Lesson for December 27, 2015

Lesson for December 27, 2015 Today our lesson was given by Maggie Kopp on the Atonement using two Conference talks: “Strengthened by the Atonement of Jesus Christ” by Elder Oaks and “He in Whom We Have Trusted” by Elder Haynie . She wanted to talk about the Christmas story and beyond. Alma 7:10-12 about the birth of Christ and His life as he takes upon him the pains and sicknesses of His people and death so he knows how to succor us. Elder Haynie told the story of when he was a child and they dug a hole in the field. They made it into a swimming hole and he was covered with mud. His grandmother would not let him in until he was hosed off from all the mud. It was warm in his house and he got dry, clean clothes. This story symbolizes how we get dirty from our sins and then repent and take advantage of the Atonement. No unclean thing can enter into the kingdom except those who have washed themselves in Christ’s blood. 3 Nephi 27:19 Elder Haynie talked about Alma 34:15-16 and how all who believe on Christ’s name will be able to take advantage of the Atonement and bring about the great and eternal plan of redemption. We strive to do good, but when we fall over and over again, we have a way back through our faith in the Atonement. We can make progress. Exercising faith was a point Elder Oaks emphasized. He said that the Atonement can help to bind up our wounds of physical illness, emotional wounds, disappointments, etc. Mortality can be unpleasant and tough. We can use the Atonement for all kinds of problems. Even death can be not as difficult to handle if we have an eternal perspective. As women we might wonder how Christ could understand us with our female problems, but somehow He does. Elder Oaks said Christ will succor His people in all things because he descended below all things, so he knows how to lift us and give us the strength to endure in all things—if we just ask. Heavenly Father will lift us. We need to stay positive and remember to ask. He can change our attitudes about things even if He doesn’t change our circumstances. He can take the pain and bitterness from us. We need to work with Him. We need to believe in the scriptures and exercise faith and invite the power of the Atonement into our lives and accept His will. Trusting God can give us peace and knowing that at some point He will make it right. Repentance helps us feel that something is happening. You get something back and you can go somewhere. Experiencing forgiveness is real and can feel concrete and real. The challenge is that if you are experiencing something where you need to ask, feel gratitude for the Atonement, and ask for forgiveness. Christ knows who we are and what we need and he will be there for us.

Lesson for December 13, 2015

Lesson for December 13, 2015 Today our lesson was given by Kristine Hansen on “A Christ-Centered Life.” She started by asking if anyone reread Joseph Smith’s account and one sister said he mentioned that he would be a great disturber of the devil. He also said his name would be had for good and evil. The Lord chose him because he could be trusted to stick with the truth of his story. There is no more thrilling challenge than to try to live according to Christ’s way. We are truly successful if our lives parallel the Savior’s. It’s comforting because it is something we all can do. We don’t need special talents or achievements to be like Christ. The only way to come back to the presence of the Father is through Christ. Jesus is the Way. The goal is to become perfected through Christ. We know this because of many things Christ has said. We need to trust in Him and hunger and thirst after righteousness. He would not give us that commandment if we could not do it. In 2 Peter 1:5-7 it says to use all diligence to add the qualities of Christ to our natures, one at a time in stair steps. If we have faith in Him, we’ll do what He says. In Young Women’s theme when they incorporated virtue it was difficult to explain the concept, but the leaders eventually said that all the other parts of the theme made up virtue. It is not just chastity, but it is conforming one’s life to moral principles. We should let all the beautiful and praiseworthy things fill our lives. So now we’ve moved from faith to virtue and the next one is knowledge. All true knowledge is valuable. If we have knowledge and test it, then we can add more knowledge. We must seek knowledge by faith. There is universal truth and if we know that, we can discern what is true in what we learn so we can judge what we should do. Knowledge can be the basis of revelation. Our Heavenly Father wants us to know what will save us, including secular knowledge. After knowledge we need to learn temperance, which means being restrained and moderate in all things, especially in controlling our appetites, desires, and emotions and how we spend our time. Even though some things have not been revealed yet, we can be temperate and be patient, the next step up. Patience is another form of self-control, which is being tolerant and waiting on the Lord for the answers, and replacing anger with something useful. The opposite would be a lack of faith. The next step is godliness, which is being more like God and possess His attributes. Then we would have to see people as God sees them and see the goodness. Godliness, kindness, and charity are really all the same step, since He is kind and has charity for all. These things are the fruits of all the other attributes of the steps already attained. Being kind is seeing others as being the same kind as us and feeing a kinship with them. President Benson said that the pure love of Christ is charity, then we must ask how we come to know God. Note that Peter promised that if we have charity and all these virtues abound in us, we can be more like Christ. These attributes can be the instruction manual for how we raise our children. The Lord will help us through His grace. He will help us because He wants us to become more like Him because He loves us and wants us to be with Him forever. It is more the direction we are going than the speed we are going.

December 15, 2015 is our Relief Society party

Lesson for December 6, 2015

Lesson for December 6, 2015 Today our lesson was given by Jessica Lewis about the divine calling of Joseph Smith. She quoted Bruce R. McConkie who spoke in 1976. He said that we worship and rejoice in Jesus Christ and that He is the Lord of all and the author salvation. He also spoke about Joseph Smith, Jr., who was the first in this dispensation to hear the voice of God and Jesus Christ. We all need that Spirit to enlighten us and powerfully testify to us of the divine calling of Joseph Smith and Jesus Christ. Kelsey told about her testimony of Joseph Smith. She served her mission in Taiwan. She said that every time she shared the story of Joseph Smith, the light and Spirit came into the room. Even if we already know Joseph Smith is a prophet, we can have that testimony confirmed again. That is our goal for the coming week, is to know again that Joseph Smith is a prophet. Because of him we have the Book of Mormon, temples, the priesthood, Relief Society, the nature of the Godhood, the plan of salvation, prophets, apostles, a sense of community, the Joseph Smith translation, the eternal nature of marriage, the divinity of women, eternal progression, the salvation of little children, the ordinances of the gospel, the Doctrine and Covenants, the Pearl of Great Price and many more things. Gordon B. Hinckley said that an acquaintance of his said he could accept everything about the Church except Joseph Smith and President Hinckley said that is a contradiction, since all things about the Church come from the revelation of Joseph Smith. If the Book of Mormon is true, so Joseph Smith must be a prophet and vice versa. If you reject Joseph Smith, you reject modern revelation and that puts you back with everyone who says that God has ceased speaking. Some people are put off because Joseph Smith was not human. But he was human and he made mistakes. That gives us hope that even if we are not perfect, we can receive revelation. Neal L. Anderson said that one reason the Lord allows evil to happen is so we will go to our knees and ask God for confirmation. Prophets are not called because they are perfect, but because they are willing to serve and humble enough to receive revelation. It is a blessing that Joseph Smith is so polarizing, so it’s all or nothing, so his prophet-hood is so clear. If you can get a testimony of that, you know the rest is true, too. The striking factor of Joseph Smith’s life is how much Heavenly Father is real and loves His children. But Heavenly Father knows who we are and we should not doubt that He loves us immensely. Our scriptures are evidence that He loves all of us and reached out to His children. His care for us touches us all differently. Neal L. Anderson gave a talk about Joseph Smith in 2014. There is so much opposition to Joseph Smith because he was so polarizing. Many years ago they had given a survey to missionaries about where their testimonies fell about Joseph Smith and most ranked theirs at the bottom, but it is important to know Joseph Smith. It is strange that so much persecution is heaped on an obscure boy. President Uchtdorf said to doubt your doubts before you doubt your faith. We can take our questions to God, rather than our friends. The small things affect us and those we love. If any doubts come, pray about them and be willing to accept the answer. The book They Knew the Prophet has many first-hand accounts by people who knew the prophet. You don’t have to research everything bad that is said, but focus on what is true. You have to trust in your testimony and choose to stay solid, choose faith, and you will be happier and your life will be happier. The fact that Satan tried to destroy Joseph Smith is a testimony of how important he is. One web site is Fairmormon.org often has good information that tells the real story, if you have questions. You need to go to the source. When you think that Joseph Smith had a second grade education and did so much in 14 years, from translating the Book of Mormon to the D&C and Pearl of Great Price, he had to have had God with him. Charlene Farnworth said she does not know of a time in her life when she did not know that Joseph Smith was the prophet. Her fourth great-grandfather was asked by Wilford Woodruff to write about the martyrdom because he was there. Joseph and Hyrum were sent to jail for treason, not tried, but jailed. Her great-grandfather was Brother Markham. He wrote his experience and it has affected Charlene so she feels solid in the gospel. Our testimonies would be strengthened if we would read Joseph Smith’s account.

Lesson for November 22, 2015

Lesson for November 22, 2015 Today our lesson was given by Maggie Kopp on Chapter 22 Carrying the Gospel into the World and Chapter 23 Strengthen Thy Stakes. What are we thankful for in relation to the gospel: Our ward family, the Atonement, the power of prayer, easy access to temples. How can we reach out to others who are not of our faith and also how can we help those others who are in our own ward and stake? President Benson and all his siblings went on missions and his father was sent on a mission when the children were young. In the introduction to Chapter 22 says that President Benson had a love for all the people of the world. We all share the responsibility to share the gospel and help others. Sometimes we just need to stretch ourselves. Visiting teaching is a form of missionary work. Service, such as Helping Hands, and teaching English helps put the Church in the view of people, so they are aware that this is who we are—the exposure is good. Identifying ourselves as Christians. Finding the commonalities and asking people what they believe and being who we are—be authentic as believers. Being kind to people can also go a long way. Preparing ourselves for missionary experiences will give us the confidence and knowledge to share our beliefs. Only the gospel will bring salvation to the world and save it from its own self-destruction. Just speaking up can open up conversations. Let the Holy Ghost guide us to know when to speak up. We should love the people. We should be humble. We should have the Spirit with us. If we do that, we will look different from others and people will notice. Serving others in our ward and community will benefit and unify those who are members in those units. Stakes are a refuge for those who are suffering and needing strength and comfort. Being a good neighbor and being friendly and happy can be an influence. We can be uplifted by lifting others up. It opens us up to the blessings and opportunities that will enrich ourselves. Receiving help from others who are loving and concerned can help open hearts. Getting to know others can help us know what is needed. There is a lot we can do in our communities, such as helping with reading at a school or in the arts or giving blood and helping with taking meals to others. President Benson said we will never be effective if until we learn to have sympathy for all of God’s children and sympathize with them. Then we may receive help from them. Having an attitude of kindness and service can help others to view us as a kind person they can relate to and rely on.

