Arkansas Bentonville Mission

June 2016
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE

Fasting and Prayer A Principle of Power

As we contemplate the significance of fasting coupled with prayer let us not overlook the many reasons for fasting
found in the scriptures. Our abilities to be instruments in the Lord's hand will increase as we pray specifically for
gifts-- which we are earnestly seeking individually, and also as we pray for others in faith.
The spirit of revelation is available to us not only to know these things but to know how to do them and where to
do them. That is the spirit of revelation which we can seek at all times--not minimizing the fact that the Lord wants
us to do many things of our own free will and choice.
By that same spirit of revelation each one of our investigators, who is humbly seeking, will be able to know the
truthfulness of the gospel. The spirit of revelation trumps everything else in this work:
Behold, I say unto you they are made known unto me by the Holy Spirit of God. Behold, I have fasted and prayed
many days that I might know these things of myself. And now I do know of myself that they are true; for the Lord
God hath made them manifest unto me by his Holy Spirit; and this is the spirit of revelation which is in me. See
Alma 5:46
As we are seeking to find those who are looking with real intent may we do so with faith and that our efforts in
fasting and prayer will be part of the equation.
Nevertheless the children of God were commanded that they should gather themselves together oft, and join in
fasting and mighty prayer in behalf of the welfare of the souls of those who knew not God. See Alma 6:6.
Through fasting and prayer, the Lord can help us become powerful teachers:

The sons of Mosiah.... were men of a sound understanding and they had searched the scriptures diligently, that
they might know the word of God.
But this is not all; they had given themselves to much prayer, and fasting; therefore they had the spirit of
prophecy, and the spirit of revelation, and when they taught, they taught with power and authority of God. See
Alma17:2-3.
And it came to pass that they journeyed many days in the wilderness, and they fasted much and prayed much that
the Lord would grant unto them a portion of his Spirit to go with them, and abide with them, that they might be an
instrument in the hands of God to bring, if it were possible, their brethren, the Lamanites, to the knowledge of the
truth.....See Alma 17:9
Fasting and prayer go together. When we fast and pray with faith, we are more receptive to receiving answers to
our prayers and blessings from the Lord. He promises us that He will guide us continually. We should fast and pray
for specific purposes. Fasting is private and spiritual, and we should not draw attention to the fact that we are
fasting. See pg 80 PMG
It is interesting that those who joined in fasting and prayer received this visit from the Savior himself asking what
they wanted:
And it came to pass that as the disciples of Jesus were journeying and were preaching the things which they had
both heard and seen, and were baptizing in the name of Jesus, it came to pass that the disciples were gathered
together and were united in mighty prayer and fasting.
And Jesus again showed himself unto them, for they were praying unto the Father in his name; and Jesus came and
stood in the midst of them, and said unto them: What will ye that I shall give unto you? See 3 Nephi 27:1-2.
Should we not believe that the Savior will figuratively come to us as we ask in faith and righteousness for a specific
blessing.
Now as we seek to become more like the Savior, if we will fast and pray and yield our desires to His, can we not
also experience joy and the sanctification which comes because we decide to yield our hearts to God?:
Nevertheless they did fast and pray oft, and did wax stronger and stronger in their humility, and firmer and firmer
in the faith of Christ, unto the filling their souls with joy and consolation, yea, even to the purifying and the
sanctification of their hearts, which sanctification cometh because of their yielding their hearts unto God. See
Helaman 3:35.
I pray that that we, individually, in this mission, will fast and pray in faith for specific gifts, for the spirit of
revelation, for power in our teaching, to be sanctified so that our desires are aligned with God's and that we are
seeking the welfare of those who need the gospel so desperately in their lives.
We love you and constantly pray for you! President Loveland

I have way too much to say so your are getting a tidbit here and a tidbit there. I hope you like
them. Love you a ton! Sister Loveland

A Pattern for All Things

INVITING A MEMBER TO BE A FELLOWSHIPPER
Tucked away in Exodus 3 is an example of the Lord extending a calling to Moses. The Lord calls Moses to save
Israel. A careful study of how the Lord calls Moses reveals a pattern of how we should invite a member to be a
fellow-shipper.
V2-3 And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire
SET THE SPIRITUAL STAGE: Let
out of the midst of a bushMoses said, I will now turn aside,
them know that you are inviting
and see this great sight
them to have an experience in
which they and their family will see
miracles.
V6
Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, and the God of
CALLING IS FROM THE LORD:
Let them know you have prayed to
Abraham
know who the right fellowshipper
for your investigator would be, and
that you felt impressed to ask them
to.
V7
And the Lord said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people
GIVE A VISION of the power and
which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their
purpose of a fellowshipper.
taskmasters; for I know their sorrows
V 10

Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh that
though mayest bring forth my people out of Egypt

IDENTIFY THE PERSONS ROLE: why

they have been chosen.

V 12

Certainly I will be with thee;

V 16

Go, and gather the elders of Israel together and say unto them,
the Lord God of your fatherappeared unto me

GIVE ASSURANCE
that the Lord will help them.
Testify
IDENTIFY OTHER HELP:
Help them identify other people or
organization heads that will help
them. Offer your own help, too.

