Lesson was based on Elder Henry B. Eyring’s conference talk Serve with the Spirit.
3 things we promise at sacrament in order to have the spirit with us- Take his name
- Keep commandments
- Always remember him
Pride keeps the spirit from dwelling with us. It can cause us to take it a step farther and separate us from each other. Many times people get offended by people at church. We either withhold fellowship from those people or we stop coming to church and withhold fellowship from ourselves when we get in that state of offense.
We should think about what a person has said that hits us wrong and see if there is anything we can change about ourselves. If there is then make the change and if not discard it and forget being offended.
Become familiar with common phrases in the scriptures and why they are perhaps significant.
Malachi 3:8
8 ¶aWill a man brob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In ctithes and offerings.
There are many that would discount the Old Testament because they have the New Testament and Jesus fulfilled the law of Moses. Yet we have all of these Old Testament figures being critical in the last days.- Moses - Appeared to Joseph Smith and restored the authority to gather Israel.
- Elijah - Appeared to Joseph Smith and restored the authority to seal families forever.
- Malachi - Propheised about Elijah’s return and also the importance of paying tithes and offerings in the last days.
- Gabriel/Noah - Announced the birth of the savior to Mary.
- Isaiah - Received and shared many prophecies about the Messiah.
- Adam - Daniel 7:22 Until the aAncient of days came, and bjudgment was given to the csaints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom.
It is said that there is no instruction manual for being a parent. This is untrue. There is much given to us by God on how to be parents and how to live life to the fullest.
From the Bulletin
"President Benson has frequently reminded us of the Prophet Joseph Smith's declaration that the Book of Mormon is "the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, then by any other book" (History of the Church, 4:461). In a landmark address during the first year of his service as President of the Church, President Benson explained these two ways in which the Book of Mormon is the keystone of our religion. "The Book of Mormon is the keystone in our witness of Jesus Christ, who is Himself the cornerstone of everything we do... Its testimony of the Master is clear undiluted, and full of power....
In addition, President Benson has often reminded us of the Lord's declarations through the Prophet Joseph Smith that the Book of Mormon is "the most correct of any book on earth" (History of the Church, 4:461) and that it "contains.... The fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ" (D&C 20:9). This does not mean that the Book of Mormon contains a full explanation of every principle of the gospel. What it means, President Benson has explained, is that "in the Book of Mormon we will find the fullness of those doctrines required for our salvation"(Ensign, Nov 1986,p.6). Most significantly, he notes, "It also provides the most complete explanation of the doctrine of the Atonement" (ibid.,p.5). Elder Dallin H. Oaks.
John 6:66-69
66 From that time many of his adisciples went back, and bwalked no more with him.
67 Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?
68 Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the awords of eternal life.
69 And awe believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the bSon of the living God.
Sabbath Day
Sabbath means rest. Rest does not mean recreation. Rest sometimes means do something different.
It is often said that "still waters run deep" to refer to someone who generally quiet, but when they do speak they have profound things to say. It could also be aptly applied to the sabbath. We hussle and bussle during the week and even though on Sunday, there is still much work to do, it can be deeper based on ceasing other activities that cause noise in our lives during the rest of the week. Rapids are generally fairly shallow. The waters that are deep and full of life are generally more still.
Rest prepares us and the sabbath is a time to prepare spiritually.
Some find finding sabbath worthy activities difficult. Just like finding things we are grateful for when we are grieving can be done, you find what you sincerely look for.
Cyrus is mentioned by name in Isaiah 150 years before Cyrus was born.
It should be noted that Isaiah was talking about the king of Persia and not Miley or Billy Ray.
Joshua through Ester is the history or the Old Testament.
The Lord works with the governments of countries to get his work accomplished even today.
The people became lax in rebuilding the temple and the prophets have to tell them to get moving again. Surely they already had scriptures and rabbis and pastors to tell them the importance of the temple and the importance of doing their duty, but it was still necessary to have a prophet reiterate to them their duty at that moment.
Nehemiah 6:2-3
2 That Sanballat and Geshem sent unto me, saying, Come, let us meet together in some one of the villages in the plain of Ono. But they thought to do me mischief.
3 And I sent messengers unto them, saying, I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you?
The church has a public relations department to not distract the Church from the work when critics attack the church in general.
I have seen a couple of places where church leaders have made a statement similar to this, “This is not 1830 and there are not six of us.” I have include two such quotes below.
“And yet this isn’t 1830, and there aren’t just six of us anymore. Could part of the defensiveness that others sometimes see in us suggest that we still expect to be treated as a disliked minority, forced to flee to the West? In our interactions with others, are we expecting always to have to defend ourselves? If so, I think we need to make a course correction. Constantly anticipating criticism or objections can lead to an unhealthy self-consciousness and a defensive posture that doesn’t resonate well with others. It is inconsistent with where we are today as a church and as a great body of followers of Jesus Christ.” (Elder Russell M. Ballard, “Sharing the Gospel with Confidence”, Ensign July 2010, From a commencement address delivered at Brigham Young University on August 13, 2009.)
“When I was young and very new in my calling, I was sent east to meet with powerful, prominent officials who were blocking our work. As I left for the airport, I stopped to see President Harold B. Lee and asked,
“‘Do you have any parting counsel?’
“‘Yes,’ he said, ‘just remember this isn't 1830, and there aren't just six of us.’
