Messages from the Stake Presidency

Dear Sisters and Brothers,

We are thrilled to announce and invite you to attend our upcoming Stake Conference on November 11th and 12th.  Elder Alvin F Meredith III General Authority Seventy will preside at our conference.  Elder Meredith also serves as the president of BYU-Idaho.  

Please note the following times and locations for our conference. 

Adult General Session  Saturday Nov 11th at 7:00 p.m. at the Stake Center.  All adult members 18 and older are invited.

Leadership Meeting  Sunday Nov 12th at 8:00 a.m. at the Stake Center.  All stake and ward leaders are invited.

General Session  Sunday Nov 12th at 12:00 p.m. at the Ogden Tabernacle.  All members are invited to attend. 

To spiritually prepare for stake conference we invite all members who hold a temple recommend (youth and adults) to attend the temple prior to the conference.  We also invite you to perform a temple ordinance for one of your relatives.  We have been blessed with an amazing tool that allows almost all members to quickly and easily find a member of their family who needs temple ordinances performed.  You can do this by using the "ordinances ready" tool on your Family Search page or app.  We have attached simple instructions on how to use the tool.  If you do not have a family search account we invite you to create one.  Instructions on how to do this can be found in the following link. 

https://www.familysearch.org/en/help/helpcenter/article/how-do-i-create-a-free-familysearch-account

We testify that as you prepare spiritually for the conference our Heavenly Father will speak peace to your heart and give you answers to your prayers. 

Sincerely, 

Pres. Joel Porter

Pres. Ron Hyde

Pres Guy Perry

Dear Brothers and Sisters, 

We have been blessed over the past 2 years to have the technology available to allow us to stream Sacrament and other meetings.  This has been a tremendous blessing for many of our members.  In accordance with the General Handbook and under direction from our Area Presidency we will continue to broadcast Sacrament meetings for those who otherwise would not be able to attend.  As stated in the General Handbook:

"When possible, Church members should strive to attend meetings in person, however sometimes this is not possible.  Streaming meetings make it possible to reach those who otherwise would not be able to attend.  These people may include (but not limited to) those who:

• Have physical, mental, or emotional challenges. 

• Are immunocompromised or in a care facility or hospital

• Are essential workers or otherwise required to work on the Sabbath

• Care for someone who is homebound and cannot be left alone. 

For the benefit of these members and others the bishop may, as an exception, authorize a livestream of Sacrament meetings."

In accordance with these guidelines beginning July 24th the viewing of livestream Sacrament meetings will require authorization from your Bishop or Branch President.  The bishop also holds the keys of the Sacrament ordinance. The administration of the Sacrament ordinance also requires authorization from your bishop.  

The Lord has commanded us to gather together.  There are tremendous blessings that come as we gather together to worship and seek for the welfare of our brothers and sisters.  We succor the weak, lift up the hands which hang down and strengthen the feeble knees (Doctrine and Covenants 81:5) as we unite in faith and prayer in our Church meetings.  We know that the Lord will continue to bless us as we strive to follow His commandments.

If you have questions or feel that a livestream Sacrament Meeting is best for you please reach out and discuss with your bishop or branch president.

With much love, your Stake Presidency

Pres. Joel Porter

Pres. Ron Hyde

Pres. Guy Perry

At this time of year, we celebrate the resurrection of the Savior Jesus Christ, and rightfully so.  Through His resurrection all who have ever live will live again. Because of this supreme gift given universally, and infinitely to all who have ever lived on the earth “the sting of death is swallowed up in Christ.” (Jacob 6:8).  We will see our loved ones again and have the opportunity for “that same sociality” to be coupled with “eternal glory.”  (See Doctrine and Covenants 130:2).  We should worship and praise our Savior Jesus Christ for this incomprehensible gift that is freely given to each of us.  This alone warrants our complete devotion and never-ending praise.

But this is just a part of His infinite atonement.  Our Savior Jesus Christ was sent to “bind up the brokenhearted and proclaim liberty to the captives.  (Isaiah 61:1).  Through His infinite mercy and divine love, He binds our wounds, gives beauty for ashes and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness”.  These blessing are specifically promised to those that “mourn in Zion.” (Isaiah 61:3). 

There are many names for the Savior Jesus Christ. These names are often descriptive of His divine nature and the promised blessings that He brings.  He is the Messiah, Savior, Redeemer, and Son of God.  He is the Word, our Advocate with the Father, and the great Mediator of all men.  He is our Exemplar, the Good Shepherd, the righteous Judge, and a true Friend.  He is the King of Zion, the Rock of Heaven, and the Lamb of God.   He is the Bishop of our souls, the Almighty, and an High Priest of good things to Come. He is the Life and the Light of the world. Of all these names, and there are so many more, the one that I relate to more than any others is the Great Healer.  He can heal anything that is broken, sick or even dead.  He can bring new life into each of us.  Not only after we die and are resurrected but He can bring new life now and heal our broken hearts, and our broken spirits.  He will pick up our broken bodies and spirits, bind our wounds and carry us to the inn.  He will mourn with us as He is yoked with us to give us rest. The beauty of the infinite atonement is just that, it is infinite.  We cannot know or comprehend all there is to know and comprehend concerning the Atonement of the Savior of the world. But we can like Nephi say, “I will praise thee forever; yea my soul will rejoice in thee, my God and the rock of my salvation.”  (2 Nephi 4:30). 