Lesson for November 15, 2015

Lesson for November 15, 2015 Today the lesson was given by Kristine Hansen about Teachings for Our Times on the talks “Keep the Commandments” by President Monson and Commandments by Sister Carol Stephens. We are going to discuss the theme of the talks. Sister Stephens told the story of taking care of her granddaughter who wouldn’t stay in the car seat. Sister Stephens had to think of a way to convince her to stay in the car seat. Had to explain the consequences of not wearing a seat belt and said she wanted her to be safe. The little girl said she understood that her grandmother told her to wear the seatbelt because she loved her and she stayed in her seat. God’s commandments show his love for us and our obedience shows our love for Him. We did something very basic and listed commandments, such as “Thou shalt not” and “Thou shalt”: Not kill; shalt love thy God with all thy might, mind, and strength and love your neighbor as yourself; honor your mother and your father; keep the Sabbath; read the scriptures on a daily basis; have only one God/no other gods before God; not commit adultery or anything like it; thou shalt not steal or covet, thou shalt multiply and replenish the earth, keep the commandments, keep the Word of Wisdom, not use alcohol, tobacco, or other harmful substances, rear our children in righteousness; not take the Lord’s name in vain; pray for and forgive our enemies; pay tithing; go to the temple; consecrate time and means; not lie or bear false witness; not view degrading media; go to bed early. God makes these commandments so we can be better and be filled with light. D&C 88:27-29 say that those with celestial spirits will be raised to celestial glory. The kind of glory we desire depends a lot on the type of spirit we have developed. We can get better and develop good traits. Some people feel like they are restricted with all the commandments. To Kristine, she feels like she is freed from addictions, sin, and all the bad things that come with not keeping the commandments. Cristell Boyadjian said who you need to be is pure and clean. It is not the commandments that are important, it is who you need become. It is not about the Church it is about your happiness and who you want to become. Who we are includes what we believe and do and the circumstances we are in because of our choices. God understands that when we keep the commandments our lives will be happier and our decisions to accept or reject the commandments determine that happiness. When talking to others we should not say “Don’t do this or that,” we should say “You can do this or that.” We cannot be victims, but we must take responsibility for our choices and our reactions to our circumstances. Sister Stephens said we can trust Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, the Holy Ghost, and the prophet. We are surrounded by all kinds of loud voices, but we need to turn their volume down and listen for that still, small voice that testifies of truth and the comforting voice that will lead us to happiness. Sometimes the Lord will give just you a commandment. You need to have the Spirit with you so you can receive the inspiration that comes. President Monson said that great courage will be needed to keep the commandments. The commandments were God-given, so we cannot change them. If they were made by men, we could change them. We can repent and we can be better. We can start now, ask for forgiveness, and work to become better. Think of a commandment we need to keep better and we will be blessed with safety and peace.

Lesson for November 8, 2015

Lesson for November 8, 2015 Today the lesson was given by Megan Miller on “Principles of Temporal and Spiritual Welfare,” from Ezra Taft Benson chapter 20. Megan asked us to think of a family member who is having issues with the Church or maybe even is no longer in the Church. President Benson thought of a young man who had not been coming to church to be Elder’s Quorum president. The stake president said the young man thought about it and prayed about it and changed his life to be an active member. Many people return to the church because of the love and attention given to them by others. Vira said on her mission a woman was found who had joined the Church many years before but had fallen away. Vira bore her testimony to her and reminded her of the gospel principles that had brought her to the Church in the first place. Sometimes it is just that we invite these people to come to church. A bishop of this ward had been inactive for a long time until the men in the ward decided to help him become active and work with him until he became worthy to be the bishop. Another sister knew of a person who did all he could to not be a member of the Church until he nearly died of drugs. Then he found a Book of Mormon in his room that his father had put there and opened it to the story of Alma the Younger. Sister Cantrell told of a story of a man who found her son who helped him come back to the Church. Megan asked if the person we thought of at the first should be treated this way. Megan told of a friend of her family who decided to go back to church after just being around her family. Who knows what would happen, perhaps sooner, if we just ask them to come. John 10:11-15 about the Good Shepherd who knows His sheep and lays down His life for His sheep, unlike a hireling who is just doing a job. The Good Shepherd doesn’t give up when they are in danger without any recompense. We need to build on the connections we have with others and everyone is a Child of God. These are ours—the people we have in our periphery and in our stewardship. If you lead from the front, sometimes you need to operate on trust and respect. If you lead from the back, you operate on worry, albeit perhaps a knowledge of those people. When you have grownup kids it is not like when they are little you can lead them by taking their hands, but the grownup kids need a better example so they want to follow. We have to be shepherds and lead those who are ours. We can’t force people or coerce them to do what we want. They have to recognize for themselves what God wants for them. If you make Christ your partner, we can see some success. Visiting teaching shows how we are shepherds and how we love them more than once a month and have the true heart of the shepherd. It is how we BE. Praying over those we love helps the Lord see what we should be doing to help them. Then they may tell us how things may be wrong in their lives and we can be there for them. We can become their friends and bring them with us. Sometimes it can take a lifetime, but we shouldn’t give up. After all we can do, we love that person with all our hearts and wait and pray.

Lesson for November 1, 2015

Lesson for November 1, 2015 Today the lesson was given by one of the presidency, Lana Horrocks, about family history. Kristine Hansen said she took her own challenge to find the Spirit and not think uncharitable thoughts. She said she went visiting teaching to Lisa Anderson who said her friend thinks of a story to explain why people might act poorly. Kristine said she tried it this week and she didn’t feel the Holy Ghost leave all week, so she must have been successful. Lisa Merrill said she tried to be more fervent in her prayers. Sister Horrocks said she wants to give her lesson on the two talks one “Yielding our Hearts to God” and “What Lack I Yet.” She prayed to know what the sisters need. She said this lesson is good for a visiting teaching lesson. How do we make the Lord’s ways our ways? By learning of Him, praying for understanding, trusting in Him, seeking to do His will, and waiting for answers. If we really trust in God, we won’t have doubts about his teachings. The Holy Ghost can magnify the warmth in our hearts. Patience in waiting for answers demonstrates trust as does fasting for an answer. Sometimes, in our prayers, we need to be patient until we ask the right question, minutes, weeks, or even years. Three things to remember are faith in the plan of salvation, the resurrection, and eternal life. A meek heart accepts the trial and the waiting for that time of healing and wholeness to come. When we open our hearts to the Spirit, we learn God’s way and feel His will. The heart of the Sabbath is the sacrament. It is important to ask in those quiet times what else we need to do and pray for forgiveness of sins. It is instructive to ask if there is more. You can take notes on the impressions you receive, not necessarily the words of the speakers. Elder Bednar said we often don’t realize that the Atonement is for saints, too, so we can become better. The healing of our hearts comes when we submit to and worship God. Lana said the Lord told her that He would give her more revelation if she would read her scriptures more often. We need to approach the search for the Spirit with a broken heart and a contrite spirit. When we have a healthy longing to improve, balanced with the spiritual assurance that through Jesus Christ we will make it (Robert Millet).A spiritual exercise while saying your prayers is to ask “What is keeping me from progressing?” Lana asked us to write a list of promptings we’ve had in the past, then asked for people to share. One is that we should go to bed earlier so we can be less grumpy or lazy the next day, or to slow down in our lives. Vira Bahr said that charity is having patience with someone who has let us down and accepting them for who they are. The Spirit can show us our strengths as well as our weaknesses, so we can also ask what we are doing right. We can all learn from each other. The challenge is to pray to have the Spirit with us. Be persistent, but not discouraged.

Super Saturday, November 14, 2015

Super Saturday will be on November 14 from 9-1 at the Church and Lisa Buckner is gathering the money for the fun crafts we will be doing.

