Elders Quorum
I gave the lesson today. It was based on Elder Quentin L Cook’s April 2013 General Conference talk, Personal Peace: The Reward of Righteousness
"I met with thousands of faithful members of the Church in the Ivory Coast city of Abidjan. This French-speaking, West-African country has endured economic hardship, a military coup, and two recent civil wars concluding in 2011. Yet I felt a special peace in their presence."
“There never can come to the world that spirit of peace and love … until mankind will receive God’s truth and God’s message … , and acknowledge his power and authority which is divine.” (President Joseph F Smith, Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph F. Smith (1998), 400)
Speaking of the events of September 11, 2001:
“Confused about what they had witnessed and concerned about further attacks, they made their way to a safer area and then to the Manhattan stake Church building at Lincoln Center. When they arrived, they found that dozens of other members in lower Manhattan had made the same decision to gather at the stake center.”
Doctrine and Covenants 118:6
6 And that the gathering together upon the land of Zion, and upon her stakes, may be for a defense, and for a refuge from the storm, and from wrath when it shall be poured out without mixture upon the whole earth.
“In contemplating these events, I have been impressed with the doctrinal difference between universal or world peace and personal peace.”
My Thoughts
{
We can have peace even if those around us exercise their agency poorly and remove peace from around us.
}
"Agency is essential to the plan of happiness. It allows for the love, sacrifice, personal growth, and experience necessary for our eternal progression. This agency also allows for all the pain and suffering we experience in mortality, even when caused by things we do not understand and the devastating evil choices of others"
“Remember, ‘God is not the author of confusion, but [the author] of peace.’20 For those who reject God, there is no peace.. “
“The Church is a refuge where followers of Christ attain peace. Some young people in the world say they are spiritual but not religious. Feeling spiritual is a good first step. However, it is in the Church that we are fellowshipped, taught, and nourished by the good word of God. More importantly, it is priesthood authority in the Church that provides for sacred ordinances and covenants that bind families together and qualify each of us to return to God the Father and Jesus Christ in the celestial kingdom. These ordinances bring peace because they are covenants with the Lord.”
Why do we justify what we allow in our homes and wonder why we don’t receive stronger revelation?
There have been many talks recently about obedience and receiving revelation because of it. It would appear that obedience, the spirit, and revelation appear to be tied to inner peace and security.
Why do we not do the things that can bring peace revelation or why do we do things that prevent peace and revelation from being more fully in our lives?
Why are our own agendas more important to us than what we know to be true?
Why do we justify what we allow in our homes and wonder why we don’t receive stronger revelation?
Sunday School
Lesson 23 - Doctrine and Covenants 88, 93
Doctrine and Covenants 93:36-40
36 The glory of God is intelligence, or, in other words, light and truth.
37 Light and truth forsake that evil one.
38 Every spirit of man was innocent in the beginning; and God having redeemed man from the fall, men became again, in their infant state, innocent before God.
39 And that wicked one cometh and taketh away light and truth, through disobedience, from the children of men, and because of the tradition of their fathers.
40 But I have commanded you to bring up your children in light and truth.
Doctrine and Covenants 88:118
118 And as all have not faith, seek ye diligently and teach one another words of wisdom; yea, seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom; seek learning, even by study and also by faith.
The school of the prophets might today in the church be things like the temple, seminary, institute, etc
Doctrine and Covenants 88:121
121 Therefore, cease from all your light speeches, from all laughter, from all your lustful desires, from all your pride and light-mindedness, and from all your wicked doings.
Doctrine and Covenants 88:122 - Everybody gets a turn
122 Appoint among yourselves a teacher, and let not all be spokesmen at once; but let one speak at a time and let all listen unto his sayings, that when all have spoken that all may be edified of all, and that every man may have an equal privilege.
Doctrine and Covenants 130:18-19
18 Whatever principle of intelligence we attain unto in this life, it will rise with us in the resurrection.
19 And if a person gains more knowledge and intelligence in this life through his diligence and obedience than another, he will have so much the advantage in the world to come.
Sacrament Service
A couple of young women and a leader spoke about the trek they went on, hiking 21 miles over three days.
The pioneers did about 21 miles every day.
No comments:
Post a Comment