Devotional with President Russell M. Nelson 06-09-19

A special devotional with President Russell M. Nelson will take place on Sunday, June 9, 2019 at 5:00 p.m. at the Amway Center in Orlando.

The devotional will likely be the largest gathering of Church members ever in Florida. Please make every effort to participate with your family and to invite others to participate with you.

If you wish to attend the devotional in person, tickets can be obtained from Brother & Sister Hansen. Tickets will not be required for children under age 3, who will be allowed to sit in the lap of an adult. We ask that individuals who request tickets commit to attend the devotional with 100% certainty.

All attendees should arrive at the Amway Center no later than 4:00 p.m. If you arrive after 4:30 p.m. your ticket may be invalid.

Please visit the event website at https://followtheprophetfl.org/ for additional information about parking, venue security screening, items prohibited in the Amway Center, translation services, and more.

Those who determine that the time and travel required make it difficult to attend the devotional in person may participate in the broadcast at each of our 3 chapels. 

Announcement - Special Stake Meeting

Announcement

Next week, Sunday February 4th at 10AM, will be a special stake meeting for all members of the stake. This meeting will be held in lieu of the typical 3-hour block of meetings for all units in the stake. At this meeting, the stake presidency will be announcing important changes that affect all 8 units of the stake.  

Members are encouraged to prayerfully attend. The stake meeting will be held at the stake center but will be broadcast to the OCC (St. Cloud) building and the JYP (Kissimmee building). Spanish translation will be provided at the stake center.  

We are so grateful for the restored gospel of Jesus Christ and for this wonderful stake. We look forward to worshiping together next Sunday.  

-Stake Presidency 

HCS Book of Mormon Blog pgs: 525 – 531

HCS Book of Mormon Blog Post

Week of Dec. 11^th – 17th

Pages: 525 – 531

We are now down to the final 3 Chapters of the Book of Moroni and the end of the Book of Mormon. These are three chapters contain some vital and beautiful scripture. Chapter 8 is essentially a letter from Mormon to his son Moroni. It is probably best known for its doctrine concerning infant baptism. It is a stern rebuke to anyone who believes that God would hold little children accountable for sin. It thus becomes a lesson on the rules of accountability, in addition to the purity and innocence of infants and little children. I know in my personal life and that of our family, this doctrine has “rung true” and provided much comfort during some challenging times.

Mormon also “re-teaches” some common themes found throughout our study of the Book of Mormon…namely the importance of meekness, humility, some functions of the Holy Ghost, and the danger of pride (the opposite of humility).

Spencer W. Kimball once said….”ALL progress in the gospel in IMPOSSIBLE without the prior attainment of humility”. Mormon shared with his son Moroni these words of doctrine and truth…”And the remission of sins bringeth meekness, and lowliness of heart (humility); and because of meekness and lowliness of heart cometh the visitation of the Holy Ghost, which Comforter filleth with hope and perfect love, which love endureth by diligence unto prayer, until the end shall come, when all the saints shall dwell with GOD”.    Moroni 8:26

The last chapter of Moroni (Ch. 10), which is also the last chapter of the Book of Mormon brings to full circle a statement made by Nephi in the first chapter of the BofM, 1 Nephi 1:20, in which he states that one of his major goals in writing is to show us “the tender mercies of the Lord.”

Now, in this last chapter of this sacred record, verse 3, Moroni also speaks of the mercies of the Lord. He desires us to remember “how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men.”

Thus, the “mercies of the Lord” become “bookends,” if you will, to the entire Book of Mormon. As you think about this concept for a moment, you might recall to mind the almost countless times within the pages of the BofM that all  people, including each of us, have been invited to repent, to come unto Christ, and be saved. Truly, the Lord is merciful!  Moroni 10:33

Our dear brothers and sisters of the Hunter’s Creek Stake, we love you and want you to know of your Stake Presidency’s testimony of the Book of Mormon and the blessings it will bring in your life as you study, ponder and LIVE it’s divine commandments and principles. As we conclude our reading this year of the Book of Mormon, may we each keep its teachings “close to our heart” and use it as our guiding compass throughout our daily lives!

- Richard Garrison - Stake Executive Secretary

Thanksgiving

This week we are blessed to be able to celebrate Thanksgiving.  I am grateful for so many things.  I am grateful for family, for our Savior and for hard blessings (challenges and difficulties that bring me closer to Savior).  As I sit here writing, I am particualry grateful for the Book of Mormon and the opportunity I’ve had to read 3rd Nephi recently.

In chapters 18-20, the Lord institutes the sacrament, ordains the Twleve, ministers to the people, prays for them and performs miracles.  Regarding the sacrament, Christ declared it was a “testimony unto the Father that ye do always remember me.  And if ye do always remember me ye shall have my Spirit to be with you” (3 Nephi 18:7).  As Christ teaches about prayer, He declares that we must “pray always” and “whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, which is right, believing that ye shall receive, behold it shall be given unto you” (3 Nephi 18:18, 20).  And as we pray in our families, our wives and children will be blessed (verse 21).  

I couldn’t help but reflect on the faith necessary in prayer.  I’m confident others have felt like I have...that “good” intentions in prayer often seemingly go unanswered.  How often has a righteous son or daughter of our Heavenaly Father prayed for the miraculous recovery of a loved-one (sick or otherwise afflicted) only to witness that very same loved-one’s death or continued spiral into afflication?  How often have we personally asked for help without immediate and obvious response?  I know that life’s experiences can often seem overwhelming.  Sometimes, despite our faith, it’s difficult to see the miracle...to understand the process.  There is much I don’t know.  But, I know a few important things, born of personal experience and confirmed by the Spirit:  1) Jesus is the Christ and our Savior; 2) prayers are answered and answers are understood in the Lord’s timing and in His way; He isn’t keeping things from us but rather he is delivering His peace and His direction according His perfect understanding of our needs.  And 3) this is His church on earth, led by His prophets; as we obediently follow, our faith increases, our sensitivity to the Spirit is magnified and our ability to receive and understand answers to all of our prayers is increased.