Lesson for October 25, 2015

Lesson for October 25, 2015 Today our lesson was given by Kristine Hansen on Teachings for Out Times, on a talk by Presudent Eyring titled “The Holy Ghost is Your Companion.” Maggie issued two challenges about self-worth and increasing our sphere of influence. If Kristine brought a present to someone would she take it and open it? Most sisters asked would open the present, but some people would save it, some until Christmas, because it has Christmas wrapping paper. The gift is like the gift of the Holy Ghost. How many of us open it up or hide it away. What happens when we open the gift of the Holy Ghost we find more gifts. Kristine asked that we look at it like the Gifts of the Holy Ghost. As we open that gift the gifts we find are many. President Eyring said when we are baptized, we are commanded to receive the Holy Ghost to be with us always. Some of them are constant companionship, faith in times of loss or trial, discernment and gratitude, comfort through personal revelation, and the gift of purification and sanctification. In Moroni 7:8 it says you receive the gift of charity. You gain knowledge. You gain a testimony. Understanding the truth of all things. We can be warned of danger. Kristine said on her mission, they were given an address. She and her companion were given a feeling that they should leave that place and not go there. Help us resist temptation. It makes what is good more attractive and makes sin less attractive. Has anyone lost the desire to do some things that are not good for us? Other gifts include the gift of understanding in dealing with other people and their feelings? We are given guidance and inspiration for what we need to do and know—also for our family or personal endeavors. The constant companionship of the Holy Ghost is possible by taking into account the sacrament prayers and remembering Christ always and keeping His commandments. How do you always remember the Savior? Every time you do something, in taking The Savior’s name on, try to do what the Savior would do or want you to do? Often we get our best inspiration by being busy and having a constant prayer in our hearts so we can be open to inspiration. The music and things we have in the background, such as pictures on the wall. Plan by preparing a scripture to take with us. Dressing modestly can help us be mindful that Jesus is our Savior and then we can have the Holy Ghost’s companionship. President Eyring told several stories, such as the one about his father. The elder Eyring prayed while on a trip to Australia to find an LDS church meeting and was guided as he prayed at every intersection. One sister said she and her companion prayed like that by putting away their maps and praying for direction in finding a person to teach. President Eyring’s father prayed often after taking just a few steps, so we can pray about all the little things in our lives. Very rarely does Heavenly Father tell us what to do for the next five years. He just tells us what to do now. Faith in times of loss and trouble is a real comfort. President Eyring’s father had that comfort when his wife died. He knew eternal truth because he had sought for it in the right places. Through the Holy Ghost we can see people as God sees them. President Eyring’s father thanked every doctor and nurse on the way out of the hospital after his wife’s death, but he could see their eternal nature. His father prayed to find out that his wife arrived in the spirit world to be greeted by someone and was told his mother was there to greet her. It’s good to know our loved ones will be there to greet us. With faith and the Spirit of the Holy Ghost, we can have that knowledge. The companionship of the Spirit can change us and give us the purification the results in sanctification and justification. We come to Him and ask to be cleansed and He burns away the impurities. Sometimes the Lord needs to polish us and the trials we go through can sanctify us. Prayers can be answered when we’re slowed down, like in the middle of the night or when we’re first awake. Counsel has been to wake up early and lie there and ask for inspiration and wait for it to come as we ponder the gospel. Often we have prayers answered by reading the scriptures. Sometimes in the temple, we can have inspiration. It’s a great place to be quiet and in place where we can have inspiration. Most of us don’t like gifts with strings attached. This one does come with strings attached. We need to keep the commandments, pray for it, be worthy, and actually act on the promptings, so we qualify for more inspiration, let virtue garnish our thoughts, listen to the prophet, and trust the Spirit. Having the Spirit of the Holy Ghost is worth everything we have to sacrifice to get it. Kristine challenged us to make changes in our lives so we can have the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost.

Lesson for October 18, 2015

Lesson for October 18, 2015 Today our lesson was given by Maggie Kopp on the talk by President Ezra Taft Benson, “Beware of Pride” and also how to be good leaders—two chapters in one lesson Last week we were challenged to repent. Did anyone have an experience with that? Today we are going to talk about how to be better. President Benson defined pride as enmity toward God and enmity toward our fellow man. He also mentions being arrogant and being competition with other people. After President Benson’s talk a lot of people would not say they were proud of their children or country, but being well pleased with them would not be the same kind of thing as being an enemy or arrogant or self-centered—it’s all about me and my abilities, not being humble or caring about others or having gratitude toward God. When we recognize the worth or value, we are returning to an old sense or definition of pride. President Benson said that pride gets no pleasure out of having something, only having more in comparison to someone else. It is typical for women to compare themselves to others. President Benson said there is a sin of comparing ourselves at the bottom looking up. Sometimes it’s comparing our worst day against their best day. Putting one against the other. Sometimes we compare ourselves to those in different circumstances than we are. We have different gifts and different talents and we need to learn to be grateful for what we have and work to improve them. When we compare, we often rely on our own strength and not on what the Lord can do. When we get into this state, we become jealous. But we are here to love others and get close to others, including family. Comparison stops our progression. It is a tool of Satan. We also need to get to know what’s going on in the lives of others. We also need to recognize that we have come a long way from where we were many years ago. The world is a world of competition and we need to focus on more important things. Service and empathy help us connect with God. Sometimes we don’t look at others as children of God and real people who have feelings. If we pray for others and learn to love them, we won’t be in competition with them. When we retrieve the humility we should have, we serve more effectively. Humility is not convincing ourselves that we are worthless and without talents, it’s acknowledging that God is the source of all our blessings. Maggie has been following the project at UVU of women in leadership. They surveyed many women in leadership positions who said they felt inadequate in body image, their teenage years, parenting, and feeling like failures. Women’s influence in righteousness is huge. In that sense we are leaders. We need to know who we are. We must respect ourselves and others. Sometimes it is hard to love others, but we can respect them and see what we can do to respect them and serve them. Our divine nature has nothing to do with our accomplishments or worldly things, it has to do with being children of God. We can and we can be willing. If our motivation is to do as much as we can to help, then we can have confidence. If our motivation is to be the best, we will always be worried. When we know we are on God’s errand, we may feel inadequate, but we know that God will make us the difference. The UVU study asked when were they confident—when someone mentored them and also when they gained more knowledge. When we know what God wants us to do, we can be confident.

Lesson for October 11, 2015

Lesson for October 11, 2015 Today our lesson was given by Suzie Sullivan about the Sabbath Day and repentance. One of the scriptures said to prepare for the Sabbath. It is important to prepare throughout the week for the Sabbath so when the unexpected happens, we are not blind-sided and panicked. That can include getting clothes ready days ahead and watching a movie on Saturday night that prepares us for the Sabbath day. Repentance is not just for bad people. Repentance benefits everyone for small things or large things. We strive to do good on a daily basis. Elder Maxwell said that repentance is not a gloomy or stern (dour) principle. It can make us feel so much better. The prophet said that he has to repent on a daily basis, so we need to, as well. We are only able to repent because the Savior made it so we could. Because we have a natural being in ourselves, when we repent of those small things, it becomes easier for us. If we have the broken heart and contrite spirit. Like Play-Doh, if we can keep our hearts moist and moldable, rather than hard, new things can be made of our lives. How do we implement daily repentance in our lives? In our daily prayers if we can tell our Heavenly Father what we want to change and that we’re sorry. For Suzie what has helped her is in her morning prayers to mention those things she wants to work on and then to report to Heavenly Father what she has done through the day. Cultivate a desire to be better and trying to be better. 3 Nephi 21 said become as a little child. When teaching about the scriptures and the people in them, the defining difference between good guys and bad guys is repentance. Sometimes you can’t see progress until you are nearly to the change. Reading our patriarchal blessings also helps us see what we have done or can look forward to. Repentance can be joyful if we do not procrastinate. Establish an attitude of joyful repentance. Let the Savior take the guilt and you will feel lighter and more joyful. God will make weak become stronger for us, if we let Him. Elder Uchtdorf says that God opens the windows of heaven and through His grace we receive help. Sometimes we need to make a decision and just do something, such as scripture study. Sometimes we are afraid to repent because we would have to do something, so we forget we just need to do it. We should focus on our priorities. The things we do to repent can become a great blessing for us. It will bring the Spirit into our lives. When you repent, you have to learn from your mistakes. 2 Nephi 9 says that repentance and baptism is the key to our salvation. When you repent of your own sins, you view others with greater compassion. That perfect love of God resides inside of us. The Savior will tell us that we can repent and change. God made us so we are capable of change. He made it so through practice we can actually change who we are. Alma felt joy in 36-19-21 and felt his pain no more, but joy. Nothing is so exquisite as his pain and nothing so incredible as joy through repentance. Suzie taught a woman on her mission who wanted to know how to repent and be clean. She had bitterness and sorrow, but it was amazing to see her repent and change. Suzie challenged us to implement daily repentance in our lives.

Sisters at the temple Oct. 20

Join with the sisters of the ward going to the temple on October 20.

Lesson for September 27, 2015

Lesson for September 27, 2015 Today our lesson is about the Sabbath Day by Dorothy Davis and a talk by Elder Nelson called The Sabbath is a Delight. Why is the Church focusing so much on the Sabbath Day lately? There have been meetings outside of Conference on the need for greater Sabbath Day observance. Dorothy says it is for the whole world, not just the Church. The first law is to love the Lord our God. We’re forgetting the first law and focusing on the second law to love our neighbor. Do we have a sense of worship on Sunday? Why do we go to church? To strengthen others and contribute to the Spirit. To show God we love Him and to worship Him. How can He trust us if we can’t do as He asked? To repent of the wrongs we have done by taking the sacrament. To fill our lives with light. What are some delightful things about the Sabbath? We can see those who delight us and support us and give us a sense of community. Elder Nelson said as the Savior said, the Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath? God gave us this special day as a gift of respite from the rigors of daily life and duties. Respite means that we take a break from regular life. One of the promises we have is the gift of the Holy Ghost and we can renew that gift on the Sabbath to sustain us through the rest of the week. It is a covenant and reminder that the Lord will sanctify His people. When we take the sacrament we covenant that we will take on us His name. How do we hallow the Sabbath Day? Our conduct on the Sabbath indicates our commitment to God. Many people think of Sunday as just another day of the week. What blessings do we get from the Sabbath? Dorothy told a story about her brother-in-law who is a potato farmers. Farmers, like potato farmers, make a success if they don’t farm seven days a week, or that is the common wisdom? How do the Mormons all have new trucks? How come their farms are so successful? D&C 59 says the Sabbath should be kept to keep us unspotted from the world. We get blessings, such as the fullness of the earth will be ours with all its goodness and all things will be for the benefit of man and our happiness and health. Worship with a full heart and cheerfulness. Leviticus 26 says the blessings from keeping the Sabbath will be not worshipping idols of any kind, the Lord will be our God, then we will have rain in the season and enough food and eat to the full, we will have peace and safety in our lands, and our enemies will be put to flight, both physical and emotional, and God will be among us and be our God and we will be His people. What are some positive things we can do on the Sabbath? Prepare food ahead of time. Write our life stories. Make contact with our family. Family history. Naps are good. Find things to do together, instead of just our own things. Prepare for the next Sunday. Good music, such as the Tabernacle Choir channel. The Lord has provided nearly everything we need on lds.org or Mormon.org to take care of the Sabbath. The bottom line is what happens to us. He wants us to have the Spirit so we can become like Him. If we love Him wholeheartedly, then we will become sanctified in Christ.

