Elders Quorum
Teachings of presidents of the church:Joseph fielding Smith chapter 22
Prayer
Page 94 of Preach My Gospel
“Use the language of prayer, which shows that you love and respect your Heavenly Father. Use proper and respectful language in whatever language you speak. For example, in English use scriptural pronouns such as Thee, Thou, Thy, and Thine.”
We need to be specific in our prayers because we need to put effort and tune into it, not because heavenly Father doesn't know what we want and need.
Sometimes while we talk it out in prayer we figure it out or get inspiration about the answer. Sometimes just taking the time gives us a chance to hear instead of just bopping through our prayer in a few seconds.
Taking the time to pray thoroughly can also give us the opportunity to take a moment to align our will to father's.
"I wonder if we ever stop to think why the Lord has asked us to pray. Did he ask us to pray because he wants us to bow down and worship him? Is that the main reason? I don’t think it is. He is our Heavenly Father, and we have been commanded to worship him and pray to him in the name of his Beloved Son, Jesus Christ. But the Lord can get along without our prayers. His work will go on just the same, whether we pray or whether we do not. … Prayer is something that we need, not that the Lord needs. He knows just how to conduct his affairs and how to take care of them without any help from us. Our prayers are not for the purpose of telling him how to run his business. If we have any such idea as that, then of course we have the wrong idea. Our prayers are uttered more for our sakes, to build us up and give us strength and courage, and to increase our faith in him." - From the manual
"We should not pray merely with our lips; but in every act, in our conversation, in all that we undertake to do, we should try to carry out the expressions of our prayers, and be in harmony with the thoughts that we declare to the Lord in our daily supplications."- From the manual
Do our actions match what we pray for? Do we ask to overcome temptation, but in our daily lives walk near those temptations unnecessarily?
Does our language in our daily lives match the person we are when we pray?
"... consider your own prayers. Silently ponder this question: What people and matters should you include more often in your prayers?" - From the manual
Sunday School
My lesson on showing love to those you teach.
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What did you learn in your other class today? Do you have any questions about what you talked about in there? Any questions about things you have been studying on your own? Do you have a scripture that you would like to share that you came across in your personal scripture study?
How can I show love for those I teach?
We will all have to teach at some point whether it is a lesson in Sunday school, in a talk, or with someone we know who doesn't understand a something about the gospel that we can help with.
How did Jesus teach?
"Jesus Christ loved those He taught. He prayed for them and found opportunities to express His love. We can develop love for those we teach by praying for them and selflessly serving them." - From the lesson outline.
"How have you been influenced by a teacher who showed love to you?" - From the lesson outline.
"How can learning to love those we teach help us become better teachers?" - From the lesson outline.
Mosiah 28:1–3
1 Now it came to pass that after the sons of Mosiah had done all these things, they took a small number with them and returned to their father, the king, and desired of him that he would grant unto them that they might, with these whom they had selected, go up to the land of Nephi that they might preach the things which they had heard, and that they might impart the word of God to their brethren, the Lamanites
2 That perhaps they might bring them to the knowledge of the Lord their God, and convince them of the iniquity of their fathers; and that perhaps they might cure them of their hatred towards the Nephites, that they might also be brought to rejoice in the Lord their God, that they might become friendly to one another, and that there should be no more contentions in all the land which the Lord their God had given them.
3 Now they were desirous that salvation should be declared to every creature, for they could not bear that any human soul should perish; yea, even the very thoughts that any soul should endure endless torment did cause them to quake and tremble.
Why would they want to go serve among people that hated them? Do missionaries today ever have to serve among people that hate them?
Do we ever live or serve around people that are hostile to what we believe our what they think we believe?
"We should measure our success by the progress of those we teach, not by the excellence of our performance." (Teaching No Greater Call, Lesson 1)
"Love prompts us to prepare and teach differently. When we love those we teach, we pray for each of them. We do all we can to know their interests, achievements, needs, and concerns. " - From the lesson outline.
Being Prepared to Teach at All Times
As I was preparing this lesson I came across this story by President Monson that I thought was cool.
