catch-up: March 15, 2012:
In sacrament meeting Elder Butler gave a talk. I wish everyone could here it and actually some of the content is probably on LDS.org, but it was the way he presented it. Here is the copy he sent me.

Kenneth Butler	8:20 AM (22 hours ago)

In the April 2010 conference President Boyd K. Packer said in his talk:

Some years ago I gave a talk entitled “What Every Elder Should Know: A Primer on Principles of Priesthood Government.” Later, when it was to be published, I changed the title to read “What Every Elder Should Know—and Every Sister as Well.”²²

I include the sisters because it is crucial for everyone to understand what is expected of the brethren. Unless we enlist the attention of the mothers and daughters and sisters—who have influence on their husbands, fathers, sons, and brothers—we cannot progress. The priesthood will lose great power if the sisters are neglected.

Priesthood is the authority and the power which God has granted to men on earth to act for Him.²³ When priesthood authority is exercised properly, priesthood bearers do what He would do if He were present.

We have done very well at distributing the authority of the priesthood. We have priesthood authority planted nearly everywhere. We have quorums of elders and high priests worldwide. But distributing theauthority of the priesthood has raced, I think, ahead of distributing the power of the priesthood. The priesthood does not have the strength that it should have and will not have until the power of the priesthood is firmly fixed in the families as it should be.

What this means to me is that we as priesthood holders do not always use our priesthood power, but we use the authority of the priesthood and rely upon the Lord to extend the power of the priesthood. Often we accept the call to give a blessing, and then after we state by what authority we hold, we proceed to ask for a blessing. We should be using the power of the priesthood to give the blessing the Lord would give if He were giving the blessing. In other words we should be the mouthpiece for the Lord, giving a blessing, not asking for a blessing. We need to be in tune with the spirit so we can be the Lord’s mouthpiece, and give a blessing by the power of the priesthood.

Tell of the blessing to a neighbor boy over 40 years ago. He had been playing on a chest of drawers and broke a mirror and a shard of glass went into his eye. I was called to come and give a blessing. I remember the words that came out of my mouth, “as if my miracle the pain will ease and you will go to sleep.” Before we finished the blessing he was asleep in his mother’s arms.

Sister Palmer gave on also that was very good. Here's a copy of it. 
I'll add it later. Got to go get ready for our training meeting at 8:00 am; it's 7:17 am, as I type.

TALK FOR APRIL 15, 2012

By Sister Mary Palmer for the Nauvoo missionaries’ Sacrament meeting

Malachi 4:5-6

5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord:

6. And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.

As I was growing up, this scripture was one that I knew at a very young age.  My father taught me the meaning of this scripture by precept and by example.  In our family, doing research and Family History was an important part of our lives.  At an early age, my siblings and I learned that it was exciting to receive big boxes of books in the mail that were on loan to us from a library for two or three weeks.  We would spend some time going through the books and copying names and information as directed by Dad.

Dad would share with us exciting information about our family and our ancestors which he discovered through his reading.  He taught us the joy of sending completed family groups sheets in to be approved for Temple work.  Because of distance and finances, my parents were not able to attend the Temple very often, but on the day I received my endowments, I found out how respected and well known my Dad for all the work he sent into the Temple.  One of the brethren who served there heard that we were there in the Temple and looked for my dad.  When he found him, he embraced my father and expressed a love and admiration for him.  He told me how special my parents were and that often he had wished to meet this man who had submitted so many names for Temple work.

My dad knew his ancestors by name and could tell many stories about their lives.  It made me so I look forward to the day when I will meet some of them in person.  One of those people that I learned to love because my dad loved him and studied and wrote about him was Edmond Nelson.  Edmond Nelson and his brothers had heard a lot of talk abou the Mormons.  It seems that they were coming from all over the world, and people were getting worried that they would soon be so numerous that they would take over the whole country.  Some steps had been taken against them, but Edmond did not like some of the stories and evil boasting he heard from men he met.  He felt that no people should have been treated so cruelly just because of their belief in a strange prophet.

            Then came the day when the first Mormon missionaries stopped at his home.  He invited them in and treated them kindly.  He was interested in hearing their side of the controversy.  But they seemed to have no enmity toward their persecutors.  They answered quietly and simply that if those who had been guilty of the many atrocities against their faith and people had known and understood the true principles of the Gospel as taught by the Prophet Joseph Smith, they would never had mistreated his people.  Edmond wanted to know about those principles for which they were willing to suffer and die. 

