Temple trip X 2 + Zone Conference!

On Friday, December 9th we met 13 members from the Braganca Branch + 2 missionaries at the temple. Those traveling from Braganca had a six (6) hour bus ride leaving at 7:30AM and arriving at the temple about 1:45PM. Benvindo, who was baptized last Saturday (12/3) was able to perform proxy baptisms and baptize the missionaries who taught him.  They stayed overnight and attended the temple on Saturday returning home around 1AM on Sunday.

Here are some of the Braganca members when they arrived. President and sister Barcellos also happened to be at the temple.

All 13 members

We stayed overnight to be able to attend the sealing on Saturday, December 10th  of Michael & Adrielly Lima + 2 of their children.  

In Lisbon, on Friday, Dec. 9th we were able to attend the ballet performance of Giselle accompanied by the Symphonic Orchestra of Portugal with some other senior couples. The theater “Teatro Nacional de Sao Carlos” opened in 1793 and has five (5) levels of box seats.

With S/E Erickson

E/S Erickson; E/S Duffles & E/S Wilcox

On Sunday, December 11th we drove the mission van to Guimarães to deliver some furniture to the missionaries.

They took our photo in front of the church of Sao Gualter.

Photo from the summer.

Zone conference for the Porto and Porto North Zones held on Thursday, December 15th. There are 25 elders & 20 sisters with 4 senior couples (Osborn, Erickson, Ramsey & Benedict) The Ericksons serve in the office but attended Zone conference.

E/S Toby & Debbie Osborn, served In Mozambique just before us. They came to our home and advised us of the local conditions and what to bring. Headlamps (while not on the standard packing list) were used often. 

President and sister Barcellos gave the elders a box of candy and the sisters received a necklace with a lighthouse.

After Zone Conference there was a white elephant gift exchange. Kim, waited and then stole the Portuguese hat!

                  SCRIPTURE POWER

The First Presidency have said: “Hope is the confident expectation of and longing for the promised blessings of righteousness The scriptures often speak of hope as anticipation of eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ. The word hope is sometimes misunderstood. In our everyday language, the word often has a hint of uncertainty. For example, we may say that we hope for a change in the weather or a visit from a friend. In the language of the gospel, however, the word hope is sure, unwavering, and active. Prophets speak of having a “firm hope” (Alma 34:41) and a “lively hope” (1 Peter 1:3). The prophet Moroni taught, “Whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better world, yea, even a place at the right hand of God, which hope cometh of faith, maketh an anchor to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in good works, being led to glorify God” (Ether 12:4). (“Hope”, Gospel Topics)

 

It appears that in the scriptures there are two (2) types of hope. Hope 1 that occurs before faith and hope 2 which occurs after we have faith and helps to sustain our faith. Hope 2 =“more excellent hope” (Ether 12:32) “hope through the atonement of Christ..to be raised unto life eternal” (Moroni 7: 41). 

 

Hope 1 is referred to by Alma as: “the desire to believe” (Alma 32:27). This hope leads to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Moroni recorded the words of his father Mormon: “How is it that ye can attain unto faith, save ye shall have  hope ?” (Moroni 7:40) 

 

If one exercises faith in Jesus Christ who is the “Hope of Israel.” (Jer. 14:8, 17:13; Acts 28:20) and is obedient to the gospel of Jesus Christ he receives hope 2, referred to in the scriptures as a “hope in Christ” (1 Cor. 15:19; Jac. 2:19) “..they did retain a hope through faith..” (Alma 25:16) 

 

Hope 2 is a gift of the Spirit through the redeeming power of Jesus Christ. The prophet editor Mormon in a letter to his son Moroni wrote, that after receiving a “remission of sins..the Holy Ghost,...filleth with hope..” (Moroni 8:26) 

 

Likewise Paul describes hope 2: “we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope” (Rom. 5:3-4). “that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.” (Rom. 15:4)  “that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.” (Rom. 15:13) “If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel” (Col. 1:23)

 

 

Jacob referred to hope 2 and how it strengthens our faith: “For, for this intent have we written these things, that they may know that we knew of Christ, and we had a hope of his glory many hundred years before his coming; and not only  we ourselves had a hope of his glory, but also all the holy prophets which were before us. Behold, they believed in Christ and worshiped the Father in his name.. Wherefore, we search the prophets, and we have many revelations..and having all these witnesses we obtain a hope, and our faith becometh unshaken..” (Jac.4:4-6) 

 

 

The prophet Ether refers to Hope 2 when he says: “Wherefore, whoso believeth in God  might with surety hope for a better world, yea, even a place at the right hand of God, which hope cometh of faith, maketh an anchor to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in good works,...” (Ether 12:4).

 

Mormon referred to both hope 1 and hope 2: “And again, my beloved brethren, I would speak unto you concerning hope. How is it that ye can attain unto faith, save ye shall have hope? [hope 1] And what is it that ye shall hope for? Behold I say unto you that ye shall have hope [hope 2] through the atonement of Christ and the power of his resurrection, to be raised unto life eternal, and this because of your faith in him according to the promise. Wherefore, if a man have faith he must needs have hope; [hope 1] for without faith there cannot be any hope.”[hope 2] (Moroni 7: 40-42)

 

Moroni said: “Wherefore, there must be faith; and if there must be faith there must also be hope; [hope 2] and if there must be hope there must also be charity. And except ye have charity ye can in nowise be saved in the kingdom of God; neither can ye be saved in the kingdom of God if ye have not faith; neither can ye if ye have no hope. And if ye have no hope ye must needs be in despair; and despair cometh because of iniquity.” (Moroni 10:20-22)

 

Elder Neal A. Maxwell said: “Faith and hope are constantly interactive, and may not always be precisely distinguished or sequenced. Though not perfect knowledge either, hope’s enlivened expectations are “with surety” true (Ether 12:4; see also Rom. 8:24; Heb. 11:1; Alma 32:21). In the geometry of restored theology, hope has a greater circumference than faith. If faith increases, the perimeter of hope stretches correspondingly.” (“Brightness of Hope”, Nov. 1994)

 

Elder John H. Groberg said: “..the basis of all righteous hope is the person of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. In him all hope has its existence. Without him there is no hope. But because he was and is and ever will be, there is always hope....He is hope.” (“There Is Always Hope”, BYU, June 3, 1984)