Lesson for September 20, 2015

Lesson for September 20, 2015 Today our lesson was given by Megan Miller about President Benson’s chapter 17, “Keeping the Law of Chastity.” On page 220 in section 2, President Benson said, “In the category of crime, only murder and denying the Holy Ghost are greater than breaking the law of chastity.” In the world, we agree that murder is bad, but most people don’t see that breaking the law of chastity is bad. Our body is a temple and we should not violate the temple that actually belongs to God. The family is the essential unit of the gospel and God’s plan. Murder is taking someone’s life, and breaking the law of chastity is creating a life and both are God’s prerogative to give and take life. These are powers that will eventually be ours and if we can’t use them appropriately, we won’t be able to progress in the next life. Having that relationship with another person, it is meant to be a permanent thing and continue into the eternities. A study of people engaged in intimacy before marriage and commitment found that it leads to a separation in that relationship. President Benson said that it may be fun and exciting, but there is a day of reckoning and it will lead to sadness. Having sexual relationships early in their lives, girls tend to be focused on their bodies. President Benson said people cannot do wrong and feel right, but may make people depressed and unworthy. How do we fall into sexual sin? In section three, it says many engage in sexual sin through a misguided effort to find basic human needs. People who are unhappy sometimes go looking rather than trying to strengthen their own marriages. Physical intimacy does not equate with love, although it does have a unifying function in marriage. Being unfaithful stems from proximity and being attracted to someone else. You need to lock up your heart. Attraction may happen, but you don’t have to do anything about it. Bad friends can influence us to do bad things. We need to be honest and up front with our children. We should fill up our lives with wholesome activities. You avoid anything that could be in any way improper, including pornography. We should view the lds.org video on how to avoid pornography. Elder Holland said, “The only real control is self-control.” Teach your kids to have self-control and avoid all bad things. Talk about pornography with your spouse. It’s not something private, but it is something we should all be careful and open about. Relationships are about trust. Even reading material is influential. A good motto is to say, Just don’t do it now. Pornography completely drives the Spirit away to the point you can’t reason with people. Talk to your children and say, “You’re not a bad person. Just turn it off and come talk to me and I will help you.” A picture book called “Good picture. Bad Pictures.” Tells children about using a thinking brain, instead of a feeling brain and how it becomes addictive. It helps facilitate conversation with parents and children. Sometimes people feel too ashamed to look for help, but the Atonement is real and Christ suffered for us. D&C 58 says that the Lord will remember our sins no more. Jacob 2:28 says “I, the Lord, delight in chastity." Physical intimacy is a good thing and part of God’s plan if used correctly. Children must be inspired by precepts and example.

Lesson for September 20, 2015 Today our lesson was given by Megan Miller about President Benson’s chapter 17, “Keeping the Law of Chastity.” On page 220 in section 2, President Benson said, “In the category of crime, only murder and denying the Holy Ghost are greater than breaking the law of chastity.” In the world, we agree that murder is bad, but most people don’t see that breaking the law of chastity is bad. Our body is a temple and we should not violate the temple that actually belongs to God. The family is the essential unit of the gospel and God’s plan. Murder is taking someone’s life, and breaking the law of chastity is creating a life and both are God’s prerogative to give and take life. These are powers that will eventually be ours and if we can’t use them appropriately, we won’t be able to progress in the next life. Having that relationship with another person, it is meant to be a permanent thing and continue into the eternities. A study of people engaged in intimacy before marriage and commitment found that it leads to a separation in that relationship. President Benson said that it may be fun and exciting, but there is a day of reckoning and it will lead to sadness. Having sexual relationships early in their lives, girls tend to be focused on their bodies. President Benson said people cannot do wrong and feel right, but may make people depressed and unworthy. How do we fall into sexual sin? In section three, it says many engage in sexual sin through a misguided effort to find basic human needs. People who are unhappy sometimes go looking rather than trying to strengthen their own marriages. Physical intimacy does not equate with love, although it does have a unifying function in marriage. Being unfaithful stems from proximity and being attracted to someone else. You need to lock up your heart. Attraction may happen, but you don’t have to do anything about it. Bad friends can influence us to do bad things. We need to be honest and up front with our children. We should fill up our lives with wholesome activities. You avoid anything that could be in any way improper, including pornography. We should view the lds.org video on how to avoid pornography. Elder Holland said, “The only real control is self-control.” Teach your kids to have self-control and avoid all bad things. Talk about pornography with your spouse. It’s not something private, but it is something we should all be careful and open about. Relationships are about trust. Even reading material is influential. A good motto is to say, Just don’t do it now. Pornography completely drives the Spirit away to the point you can’t reason with people. Talk to your children and say, “You’re not a bad person. Just turn it off and come talk to me and I will help you.” A picture book called “Good picture. Bad Pictures.” Tells children about using a thinking brain, instead of a feeling brain and how it becomes addictive. It helps facilitate conversation with parents and children. Sometimes people feel too ashamed to look for help, but the Atonement is real and Christ suffered for us. D&C 58 says that the Lord will remember our sins no more. Jacob 2:28 says “I, the Lord, delight in chastity. Physical intimacy is a good thing and part of God’s plan if used correctly. Children must be inspired by precepts and example.

Lesson for August 16, 2015

Today our lesson was given by Maggie Kopp on “The Elderly in the Church.” Maggie said she works in Special collections at BYU and she has a colleague who works with the older people who want to donate their books or journals to the library. If you have older relatives or friends, there are certain joys, such as grandchildren, more wisdom from experiences, more time, better perspective on what is good or bad, patience, experience. Some challenges include health issues, loneliness, dependency, loss of independence, loss of context, loss of memory, finances, lack of respect. Many of those with great responsibilities in the Church are elderly or more experienced. Maggie asked how others we know have served. Megan Miller said her Young Women’s leader was older were great. Often older people have wonderful things to offer. One sister said she makes the effort to have lunch with her grandfather on Fridays. Another sister said an older man in her ward terrified her until he directed a choir she was in and he helped her grow and because a grandfather to her. Heidi said her first job out of high school was to take care of an older woman who taught her a great deal, especially patience and budgeting money. Linda Campbell ‘s mother became incapacitated and so family members had to help take care of her. Her son, Spencer, especially learned from his grandmother. How do we honor those older family members. We can listen to their stories. Jessica Lewis’s daughter Ashton interviewed people who lived through World War II. Lana Horrocks said that helping her mother with her family history gave them a bond together. Megan Curran said her aunt passed away, but her father kept the stories and her cousins are coming to him for the stories. Megan’s sister is posting some of them on Facebook so many people can learn more about her father’s family. Another sister said that she helped some of the older people in their family keep up on their hobbies that they loved doing before. She also read to her great-grandmother as well. Sister Gibbons said her children have helped her mother, including reading the entire Work and the Glory series on tape for her. Sometimes they really need transportation help, because their independence is gone when they stop driving. If they don’t have family nearby, they’re stuck. So we need to take care of the people in the ward who have needs like that. Maggie asked what about spiritual needs? What about transportation to the temple? Service could be wonderful, to help people. Taking the sacrament to someone’s home is important. Those who don’t have the Church also need our help. Letting them share their experiences and advice helps them to feel validated. Suzie Sullivan said she visited her grandmother and heard her conversion story and testimony and it was a blessing to Suzie. President Benson said our later years can be our best years. He gave eight reasons and so Maggie asked how we can apply each of these areas to our lives? Collecting family histories, missionary service and letting them share their experiences with us, keep busy and keep active physically, helping them cook, planning for the future and finding out about government services. President Benson said there are many wonderful things about this time of life to share with each other.

Lesson for August 9, 2015

Today our lesson was given by Megan Miller on Chapter 15 “The Sacred Callings of Fathers and Mothers.” She started with “A Father’s Calling is Eternal.” Our pattern for fatherhood is our Heavenly Father. We watched the video from Mormon Message, “Heavenly Father, Earthly Father.” The video tells one father’s perspective of what he works for to provide for his family and how they trust him to provide for them. Even though he’s not there all the time, everything they have comes because of his efforts. Comments from the sisters equated what an earthly father does with what Heavenly Father provided us, his children, with. Heavenly Father provides us with this earth and all that is on it, but he also provides us with opportunities and he provides us with unconditional love. Heavenly Father does not expect us to fail. He always wants us to succeed. So as we watch our children we need to expect us to succeed even though it takes a long time. Megan said that as a teacher she sees parents who do not expect their children to succeed and she feels like that is wrong. How can we support our husbands and the men in the ward? We need to be the women who do not hold back our men. They need to know that everything at home is taken care of. We need to give our husbands the opportunity to exercise their priesthood. Lisa Anderson said that as a single sister, she tries to work with her home teachers to make their jobs work. Megan said that right after her bishop was called when she was a teenager, her bishop’s wife had triplets in addition to their other three children. She said the whole ward rallied around and helped take care of the children. Lisa says that she sees co-workers who get tons of phone calls about mundane stuff from home that interferes with their work. Jill Judd said the positive things we say are like little raindrops that water and nourish. It is important to value them and tell the men in our lives how much we value them. President Benson said his home was a refuge for their family with mother and father who protected and nurtured them. What can we do to provide a refuge for children? We can God will never leave us alone. God has promised he will take care of us.

