The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) holds world conferences twice a year.

Greetings,
This coming weekend, the First Presidency, members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and other General Authorities and General Officers of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will deliver messages of inspiration and guidance at the 187th Annual General Conference of the Church.

At the January 2016 Stake Conference of the Palos Verdes Stake the following Stake Focus was introduced:  "Follow the teachings of the Prophets: Study, Do, Share" 
This weekend provides yet another chance for all of us to understand the teachings of the prophets in a very personal way as they are delivered in General Conference.....and then study them, do them, and share them with others.
We hope that we can all apply the listening method prescribed by King Benjamin in Mosiah 2:9 as he invites to "open your ears that ye may hear, and your hearts that ye may understand, and your minds that the mysteries of God my be unfolded to your view".
What a great blessing it is to live on the earth at the same time as Prophets, Seers, and Revelators, who serve as the mouthpiece of our Heavenly Father and his Son Jesus Christ by sharing Their will with all who live on the earth.
We hope that we can all have a meaningful, motivating, and even inspirational experience with the teachings, testimonies, and counsel we will hear this weekend.
Sincerely,
Palos Verdes Stake Presidency

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You received this email because you made your email address available to your local Church leaders. It was sent by Michael Gazdik, whose calling is Stake President.

www.LDS.org   will have streaming video.

Times are 10am and 2pm (Utah/MST time) Saturday and Sunday.

PS:  President Gazdik is one of many great stake presidents in Southern California.   

Great articles from Dr. Robert B. Sklaroff on USA-Israel interests

Here are the articles with critical insights from Dr. Sklaroff regarding USA/Israel security.

I requested from Dr. Sklaroff, a dozen of his opinion articles               March 9, 2017

Kurdistan ["pro"]

http://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Pathway-to-defeating-ISIS-runs-through-Kurdistan-and-starts-in-America-410432

[Analysis based upon above-article: http://www.westernjournalism.com/analysis-turkey-at-war-with-kurds-again-as-a-result-of-obamas-deal-with-erdogan/]

https://www.jewishpolicycenter.org/2014/02/28/kurdistan-us-recognition/

http://www.nationalreview.com/article/390199/nato-must-help-kurds-now-sherkoh-abbas-robert-b-sklaroff

http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/foreign-policy/221406-nato-must-arm-the-kurds-but-only-the-pro-american-kurds

http://archive.frontpagemag.com/readArticle.aspx?ARTID=30644

Iran-Nuke Capitulation-Pact ["anti"]

http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2015/05/on_iran_sanctions_no_bill_is_better_than_a_bad_bill.html

http://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2015/08/the_senate_must_sue_obama_to_block_the_iran_treaty.html

http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/foreign-policy/251817-iran-nuke-capitulation-could-trigger-constitutional-crisis

http://www.frontpagemag.com/fpm/259990/only-way-block-iran-treaty-sue-obama-robert-b-sklaroff

NOTE:  You can communicate with Dr. Sklaroff via his eMail address:  RSklaroff@gMail.com

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Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) is very positive on President Trump .!.

Ted Cruz is positive on Trump’s MANDATE and Action moving forward .!.

http://video.foxnews.com/v/5342408806001/?#sp=show-clips He’s GREAT!

Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum allow Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) to use his brilliant mind to explain how President Trump and Congress will move forward with the MOVEMENT Agenda.

Let’s coin a term:  “American Patriotic Movement!”

Like in the debates, Senator Ted Cruz can recall every point of the speech and then make brilliant God-inspired comments. In great detail, he explains to America what will be done soon and what will follow later.

Ted Cruz:   I thought tonight was a bold, positive speech.  It laid out a Vision for America that millions of Americans have been hungry for.

It is a vision that focuses first and foremost on bringing back JOBS and Economic GROWTH!  And that’s what I hear from Texans and across America.  The keys to growth are: Repealing Obamacare;  Regulation reform;  and Tax Reform.  It was a very encouraging night.

One of the most poignant moments of the entire speech was when the president recognized the families with members murdered by Illegal-Aliens and I’ve had opportunity to visit families in exactly that circumstance, and it was powerful, it was real.  Those are voices that much of the media doesn’t allow to be heard. 

It was really important for the president to highlight that.

Just last week, I was down to [the border] and I went to the ‘muster’ (border patrol shift) AND THE RELIEF OF FINALLY HAVING A PRESIDENT/ADMINISTRATION THAT WILL ENFORCE THE LAW WAS PALPABLE. 

These are men and women that risk their lives to keep our country safe.

[Senator Cruz is responding to a few specific questions, like on the BUDGET next.]

Well, look.  There are certainly details that will need to be worked out. There is no doubt that we need to be serious about the national debt and the deficit every year. 

The most potent tool for dealing with the DEBT is not cost cutting, but Economic Growth.

That’s why my number one priority in the Senate is, and has always has been,  JOBS and Economic Growth!  [With Obama’s anemic growth we can’t fix these problems.]  I was so encouraged with President Trump’s speech tonight.  He focused very strongly on regulatory reform, on building the Keystone Pipeline, on lifting job-crushing regulations, on lifting the crushing regulations of the FDA to allow pharmaceutical innovation, on tax reform and tax relief, Obamacare repeal that will produce enormous growth and millions of new jobs.  That’s how we pay down our debt and that’s how we solve our fiscal crisis.

[Republicans can, and must, unite to repeal and replace Obamacare.]  That is how we ran for office and that is what we promised for six years.  We need to start with the 2015 legislation;  nearly every Republican in 2015 voted to repeal Obamacare; on top of that, we need to repeal the Mandates.  Then we should focus on areas we all agree on, like allowing insurance companies to operate across state lines.  We can expand health savings accounts. 

