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

Message from the Bishopric

Dear Banbury Ward,

A couple of weeks ago I had the opportunity to tour the steam plant on the campus of the University of Idaho. This facility generates steam that heats all the buildings on campus, as well as many other buildings in the town of Moscow. The steam is also used to generate power by turning a powerful turbine located within the plant, which is used to provide power to the local grid. The UI steam plant has been in operation for nearly 100 years, and creates steam by burning wood chips - multiple semi-truck loads of wood chips every day! The wood chips are fed by a conveyor belt into a massive 30 foot by 20 foot furnace box that burns at nearly 3000 degrees, converting water into steam.

During our tour, the plant operator opened a small door on the bottom of the furnace, where the temperature is much lower. Still, standing several feet away from the flame, I understood for the first time in my life how the guards perished when they threw Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego into the fiery furnace in Babylon!

After feeling this intense heat, we climbed a couple flights to the top of the furnace box and looked through a small peep hole containing thick glass right into the heart of the furnace at it's highest temperature. The light was blinding and the heat was intense, even though we were protected by the thick walls of the specially designed metal box.

This experience caused me to reflect on the metaphorical use of intense fire in the Book of Malachi:

"But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fuller's soap: And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness." (Malachi 3:2-3)

These verses, along with the rest of Chapter 3, were repeated by Jesus when he visited the Nephites and recorded again in Section 128 of the Doctrine and Covenants. In that section, which is "an epistle from Joseph Smith...containing further directions on baptism for the dead" quotes these two verses and then concludes with this admonition from the Prophet:

"Let us, therefore, as a church and a people, offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness; and let us present in his holy temple...a book containing the records of our dead, which shall be worthy of all acceptation." 

When we desire it, and take the necessary faith-filled actions to become worthy, the Lord will purify us through the baptism of fire and the Holy Ghost, and prepare us to offer up our righteous offerings in the temple on behalf of our ancestors and others who have gone before. There, we will be further refined and purified, and prepared to become like Him and live as He lives.

I invite you to allow the Lord to "sit as a refiner and purifier" of your soul. I invite you allow this refinement to compel you into the House of the Lord, where you will be filled with the joy of heaven.

Love,

Bro. Bliss

• Ward Choir Practice - Every Sunday at 2 pm in the chapel

• Building Cleaning assignments for May

  • • May 10th: Jackson, Jetsel, Johnson, Kohlwey, Laird, Leach, Lewis, Lish, Marlatt, Meck, Michalsky, Miller

    • May 17th: Moss, Muir, Nate, Nations, Nelson, Nielson, Oleson, Oleson, Patton, Pfleger, Poole, Poole

    • May 24th: Price, Price, Ragsdale, Ranstrom, Reed, Richards, Roth, Sasser, Schlosser, Schrum, Shreeve

    • May 31st: Simmons, Spencer, Stewart, Stone, Stone, Strong, Swenson, Swenson, Taylor, Thomas, Thompson, Vande Merwe

• May 9-10 - Stake Fathers and Sons Camp - At Pinetop near Idaho City

• May 14 - Stake General Priesthood Meeting - 7 pm at the Stake Center

• May 22 - Stake Humanitarian Workday - 10am-1pm at the Stake Center. The Children's Center is available from 10:30-12:30 for toddlers to age 5 while the work time is still from 10-1. 

• MISSIONARY MEALS

  • • • Just a friendly reminder that our day to feed the missionaries is on Fridays. There are a couple of options available.

        • • We can have them come teach a lesson in our home to us or friends, and then feed them.

          • We can provide them a meal to pick up and take home.

          • Please reach out to our Ward Missionary Leader, Daniel Michalsky if interested, and for further details and options.

• "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 Phil Pfleger at (208) 409-9633.

• 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/