Please keep the faith, keep being obedient, and keep praying and the Lord will bless you in the most important ways this Thanksgiving and Christmas season.

HCS Book of Mormon Blog Post

Week of Nov. 6th-12th Pages: 420-441

This week’s Book of Mormon reading is some of our most cherished scripture. The time of the Savior’s crucifixion in the Holy Land and the associated manifestations of that event and the resurrection of our Savior are predicted and fulfilled in the Americas. As we read of the destruction of the wicked in the Americas as well as the increase in righteousness among the faithful, increased miracles and powerful preaching of the Gospel. In short, about the same thing is happening in our last days before the Savior’s Second Coming.

We also see how the Lord always fulfills the prophetic words of His prophets. “And the people began to look with great earnestness for the sign which had been given by the prophet Samuel, the Lamanite, yea, for the time that there should be darkness for the space of three days over the face of the land”

That prophecy, along with all the others, were fulfilled. Storms came, darkness descended for 3 days, entire cities were destroyed, all signifying the end of the Savior’s earthly life and the beginning of the hope of the atonement and His resurrection.

Of all scripture, certainly some of the most beautiful and reassuring moments are recorded in 3 Nephi 11 as it record both the voice of Heavenly Father and then the appearance of His divine son, even our Savior Jesus Christ:

“And it came to pass that while they were thus conversing one with another, they heard a voice as if it came out of heaven; and they cast their eyes round about, for they understood not the voice which they heard….it being a small voice it did pierce them that did hear to the center….and again the third time they did hear the voice, and did OPEN THEIR EARS to hear it….and it said to them…..”Behold my Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, in whom I have glorified my name-hear ye him.”

Next we witness through the account of Mormon the wondrous event as the Savior himself visits “His sheep” in the Americas…

“…they saw a Man descending out of Heaven; and he was clothed in a white robe, and he came down and stood in the midst of them, and the eyes of the whole multitude were turned upon Him, and they durst not open their mouths, even one to another, and wist not what it meant, for they thought it was an angel that had appeared to them. And it came to pass that he stretched forth his hand and spake unto the people saying….”Behold, I am Jesus Christ, whom the prophets testified shall come to the world.”

With that divine declaration, the Savior confirmed his life and Gospel mission to his faithful. He immediately then organizes His church, calling his Apostles and administering to the people as He delivers His words of gospel principles to them (Sermon at the Temple) as He had done in the Holy Land with the Sermon on the Mount.

Many wonderful lessons and gospel truths were given by the Savior in these verses. To us, his Latter Day followers, may we simply heed His admonition to the saints of old….”Behold, ye have heard the things which I taught before ascended to my Father; therefore, whoso remembereth these sayings of mine and doeth them, him will I raise up at the last day.” May that hope dwell with all of us!

-Brother Garrison

Still on Track? BOM reading

How is your Book of Mormon Reading going?  Still on track?

Recently, early morning seminary has moved back into our home.  What a sweet and beautiful spirit comes with this opportunity.  Every night there is the need to prepare the house for the early morning, clear off the table, organize and try to provide a nice learning environment. Of course there is also the struggle to get my own kids to the class ON TIME in the home they live in.... good times.  The listening of prayers and song so early by high school kids does warm the heart.

Our family is back around to the end of 2 Nephi in our reading and we are trying to get back to where we were at the beginning of the challenge.  We have some catch up to do, but we can't give up.    When reading the following, I was reminded of how necessary it is not to give up:

2 Nephi 28:8 And there shall also be many which shall say: Eat, drink, and be merry; nevertheless, fear God—he will justify in committing a little sin; yea, lie a little, take the advantage of one because of his words, dig a pit for thy neighbor; there is no harm in this; and do all these things, for tomorrow we die; and if it so be that we are guilty, God will beat us with a few stripes, and at last we shall be saved in the kingdom of God.

When I was young, this verse seemed so strange and far away.  We used to laugh at it a bit. As I grow older, I realize how tempting and real this verse is.  Later in the chapter we read words that describe the devil's actions like "pacify", "flattereth", and"cheateth".    It now reads as such a real warning to me.  Once we allow for sin to be OK in our life.... even just a little... we are headed for disaster.   

The good news is that the Lord is there to help:

2 Nephi 28:30 For behold, thus saith the Lord God: I will give unto the children of men line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little; and blessed are those who hearken unto my precepts, and lend an ear unto my counsel, for they shall learn wisdom; for unto him that receiveth I will give more;

We can't give up!  May each of us keep the hope that we can learn here a little and there a little.  May we be worthy to recieve "more" from the Lord.  

Please keep reading!  


JR

Hunters Creek Stake Mormon Helping Hands T-Shirt Desk

We have been asked to volunteer at the Orlando Cares: Hope for Puerto Rico event where they will be putting together over 4 million meals to be sent to Puerto Rico.

At the event we will have a desk setup to hand out Mormon Helping Hands T-shirts to members and those volunteering with them who don't already own a shirt.  Our stake is responsible for managing the desk from Monday, October 9 to Thursday, October 12 from 10am - 7:30pm. The time is divided into two hour shifts for those 4 days.  If you already own a shirt please wear yours.

If you wish to volunteer at the desk click the link below and sign up to help.

hcstakeshirts.eventbrite.com