" I share another example of the value of learning the Articles of Faith. Forty-five years ago I worked with a man named Sharman Hummel in the printing business in Salt Lake City. I once gave him a ride home from work and asked him how he came to receive his testimony of the gospel.
"He responded, “It’s interesting, Tom, that you asked me that question, for this very week my wife, my children, and I are going to the Manti Temple, there to be sealed for all eternity.”
He continued his account: “We lived in the East. I was journeying by bus to San Francisco to establish myself in a new printing company, and then I was going to send for my wife and children. All the way from New York City to Salt Lake City the bus trip was uneventful. But in Salt Lake City a young girl entered the bus—a Primary girl—who sat next to me. She was going to Reno, Nevada, there to have a visit with her aunt. As we journeyed westward, "I noticed a billboard: ‘Visit the Mormon Sunday School this week.’
" “I said to the little girl, ‘I guess there are a lot of Mormons in Utah, aren’t there?’
"“She replied, ‘Yes, sir.’
"“Then I said to her, ‘Are you a Mormon?’
"“Again her reply: ‘Yes, sir.’”
"Sharman Hummell then asked, “What do Mormons believe?” And that little girl recited the first article of faith; then she talked about it. Continuing, she gave him the second article of faith and talked about it. Then she gave him the third and the fourth and the fifth and the sixth and all of the Articles of Faith and talked about all of them. She knew them consecutively.
"Sharman Hummel said, “When we got to Reno, and we let that little girl off into the arms of her aunt, I was profoundly impressed.”
He said, “All the way to San Francisco I thought, ‘What is it that prompts that little girl to know her doctrine so well?’ When I arrived in San Francisco, the very first thing I did,” said Sharman, “was to look through the yellow pages for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I called the mission president, and he sent two missionaries to where I was staying. I became a member of the Church, my wife became a member, all of our children became members, in part because a Primary girl knew her Articles of Faith.”"(President Thomas S Monson, Examines of Great Teachers, June 2007 Liahona)
Memorizing Scriptures
"Learning, pondering, searching, and memorizing scriptures is like filling a filing cabinet with friends, values, and truths that can be called upon anytime, anywhere in the world.
"Great power can come from memorizing scriptures. To memorize a scripture is to forge a new friendship. It is like discovering a new individual who can help in time of need, give inspiration and comfort, and be a source of motivation for needed change. " (Elder Richard G Scott, The Power of Scripture, October 2011 General Conference)
Moroni 7:45
45 And charity suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
What does Moroni 7:45 have to do with teaching others?
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Sacrament Service
1 Nephi 21:16
16 Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.
"Now, lest anyone go looking for hardship and suffering, that is not what is taught. Rather, it is the attitude with which we approach our hardships and trials that allows us to know the Savior better. Experience teaches us that suffering is one of life’s experiences that will come without seeking it."(Keith R Edwards , OCTOBER 2006 General Conference, THAT THEY MIGHT KNOW THEE)
2 Nephi 25:26
26 And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins.
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- Schedule regular visits to the temple.
- Leave sufficient time to be unhurried within the temple walls.
- Rotate activities so that you can participate in all of the ordinances of the temple.
- Remove your watch when you enter a house of the Lord.
“ (Elder Richard G Scott, APRIL 2009 General Conference,TEMPLE WORSHIP: THE SOURCE OF STRENGTH AND POWER IN TIMES OF NEED)
“There has been a renewed emphasis on family history and temple work from the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve.13 Your response to this emphasis will increase your individual and family joy and happiness.
“From the Doctrine and Covenants we read: ‘The great day of the Lord is at hand. … Let us, therefore, as a church and a people, and as Latter-day Saints, offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness; and let us present in his holy temple, … a book containing the records of our dead, which shall be worthy of all acceptation.’14”
“Family history is more than genealogy, rules, names, dates, and places. It is more than a focus on the past. Family history also includes the present as we create our own history. It includes the future as we shape future history through our descendants.” (Elder Allan F Packer, OCTOBER 2014 General Conference,THE BOOK)
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