Gospel Doctrine lesson #40: Enlarge the Place of They Tent encourages Church members to find ways to strengthen their wards and stakes in preparation for the second coming of Christ and the millennium.
Part of the reading is Isaiah 65:17-19 wherein the millennium is described as a time when the heavens and Earth will be made a new and the inhabitants will be joyful.
“…be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy. And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying.”
Not only will there be joy and rejoicing, there will be no more weeping.
In Moses 7: 31-33, we learn that God and the heavens also weep because of the way in which we treat each other.
“Behold these thy brethren; they are the workmanship of mine own hands, and I gave unto them their knowledge, in the day I created them; and in the Garden of Eden, gave I unto man his agency;
And unto thy brethren have I said, and also given commandment, that they should love one another, and that they should choose me, their Father; but behold, they are without affection, and they hate their own blood”
We can strengthen our wards and stakes by bridging the gap between weeping and joy. It is up to each of us to put into practice the Godly attributes of love, affection and compassion that we may usher in the millennium.
- What is it that makes you weep?
- How do you show affection, love and compassion to those you come into contact with?
- What can you do in your sphere of influence to usher in the millennium?
Learn about some of the ways Church members are strengthening their wards and stakes through cooperative ministry.