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

Message from the Bishopric

Dear Banbury Ward,

"The Lord looketh on the heart." (1 Samuel 16:7) The Old Testament teaches plainly that God doesn't look on someone's countenance or the height of their stature, but upon their heart.  

We're reading right now in Come Follow Me about three kings: Saul, David and Solomon. Each had, or was given, a gift from God that related to their heart. "God gave him [Saul] another heart" at the start of his reign. (1 Samuel 10:10) When Samuel told Saul another would take his place, it was because "the Lord hath sought him a man after his own heart." (1 Samuel 13:14). And when Solomon sought from God "an understanding heart to judge thy people" (1 Kings 3:9), God gave him "a wise and an understanding heart" (1 Kings 3:12).

And each of these kings, in their darkest hours, succumbed to temptation and fell. Saul's heart became hardened, jealous, rebellious, and disobedient. He craved popularity and immediate success. David's heart became lustful, covetous and deceptive.  He used his power to commit adultery and then coverup and murder to protect his reputation. Solomon's heart turned away from God towards wealth, alliances and idolatrous gods. Each was tempted and succumbed.

The Savior was also tempted in these ways, and did not succumb! When Satan tempted him to use his power to turn stones to bread, to satisfy his hunger (David's sin), Jesus answered that He would observe every word that proceeded from the mouth of God. When Satan tempted him to throw himself from the top of the temple, a temptation to misuse his authority (Saul's sin), Jesus answered simply "It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God." And when Satan offered him earthly kingdoms and glory (Solomon's sin) if he would worship him, Jesus again proclaimed devotion to his Father and God's will and timing. "Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve." (see Matthew 4:3-11)

Jesus declared to the Nephites "I will accept none of your sacrifices and your burnt offerings. And ye shall offer for a sacrifice unto me a broken heart and a contrite spirit." (3 Nephi 9:19-20)

David's pleadings unto the Lord for forgiveness, recorded in Psalm 51, include these words:

Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.
For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart

When I am in the right spirit, I marvel to think that God descended from on high, to rescue a soul so rebellious and proud as mine. When I bring my broken heart to the altar, I plead that He will create in me a new heart, a clean heart, an understanding and obedient heart. A humble heart. I pray someday, when He looks upon me, he'll look past all the times I've succumbed to temptation, hardened my heart, craved popularity, tried to protect my reputation, and turned away from Him. I pray that because of Jesus Christ, I can be forgiven, cleansed, renewed, and found to be a man after His heart. I know that daily prayer, feasting upon His word, following His direction from prophets and apostles, seeking to know Him, and after all I can do, accepting His grace, that He will lead me back home. I hope this for each of you too.

Love,

Bishop Price

• Sunday Youth Assignments

  • • June Chair Set-Up - Deacons. Please come at 8:30 a.m. to help set up chairs. July will be the Priests quorum.

    • June Greeters – Builders of Faith. July will be the Messengers of Hope class.

• Youth Camps this year will be the week of June 22-27.

  • • Young Women's Camp - It will be at Hayfork campground near Idaho City (an hour away)

      • • Girls Camp: YCL's will leave Monday, June 22 to set up camp. The rest of the girls will come up Tuesday morning, June 23rd. Everyone will clean up camp and go home Thursday, June 25th.

    • Young Men's Camp – June 24-27th at Northwest Passage Campground - McCall & Garden Valley.  All Young Men - Deacons, Teachers, and Priests are invited.

• July Building Cleaning assignments

  • • July 4: De Burgh, Dean, Denison, Dittman, Frew, Froerer, Gates, Hales, Hancock, Hanson Di Bartolo, Hartman, Herbster, Hibler

    • July 11: Holland, Hope, Jackson, Jetsel, Johnson, Kohlwey, Laird, Leach, Lewis, Lish, Marlatt

    • July 18: Meck, Michalsky, Miller, Moss, Mower, Muir, Nate, Nelson, Nelson, Nielson, Oleson, Patton

    • July 25: Peterson, Poole, Poole, Price, Price, Ragsdale, Ranstrom, Roth, Sasser, Schlosser, Schrum, Shreeve

• Upcoming Ward Baptisms in June – Baptisms are always held at the Stake Center

  1. • June 27th @ 4:00 p.m. for Easton Wahl and Zane Clark

• June 23 - Relief Society Activity - Blind Date with a Book Swap - 7pm at the DeBurgh residence. Bring a friend to chat with, a copy of a book to trade and a chair or blanket to sit on. Snacks, book wraps and fun provided. See flyer below.

• June 25 - Stake Humanitarian Workday - 10am-1pm at the Stake center. Child care provided. Projects for every age and skill!

  1. • Donation focus: Individual size kids snacks for the Ronald McDonald House: fruit roll-ups, snack crackers (goldfish, teddy grahams, pirates booty, ritz, animal crackers), yogurt snacks (Yoggies), fruit pouches (Go Go pouches) and stickers

• June 26 - The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square - Watch Party - Friday June 26 at Scentsy Commons (2901 E. Pine Ave., Meridian).  Activities: 5:00-6:30 p.m., Concert 7:00-9:00 p.m. See flyer below.

• July 1 - Banbury Ward Independence Day Celebration Party - Wednesday July 1st @ 6:00 p.m. at the Stake Center pavillion and ball fields. Food, games, socializing.

• July 5 - Unified Fast - On Sunday, July 5, all are invited to participate in a unified fast to express gratitude for religious liberty and to pray that it be strengthened throughout the world. Please consider prayerfully the focus of your fast. 

• The Remember Him Area Initiative, which invites us all to focus on Becoming Lifelong Disciples of Jesus Christ, is featured on the Area website. All members are invited to:

  • • Share the Remember Him Video featured on the Area Website.

    • Invite families and individuals to visit the site and discuss the video message at home.

• Missionary Meals - We can invite the missionaries to dinner any day or night of the week; there is no longer the requirement to have a non-member present. Please reach out to our Ward Missionary Leader, Larry Nelson, if interested, and for further details and options. The missionaries will not be passing a calendar around, you will need to schedule directly with the missionaries. 

• Are you interested in being called as a Temple and Family History Worker with the assignment to work in the Family Search Center? Like a temple worker, this would be a weekly commitment, however each shift is only 2.5 hours. This is an extremely fulfilling calling and an opportunity for anyone to serve the Lord in a meaningful way.  Those who work at the center are witnesses to the miracles that happen there and the joy that the work brings into their lives.  Please reach out to a member of the bishopric if this is something you would like to discuss.

• "To allow for greater access to the words of the living prophets, printed copies of Church magazines are now available at no cost. These magazines include the Liahona, For the Strength of Youth, and Friend. This policy will eventually apply to every area of the Church.

  • • • Members can use their Church account to choose their preferred subscription(s) on a yearly basis at MagazineSubscriptions.ChurchofJesusChrist.org"

      • Please contact a member of the Bishopric, Relief Society Presidency, Elders Quorum Presidency, or your ministering sisters/brothers if you have any questions about this change or if you need assistance with subscribing for no-cost print magazines.

• For temple recommend interviews with the Bishopric and other meetings with the Bishop, please call or text David Swenson at (208) 447-8903.

• All temple recommend interviews with the Stake Presidency must be scheduled ahead of time. There are no walk-in appointments at this time.  For recommend renewal interviews, please visit https://calendly .com/minorth/temple to see available times and schedule an interview with the stake presidency.

Worldwide Church Events

The following link will take you to the church website with a list of all the upcoming and recent church events

https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/events/