A Christmas greeting from the BYU 49th Branch elders quorum presidency, written in Provo, Utah, in December 1972, just a week or so after I had married Claudia Lange in the Provo Utah Temple. I was serving as elders quorum president, and my two counselors were Wes Zmoleck and Val C. Sheffield. A couple months later—on Sunday, March 25, 1973—I was called to serve as a counselor to Gene Dalton in the presidency of the BYU 11th Branch and consequently was released as elders quorum president in the 49th Branch. Both branches were a part of the BYU First Stake.
The Christmas season is here again. We pause in thankful reflection as we look back over the closing year and especially this past semester. Hopefully it has been a growing time for all of us.
We extend to each of you our warmest thanks for your support and fellowship thus far. For the most of you who will be returning next semester, we are anxious to continue serving among you. And we offer a special hand of friendship to the prospective elders who are now a part of our quorum.
The Christmas season is an appropriate time to let you know that we know of the divinity of this latter-day work. God lives. And His greatest gift to us was that of His beloved Son—whose birth we now celebrate—that we all may partake of eternal life by obedience to His gospel. We rejoice in the great advancements of the kingdom of God as restored by the Prophet Joseph and now administered by our own beloved prophet-leader, Harold B. Lee. Our united testimony are that these things are true.
That God may bless you this holiday season—in your finals, in your travels, and in your associations with friends and family—is our Christmas wish for you.
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Volume 3 of the Family History Book, a book of remembrance of the Dean B and Claudia Cleverly family
Introduction
The Apostle Paul taught that "it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe" (1 Corinthians 1:21).
And in our day the Savior declared, "And let your preaching be the warning voice, every man to his neighbor, in mildness and in meekness" (D&C 38:41), and "it becometh every man who hath been warned to warn his neighbor" (D&C 88:81).
I have delivered a number of gospel sermons through the years as either a member or a leader in The Church of Jesus Christ as Latter-day Saints. I have also spoken at the funerals of many family members and, during the years I served as bishop, at the funerals of many ward members.
Most of the time I have not spoken from prepared texts, so I have not kept a record of such sermons, unless I reconstructed them after the fact or unless they happened to be recorded on audiotape at the time I spoke. This is a collection of sermons that I do have some written record of.
In addition to the spoken sermons, I also had opportunity in some of these ecclesaistical callings (as an elders quorum president and branch presidency counselor in the 1970s, bishopric counselor in the 1980s, and bishop in the late 1990s and early 2000s) to write inspirational messages to those I was responsible for. These pastoral messages (or mini-sermons, as it were) appear as the first 33 offerings in this collection.
Also included in this collection are some talks given by my wife and children.
And in our day the Savior declared, "And let your preaching be the warning voice, every man to his neighbor, in mildness and in meekness" (D&C 38:41), and "it becometh every man who hath been warned to warn his neighbor" (D&C 88:81).
I have delivered a number of gospel sermons through the years as either a member or a leader in The Church of Jesus Christ as Latter-day Saints. I have also spoken at the funerals of many family members and, during the years I served as bishop, at the funerals of many ward members.
Most of the time I have not spoken from prepared texts, so I have not kept a record of such sermons, unless I reconstructed them after the fact or unless they happened to be recorded on audiotape at the time I spoke. This is a collection of sermons that I do have some written record of.
In addition to the spoken sermons, I also had opportunity in some of these ecclesaistical callings (as an elders quorum president and branch presidency counselor in the 1970s, bishopric counselor in the 1980s, and bishop in the late 1990s and early 2000s) to write inspirational messages to those I was responsible for. These pastoral messages (or mini-sermons, as it were) appear as the first 33 offerings in this collection.
Also included in this collection are some talks given by my wife and children.
