Sacrament Meeting
One of the primary children turn 12, graduated from primary, received the Aaronic priesthood, and became a Deacon.
My wife spoke and here is her talk with source citations added by myself:
Start of my wife's talk -
President Heber J.Grant declared: "It is our duty to teach our children in their youth...I may know that the gospel is true, and so may my wife, but I want to tell you that our children will not know that the gospel is true, unless they study it and gain a testimony for themselves." (Quoted in conference by President Thomas S. Monson, "If Ye Are Prepared Ye Shall Not Fear," Ensign, November 2004, 115 (Text, Audio))
Margaret S. Lifferth, First Counselor in the Primary General Presidency stated in the
October 2006 General Conference (Text, Audio), "Children are open to gospel truths more
than at any other time, and protected childhood is literally a one-in-a-lifetime
opportunity to teach and strengthen children to choose the right. It's easy to know
what to teach. The scriptures and our prophets are clear about what to teach our
children. Nephi summarizes in 2 Nephi 25:26.
"Knowing that we teach of Christ and His gospel, how do we do it? Begin by following
the counsel of our prophets and making time in our homes for family prayer, scripture
study, and family home evening. Have we heard that counsel so often that it seems too
simple? Or are we so busy that adding one more thing feels too complex? I testify that
even when our family worship seems less than effective, obedience alone invites the
blessing of the Lord.
"In fact personal obedience and example in every part of our lives are the ultimate
gospel lesson for children. So study, learn, and apply the gospel. We cannot teach
principle that we do not know and that we do not live who we are and what is in our
heart ae discerned by children more quickly than we think."
President James E. Faust said in the April 2003 General Conference, "Who are good
parents? They are those who have lovingly, prayerfully, and earnestly tried to teach
their children by example. In D&C 68:28 it states, 'Successful parents are those who
have sacrificed and struggle struggles to do the best they can in their own family
circumstances.'" ("Dear Are the Sheep That Have Wandered," Ensign, May 2003, 61 Text,
Audio)
Megan Northrup, Research Assistant, School of Family Life, Brigham Young University (as
found at
http://foreverfamilies.net/xml/articles/parents_first_teachers.aspx?&publication=lds)
wrote, "The scriptures tell us to teach our children in the spirit of love. Christ
himself declared, 'Whoso shall offend one of these little ones. . . it were better for
him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth
of the sea' (Matthew 18:6). Paul wrote to the Ephesians: 'And ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord' (Ephesians 6:4). Remember the ancient proverb, 'a soft answer turneth away wrath' (Proverbs 15:1)."
President Faust stated in the talk referenced previously, "An important element of
doing the best we can as parents is to provide loving but firm discipline. If we do not
discipline our children, society may do it in a way that is not to our liking or our
children’s. Part of disciplining children is to teach them to work. President Gordon B.
Hinckley has said: 'One of the greatest values . . . is the virtue of honest work.
Knowledge without labor is profitless. Knowledge with labor is genius.'
"Satan’s pervasive snares are increasing, and raising children is becoming harder
because of this. Therefore, parents need to do the very best they can and to enlist the
help that Church service and activity can provide. If parents misbehave and stray even
temporarily, some of their children may be prone to take license from that example."
"We learn much of parenting from our own parents. My love for my father deepened
profoundly when he was kind, patient, and understanding. When I damaged the family car,
he was gentle and forgiving. But his sons could expect strong discipline if there was
any shading of the truth or continued breaking of the rules, particularly showing
disrespect for our mother. My father has been gone for almost half a century, but I
still sorely miss being able to go to him for wise and loving counsel. I admit I
questioned his counsel at times, but I could never question his love for me. I never
wanted to disappoint him."
In preparing for my sharing time I came across this story (Editor's note: talk was
paraphased when the talk was given due to time constraints, but has been included here
in it's entirety).
What Have You Done with My Name?
(George Albert Smith)
"A number of years ago I was seriously ill. In fact, I think everyone gave me up but my
wife. With my family I went to St. George, Utah, to see if it would improve my health.
We went as faras we could by train, and then continued the journey in a wagon, in the
bottom of which a bed hadbeen made for me.
"In St. George we arranged for a tent for my health and comfort, with a built-in floor
raisedabout a foot above the ground, and we could roll up the south side of the tent to
make the sunshineand fresh air available. I became so weak as to be scarcely able to
move. It was a slow andexhausting effort for me even to turn over in bed.
"One day, under these conditions, I lost consciousness of my surroundings and thought I
had passed to the Other Side. I found myself standing with my back to a large and
beautiful lake,facing a great forest of trees. There was no one in sight, and there was
no boat upon the lake or any other visible means to indicate how I might have arrived
there. I realized, or seemed to realize, that I had finished my work in mortality and
had gone home. I began to look around, to see if I could not find someone. There was no
evidence of anyone living there, just those great,beautiful trees in front of me and
the wonderful lake behind me.
