Sacrament Service
One of the talks was based on President Uchtdorf priesthood session talk from General Conference, Be Not Afraid, Only Believe
"Brethren, let me be clear: there is nothing noble or impressive about being cynical. Skepticism is easy—anyone can do it. It is the faithful life that requires moral strength, dedication, and courage. Those who hold fast to faith are far more impressive than those who give in to doubt when mysterious questions or concerns arise."
Another speaker spoke on Carol McConkie's conference talk, “Here to Serve a Righteous Cause”.
"The early Church leaders and pioneers of the past pressed forward with heroic courage and determined faithfulness to establish the restored gospel and build temples where ordinances of exaltation could be performed. The pioneers of the present, meaning you and me, also press forward in faith, ‘to labor in [the Lord’s] vineyard for the salvation of the souls of men.’(Doctrine and Covenants 138:56)"
The whole world was against her and her husband, but Emma Smith let strangers into their home. We must follow the spirit and in ways that it tells us to do good, even though things may be in turmoil in our lives.
Another speaker spoke on grace.
The word proffers is related to, but stronger than the word offer. It is like being offered in such a way that it is hard to deny.
Grace opens the windows of heaven.
"I marvel to think that the Son of God would condescend to save us, as imperfect, impure, mistake-prone, and ungrateful as we often are. I have tried to understand the Savior’s Atonement with my finite mind, and the only explanation I can come up with is this: God loves us deeply, perfectly, and everlastingly. I cannot even begin to estimate ‘the breadth, and length, and depth, and height … [of] the love of Christ.’7
A powerful expression of that love is what the scriptures often call the grace of God—the divine assistance and endowment of strength by which we grow from the flawed and limited beings we are now into exalted beings of ‘truth and light, until [we are] glorified in truth and [know] all things.’8" (President Dieter F Uchtdorf, The Gift of Grace, April 2015 General Conference)
Grace gets us from here to there. Through enabling our efforts to get as far as we can and also making up the difference where we fall short when we have given our all.
Grace is not about just about obtaining something, but is about becoming something.
Grace is like fuel in a car. We go as far as we can on the fuel we have and must constantly stop and obtain more grace. Grace is free, but we have to stop and get it.
Alma 48:17
17 Yea, verily, verily I say unto you, if all men had been, and were, and ever would be, like unto Moroni, behold, the very powers of hell would have been shaken forever; yea, the devil would never have power over the hearts of the children of men.
We may think we could never be like Moroni, but we can have Moroni moments. As we have more Moroni moments one day we will find we are closer to Moroni than we realize. The same is true for being beyond that which is being like the Savior. It is hard, but it is a step by step process, not all at once. We don't get there in a one time event.
"Whenever Church members speak of consecration, it should be done reverently while acknowledging that each of us ‘come[s] short of the glory of God,’ some of us far short (Rom. 3:23). Even the conscientious have not arrived, but they sense the shortfall and are genuinely striving. Consolingly, God’s grace flows not only to those ‘who love [Him] and keep all [His] commandments,’ but likewise to those ‘that [seek] so to do’ (D&C 46:9)." (Elder Neal A Maxwell, “Swallowed Up in the Will of the Father”, October 1995 General Conference)
"Again, my brothers and sisters, our Heavenly Father is aware of our needs and will help us as we call upon Him for assistance. I believe that no concern of ours is too small or insignificant. The Lord is in the details of our lives." (President Thomas S Monson, “Consider the Blessings”, October 2012 General Conference)
“Another element of God’s grace is the opening of the windows of heaven, through which God pours out blessings of power and strength, enabling us to achieve things that otherwise would be far beyond our reach. It is by God’s amazing grace that His children can overcome the undercurrents and quicksands of the deceiver, rise above sin, and ‘be perfect[ed] in Christ.’22”
“Before we were born, we accepted our Heavenly Father’s plan ‘by which [we] could obtain a physical body and gain earthly experience to progress toward perfection and ultimately realize [our] divine destiny as heirs of eternal life.’13 Of this premortal covenant, Elder John A. Widtsoe explained: ‘We agreed, right then and there, to be not only saviors for ourselves but … saviors for the whole human family. We went into a partnership with the Lord. The working out of the plan became then not merely the Father’s work, and the Savior’s work, but also our work. The least of us, the humblest, is in partnership with the Almighty in achieving the purpose of the eternal plan of salvation.’14”
Another speaker
Sometimes we feel like we can tackle huge things, but sometimes the most basic things are difficult for us to do.