If we focus on areas of consensus, that’s how we get it done.  I’m working very, very hard to bring together my colleagues both in the Senate and the House, with the Administration to fulfill the promise we made to the American people.

Ted Cruz is positive on Trump’s MANDATE/Action moving forward .!.

http://video.foxnews.com/v/5342408806001/?#sp=show-clips He’s GREAT!

Mary of Bethany anoints Christ to be King (Fulfilling Psalms 23:5)

Rynna TEACHER 3-7-2017                           

(Palos Verdes CA Stake of Zion)

This is the first Tuesday after Fast Sunday, my time to take NOTES. We visited with Dale Hanks on the way in—he helps maintain the Los Angeles Family History computer network, now sent from SLC.  We also discussed briefly President Russell M. Nelson talking at Roots Tech 2017.

CURRENT POLITICS TO DO WITH USA/ISRAEL/GOSPEL

So much going on makes it very interesting. Where is the cause and effect? Things need to be attended to.  Remember the Plan and that God is in charge. Politically, culturally, personally, all over the world, changes are happen. The poppy flowers will bloom in May—watch Conference.

Patriarch Hanson adds, “If we follow the prophet, righteously, we have nothing to fear.” Rynna sees the wheat being shifted from the tares.  Who is God’s Army?  We are!

A prominent Rabbi shared his Vision of current events in a new light: (1) Evil spirits arise; [“They that be with us are greater in number!”]  (2) Two planes disappear; (3) US sent delegates to Israel, and Trump works in secret to fix crocked things;  (4) ISIS will not be wiped out.  They hate Christians more than the Jews who will have time to gather back to their homeland, Israel.  (5) Russian sold missiles to Iran that are very deadly.  (6) They will get a computer virus to blow up.

President Trump works to move the capital of Israel to Jerusalem, sending Republicans over.   The American Consulate building could be the first headquarters.

A ‘two-state solution’ would result in creating a Terrorist state—hence Trump will seek the better solution of Israel, as the integrated ‘one-state solution’ with Palestinians integrated.

“Good Luck on that.”  There will be war within Jerusalem, with two prophets going to seek peace;  they will be murdered and their bodies will be dragged through the street.  It is a Muslim process, like in Benghazi.  Think of that prophecy. Joseph Smith said the two will be of the Quorum of the Twelve, and after three days they will resurrect before the people.

There are incredible prophesies that are before us where the Lord teaches what comes.  Look at the Early Saints if you want to see persecution—they remained incredible.

On June 2^nd, they will start excavating for evidence that the Ark of the Covenant was there.

THEOLOGY STUDY

“Who are the Seven Marys in the New Testament?”  (Hebrew name is ‘Miryam’ and was a very popular name because Miryam/Mary was to be the mother of the Messiah.)

The Catholic Church was forced to recant and say Mary Magdalene was not  a prostitute.

Mary of Bethany was heiress to a shipping company.  She anointed the feet of Jesus, and symbolized washing of feet (traditional tribute) with her tears of gratitude to dry with her hair.

She gathered women for the missionary force of Jesus Christ at the time. Jesus encouraged her.

Mary of Bethany (the sister of Martha and Lazarus) is not Mary Magdalene.  At different times, they both knelt at the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet. 

Mary Magdalene saw the resurrected Christ first.  She was His first witness.  Jesus gave her the first assignment to be His witness, even to the Twelve.  She had he faith when the Twelve were lacking faith.  Sue points out that He gave emphasis to women, who can see good things too.

He told the other three Marys to tell the Twelve Disciples to meet him down at the Sea of Galilee.  They truly were the Relief Society of Christ’s ministry, providing food/clothing/shelter.

We read John 12:1-10.  The setting is critical: Home of Martha of Bethany, Mary's older sister.

Also Luke 10:38-42 to note some of the profound differences, to strengthen understanding.  Martha was a widow and owned the home. It was unlawful for women to interact with a Rabbi.  Women were arrested for what Mary of Bethany did and people were always watching Jesus.

Mary was declaring her Discipleship by sitting at the feet of Jesus. 

John 12 covers the more spiritual aspects.  Martha was the one with the testimony.  With Lazarus, Martha went out, while Mary of Bethany was home crying. The Joseph Smith Translation has one word changing it all.  Christ comes to the people that he loves at the beginning of the week to begin it all.  He couldn’t go into Jerusalem till after this.

Mary anointed with costly oil, filling the room with aroma.  She also anointed His head.  Very interesting that the oil was carried in the stone box of alabaster.  She broke the jar and it could not be used again.  Alabaster was rather transparent.  The mountains of India have the spike-nard to put in the alabaster jar.  She had a pound worth an entire year’s wages.   We don’t know how she got it, except in the Apocrypha it came via the three wise men.   It could have fed an army of 5,000 men for one year. 

This ordinance of anointing the head with sacred oil was to be King of Israel.  Anointing the feet was for the dead.  It came from the mother of Jesus, “This is for my son.”

The aroma of the spikenard represents the Spirit of the Lord filling everywhere.

Mary gives her total love to the Master for what he was about to do.  She knew.  Jesus reacts and Joseph Smith translates:  [Not plugging in, my computer battery didn’t sustain the screen.]

Testimony and Closing Prayer.

NOTE:  Please review these student notes.    Lynnette and Charles.Edwin.Shipp@gMail.com