"I began to explore, and soon I found a trail through the woods which seemed to have
been used very little, and which was almost obscured by grass. I followed this trail,
and after I had walked for some time and had traveled a considerable distance through
the forest, I saw a man coming towards me. I became aware that he was a very large man,
and I hurried my steps to reach him,because I recognized him as my grandfather [George
A. Smith]. In mortality he weighed over three hundred pounds, so you may know he was a
large man. I remember how happy I was to see him coming. I had been given his name and
had always been proud of it.
"When Grandfather came within a few feet of me, he stopped. His stopping was an
invitation for meto stop. Then . . . he looked at me very earnestly and said: 'I would like to know what you have done with my name.'
"Everything I had ever done passed before me as though it were a flying picture on a
screen---everything I had done. Quickly this vivid retrospect came down to the very
time I was standing there.My whole life had passed before me. I smiled and looked at my
grandfather and said: 'I have never done anything with your name of which you need be ashamed.'
"He stepped forward and took me in his arms, and as he did so, I became conscious again
of my earthly surroundings. My pillow was as wet as though water had been poured on
it---wet with tears of gratitude that I could answer unashamed.
"I have thought of this many times, and I want to tell you that I have been trying,
more than ever since that time, to take care of that name. So I want to say . . . :
Honor your fathers and your mothers. Honor the names that you bear, because some day
you will have the privilege and the obligation of reporting to them (and to your Father
in heaven) what you have done with their name."
More of the article by Megan Northrup follows: "The Family: A Proclamation to the World states that 'parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness . . . to teach them to love and serve one another, to observe the commandments of God and to be law-abiding citizens wherever they live'"
"Teaching children is often not easy. For some parents it is the the greatest challenge
of their lives. But it is not without rewards. President James E. Faust (1990) said,
"While few human challenges are greater than that of being good parents, few
opportunities offer greater potential for joy. Surely no more important work is to be
done in this world than preparing our children to be God-fearing, happy, honorable, and
productive."
"...John the Beloved wrote that we will have no greater joy in this life than to see
our children walk in righteousness, as we have taught them."
"Elder Dallin H. Oaks (1999) said: "In the Lord's great plan of salvation there are no
more important teachers than parents, who teach their children constantly by example
and by precept" (p. 78)." (Text, Audio)
"Do your part to build a happy home. Be cheerful, helpful, and considerate of others.
Many problems in the home are created because family members speak and act selfishly or
unkindly." "Remember that the family is the most sacred unit of the Church."(For the Strength of Youth p 10-11)
In Enos 1:13, Enos is remembering the words of his father. "Behold, I went to hunt
beasts in the forests; and the words which I had often heard my father speak concerning
eternal life, and the joy of the saints, sunk deep into my heart. "
And in Alma Helaman talks about the 2,000 stripling warriors. These young me who were
going to war for the first time. Alma 56:47-48 reads, "47 Now they never had fought,
yet they did not fear death; and they did think more upon the liberty of their
fathers than they did upon their lives; yea, they had been taught by their mothers,
that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them. 48 And they rehearsed unto me the
words of their mothers, saying: We do not doubt our mothers knew it." What examples
these women must have been to their children.
"Elder Boyd K. Packer (2000) reminded us that all who consider themselves followers of
Christ are commanded to be "even as he is" (1 John 3:7), and He was a teacher of
children." (Megan Northrup)
"Paul prophesied of wicked and corrupt forces that would lead the children of men away
from the gospel. He prophesied that 'in the last days perilous times shall come' (2
Timothy 3:1) and that 'evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and
being deceived' (2 Timothy 3:13). Fortunately, as Elder Boyd K. Packer (2000) taught,
we can be safe. Our safety is in teaching the children, by example and by
precept."(Megan Northrup)
-End of my wife's talk
The choir sang.
One of the high councilmen spoke. He shared with us the parable of the iceberg. He talked of how someone notice the intense wind that were blowing on this iceberg. The observer noted that with the surface area of the iceberg the wind should be pushing it all around. Someone then told him that the amount of ice that was under the water and untouched by the wind was much larger than that the wind was pushing on. Thus the currents moved the iceberg and not the wind.
The currents that flow in our families are stronger than the winds of the adversary that blows on the individuals. Of course if those currents are rough and pushing in the wrong direction that is going to quickly lead the members of the family into dangerous waters.
Sunday School
Atonement = garden + cross.
The diciples sleeping.
Why were Peter, James, and John there? They were the head of the Church after Christ died. Was there something they were supposed to learn? What responsibilities or learning experiences are we sleeping through? Some would argue that staying awake was such a simple thing, so to take it a step farther, what simple responsibilities are we sleeping through?
Jesus went and started his prayer three times in the same way, asking if the responsibility of the atonement could be removed from him, but either way he stated that he would do the will of the Father.
Priesthood Meeting
Spencer W. Kimball manual chapter 13 - Obedience
"True Faith motivates us to do the will of God."
"Obedience based on faith is not blind obedience."
"Is it blind obedience when one regards the sign 'High Voltage --Keep Away' or is it the obedience of faith in the judgment of experts who know the hazard?"
What happened with you this week at church?
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