Ward Humanitarian Project August 18

Come and help our humanitarian effort to put together food and pillowcases and other projects to help out. We will come to the stake center at 6:00 on August 18, Tuesday. Collecting things, too. Call Emily Campbell if you want to participate. It is for the whole family and there will be activities for everyone. Emily says, Jesus wants you to.

Lesson for August 2, 2015

Lesson for August 2, 2015 Today our lesson was given by Lana Horrocks gave the lesson on family history. She works for Ancestry.com and is a life history coach. She and her father were genealogy buddies. She would do the research and he would put it into the computer. She got started doing the Generations project at BYU and download stories. In 2011 and she saw a girl on the project named Emily who felt like she had to find her ancestors. The show people found her ancestors in the strangest of circumstances. She is involved in a project called Ancestor echoes. She has some advice for things to do. 1. Seek with diligence. The Lord will help you find a way and you will feel wonderful. Seek two things: the Lord and your ancestors. Lana said it is the same frequency. Revelation. Ancestors are seeking to have their work done. Temple work for our kindred dead is what they are yearning for. They are praying for us, so they have a vested interest in our success in finding them. Lana told about her dear friend Elaine who had some of her ancestors come to her and ask her to do their work, including an aunt who had made her life miserable. We do not need to wait for the Millennium to do it because we can get revelation. 2. Pray with faith. The Lord wants to know your intent and our faith is with action. Continuous revelation comes through dreams, words, and the help of others. If you don’t use your ancestors to help you, you are unprepared. One woman was confined to a wheelchair and her husband was very much into family history. She was contacted by Alexander McRae, her husband’s ancestor, who had been Joseph Smith’s bodyguard and was the only member of his family to be baptized into the Church. His sisters had burned his journals. Lana said to write the answers to your prayers in your journal so you can remember that we did get answers. Write down the inspiration to find our ancestors. Lana keeps a prayer journal and the Lord has given her over 50 pages of personal revelation. She said it does not go through your brain, but through your heart. She types what she gets because she can go faster. She said to ask the Lord what He has for us and he will give us the answers. She had people read scriptures about seeking and the Lord helping us find. She said the scriptures help you find things but lds.org can help you find things faster. She belongs to Daughters of the Utah Pioneers and Daughters of the American Revolution. She was contacted by one of her ancestors who fought in the Revolutionary War and he gave his reasons for fighting, including fighting for religious freedom. He gave her two pages of information and asked her to do his work. 3. Sacrifice with love. We can search for records. We can search for stories. We can record and go to the temple. Heidi said she had researched her family history and someone had put in the dates all wrong. She had to fix these things. One of her ancestors had three or four babies who died and the person who had entered things wrong had at least taken pictures of grave markers, so she did get that right. Rhonda read a quote about going back a hundred generations to get what they have to impart to us. All we need to do is practice and we will get better at family history.

Lesson for July 12, 2015

Lesson for July 12, 2015 Today our lesson from Chapter 13 in the manual was given by Maggie Kopp on “Priceless Blessings of the House of the Lord.” Maggie asked us what the temple symbolizes. Some of the answers included heaven on earth, eternal families, personal covenants, increased knowledge and teachings, the gateway to heaven for us and our ancestors, comfort, clarity of thought, personal revelation, place of peace, a place of service, and dwelling in the house of the Lord. President Benson said the temple is a visible symbol that God has not abandoned us. It is a holy place set aside and consecrated. D&C 109:12-13 says temples have the purpose of a place where the glory of the Lord and the presence of the Lord can be with us. Maggie said many religions have sacred spaces where people can worship and the temple is a sacred space where we can experience the presence of the Lord. We also do work in the temple. Preparing to go to the temple allows us to experience the clarity and revelation. It doesn’t matter what is going on in our lives, we can experience the presence of the Spirit when we go to the temple. We can make our homes sacred places. Lisa Anderson mentioned that inside the temple, the temple workers go to great efforts to make each visit to the temple worthwhile through cleanliness and decorations and personnel. To prepare for the temple, we need to have the proper ordinances and worthiness to qualify for the recommend. The covenants we make in the temple have their own power. We make them to show our devotion and partake of the blessings, such as protection and family relationships. Our covenants help us become who we should be. They help us recognize that the things that are valued by the world are the froth of the world and will not last. Temple blessings give us the greatest blessings of the atonement. President Benson said the temple helps us be more Christlike. If you have the temple as a goal, you live your life better and in consequence you become more Christlike and therefore worthy to enter the temple. Vira Bahr said that she goes to the temple to listen to the words of the ordinances. The words give her many things she can do for her personal relations and her relationship with God. He gives us constant messages on how we should handle our lives. Heather Cantrell reminded us that we need to wear our garments with respect as symbols of our temple covenants. Amy Young said that after she goes to the temple she feels more loving and patient and knows she’s a better person. That by going over and over again, we become better. Linda Campbell said that before her granddaughter died, she went to the temple to do confirmations for the dead. The thought at Tori’s death is that she could meet the people she did the work for. What a blessing to have that knowledge. Personal revelation comes with answers to our personal problems with clear and unmistakable ways. We need to make the time to go to the temple and do our scripture study and writing down our impressions and we’ll find the answers to our questions and know what we have already learned. The other side is that if we don’t pay attention to our temple covenants, we lose the memory of what we can have. We live far below the blessings the Lord is waiting to give to us. The temple symbolizes many things to many people and we should seek out the sacred in our lives and keep our covenants.

July 21 Canyon Barbecue

Our traditional canyon BBQ will be on July 21. We will meet at the church at 6:00 p.m. to carpool up. Yummy food. Good companionship.

Lesson for July 5, 2015

Lesson for July 5, 2015 Today our lesson was given by one of our new Relief Society presidency, Suzy Sullivan, on faith in Jesus Christ. Faith is a principle that causes us to do, rather than just believe. True faith must be centered in Jesus Christ. Faith is a spiritual gift from God. It requires a correct understanding of Jesus Christ. Obedience to the principles of the Gospel develops faith. Joseph Smith said the most important thing we can do is learn who Jesus Christ is. How do we develop a correct understanding of Jesus Christ. By reading his scripture, conference talks about Him, doing what He would do and live how He would live, loving ourselves and others, being unselfish and compassionate, following the prophet who also tries to be like Jesus Christ. Once we know who He is then we have the capacity to be like Him. Suzy said when she was in the MTC, she struggled with the concept of faith and wondered was concrete in her life that embodied faith. A speaker came and said that true faith was in the Savior, so she decided to just trust in the Savior. The Savior is really the only guarantee in our life. Joan Jensen said she likes the scripture that says cursed is he that trusts in the arm of flesh, so only trust in the Savior is paramount. Even trusting in our selves isn’t enough. We need to trust in Christ. Elder Bednar said that even when the Israelites carrying the ark were promised they would pass through the river Jordan on dry land, it wasn’t until their feet were wet that the river parted. It is wise to pray about family members’ opinions diverge from our own. We need reassurance that our source is the Lord. No matter what we hear or see, we need to set them against the pattern the Lord has given us. If we have faith, we are moved to action. We act because we have faith in Jesus Christ and his promises to us. It’s a huge blessing to repent and acknowledge it and feel His love. Even if you have a tiny little bit of faith and do a little bit, that little bit can grow until greater faith is gifted to us and we get the desire to do more. Elder McConkie taught that faith is a gift of God fueled by righteousness and the more we keep the commandments of God, the more righteous we are. Suzy said she was struck by the need to be more righteous so her faith could be increased. Heidi said we’re all going to come to points in our lives when hardship comes and we can either turn to the Lord or we can turn away. They point to their trials as reasons why the Church isn’t true when they should turn to the Lord at these times. The Savior said if you believe then all things are possible, but some in the scriptures said help thou my unbelief. Sometimes if our attitude is not quite right, we need to focus on the little things, such as prayers and scripture study so God will help us develop more faith. Vira Bahr said if we choose to believe in Christ, then faith becomes a spiritual gift. As we are obedient to the commandments and understand them better we have to recognize that because of the trials in our lives we will not always be what we want to be, but we can cling to our faith and trust that Christ will guide us how it is supposed to be fixed. The Lord knows us personally and what we need. Heather Cantrell said we must not talk against the Lord’s anointed, but must do what He wants us to do. The Spirit can help us to feel the Savior’s love and want to be obedient. Desire, hope, and belief are levels of faith, but one possessed of the power of faith through the pattern of obedience can do amazing things. By dedicating our lives to the Savior, we can have His power in our lives. Vira said that on her mission they set a goal to be obedient and work really hard so everything would work out and it happened in amazing ways. She found she was empowered. Suzy said that if you want your faith strengthened, we should evaluate our lives and see what we can do better.