“That erased fear. I pled our cause. The problem was resolved.” (President Boyd K. Packer, “The Standard of Truth Has Been Erected”, October 2003 General Conference)
“There would be no Christmas if there had not been Easter. The babe Jesus of Bethlehem would be but another baby without the redeeming Christ of Gethsemane and Calvary, and the triumphant fact of the Resurrection.” (Gordon B. Hinckley, “The Wondrous and True Story of Christmas”, Ensign, Dec. 2000, 5.)
From the Bulletin
Luke 2:11
11 For unto you is aborn this day in the city of David a bSaviour, which is Christ the cLord.
Sacrament
Why did Christ introduce the sacrament? To help us remember.
Luke 22:19-20
19 And he took abread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my bbody which is cgiven for you: this do in dremembrance of me.
20 Likewise also the acup after supper, saying, This cup is the new btestament in my blood, which is shed for you.
3 Nephi 18:4-9
4 And when they had eaten and were filled, he commanded that they should give unto the multitude.
5 And when the multitude had eaten and were filled, he said unto the disciples: Behold there shall one be aordained among you, and to him will I give power that he shall bbreak cbread and bless it and give it unto the people of my dchurch, unto all those who shall believe and be baptized in my name.
6 And this shall ye always observe to ado, even as I have done, even as I have broken bread and blessed it and given it unto you.
7 And this shall ye do in aremembrance of my bbody, which I have shown unto you. And it shall be a testimony unto the Father that ye do always remember me. And if ye do always remember me ye shall have my Spirit to be with you.
8 And it came to pass that when he said these words, he commanded his disciples that they should take of the awine of the cup and drink of it, and that they should also give unto the multitude that they might drink of it.
9 And it came to pass that they did so, and did drink of it and were filled; and they gave unto the multitude, and they did drink, and they were filled.
They were filled. This does not mean that they passed around tons of bread and wine and they all chowed down and got full. After taking the bread they were filled and they were filled again when they took the wine. What they were filled with was the spirit. There is nothing magical about the bread and the water that will automatically
give us the spirit. We have we to partake of that spirit and not just passively eat a piece of bread and an ounce of water. If our head and heart isn't in the game we won't get anything out of it.
When we partake of the bread the sacrament prayer say that we are witnessing that we willing to take upon us the name of the Son
Doctrine and Covenants 27:2-3
2 For, behold, I say unto you, that it mattereth not what ye shall aeat or what ye shall drink when ye partake of the sacrament, if it so be that ye do it with an eye single to my bglory—cremembering unto the Father my dbody which was laid down for you, and my eblood which was shed for the fremission of your sins.
3 Wherefore, a commandment I give unto you, that you shall not purchase awine neither strong drink of your enemies;
Daniel 2:19-23
19 Then was the asecret revealed unto Daniel in a night bvision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven.
20 Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for awisdom and might are his:
21 And he changeth the atimes and the bseasons: he cremovethkings, and setteth up kings: he giveth dwisdom unto the wise, and eknowledge to them that know understanding:
22 He arevealeth the deep and secret things: he bknoweth what isin the darkness, and the clight dwelleth with him.
23 I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou God of my fathers, who hast given me wisdom and might, and hast made known unto me now what we desired of thee: for thou hast now made known unto us the king’s matter.
Immediately after receiving what the kings dream was and the interpretation thereof Daniel gave thanks to God.
When we teach people to pray we teach them the first thing they do after addressing father in heaven is to give gratitude.
Gratitude is more than being thankful.
Babylon to Cyrus of Persia to Philip and Alexander the great to the roman empire to the European kingdoms are the kingdoms symbolized in the kings dream.
Missionary that just returned from the Chile Santiago East Mission spoke to us.
Isaiah 41:10
10 aFear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.
From the Bulletin
"To follow Christ is to become more like Him. It is to learn from His character. As spirit children of our Heavenly Father, we do have the potential to incorporate Christlike attributes into our life and character. The Savior invites us to learn His gospel by living His teachings. To follow Him is to apply correct principles and then witness for ourselves the blessings that follow. This process is very complex and very simple at the same time. Ancient and modern prophets described it with three words: "Keep the commandments"—nothing more, nothing less. Developing Christlike attributes in our lives is not an easy task, especially when we move away from generalities and abstractions and begin to deal with real life. The test comes in practicing what we proclaim. The reality check comes when Christlike attributes need to become visible in our lives—as husband or wife, as father or mother, as son or daughter, in our friendships, in our employment, in our business, and in our recreation. We can recognize our growth, as can those around us, as we gradually increase our capacity to "act in all holiness before [Him]" (D&C 43:9).
Developing Christlike attributes can be a painful process. We need to be ready to accept direction and correction from the Lord and His servants.
By becoming more like the Savior, we will grow in our ability to "abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost" (Rom. 15:13). We will "lay aside the things of this world, and seek for the things of a better" (D&C 25:10). President Dieter F. Uchtdorf
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf Seeing Christmas through New Eyes
“May I suggest three things we may want to study, ponder, and apply in this season of preparation.”
1. The birth of our savior.
2. His influence in our lives today.
3. Look steadfastly for his coming.
“The Grinch saw the good in Christmas when he learned to look past its worldly trappings”
President Henry B. Eyring, The Gift of a Savior
Isaiah 53:5
5 But he was awounded for our btransgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his cstripes we are dhealed.
“The great Apostle John gives us a sense of the greatness of this child in the courts on high, from which He came: ‘Without him was not any thing made that was made.’(John 1:3) Yet He came to earth in humble circumstances.”
President Thomas S. Monson, A Bright Shining Star
“Let it be a time that lights the eyes of children...and a closeness to those that are absent”
