H-8

PORTRAIT FOR TODAY

BY

JAMES J. METCALFE

BE GRATEFUL TO ALMIGHTY GOD...YOUR GOD, WHO GAVE YOU BIRTH...AND WHO ALLOWS FROM DAY TO DAY...YOUR EVERY BREATH ON EARTH...OUT OF THE GOODNESS OF HIS HEART...HIS LOVE CREATED YOU...AND BLEST YOU WITH THE TALENTS FOR...THE THINGS YOU OUGHT TO DO...GOD GAVE YOU LIFE NOT ONLY FOR...THE FREEDOM OF YOUR WILL...BUT, MORE IMPORTANTLY, THE TASK...HE WANTS YOU TO FULFILL...YOU MAY NOT REALIZE WHAT IT IS...YOU MAY NOT UNDERSTAND...AS MANY OBSTACLES AND DOUBTS...APPEAR ON EVERY HAND...BUT IF YOU DO THE BEST YOU CAN...WITH FAITH AND LOVE SINCERE...YOUR GOD WILL KNOW, AND YOU WILL NOT...HAVE ANYTHING TO FEAR.

JUST THIS SUNDAY GO TO CHURCH...THIS ONCE REMEMBER GOD...AND GIVE YOUR GRATITUDE TO HIM...THAT YOU ARE ON THIS SOD...JUST THIS ONCE TAKE TIME FROM PLAY...OR FROM YOUR SLUMBER LATE...AND THIS SMALL PORTION OF YOUR DAY..TO DEAR GOD DEDICATE...IT WILL BE VERY COMFORTING. ..AND TRULY HELPFUL TOO...BECAUSE AS YOU GIVE THOUGHT TO GOD...HE WILL INSPIRE YOU...AND YOU WILL FEEL MUCH MORE REFRESHED... TO START ANOTHER WEEK...THAN YOU COULD BE WITH ALL THE REST...AND PLEASURE YOU MIGHT SEEK...JUST THIS SUNDAY GO TO CHURCH...AND YOU WILL SURELY FIND...LOVE ENVELOPING YOUR SOUL...AND PEACE OF HEART AND MIND.

BEWARE THE SUNDAY YOU DECIDE...YOU NEED NOT GO TO CHURCH...THAT JUST A SINGLE ABSENCE WILL...NOT LEAVE YOU IN THE LURCH...BECAUSE IT ONLY TAKES ONE TIME...TO WEAKEN YOUR DEFENSE...AGAINST THE POSSIBILITY...OF COLD INDIFFERENCE...ONE SUNDAY MISSED, AND YOU MAY FEEL...SO CARELESS AND SO FREE...ANOTHER ABSENCE WILL OCCUR...THEN MAYBE TWO OR THREE...AND THEN BEFORE YOU KNOW IT, YOU...ARE STAYING HOME EACH TIME...ANOTHER SUNDAY MORNING COMES...AND CHURCH BELLS RING OR CHIME...UNLESS YOU HAVE A REAL EXCUSE... TOO ILL OR OLD TO GO...DO WORSHIP GOD EACH SUNDAY IN...THE CHURCH AND FAITH YOU KNOW.

THIS SUNDAY LET US DEDICATE...THE SPECIAL PRAYERS WE SAY...TO ALL THE NEIGHBORHOOD IN WHICH...WE LIVE FROM DAY TO DAY...THE PEOPLE WHO RESIDE NEXT DOOR...THE ONES ACROSS THE STREET...THE FOLKS WE KNOW, WHO SAY HELLO...AND THOSE WE SELDOM MEET...THE FRIENDLY ONES AND ALSO THOSE...WHO CAUSE SOME IRRITATIONS...WHICH CANNOT HELP BUT INTERFERE...WITH NEIGHBORLY RELATIONS...THIS SUNDAY LET US PRAY FOR THEM...AND ASK THAT GOD WILL BLESS...THEIR LIVES AND HOMES AND RELATIVES...WITH HEALTH AND HAPPINESS...THEN LET US ASK GOD'S BLESSING GOOD...ON OUR OWN FAMILY...AND PROMISE HIM TO DO OUR BEST...TO BE MORE NEIGHBORLY.

THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST AND THE RESULTING ETERNAL LIFE OF MAN WAS THE GREATEST THING THAT HAD HAPPENED IN MORTALITY AND THE NEXT WAS THE RESTORATION OF THE GOSPEL AND ORGANIZATION OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER DAY SAINTS ON 6 APR 1830.(H4)