Our very own Jayne Galloway on the radio

Here is a link to a performance on the radio by our very own Jayne Galloway! Isn't she great? She's in the middle segment. Here is the link for the KBYU radio program Highway 89. The archived episode : http://www.byuradio.org/show/f039dbaf-9694-427d-ba36-71a102a6b469

Lesson for June 28, 2015

Lesson for June 28, 2015 Today the lesson was given by Kristine Hansen on “Preserving Agency, Protecting Religious Freedom; by Elder Robert D. Hales. Many of our founding fathers and ancestors left their home countries because there was an official religion. The First Amendment to the Constitution is that there shall not be an established church. Because of choice, Americans tend to go to church more than those in countries with established religions. The low commitment in Europe and high commitment in America is that we are the descendants of those who left for religious freedom. Most major religions have lost members, while non-Christian affiliations have grown. Still, 76% of people in the USA do identify with Christians, but not all of them belong to a church. Who do people put their trust in? In the 1970s it was religion. Now it is 4th behind government, military, and police. Elder Hales said that in the premortal world Satan exercised their agency to end their progression. On the other hand, Jesus exercised His agency to keep the commandments and glorify His Father and His Father’s plan. By listening to the Holy Ghost and following His guidance, we are more free because we are more like our Heavenly Father and have more power and are not weighed down by burdens of sin and sorrow. Our agency to choose the right is key to our happiness. In Communist countries the influence of communism is evil and controlling. There are four cornerstones of religious freedom: The freedom to believe; The freedom to share our faith with others; The freedom to form a religious organization; The freedom to live our faith in private and public places. Many people drag their dislike of religion into the political and social words. Kristine told of Senator Kris Kunz of Delaware who went to Africa and worked with Desmond Tutu and with the poor. He went to Harvard for a law degree and also entered divinity school. Many of his friends left him. His roommates moved out. He went to his friends and found that many of them had deep pain from encounters with religious people, so it goes both ways. Bearing our testimonies in love without judgment is a good way to express the love we have. Often our kids don’t accept those who aren’t LDS and those kids feel rejected. The ones who accept them are the ones who are in trouble. Another sister grew up in Cleveland and her parents told her to think before reacting and wonder if what she planned to say would foster those relationships. We need to be sure we are true friends with these people. Heather Cantrell said when she went to BYU she was shunned because she was from South Africa and her country was apartheid. Alan Cherry, a black man, made friends with her and she appreciated his friendship. It is important for us to accept others and their religions and it can strengthen our own testimonies. Elder Hales gave three keys: Become informed about issues that impact us and our church; join with others who are interested in religious freedom; and be good examples. How we live our religion will mean more than what is said about our religion. We are looking at trying times ahead, but we are led by prophets and church leaders who foresee what is going to happen so we can be ready.

Pioneer Day Activity July 18

Starting at 7:00 a.m. we will have breakfast, a 5K run, a parade, and games. Come!

Links for Kristine Hansen's Lesson

Elder Dallin H. Oaks, Speech on Religious Freedom given at BYU-Idaho 13 October 2009. http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/oaks-religious-freedom Elder Wilford W. Anderson, “Religion and Government,” Ensign, July 2015, pp. 47-49. 2015-07-20-religion-and-government-eng.pdf from the Mormon Newsroom: “The Divine Institution of Marriage.” http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/the-divine-institution-of-marriage

Lesson for June 14, 2015

Relief Society Lesson for June 14, 2015 Today our lesson was given by Maggie Kopp on “Follow the Living Prophet.” Think of this lesson and next week’s lessons as ways the Lord communicates with us. President Benson said about Family Home Evening that he remembers the first time he heard the letter of the First Presidency that families would be strengthened if they held Family Home Evening and thereafter, his family diligently held Family Home Evening and he said they reaped the benefits. Other programs also help us. Sister Linda Campbell remembers when all men could receive the priesthood. Another program was when all the Sunday meetings were combined. The Perpetual Education Fund has changed the lives of thousands of members. Now there is a new program called Pathways that helps people start college. The Proclamation on the Family has made a major impact. To know we can have modern revelation so we can relate to these as relevant to us and that the Lord is interested in us. We know that the Lord does not privilege one group or age of people and not another. President Benson said that the most important prophet is the one living today. So Maggie wants us to look at President Monson’s teachings. October 2013 on Sunday and to the Relief Society, President Monson taught using stories, as he often does, so we need to look at the point of the story and what he wants to teach, as well as seeing how these teachings relate to me. Maggie gave us time to read through the stories and then we discussed what we learned from them. From talk about the blessings of the temple, he told the story of a young missionary who had visa trouble and went to a different place and had trouble. He got sick and had to go home, but when he got sent back, it was to the same place he had had trouble. The missionary went to the temple and met another young man who had enjoyed his mission. The young man had gone to the same mission that the missionary had trouble in. He learned that his Heavenly Father knows him and what he needs. To relate that to us, we need to know that the blessings of the temple are priceless and can help us find peace. In his talk about Ponder the Path at thy feet, President Monson said we learn from the hard taskmaster of experience. As we go through this life, it’s not like no one ever did so before and Jesus experienced it all and we can follow Him. Another story is about a deaf and blind man who asked President Monson for a blessing. Even though he was confined to a small room in a care center, he was still grateful and knew Heavenly Father cared about him. Life has a purpose and God is in charge. The poem at the end of the talk is about how we grow from difficulty. President Monson had lost his wife not long before. Another talk is about how love is the essence. We can recognize someone’s need and we can show them love. We show love by serving others. He is always encouraging and loving and not judgmental. The things he teaches are basic, but essential. We can’t truly love God unless we love each other. It is important for President Monson to be teaching us these things because he knows life is difficult, so we can take comfort from his teachings and know how to live. President Monson is a prophet. He knows what we need and what Heavenly Father wants for us.

Lesson for May 31, 2015

Lesson for May 31, 2015 Our lesson today was by Jessica Lewis about “Personal Mission.” She explained about personal missions. Yesterday she spoke at a conference on home schooling about personal missions and she was moved to tell us several principles that relate to us and has been spoken of by the General Authorities. What is a personal mission? There is not just one plan of happiness. Heavenly Father has a plan of happiness for each of us. There is a path we are to walk and people we are to touch. We receive a foreordained plan in our patriarchal blessing. A really good term to search in lds.org is foreordination. It does not guarantee that we will definitely receive or experience certain things. Before we were born certain men and women were given certain responsibilities and tasks. As people prove themselves worthy they will be given opportunities to fulfill these foreordained duties. A curtain has been drawn so we do not remember, but we know that Heavenly Father has all power and agency and can give us eternal light and everything we need. When we come into mortality, we bring with us our talents and capabilities. As we live our lives we develop those we concentrate on and work on to develop our own personal plan of happiness. We developed faith and relationships. Neal A. Maxwell said that premortality is not a relaxing doctrine, since those previously chosen must still prove themselves. Of course, the premortal life is the first estate. Mortality is the second estate. Elder Orson Hyde said we have forgotten, but sometimes there are inklings. There can be surges of déjà vu and memories. When we say “I know” it is a rediscovery of what we knew before. Jessica said the first time she went to the temple, she was overwhelmed by a feeling of familiarity. Another sister said she felt like the temple was home. Heavenly Father has not just one thing, but things he wants for each of us. Elder Redd of the Young Men talked about the importance of finding purpose. We might be in a row boat in the middle of the ocean without direction, but we can gain purpose through the Holy Ghost and the teachings through the scriptures and church leaders. Women have a divine role as mothers and nurturers and teachers. We can help prepare others for divine lives. We struggle with patience and being a good teacher. We can pray to get the Spirit so we can be patient. Life by the yard is really hard. We can be the best we can for a minute or a day, so we cannot beat ourselves up for being upset. It does even out. Fortunately, there is repentance and we can tell our children or family members that we are sorry. We are being taught ourselves and it is a good thing to share that thought with our children. Elaine Dalton said to the Young Women that we knew it would be difficult, but we had the confidence that we could be successful and make a difference when we followed Christ and came to earth. We have missions as women who are members of the Church. We can know what it is through personal revelation and the more we understand our mission, the more we can accomplish and have the desire to accomplish. When we do the work before we go to the Lord, we are rewarded with personal revelation. Jessica has a testimony of these principles and wants us to know it, too.

Lesson for May 3, 2015

Lesson for May 3, 2015 Today our lesson was given by Amy Young about Charity Never Faileth. It is the pure love of Christ, the highest form of love. As Amy was listening to the Relief Society Women’s Conference, she heard President Eyring say those words. She wondered what it would mean if Charity Sometimes or Often Faileth. She had us turn to Moroni 7: 45 about charity suffereth long. One sister said it seems to be saying, Get over yourself. President Monson gave a talk about charity in 2010. It says, “Charity is having patience with someone who has let us down. It is resisting the impulse to become offended easily. It is accepting weaknesses and shortcomings. It is accepting people as they truly are. It is looking beyond physical appearances to attributes that will not dim through time.” It is also to accept the service of others as much as they can and in the way they can. Sister Bahr said we need to remember that as we work on charity and our weaknesses, the other side is that if we fall short of perfection, we must realize we are not perfect and it is still worth it to try. We never should give up. Amy said the bishop said it doesn’t matter where we are, but what direction we’re going. Emily Campbell said it is important to not keep score and let go of all the pettiness of keeping track of what they do. It is important to not stop loving those who let us down and let them know we love them and won’t give up on them. In applying this principle to ourselves, we need to realize that we can improve. President Monson gave several examples of charitable acts, some that were little and some took years, such as inviting someone to sit with you or persisting in visiting teaching. Amy said that sometimes we don’t even realize the good we’ve done and how it affects others. A quote from Elder L. Tom Perry said that he often thinks of what the Savior would do. He said when he was sent to Japan after WWII, he was able to help reconstruct several Christian churches so they could meet again. As the soldiers left Nagasaki, the other marines teased them for just working, instead of playing, and yet a group of 200 people then came to the train to sing “Onward Christian Soldiers” to them and wave good-bye. He knows that the only way we will have joy in this life is by serving others and keeping the commandments. Elder Quentin L. Cook said to compare President Monson’s experience to the soldiers who engaged in foolish or even wicked things while in Japan. We need to give ourselves a rest sometimes, but we do need to soldier on. President Eyring, in this latest conference said that when we feel the Spirit we can recognize that we have sisters who love us and who need our help. We can serve best by knowing how the Lord answers prayers and that is often through us. Jesus Christ relieves all burdens and heals all wounds and truly understands what we are going through. What humbles us is that Heavenly Father loves the sinners as much as he loves us. He feels joy when we bear one another’s burdens. Amy sees so many acts of kindness and it touches her, so she can only imagine how much it pleases our Heavenly Father when we do those things. President Monson said, “There is a serious need for the charity that gives attention to those who are unnoticed, hope to those who are discouraged, and those who are afflicted. True charity is love in action. The need for charity is everywhere.” It should not be hard to find people who need help, since statistics show that 50% of people are in crisis. What a huge impact it makes in the lives of people to give and receive service. Those visiting teachers who have visited people every month and become close to them are the ones who can help. Sara Campbell read the verses in Alma about if we want our prayers answered, we need to be the answer to the prayers of others as we exercise charity.

