Australian Restoration News - May 2020

From: Noel Rowlatt
nandjrow@bigpond.com


Australian Restoration News - May 2020

MAY, 2020
Greetings!

This is an abbreviated issue of the Australian Restoration News. Since our last Newsletter was produced, the world has been in turmoil by the onslaught of COVID-19 which has already taken many thousands of lives, as it spread almost overnight to all areas of the globe. Countries each had to introduce their own measures to isolate the virus and stop it from spreading. Australia was no different and very severe restrictions were placed in operation here including all areas where people gather together, This meant the temporary closure of many venues including churches. We appear to be levelling out with the virus and consequently, the first lifting of a few restrictions that will give us a bit more freedom of movement. We hope by the next Newsletter time we will be allowed to hold church meetings again and have a Newsletter complete with our usual content.

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

A lovely G'DAY! and May day greetings to all the lovely Saints in Australia.

As they say, "Time waits on no man," and here we are with one fourth of the year now history. In April, of course, we observed HIS STORY, the crucifixion and resurrection of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus the Christ. The Principle of the gospel, Resurrection, is the most vital of all. Without the resurrection, all the rest is useless, because life would end with the physical death.

Jesus Christ is the most vital aspect of proof of the resurrection. He was with His followers 40 days after He was resurrected, seen of over 500 at once, Acts 1:3 and I Corinthians 15:6. He was seen and touched by over 2500 when He appeared to the Nephites, 3Nephi 5:14-8:27. We also have the testimony of Joseph Smith Jr and Sidney Rigdon as found in Doctrine and Covenants 76:3f-h

He is the only One who gives us strength, faith, and hope to go on in this life with all its turmoil, struggles, and uncertainties. I believe I can assure you that there is not one family on this earth that is not experiencing some kind of problem. Whether spiritual, physical, mental, emotional, family, marital, occupational, trouble in the church and out of the church, you name it, we each have a great need for the Lord in our lives. Paul speaks to this in 2 Corinthians 4:8-15.
Sunday, May 10 is designated as, "Mother's Day" It is observed in over 40 countries around the world and of course in Australia and the USA. The concept is to honour our mothers by reminding them of our love and appreciation for all they have done for us, but hopefully we do this every day in some way.

Someone once said that, "God couldn't be everywhere, so He created mothers." Of course we know that is not true, because God is the Creator of all things and thus is everywhere all the time. Remember some of the scriptures in the "Father's Love Letter", that He knows when we stand up and sit down; how many hairs are on our head; when a sparrow falls to the ground; WOW! My mother was a great mother and handmaid of the Lord, but she couldn't do all those things. At the same time though, mothers do have their special place in God's plan for us, so we praise Him for our mothers.

There are many mothers mentioned in the scriptures and many more we don't know their names. There was Eve, Ruth, Hannah, Elizabeth, Mary, Sariah, the mothers referred to in Alma 26:56, 57, 95, and 96, Lucy Mack Smith and Emma Smith. What a tribute to those mothers! The origin of Mother's Day in Australia is similar to the USA, but I'll let you look that up for yourselves, if you don't already know. I read that the Chrysanthemum is the traditional flower given to mothers in Australia and since it ends with "MUM", that phrase has become an affectionate shortening of the word, mother, in Australia. So, HAPPY MUM'S DAY TO ALL THE MOTHERS OF AUSTRALIA!

Where Do YOU Place Your Trust?
Proverbs 3:5 states, "Trust in the Lord with all of thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He will direct thy paths."
Yes, that is good, but where do YOU place your trust?
Psalm 141:8 reminds us, "But mine eyes are unto thee; in thee is my trust;..."
Yes, yes, but where do YOU place your trust?
Job 13:15 is re-assuring when it says, "Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him;..."

Sure, we know Job had a really rough time, after God basically turned him over to Satan to do whatever he wanted, except take his life. Even after Job's wife told him to curse God and die, Job remained trustful in the Lord. Job passed the test, but where do YOU put your trust?

I Timothy 4:10 "For therefore we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those that believe."

Very good, brother Timothy, however, Dear Saints, where do YOU place your trust, when you or a loved one are suffering? Who do YOU trust when the doctor comes in with sad words? A contemporary Christian song, by Casting Crowns, called ‘I will Praise You in this Storm’, says, "I'll praise You in this storm and I will lift my hands. For You are who You are no matter where I am; every tear I've cried, You hold me in Your hand; You never left my side and though my heart is torn, I will praise You in this storm”. Do YOU trust HIM in the storm? Or only when the sun shines, when there is food on the table, money in the bank, and so forth.

The following words are from message from the Lord given through Patriarch Henry Schaefer at the Center Stake Reunion July 31, 1971.

"I would encourage you to more intimately get acquainted with all that I, the Lord, your God, have revealed down through all ages and as they are recorded for you in the three sacred Scriptures of My holy Church. For by doing so, you will establish a storehouse of knowledge out of which you can indeed prove to the world that the wisdom of Myself which I have entrusted and shared with you is so far greater than the wisdom of mankind.

So I would exhort you, Be not dismayed. This is no time to despair. For as the adversary is mustering his forces, be assured that I, the Lord your God am still superior to anything that the Satanic force can bring forth. And with Me at your side, you have the assurance that you are engaged in a winning cause because I, the Lord, your God, will never be defeated.

Go forward with steadfast heart, trusting Me completely. I leave this assurance with you that I am the One who has created each one of you, and am also anxious to restore you to the son-ship, to the daughter-ship I have created as My children; and by doing so, you can indeed be the light of the world.

Be faithful unto the end; be true to your covenant; for I love you more than anyone can love you and desire to share not just abundant life with you here and now, but life even more abundant in that great beyond which shall last throughout eternity. Even so. Amen."

In the Centre Place, there were many events and activities scheduled for April, that were cancelled due to the virus. However, the Conference of Restoration Elders, (CRE) has implemented a series of meetings on Sundays and Wednesdays on the internet.
Services have been very good. The missionary boards continue to function in the areas of their ministry as well as the Domestic Outreach Committee which ministers in Canada and the USA. Currently, however, no mission trips are planned for the month of May.

The annual Restoration Branch Family Reunion and Conference of Restoration Elders will be held June 21-26, 2020. It will be in Independence, Missouri at Center Place Restoration School./Waldo Avenue Restoration Branch. Preparations are still under way for the reunion. All we need is for some Saints from Australia to join us but with lock downs in Australia that won’t happen.
Centre Place Restoration School is completing its 28th year of operation with the end of the school year being uncertain at this point due to the virus. School board elections normally held in April have been delayed, again due to the virus. New members will take office July 1, 2020.

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May the Great and All Powerful God who created this world and all who live upon it, hear our pleas and, because of His great love for his creation, with His mercy, cause this strain of Corona Virus to be eradicated, and to help with that process, inspire those who are striving to develop a vaccine to be successful. May we be humbled by this total experience and learn some valuable lessons about ourselves and our faith.

Remember always that God Loves You!
Elder Noel Rowlatt (Editor)

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:
Editor Noel Rowlatt
6 Wetheral Place
Alexandra Hills. Q 4161

Assistant Editor: Gary Rowlatt