V 17

I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt unto the land of
the

IDENTIFY SPECIFIC THINGS TO DO:

Brainstorm with them ideas of
things they can do.

V 19

And I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go

IDENTIFY THE OPPOSITION:

V 20

And I will stretch out my hand

PROMISES:
Share the blessings the Lord has
promised that will result from their
efforts.

A Name is No Small Matter

In the Gospel of Jesus Christ names are very, very important. I could not address the Father in prayer if it wasnt for
Christs name. The most sacred moment of my week is associated with taking upon myself Christs name. In D&C
84:66 I am promised that I can do wonderful works because of the Lords name. In the Bible Dictionary under Christ,
names of there are 1 pages of his names, titles, and concepts. A name is no small matter.
For a short time, 18 months, 2 years, or in my case 3 years, we are privileged to have an added name associated with
our own. It is a source of power. Please acknowledge that power by addressing others as Elder and Sister. I promise
as you do, your calling will become more sacred and you will experience a greater power to do what you came to
do.
The Soul and the Sabbath
Do you go to church expecting an outpouring of the Spirit and answers to your prayers? I hope so. The Sabbath
was intentionally designed to do just that and a whole lot more.
In Exodus 31:16 it says to observe the sabbath for a perpetual covenant; Siri says, perpetual is defined as:
1.
Never ending or changing
A trophy held for life rather than a limited period having no fixed maturity date irredeemable
2.
Occurring repeatedly; so frequent as to seem endless and uninterrupted
Fruiting several times a season.
Applying and personalizing these thoughts to the Sabbath lends understanding:
My Sabbath day covenant with God is a never ending trophy that repeatedly bears fruit so frequently that it seems
to have no stop or start.
James E. Talmage in Jesus the Christ also lends understanding. Writing of the Sabbath he said, the Sabbath was
consecrated to rest and righteous enjoyment, and was to be a day of spiritual feasting before the Lord. It was not
established as a day of abstinence;
To the many who profess to regard the necessity of toil as part of the curse evoked through Adams fall, the
Sabbath should appeal as a day of temporary reprieve, a time of exemption from labor, and as affording blessed
opportunity of closer approach to the Presence from which mankind has been shut out through sin Jesus the
Christ p 205. It wasnt until recently that I realized how the opportunity to closer approach God happens on the
Sabbath.
Because no unclean thing can be in Gods presence, when we sin, just like Adam and Eve, we can no longer enjoy
the closeness of the connection we once enjoyed. Because of Christs atonement, when we properly participate in
the sacrament, we are cleansed. The Holy Ghost puts us back into a state in which we can qualify for that closer
connection and fortification. Certainly this was the great desire of Adam and Eve to connect back with the
Father and this is my desire, too. That is why I look forward to partaking of the sacrament. That is also why I
expect revelation while at church and throughout the rest of the day.
In addition to the weekly Sabbath, the Lord in mercy prescribed also a sabbatic year; in every seventh year the
land was to rest, and thereby its fertility was enhanced. After seven times seven years had passed, the fiftieth was
to be celebrated throughout as a year of jubilee, during which people should live on the accumulated increase of
the preceding seasons of plenty, and rejoice in the liberality by granting to one another redemption from mortgage
and bond, forgiveness of debt, and general relief from burdens all of which had to be done in mercy and justice.
The Sabbaths established by the Lord, whether of days, or years, or of weeks of years, were to be times of
refreshing, relief, blessing, bounty, and worship. Jesus the Christ 204

Its Worth It To Be Clean

And no unclean thing can enter into his kingdom; therefore nothing entereth into his rest save it be
those who have washed their garments in my blood, because of their faith, and the repentance of all
their sins, and their faithfulness unto the end. Now this is the commandment: Repent, all ye ends of
the earth and come unto me and be baptized in my name, that ye may be sanctified by the reception
of the Holy Ghost, that ye may stand spotless before me at the last day.

June 27 Commemorates the

Martyrdom of Joseph &
Hyrum Smith

4 When Joseph went to Carthage to deliver himself up to the pretended requirements of the law,
two or three days previous to his assassination, he said: I am going like a lamb to the slaughter; but
I am calm as a summers morning; I have a conscience void of offense towards God, and towards all
men. I shall die innocent, and it shall yet be said of mehe was murdered in cold blood.The
same morning, after Hyrum had made ready to goshall it be said to the slaughter? yes, for so it
washe read the following paragraph, near the close of the twelfth chapter of Ether, in the Book of
Mormon, and turned down the leaf upon it:
5 And it came to pass that I prayed unto the Lord that he would give unto the Gentiles grace, that
they might have charity. And it came to pass that the Lord said unto me: If they have not charity it
mattereth not unto thee, thou hast been faithful; wherefore thy garments shall be made clean. And
because thou hast seen thy weakness, thou shalt be made strong, even unto the sitting down in the
place which I have prepared in the mansions of my Father. And now I bid farewell unto the
Gentiles; yea, and also unto my brethren whom I love, until we shall meet before the judgment-seat
of Christ, where all men shall know that my garments are not spotted with your blood. The testators
are now dead, and their testament is in force.

Praise to the Man