Naman had leprosy and was willing to do some great thing, but dipping in the river tripped him up.
The speaker talked about president Uchtdorf's talk on simplicity.
There great power in thanking Heavenly Father for the people in our life.
Start where we are. Don't get locked up because we aren't at a place we think we should be at.
Sunday School
My lesson on How can I show love for those I teach?
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What have you learned this week in your gospel studies?
Do you have any questions that you feel comfortable asking?
I had a thought this morning, let's see how this goes. Who had been through a gay good drive through? Describe that process for me.
What would it be like if you rattled off your order, quickly closed the window and drive on to the next window. What if you ordered a cheeseburger with lettuce, tomato, and avocado, Spicey fries, and a lemonade and then get to the window and find out that cheese was a dollar more and lettuce and tomato were a dollar more and avocado was a dollar more and you didn't bring that much money. What if they were out of Spicey fries and just have you regular and would've order onion rings if you couldn't get Spicey fries?
The prices for everything were posted on the board at the ordering spot, but you didn't have time to read the board. The person on the microphone tried to tell you they were out of Spicey fries, but you didn't wait to hear if they had anything to tell you because you put in your order and were done.
Think about if you have every dealt with God that way. Have you ever not taken time to read the instructions he has given you and tales to him without giving him a chance to talk?
Any thoughts about this idea that you would like to share?
How can I show love for those I teach?
President Monson said,
"... we are all teachers in some respect, and we have a duty to teach to the best of our ability."
Dnc 88:77-78
77 And I give unto you a commandment that you shall teach one another the doctrine of the kingdom.
78 Teach ye diligently and my grace shall attend you, that you may be instructed more perfectly in theory, in principle, in doctrine, in the law of the gospel, in all things that pertain unto the kingdom of God, that are expedient for you to understand;
Thomas S. Monson, “Examples of Great Teachers,” Ensign, June 2007, 106–12; Liahona, June 2007, 74–80
President Monson shared a story :
"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.'"
What do you think about this story?
President Monson quoted Francis of Assisi,
"Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words."
Have any of you ever had anyone who it was hard to want share things about the gospel? Someone who perhaps behaves badly and you are just fed up with trying to get through to them that there is something better?
How do you deal with someone like that? How do you love them? How do you continue to teach them?
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.
The Lamanites hated the Nephites. Why would they want to go live among those people and try to teach them? Wouldn't that be a pain? Wouldn't that be a depressing struggle?
But the Lord was with them and they had success.
Most of our ways that we can teach and strengthen others are going to be much easier. They are going to be more about paying attention to what is happening around us and acting on what we see and as the spirit guides is on what to do.
Teaching Youth How to Lead in the Savior’s Way, October 2015 Ensign
Sister Carol F. McConkie
First Counselor in the Young Women General Presidency said,
"When I was 14, I met some young women who were excellent leaders. At that time, my family moved across the United States and became members of a new ward. I do not remember who served in the Mia Maid class presidency, but I clearly remember that the young women were particularly kind to me. They sincerely embraced a scared and scrawny new girl as a long-lost friend and made me feel welcome. Coming from Delaware, where I was the only Mormon girl in my junior high school and where the only other Mormon girl I knew lived an hour’s drive from my home, I thought, “This must be what heaven is like!”
For the first time in my life, I had a circle of friends who lived the standards in For the Strength of Youth, invited me to participate in activities, and shared their testimonies of the gospel with me. Their examples of loving-kindness did more to secure me to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at that time than any talk or lesson could have done. In their love and Christlike light, they were the message of the gospel of Christ, and they were the ones to lead and guide me into His fold."
Any thoughts on what sister McConkie shared?
Sometimes the place we will need to pay attention to what is happening and what the spirit tells us about what someone needs may be in our own home.
Maybe a sibling or parent is being grumpy and we might be tempted to be offended or let our feelings get hurt.
Is it hard to hear the spirit when our family members are in our space or being unkind?
How have you had success in not letting yourself react badly to grumpy family members and instead help bring them comfort and give them love?
Times like these are moments when you can teach with the savior's with our being preachy. How is this a time to teach and how do you do it without lecturing?
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Elders Quorum
Teaching of Presidents of the Church: Ezra Taft Benson - Chapter 19 - Leadership
What are qualities of good leaders?
Leading by example is very powerful. Just like in sharing the gospel, most times our example teaches more than our words or our nudging.