Ward Preparedness Day on Saturday, May 16, 2015

The Ward Preparedness day Fair will be on May 16, 2015 at the stake center from 9-2.

Lesson for April 26, 2015

Lesson for April 26, 2015 Today our lesson was given by Kristine Hansen. It was a Teaching for Our Times lesson about “The Music of the Gospel” by Elder Anderson. She had Sara Campbell dance, first without music and then with music. What was it like to watch her? It was beautiful, but odd to dance without music. Sara said she felt awkward. How does it change to dance with music? Sara said it said it gave her a reason to dance. It also gave emotion and instruction. He told the story of the young doctor on the Navajo reservation and an old man came in, but did not talk. Finally the old man said he danced, then the doctor thought the old man must be a tribal healer and asked if he could teach him. The old man said he could teach him to dance, but not to hear the music. How do we hear the music? Kristine said her grandmother was the north star for her—a woman who heard the music. One woman said she heard the wrong music for a long time, and it made her miserable, so she wanted to come back to hear the music of the gospel. Another sister likes to think about the why when she hears the music. Heidi said it was helpful for her to have visiting teachers and other teachers who helped her, so she wasn’t alone as she tried to hear the music. Another sister said she knew what to do to hear the music—read the Book of Mormon and pray. Sometimes it is really basic stuff that helps you hear the music. Sister Cook said after her mother died, she felt all alone. All the static in the world got to her. Her brother said he was going to join the LDS Church and she was happy for him. She had to reach a certain point in her life where she was willing to hear it. It was like coming home and hearing what she had known sometime before. Emily Campbell said there was a time after Tori died that she did not feel the Spirit. She wanted to believe, but couldn’t, so she prayed for help with her unbelief and the answer came very strongly, but only after a long time. Kristine said this lesson reminds her of last month’s lesson where it taught us to stay in the boat, even if we can’t hear the music. The lesson said we must walk the same path we did when we first heard the music—exercise faith in Christ, repent, and continue on, taking the sacrament, then we will feel the influence of the Holy Ghost. Kristine said she only really knows when she has it when it departs and she is shocked enough to try to get it back. We need to feel like things are possible. Jill Judd said we need to find even little things to repent of every day. How can we help family members hear the music? Elder Anderson said no influence should be exercised just because you are the dad or the mom or the loudest or the strongest. It should be by persuasion. Some concrete things are to sing a lullaby of love unfeigned and the lullaby of long-suffering. You feel the music when you practice service. Adele Hickman said her granddaughter started to throw a fit and Adele pointed to her sign that says better not cry, better not pout and the little girl stopped. When Adele’s daughter came to get the little girl, Adele told her what happened and the daughter said to the little girl, “That goes for our house, too.” The granddaughter said, “But we don’t have a sign in our house.” A sister said her parents taught her things and let her make choices that helped her make choices later. Sister Harker said when her boys were younger, they decided to go home after Sunday School. Brother Harker went home and found them watching television. He turned off the TV and said if you won’t go to priesthood, priesthood will come to you and proceeded to give them a lesson. Amy said she is good about telling why her children should do things, but she needs to provide more experiences with the Spirit so they can learn to hear. Claudia Laycock’s sister went inactive, but the family stayed in touch. Her psychiatrist told her that her problems were from her family. She called Claudia and Claudia told her that it made no difference if she was in or out of the Church, they would still love her and eventually she came back to Church. Sometimes it’s the way you pray to God, too. But you have to continue to love them and be constant in that love and pray for them. You cannot threaten them or force them in any way. Sometimes you have to go to them. Part of the problem is that you think you have control is a fallacy. It’s ridiculous to think you can’t love someone who does not do what you want them to. Sara Campbell’s brother came home from his mission and he went inactive. The thing her family did right was to keep treating him like normal and inviting him to everything, made it not such a big deal, and eventually he came back. However, it is good to talk about your church activity and your experience. You still have to model the dance so others can see the sweetness. If some of the family orchestra is out of tune, then keep practicing and you will feel joy, although there are problems.

Lesson for April 19, 2015

Lesson for April 19, 2015 Our lesson today was given by Megan Miller on “The Power of the Word.” 1 Nephi 18:19-28 19 And I beheld a rod of iron, and it extended along the bank of the river, and led to the tree by which I stood. 20 And I also beheld a strait and narrow path, which came along by the rod of iron, even to the tree by which I stood; and it also led by the head of the fountain, unto a large and spacious field, as if it had been a world. 21 And I saw numberless concourses of people, many of whom were pressing forward, that they might obtain the path which led unto the tree by which I stood. 22 And it came to pass that they did come forth, and commence in the path which led to the tree. 23 And it came to pass that there arose a mist of darkness; yea, even an exceedingly great mist of darkness, insomuch that they who had commenced in the path did lose their way, that they wandered off and were lost. 24 And it came to pass that I beheld others pressing forward, and they came forth and caught hold of the end of the rod of iron; and they did press forward through the mist of darkness, clinging to the rod of iron, even until they did come forth and partake of the fruit of the tree. 25 And after they had partaken of the fruit of the tree they did cast their eyes about as if they were ashamed. 26 And I also cast my eyes round about, and beheld, on the other side of the river of water, a great and spacious building; and it stood as it were in the air, high above the earth. 27 And it was filled with people, both old and young, both male and female; and their manner of dress was exceedingly fine; and they were in the attitude of mocking and pointing their fingers towards those who had come at and were partaking of the fruit. 28 And after they had tasted of the fruit they were ashamed, because of those that were scoffing at them; and they fell away into forbidden paths and were lost. 29 And now I, Nephi, do not speak all the words of my father. How does this vision apply to us? Madeline Campbell said that sometimes people mock us because we go to church or other things. Kristine Hansen said that there are many kinds of mists of darkness and sometimes we say we will let go of the rod of iron for a little time, but we become lost. She has a sister-in-law who used to be one who holds on the rod and is now in the great and spacious building. Sister Cook said she has a granddaughter who was one of the mockers, but she is now being rebaptized, because she found out that she was missing out. Megan said we all go through times when we are in one part of the vision or the other. What can we do to stay out of the group who partakes of the fruit and then falls away? Amy Young said none of us are immune. It depends on what we do on a daily basis, such as prayer and scripture study and a Christ-centered testimony.. Without them we are susceptible to falling away just like anyone else. Testimonies come to those who say their prayers and study their scriptures and bear their testimonies. The gospel is so simple and we don’t need to make it something complicated. Notice in the vision that those who heeded those who were making fun of them were the ones who fell away. If we don’t have that solid testimony, we may heed those who mock. Heidi said that there are things on the internet against the gospel, but if we have that sweet testimony we can set things aside and cling to what we know—the Savior, the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon—and know that when it is time, we can understand. If we know that this is the Church of Jesus Christ, any doubt or other information we can kneel down and ask Christ about our doubts and worries. We must also understand that we are not perfect and no one in the Church is perfect. Megan’s husband said I don’t know one way or the other about some things, but I have faith enough in the prophet that I will follow the prophet says and what revelation comes from God. The prophet and apostles themselves go to the Lord for guidance, since they don’t know everything. So we know that what comes is from the Lord. 1 Nephi 15:24 it says 24 And I said unto them that it was the word of God; and whoso would hearken unto the word of God, and would hold fast unto it, they would never perish; neither could the temptations and the fiery darts of the adversary overpower them unto blindness, to lead them away to destruction. Megan asked us what experiences have you had while reading the scriptures? Sister Cook said that when she first started investigating the church she had been a teacher and she knew that a teenage boy could not possibly know all this. She prayed about it and a quiet, but strong, feeling that has sustained her for 40 years. She knows that her experience in the Church is her responsibility. Sister Campbell said that she had a huge question and felt she should read her scriptures. The answer was not in the scriptures, but she got peace and felt closer to the Spirit and got her answer. Boyd K. Packer said that there is no question that we might have that we can’t answer through the scriptures. Megan said that all of our questions will be answered through our reading our scriptures. Amy Young said to make that goal to read your scriptures every day—at least a little bit.