He listened with sober interest to every word of their message.  There was a ring of pure and undefiled truth in what they claimed.  Their answers to his questions came without hesitancy, as if these men actually knew God.  He wanted to share what he heard with other members of his family.  He made the decision that would shape the rest of his life and his death.  He was baptized in 1836, and from that time forth his whole life was built around his faith and service in the Church.

            Edmond moved to Nauvoo and opened a rock quarry and remained in Nauvoo until 1846.  In our outline book for the Carriage ride we find more about Edmond.  Edmund and his family suffered financial ruin under the Extermination Order against the Latter-day Saints in the state of Missouri.  Those who suffered losses were asked by Joseph Smith to estimate those losses so they could be submitted to the Federal Government for redress.  These were referred to as the Missouri Redress Petitions. He lost $5,000 in property.  He claimed a loss of $500,000 in liberty.  He never received any funds to cover his losses.

            In Nauvoo, Edmond supported his family by quarrying rock on his land.  His son said of him, “Father paid his temple work and most of his tithing in rock from the quarry.” 

            An inscription on the shaft erected in his honor at his gravesite in Alpine, Utah, by the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers says:  Born 12 Dec. 1799 in North Carolina.  Edmond and his wife Jane Taylor Nelson, and 12 children left Mt. Pisqah on May 8, 1850, arriving in Salt Lake Valley Sept 9, and continued on to Mountainville (Alpine) Utah Sept. 13, 1850.  While living at Mt. Pisqah Edmond and most of the family were stricken with chills and fever, from which he never fully recovered.  He died Dec. 13, 1850 and was buried Dec. 15 on a little knoll North of Alpine.  Hundreds have since been buried here, but Edmond Nelson was the first.

In a talk to the youth, Elder Bednar spoke about The Spirit and Work of Elijah.  He said, “The Prophet Joseph Smith declared: “The greatest responsibility in this world that God has laid upon us is to seek after our dead…For it is necessary that the sealing power should be in our hands to seal our children and our dead for the fullness of the dispensation of times—a dispensation to meet the promises made by Jesus Christ before the foundation of the world for the salvation of man.  Hence, God said, ‘I will send you Elijah the prophet.’”

Elder Bednar continued “The Spirit of Elijah affects people inside and outside of the Church.  However, as members of Christ’s restored Church, we have the covenant responsibility to search out our ancestors and provide for them the saving ordinances.  .  “They without us should not be made perfect”  And “ neither can we without our dead be made perfect.”  We are the Lord’s agents in the work of salvation and exaltation that will prevent “the whole earth (from being) smitten with a curse when He returns again.  This is our duty and great blessing.”

Elder Bednar said, “Family history is not simply an interesting program or activity sponsored by the Church; rather, it is a vital part of the work of salvation and exaltation.”  He told the youth “You have been prepared for this day and to build up the kingdom of God.  You are here upon the earth now to assist in this glorious work.

When the currant Primary song book came out I was in Primary and heard the Primary Song: Families can be together Forever for the first time.  Because it touch my heart so, I wrote a poem called:

Reflection Upon a Primary Song

"Families can be together forever,"
The words of the song did say
The burning was there stronger, never,
As I knew this truly the Father's way.

At home, I look into my children's bright faces
And know I always want it to be--
To be together always in other places
Throughout the whole of Eternity.

I think of others who have gone on ahead
To our Father's kingdom up above
And remember of the choice words the song said
And am grateful for His boundless love.

Yes, it is our own Father's Eternal plan
To be with families forever.
This is truly one of God's great gifts to man
Of this, may we live worthy, ever.

I am thankful for my heritage.  I am thankful to have been able to serve where so many of them lived and gained and strengthened testimonies, gave their lives and taught their families a love for the Gospel.  I will miss being here in Nauvoo and feeling the spirit of those faithful pioneers. I will miss the spirit and friendship of the missionaries here in Nauvoo.  I pray that we can all serve where the Lord wants us to serve.

In the Name of Jesus Christ, Amen

April 19, 2012, 7:35 am: There you go. Enjoy!

Love you all, Sister Scott