Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Meetings for the Atherton Ward are held at 6500 E. Atherton St., Long Beach. A sacrament service is held every Sunday at 9 a.m. This is followed in the second hour by Sunday School on the first and third Sundays; Relief Society and Elders Quorum meetings on the second and fourth Sundays. Primary classes for children are held every Sunday during the second hour. Members who are unable to attend the sacrament service in person can request a link from Bishop Jonathan Brimley at (562) 716-8309. The course of study is the Old Testament; personal reading should be those chapters not covered in the study. The reading for the week of May 30-June 5 is the book of Judges chapters 2-4; 6-8; 13-16.

The scriptures testify of Jesus Christ. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints invites believers to ponder how the stories in Judges can help them come closer to God.

Everyone knows what it is like to make a mistake, feel bad about it, and then ask for forgiveness. Time passes by, and most people will forget the earlier resolve and face temptation again, often making the same mistakes. This tragic pattern is typical of the experiences of the Israelites, as described in the Book of Judges. The Israelites would turn away from the laws of God and follow after the gods of the Canaanites. Then, they would soon find themselves in captivity. Through prayer and repentance, God sent military leaders called judges to lead the Israelites back to their covenants with him.