Other volumes of our family history
Sermons in this volume
- 1968 (1)
- 1969 (2)
- 1970 (2)
- 1972 (1)
- 1974 (3)
- 1975 (5)
- 1976 (1)
- 1978 (1)
- 1981 (7)
- 1982 (5)
- 1984 (1)
- 1986 (5)
- 1987 (1)
- 1988 (3)
- 1989 (4)
- 1990 (3)
- 1992 (1)
- 1993 (2)
- 1994 (4)
- 1996 (4)
- 1997 (4)
- 1998 (5)
- 1999 (4)
- 2000 (4)
- 2001 (2)
- A funeral talk (5)
- A pastoral message (33)
- A primary talk (18)
- A radio talk (1)
- All things bear witness of God (2)
- America (2)
- An account of a talk (8)
- Angels and ministers of grace (3)
- Atonement (3)
- Baptism (3)
- Book of Mormon (5)
- By Anna (2)
- By Bishop Richard R. Clegg (1)
- By Bruce R. McConkie (1)
- By Camilla (3)
- By Claudia (2)
- By Dallin H. Oaks (1)
- By Eliza (2)
- By Mary (1)
- By Michael (4)
- By Rachael (3)
- By Rebecca (4)
- By Talmage (1)
- Change in leadership (5)
- Charity (2)
- Choices (1)
- Christmas (3)
- Constitution (1)
- Courage (1)
- Crucifixion (1)
- Daniel (1)
- David and Goliath (2)
- Death (11)
- Deliverance (3)
- Easter (1)
- Faith (12)
- Family (2)
- Fast offering (2)
- Fasting (2)
- Fellowship (2)
- First Vision (2)
- Forgiveness (1)
- General conference (2)
- Gratitude (6)
- Growth of Church (1)
- Happiness (1)
- Harvest (1)
- Helping others (8)
- Heritage (4)
- Holiness (2)
- Holy Ghost (3)
- Home (3)
- Honesty (1)
- Hymns (2)
- Jesus Christ (25)
- Joseph Smith (4)
- Life like school (5)
- Living the gospel at home (2)
- Looking for the good (1)
- Love of God (4)
- Miracles (2)
- Mission field (3)
- Missionaries (1)
- Missionary farewell (2)
- Missionary homecoming (2)
- Missionary work (5)
- Names (1)
- Obedience (4)
- Parental responsibilities (3)
- Pioneer sesquicentennial (3)
- Pioneers (1)
- Plan of salvation (1)
- Prayer (7)
- Preparation (2)
- Prophet (3)
- Purity (2)
- Purpose of life (7)
- Purpose of sacrament meeting (1)
- Redemption (2)
- Relief Society (1)
- Remembrance (10)
- Repentance (4)
- Restoration of priesthood (1)
- Resurrection (3)
- Revolutionary war (1)
- Sabbath (1)
- Sacrament (1)
- Samuel the Lamanite (1)
- Scripture study (7)
- Seasons (5)
- Seek the Spirit (1)
- Service (10)
- Springtime (1)
- Temple (3)
- Testimony (12)
- Thanksgiving (3)
- Tithing (1)
- Trials (5)
- Trust (1)
- Welfare (2)
Blog Archive
-
▼
2008
(75)
-
▼
April
(38)
- 38. Miracles
- 37. With the Hinckleys in Recife
- 36. With the Hinckleys in Rio de Janeiro
- 35. Seek the Spirit
- 34. Trust in the Lord
- 33. Our Ward's Fortieth Anniversary
- 32. Happiness, the Object of Our Existence
- 31. Glad Tidings of Great Joy
- 30. Remember Him and Keep His Commandments
- 29. Deliverance and Redemption
- 28. Come unto Christ or Perish
- 27. Devoting Our Best Efforts
- 26. Let Us Live the Gospel in Our Homes
- 25. Looking for the Good
- 24. That Ye May Not Remember Your Guilt
- 23. Confess His Hand in All Things
- 22. Bishopric Changes
- 21. All Things Bear Record
- 20. Springtime
- 19. The Only Day We Have Is Today
- 18. None Other Object
- 17. Remembering the Past
- 16. Put Our Trust in God
- 15. Faith in Every Footstep
- 14. A Thanksgiving Message
- 13. Our Earth Life Is a School
- 12. Each Life That Touches Ours for Good
- 11. Angels and Ministers of Grace
- 10. Searching the Scriptures
- 9. A Season of Thanksgiving
- 8. Keeping the Sabbath Day Holy
- 7. Exercising Our Faith and Prayers
- 6. Come Feast at the Table of the Lord
- 5. We Can't Do It Alone
- 4. The Lord's Way of Caring for the Poor
- 3. Are Our Testimonies Growing Thinner?
- 2. Are We on Spiritual Diets?
- 1. A Christmas Greeting
-
▼
April
(38)
About Me
- Deano
- I love the Lord Jesus Christ. I am grateful for my heritage as an American and a Latter-day Saint. I have lived with my wife, my best and dearest friend, for over 40 years. We have shared the adventure of 8 children and 28 grandchildren. In addition to time with my family, I love reading, writing, and taking a good road trip.
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