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

Message from the Bishopric

In the Church, we often use the phrase, “I know.”

But can we really know?

A skeptic would say that you cannot truly know things of a spiritual nature—things that cannot be seen or measured. They may argue that we may believe or hope, but not know.

Rather than listening to the skeptics, let's turn to the scriptures.

What do the scriptures mean when they speak of "knowing"?

If we study the root meanings of the words translated as know in Hebrew and Greek, we find that they can refer to intellectual knowledge, but often mean much more. They can mean to know by experience, to become acquainted with, to have a relationship with, and to understand through personal interaction.

This deeper meaning helps us better understand the Savior's words in John 17:3:

"And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent."

The Savior did not teach that eternal life is simply knowledge about God. Rather, eternal life comes through becoming acquainted with the Father and the Son on a personal level.

This also helps us to better understand when the Savior said:

"Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?

 And then will I profess unto them, Ye never knew me: depart from me, ye that work iniquity." JST Matthew 7:22–23

This is a fascinating scripture. The individuals Christ refers to certainly knew about Him. They recognized Him as Lord and had even performed works in His name. Yet the Savior said, "Ye never knew me."

How could that be?

I would suggest that knowing Christ means far more than knowing facts about Him. We come to know Christ through entering into and honoring a covenant relationship with Him.

Sacred ordinances help us along that path. Baptism begins a covenant relationship. The sacrament renews that relationship. Temple ordinances deepen that relationship. The purpose, however, is not simply to be covenant makers, but to become covenant keepers.

As we strive each day to keep our covenants, repent, pray, study the scriptures, and turn our hearts to the Father and the Son, we become acquainted with Them. Through personal experience, we learn to recognize Their influence and Their love. Over time, we come to know Them in a way that goes far beyond belief alone.

So yes, we can know.

We can know that Jesus Christ is our Savior as we experience the healing power of His Atonement in our lives. We can know that His gospel has been restored as we embrace its principles and see the fruits of living them. We can know that our Heavenly Father loves us because we come to recognize His hand guiding us day after day.

That knowledge does not come all at once. It comes through a lifetime of walking the covenant path and coming to know Him.

Love - Brother Coltrin

• 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/