Banbury Ward of
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints





Message from the Bishopric


Dear Banbury Ward, 

This week I searched the scriptures for the exact phrase “all thy heart” or “all thine heart”. In every case it is a commandment to love, trust or believe the Lord with all thy heart, except two. In Doctrine and Covenants 42:22 comes the commandment to love thy wife with all thy heart, and in Doctrine and Covenants 98:45 the commandment to forgive him with all thine heart. 

It got me thinking about scriptural references to the heart. The guide to the scriptures suggests there are two ways the scriptures reference the heart. One is what I normally think of in reference to the heart: the figurative source of all emotions and feelings. 

But another way heart is used scripturally is as a symbol of the mind and will of man. As I considered this, the directive to love God with all our heart means to want to do his will rather than our own. “To have a broken heart is to be humble, contrite, repentant, and meek — that is, receptive to the will of God”. 

To be born again is to have the Spirit of the Lord cause a mighty change in a person’s heart. I think some of the scriptural examples of a sudden mighty change might cause us to think that mighty change happens all at once, in an instant. Most often, though, while still mighty, the change happens over the course of a lifetime. When you read Alma’s inquiry about this “mighty change in your hearts”, what do you think about the state of your heart? 

And now behold, I ask of you, my brethren of the church, have ye spiritually been born of God? Have ye received his image in your countenances? Have ye experienced this mighty change in your hearts? (Alma 5:14) 

Perhaps the best way to experience this mighty change in your heart is to consistently and worthily partake of the sacrament every opportunity you can. As bread is broken, contemplate broken flesh and a broken heart. As Jesus said at the last supper: “take, eat, this is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me”. We might remember that in all things Jesus did his Father’s will: “For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.” (John 6:38). 

Jesus endured all things to do the will of Heavenly Father. Even his last words, as recorded in JST Matthew 27:54 bear testimony of this: “Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, saying, Father, it is finished, thy will is done, yielded up the ghost.” 

Jesus during his mortal walk among men demonstrated that He loved God with all His heart. From an early age when he was “about his Father’s business” to his last breath, he did his Father’s will. Consistently demonstrating our desire to choose our Father’s will over our own is a lifelong pursuit. As we do this, we too can experience this mighty change, witnessing weekly our ongoing willingness as we partake of the sacrament and remember Him. 

Love, 

Bishop Price

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Temple & Family History Announcement - We invite all members to add fruit to the family tree on the bulletin board just outside the chapel doors.  If you perform a temple ordinance on behalf of anyone's ancestor, add a memory to your family tree, add a name to your family tree or submit the name of an ancestor for the performance of temple ordinances, then add that fruit to the tree.  If you wish, write the name of the  person(s) for whom you performed that service on the fruit.  Over time, our tree will become loaded with the good fruit of family history and temple service. 







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