Spiritual%20Egypt

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Spiritual Egypt

• Khinckley1_at_yahoo.com

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Letters from the Congressional Travel Office
A New Mexico Congresswoman called to make
reservations, "I want to go from Chicago to
Rhino, New York." I was at a loss for words.
Finally, I said, "Are you sure that's the name of
the town?" "Yes, what flights do you have?"
replied the lady. After some searching, I came
back with, "I'm sorry, ma'am, I've looked up
every airport code in the country, and can't find
a Rhino anywhere." The lady retorted, "Oh, don't
be silly! Everyone knows where it is. Check your
map!" So, I scoured a map of the state of New
York, and finally offered, "You don't mean
Buffalo, do you?" The reply? "Whatever! I knew it
was a big animal"
An Illinois Congresswoman called last week. She
needed to know how it was possible that her
flight from Detroit left at 830 am, and got to
Chicago at 833 am. I explained that Michigan was
an hour ahead of Illinois, but she couldn't
understand the concept of time zones. Finally, I
told her the plane went fast, and she bought that.
A New York lawmaker called, and asked, "Do
airlines put your physical description on your
bag so they know whose luggage belongs to whom?"
I said, "No, why do you ask?" She replied, "Well,
when I checked in with the airline, they put a
tag on my luggage that said (FAT), and I'm
overweight. I think that's very rude!" After
putting her on hold for a minute while I looked
into it (I was laughing), I came back and
explained the city code for Fresno, California,
is (FAT), and the airline was just putting a
destination tag on her luggage.
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Gatherings
Future?
Today?
Judah
LDS Families Today
Promised Land
Egypt
The World
(Stakes)
(Jerusalem)
Homes
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Question-

• All these gatherings started with Israel.
• Why was Israel taken to Egypt (the world) in the
  first place?

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Genesis 46 2-4
Abraham 322-25. 22 Now the Lord had shown
unto me, Abraham, the intelligences that were
organized before the world was 24 And there
stood one among them that was like unto God, and
he said unto those who were with him We will go
down, for there is space there, and we will take
of these materials, and we will make an earth
whereon these may dwell 25 And we will prove
them herewith, to see if they will do all things
whatsoever the Lord their God shall command
them

• God spake unto Israel in the visions of the
  night, and said, Jacob, Jacob. And he said, Here
  am I. And he said, I am God, the God of thy
  father
• fear not to go down into Egypt for I will there
  make of thee a great nation I will go down with
  thee into Egypt and I will also surely bring
  thee up again

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Questions

• The story of Joseph is inspiring. How is it also
  symbolic?
• Even though he was a slave, what was his
  responsibility to his family?
• to the Egyptians?

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Hugh B. Brown

• Reads from a letter written by an army nurse in
  the last World War from Africa to her parents
• It is Sunday morning, and I know you are in
  church. That fact, almost as sure as sunrise and
  springtime, is one of the chief sources of
  whatever courage I may have. It is not just that
  I know you are sitting in a certain building at a
  certain hour of the week, but that from my
  earliest childhood everything you did and
  encouraged me to do harmonized with, and somehow
  stood behind, your going to church.
• "Your church attendance was not just a gesture
  lightly made, nor duty grimly performed. It was
  vital and real, the open avowal of your most
  cherished convictions,
• "I can see the picture now-you two and us
  children, the light coming in through the
  windows, the music, the quiet peace, that is what
  I mean when I say it is the source of whatever
  courage I find at my command now under these
  conditions. That courage you built up within me
  because I learned from you and your daily
  experience that God is good that right prevails
  even in present circumstances, even though
  present circumstances indicate the opposite. And
  oh, how I need that courage
• Such faith will enable you to maintain your
  virtue as did Joseph. He endured calumny and
  imprisonment, but because of his faith and virtue
  he became the virtual ruler of Egypt and the
  savior of his father's household.

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The Moment of truth- 20 years later

• 1 Then Joseph could not refrain himself before
  all them that stood by him
• 2 And he wept aloud and the Egyptians and the
  house of Pharaoh heard.
• 3 And Joseph said unto his brethren, I am Joseph
  doth my father yet live?
• And his brethren could not answer him for they
  were troubled at his presence.
• 4 And Joseph said unto his brethren I am Joseph
  your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt.
• 5 Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with
  yourselves, that ye sold me hither for God did
  send me before you to preserve life.

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Smoot Hearings1903-1907

• Church was clearly on Trial in the US Senate
• Joseph F. Smith was called to testify
• President Smith became the focus of jokes and
  ridicule in the United States and England.

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New York Magazine
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The Conclusion?

• Senator Penrose
• "I don't see why we can't get along just as well
  with a polygamist who doesn't polyg as we do with
  a lot of monogamists who don't monog."

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President SmithOctober Conference, 1907

• I feel in my heart to forgive all men in
  the broad sense that God requires of me to
  forgive all men, to this extent I bear no
  malice toward any of the children of my
  Father.
• But there are enemies of the work of the
  Lord, as there were enemies to the Son of God.
  There are those who speak only evil of the
  Latter-day Saints.
• There are those and they abound largely in our
  midst, who will shut their eyes to every virtue
  and to every good thing connected with this
  latter-day work, and will pour out floods of
  falsehood and misrepresentation against the
  people of God.
• I forgive them for this."

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DC 583,4

• Ye cannot behold with your natural eyes, for the
  present time, the design of your God concerning
  those things which shall come hereafter, and the
  glory which shall follow after much tribulation.
• For after much tribulation come the blessings.
  Wherefore the day cometh that ye shall be crowned
  with much glory the hour is not yet, but is nigh
  at hand.

Question What if this tribulation comes at the
hands of those we love or that we thought loved
us?
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From Emma Smiths Hymnbook

• 1. When Joseph his brethren beheld,
• Afflicted and trembling with fear,
• His heart with compassion was fill'd,
• From weeping he could not forbear.
• 2. Awhile his behavior was rough,
• To bring their past sins to their mind
• But when they were humbled enough
• He hasten'd to show himself kind.
• 3. How little they thought it was he
• Whom they had ill-treated and sold!
• How great their confusion must be,
• As soon as his name he had told!

• 4. "I am Joseph, your brother," he said,
• "And still to my heart you are dear
• You sold me, and thought I was dead,
• But God, for your sakes, sent me here."
• 5. Though greatly distressed before,
• When charg'd with purloining the cup,
• They now were confounded much more,
• Not one of them durst to look up.
• 6. "Can Joseph, whom we would have slain
• Forgive us the evil we did?
• And will he our households maintain?
• O, this is a brother indeed!"