Happy Easter

Love,

President Porter

Dear Sisters and Brothers, 

We have received instructions form our area presidency and are pleased to announce that guidelines for our church meetings have changed. The request to wear masks at church meetings has been lifted.  We will resume our normal church activities.  Those who feel more comfortable in wearing a mask are encouraged to do so.  We will continue to broadcast Sacrament meeting for those who are unable or uncomfortable in attending in person.  Masks will still be required in the temple. 

We are also pleased to announce our upcoming stake conference on April 9th and 10th.  After a lengthy hiatus we will hold our general session of stake conference in the Ogden Tabernacle.  The schedule for meetings is as follows:

1. Adult Session-  Sat April 9 at 7:00 p.m. at the Stake Center.

2. Combined leadership meeting- Sunday April 10th at 8:00 a.m. at the Stake Center

3. General Session- Sunday April 10th. 12:00 p.m. at the Ogden Tabernacle. 

The adult session and general session will be broadcast.  However, we encourage all members, if possible, to attend in person. There is great power as we gather together to worship our Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ. 

May the Lord continue to bless us as a stake.

Sincerely, 

President Porter, Hyde, and Perry

At this Christmas Season we invite you to share with your family and neighbors this short video that highlights the Hope of the World. May you feel His light and His love in your life.

https://vimeo.com/487289347/90bcc52f22

Ogden Utah Weber Stake Presidency

President, Porter, Hyde and Perry.

Dear Brothers and Sisters, 

We know that we are living in a time like none of us has ever seen before.  This is all new, different, uncomfortable and frankly we are all tired.  All of us wish that it would just go away.  Or, at the very least, it would be nice if we had an idea of when it might end.  However, like many of our trials in life, we don’t get to pick the circumstances or timing.  We have members of our stake who have lost loved ones to this virus.  We have members who are fighting for their lives in the hospital and many others who have become ill.  Some have been affected financially with lost jobs or businesses.  We mourn with you and pray that you will feel God’s love for you during this difficult time.  We would encourage continued fasting and prayer in behalf of our brothers and sisters who are struggling at this time. 

At this time our state is experiencing a surge of new cases and hospitalizations that is taxing our healthcare system.  Because of this we are implementing the following guidelines. 

·      Limit Sacrament meeting attendance to 99 individuals.  That means, depending on the size of your ward, you may be asked to meet in-person every other week and view the Sacrament meetings via the webcast at home. 

·      In-person meetings are only authorized for Sacrament Meetings, funerals and weddings (not viewings, or receptions). 

·      You may have additional in-person meetings of 10 people or less if all are wearing face coverings and are socially distanced. 

·      We once again reiterate the importance of following the guidelines set forth by our government officials and church leaders.  Please wear a face covering and maintain social distancing while attending Sacrament meetings. 

·      If you are over the age of 65, have health conditions that put you at risk, or feel uncomfortable in any way, we encourage you to participate in Sacrament meetings remotely at home via the webcast.  Your bishop will authorize you to perform the Sacrament ordinance at home or, if you desire, have a priesthood holder come to your home to perform this ordinance.

Also. we would like to invite each of you to join with us on November 22nd at 5:30 p.m. for a special stake devotional.  We know that this will be a special evening that will lift and inspire all of us. 

We love you and pray for you.  We bear witness that God is in charge and that this is His kingdom.  We will feel His love and guidance as we “let God prevail” in our lives. 

Sincerely, 

Joel Porter, Ron Hyde, Guy Perry

Stake Presidency Ogden Utah Weber Stake

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Many of you have heard from your ward bishoprics that we will be returning back to in-person Sacrament meetings in the near future.  We are taking an abundance of caution as we slowly return to in-person church activities.  It is important that every member know that returning to Sacrament meetings is optional.  For those who are high risk (over the age of 65 or with underlying medical conditions) we would encourage you to continue to exercise caution and consider remaining at home for your Sunday worship.

In the light of recent events we would like to also address the topic of racism and prejudice.  As a stake presidency we stand united in support and sustaining of our Prophet, President Russell M. Nelson.  We would encourage you to read his words in their entirety.

https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/president-nelson-shares-social-post-encouraging-understanding-and-civility

To highlight some of his words we quote:

“We join with many throughout this nation and around the world who are deeply saddened at recent evidences of racism and a blatant disregard for human life. We abhor the reality that some would deny others respect and the most basic of freedoms because of the color of his or her skin.”

“The Creator of us all calls on each of us to abandon attitudes of prejudice against any group of God’s children. Any of us who has prejudice toward another race needs to repent!”

“We need to foster a fundamental respect for the human dignity of every human soul, regardless of their color, creed, or cause.”

This week in our Come Follow Me study we have read Alma 5-7.  Alma speaks to members of the Church and asks a series of very pointed questions.  These questions are meant to cause us to think introspectively and find areas where we need to repent in order to retain that “mighty change of heart.”  Alma reminds us that if we are not stripped of pride or envy or if we persecute our brothers or sisters we must repent, and we are not prepared to meet God.  (Alma 5:27-30).   As our prophet said, “we need to work tirelessly to build bridges of understanding rather than creating walls of segregation.” 

We love you and we are excited for the future of the Ogden Utah Weber Stake.

Sincerely,

President Porter, Hyde, and Perry