening fro Bible speaking about the Book of Mormon, Sealed Book truth coming out of the earth. Other sheep I have which are not of this fold. Stick of Judah, Stick of Joseph become one in my hand. Wednesday 29 August—Study in evening—Acts Chapter 16. Sunday 2 September--No Church service. Sunday 9 September--Church at Kelvin View Hall. Hymns. Prayers and Study from Exodus. Exodus Chapter 3: 1 – 6. Chapter 16: 1 – 36. Chapter 17: 1 – 6. Chapter 32: 1 – 9. Wednesday 12 September-- Bible study in Afternoon at 2pm.Exodus Chapter 2. Chapter 3: 1-- 8. Chapter 14 and Chapter 16. Sunday 16 September –Church at Kelvin View Hall, Hymns. Prayers and Study. Jude 1: 14 – 21, Genesis Chapter 6: 32 ,34 ,36 – 41 ,48 – 71. Wednesday 19 September – Bible Study Exodus Chapter 17: 1 – 6. Chapter 32: 1 – 19. Linda Jukes,Helen Dunn,Delma and myself were in attendance. Sunday 23 September Church service in our home [ Reading Second Nephi Chapter 13:28 – 32. Sermon Job,,,,Trials of Job. Job 14:v 14—“If a man die, shall he live again?” Job 19 ; 20 – 27.. Lovely to have Rebecca Caducio, Virginia Nilo with us from the Philippines, and Linda Jukes . Please pray for her Sr.Dawn Mackrell wo is not well, Elder Tom Rindell’s wife and Sr. Paula Miller in America who is facing an operation in October. Let us pray for one another, for the day is fading fast.
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submitted by Sr. Helen Archer We continue to meet each Sunday
On Saturday the 15th of September we had a small Engagement Dinner for Danny and Kris'. Elder Danny Archer gave the Message on Sunday the 16th September. On the Weekend of the 22nd of September Lindsey Smith and her friend Danial Collins from the USA came to visit us. We showed them around the local area and took them to see Kangaroo and some of our wild life. Sunday 23rd ,Elder Peter Archer gave the message. Lindsey and Daniel left early Monday morning for Melbourne. On the weekend of the 13th and 14th of October Elder Noel Rowlatt will be here to visit with us and give Ministry. We are looking forward to his visit. Danny and Kris will be coming up for this weekend to share with us.
Birthdays; Kris Lee 25th October

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Please include in your daily prayers the following people who are in need of a blessing Gwen Whately, Gary Rowlatt Alma & Janice Kerswell George Parker Jonathon Page Dawn Mackrell Audrey Kerswell Peter Archer Adrienne & Robert Windsor Michael & Patty Fulton
Sr. Rindell and Sr. Paula Miller in America

CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST RESTORATION BRANCH, KINGSTON 17-19 Juers Street, Kingston, Queensland. Pastor: Elder Alma Kerswell. Phone 07 3800 1151 ACTIVITY SCHEDULE. OTOBER, 2018.
Sun. 7th. 10.00 a.m. COMMUNION SERVICE. Elder G.Rowlatt asstd. by Elder N.Churchill
Musical Item for Service. Glenn Kerswell
11.00 a.m. Prayer & Testmony Service. Elder N.Churchill

Sun. 14th. 9.50 a.m. Hymn Sing. Rebecca Melling Flowers: Cathy Melling
10.00 a.m. PREACHING SERVICE. Elder A.Kerswell asstd.by Elder G.Melling
Musical Item for Service. Cathy & Bethany Melling
11.00 a.m. Class. Elder N.Melling
Youth Class. Sr.Jillian Maas

Sun. 21st. 9.50 a.m. Hymn Sing: Linda Myers Flowers:Linda Myers
10.00 a.m. Family Worship Service. Peter Churchill Family
10.20 a.m. PREACHING SERVICE. Priest P.Churchill asstd by Elder N.Churchill
Musical Item for Service: Linda Myers
followed by a Fingerfood Fellowship Lunch (please bring suitable food)

Sun. 28th. 9.50 a.m. Hymn Sing: Bethany Melling Flowers: Jan Kerswell
10.00 a.m. PREACHING SERVICE. Elder G.Melling asstd.by Elder N.Rowlatt
Musical Item for Service: Glenn Kerswell
11.00 a.m. Class. Elder N.Churchill
Youth Class. Sr.Jillian Maas

BRANCH NEWS and ANNOUNCEMENTS for Kingston Branch... Birthdays.
Happy Birthday Wishes to the following people on their Special Day in October.
10th. Linda Myers 19th Becky Scott 28th Samuel Kerswell
Message of appreciation from Sr.Gwen Whately, Western Australia. Gwen was overwhelmed by all the congratulatory cards she received on her 90th Birthday; including some from saints she had never met, the bonds of Christian love reaching half way around the world to make her feel not so isolated from her church family. Please accept per this medium her personal gratitude for al the cards and phone calls she received. Unfortunately she Had severe chest pains about a week ago, was taken to hospital but is home now .She was in almost a week having tests during which it was discovered that she has some internal problems including heart and liver. Please support he with your prayers.

Contributions to the Australian Restoration News need to come by the 20th of the month and must be submitted by email if possible.Email details are nandjrow@bigpond.com.au Phone contact: 07 3824 8386
We would love to have contributions from isolated members in Australia; articles or testimonies or just greetings. We would also like to hear from American saints who have ministered in Australia.
If you do not have access to an internet facility and would like to post your article to me, I will try and have it typed and included, but I would need to receive it by the 18th of the month for inclusion in the next issue. Postal details are as follows: Noel Rowlatt, 6 Wetheral Place, Alexandra Hills. Q4161