Lesson for April 12, 2015

Lesson for April 12, 2015 Today our lesson was given by Maggie Kopp on “Joseph Smith, an Instrument in the Hands of the Lord” chapter 7, especially section one on the First Vision. President Benson said, “The First Vision of the Prophet Joseph smith is bedrock theology of the Church.” President Smith tells about his mission and preaching about the Church in England at a member missionary day. Many were interested, but not willing to join because they could not believe that Joseph Smith actually saw God the Father and Jesus Christ. Linda Campbell said if you know that Joseph Smith actually saw the First Vision, you must believe in the rest. Other organizations have foundational stories that are important to them and we have the same. It is meant to inspire us as a story of great faith. We can be assured that this story is for everyone. The gospel topics page on lds.org or Mormon.org has great resources about the First Vision. As far as accounts of the First Vision, we use the account in the Pearl of Great Price. We read from JS-History, verse 7 on: 7 I was at this time in my fifteenth year. My father’s family was proselyted to the Presbyterian faith, and four of them joined that church, namely, my mother, Lucy; my brothers Hyrum and Samuel Harrison; and my sister Sophronia. 8 During this time of great excitement my mind was called up to serious reflection and great uneasiness; but though my feelings were deep and often poignant, still I kept myself aloof from all these parties, though I attended their several meetings as often as occasion would permit. In process of time my mind became somewhat partial to the Methodist sect, and I felt some desire to be united with them; but so great were the confusion and strife among the different denominations, that it was impossible for a person young as I was, and so unacquainted with men and things, to come to any certain conclusion who was right and who was wrong. 9 My mind at times was greatly excited, the cry and tumult were so great and incessant. The Presbyterians were most decided against the Baptists and Methodists, and used all the powers of both reason and sophistry to prove their errors, or, at least, to make the people think they were in error. On the other hand, the Baptists and Methodists in their turn were equally zealous in endeavoring to establish their own tenets and disprove all others. 10 In the midst of this war of words and tumult of opinions, I often said to myself: What is to be done? Who of all these parties are right; or, are they all wrong together? If any one of them be right, which is it, and how shall I know it? 11 While I was laboring under the extreme difficulties caused by the contests of these parties of religionists, I was one day reading the Epistle of James, first chapter and fifth verse, which reads: If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. 12 Never did any passage of scripture come with more power to the heart of man than this did at this time to mine. It seemed to enter with great force into every feeling of my heart. I reflected on it again and again, knowing that if any person needed wisdom from God, I did; for how to act I did not know, and unless I could get more wisdom than I then had, I would never know; for the teachers of religion of the different sects understood the same passages of scripture so differently as to destroy all confidence in settling the question by an appeal to the Bible. 13 At length I came to the conclusion that I must either remain in darkness and confusion, or else I must do as James directs, that is, ask of God. I at length came to the determination to “ask of God,” concluding that if he gave wisdom to them that lacked wisdom, and would give liberally, and not upbraid, I might venture. 14 So, in accordance with this, my determination to ask of God, I retired to the woods to make the attempt. It was on the morning of a beautiful, clear day, early in the spring of eighteen hundred and twenty. It was the first time in my life that I had made such an attempt, for amidst all my anxieties I had never as yet made the attempt to pray vocally. 15 After I had retired to the place where I had previously designed to go, having looked around me, and finding myself alone, I kneeled down and began to offer up the desires of my heart to God. I had scarcely done so, when immediately I was seized upon by some power which entirely overcame me, and had such an astonishing influence over me as to bind my tongue so that I could not speak. Thick darkness gathered around me, and it seemed to me for a time as if I were doomed to sudden destruction. 16 But, exerting all my powers to call upon God to deliver me out of the power of this enemy which had seized upon me, and at the very moment when I was ready to sink into despair and abandon myself to destruction—not to an imaginary ruin, but to the power of some actual being from the unseen world, who had such marvelous power as I had never before felt in any being—just at this moment of great alarm, I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me. 17 It no sooner appeared than I found myself delivered from the enemy which held me bound. When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other—This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him! 18 My object in going to inquire of the Lord was to know which of all the sects was right, that I might know which to join. No sooner, therefore, did I get possession of myself, so as to be able to speak, than I asked the Personages who stood above me in the light, which of all the sects was right (for at this time it had never entered into my heart that all were wrong)—and which I should join. 19 I was answered that I must join none of them, for they were all wrong; and the Personage who addressed me said that all their creeds were an abomination in his sight; that those professors were all corrupt; that: “they draw near to me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me, they teach for doctrines the commandments of men, having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof.” 20 He again forbade me to join with any of them; and many other things did he say unto me, which I cannot write at this time. When I came to myself again, I found myself lying on my back, looking up into heaven. When the light had departed, I had no strength; but soon recovering in some degree, I went home. And as I leaned up to the fireplace, mother inquired what the matter was. I replied, “Never mind, all is well—I am well enough off.” I then said to my mother, “I have learned for myself that Presbyterianism is not true.” It seems as though the adversary was aware, at a very early period of my life, that I was destined to prove a disturber and an annoyer of his kingdom; else why should the powers of darkness combine against me? Why the opposition and persecution that arose against me, almost in my infancy? Some truths that we learn from the First Vision are that we are known individually by God, Christ and God have bodies, they are individuals separate from each other, Satan is real and works against God’s plan and he knows us as well, the Godhead is one in purpose, none of the churches are of God and our church is not an offshoot of the Catholic Church or in reaction to those churches, we all have the right to inquire of God, God speaks to prophets again and revelation is ongoing, God answers our prayers, Jesus Christ is God’s sin, God chooses the humble and teachable, the Bible is true, and Joseph Smith wrote down this experience. There were, however, many people who prayed daily for more truth and light and for the true Church to be on the earth. Our spiritual experiences are things we can build on and be foundations. Because we know that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are real our lives are different from others in every way. We know the importance of family and everything in the 13 Articles of Faith, programs, temples, priesthood, patriarchal blessings, working toward Heavenly Father’s plan, comfort and the ability to see the entire plan. The most important event that has ever happened because it allows us to know of the importance of the Atonement and the entire Plan of Salvation. As we remember and honor the Prophet Joseph Smith, we remember he was a humble and honest man and he really did see the First Vision.

Two events April 18 and the 21st

April 18 come to the Stake center and come to work on a couple of quilts from 10:30 to 12:00. April 21 we will visit the Family History Center in the evening.

Lesson for March 22, 2015

Lesson for March 22, 2015 Today our lesson was given by Kristine Hansen on a talk by Elder Ballard, “Stay on the Boat and Hold On!” Last time she taught, she taught us to walk in the path of the Savior. She asked people to share how they did it. Charlene Farnworth said she had a child in her class whose father committed suicide and it gave them the opportunity to show compassion and not rub salt in the child’s wounds. Sister Bahr helped a man immigrating to our area and who is blind find an apartment to live in. Heather Cantrell has felt guilty about the way she’s treated her daughter’s boyfriend, who is very trying, but she’d trying to treat him better. Elder Ballard told about his friends who went white water rafting through Cataract Canyon on the Colorado River and they were told some rules: Hang on and Stay in the Boat. The raft of the Church, or The Old Ship Zion, as Brigham Young. The ropes and handholds are the covenants, and the life jackets are scriptures, prayer, fasting, etc. We are distracted by media, health issues, daily events, depression, etc. The guide is the helmsman and in the Church it is Christ, the prophet, and apostles, stake presidents, bishops, and auxiliary leaders, etc. What does it mean to stay in the boat? Brace yourself. Don’t leave the Church. God guides, directs, and dictates to us. Brigham Young said that people sometimes jump out of the boat and drown in calm or in rough waters. Adele Hickman said she went through a period of time when she didn’t want to come to Relief Society and just had to hang onto her chair to make her stay. Kristine told about a woman in one of her former wards who could not walk easily and would have to start walking early to get to church because she had a time when she didn’t want to go, but she persevered and couldn’t even remember why she didn’t want to come. Emily Campbell said through the hard times she’s gone through with the death of her daughter and the terminal illness of her daughter, she’s had to figure out what it is in the gospel that feeds her soul and she knows that the Church is not perfect, but the gospel has what she needs. We know how we felt when we came into the Church, but sometimes we sag a little. We need continuous conversion. We can’t give up. The Church’s inspired prophets and prophets can steer us right. Apostles have had their own struggles, but they have persevered. They have been mentored and tutored by the Lord Himself. The life jacket is all the things that brought us into the Church in the first place. It seems that these things that are not greatly measured are important. Those who do not hold onto these things with both hands lose their focus on the central truths of the gospel. Even if you have doubts, hang on with both hands. Amy Young said that a few months her husband came across something that bothered him doctrinally. He decided to focus on the truths he does know and set the bothersome thing aside. It was a good example to her. One sister said her husband has been faced with liberal principles in his schooling in social work and he had to turn to the scriptures for help. President Uchtdorf said to doubt your doubts before you doubt your faith. Emily Campbell said she wanted the Church to be perfect, but she can’t expect people or herself to be perfect, why should she expect the Church to be perfect. The people in the Church are not perfect, but the gospel is. As mothers we have a responsibility to stay focused on what we know what is true and teach our children. Vira Bahr said Christ was to help the sinners, not those who were healthy already. When we start finding fault with the leaders of the Church, is when we get into trouble. If we hold on with both hands, it doesn’t mean we can’t have doubts. Sometimes people focus on the appendages, rather than the clear message of the gospel. Members are always free to question and search for answers. Having questions is not incongruent with discipleship. A sincere questioner continues to be obedient while searching for answers. Those who fail stop doing what they should and flounder about trying to find answers. Emily said that it takes more courage to continue on in spite of doubts. As Alma said, you have to keep trying and experimenting on the word. Christ is a physician for the sinner and we can join in His work and teach others the gospel and it will help us as well. Peter sank when he tried to walk on the water was saved when Christ reached out to him. Even doing little things like going to church can help us as we struggle and help others as we struggle. We should let someone know. If you are doing everything right, you get a ton of opposition.

Lesson for March 15, 2015

Today our lesson was given by Megan Miller on having a testimony of Jesus Christ our Savior and Redeemer, Chapter 6. Having such a testimony is to know the divine nature of His birth. He was the promised Messiah. His laws and doctrines are supreme. He voluntarily suffered the sins of all mankind. God the Father and Jesus Christ appeared to Joseph Smith. He came forth triumphantly from the grave. The Church He established is the only true Church. President Benson linked his testimony to Jesus Christ to the Book of Mormon, and its main purpose is to declare the divine nature of Jesus Christ. Megan asked everyone to find a favorite scripture about the Savior and share it with a neighbor. Some sisters chose Helaman 5:12 about Christ being the rock and the sure foundation that will not allow us to fall, if we believe on Him. Also in 2 Nephi where it says we preach of Christ and we rejoice in Christ. Mosiah 3:8 where it says that He shall be called Jesus Christ. And then in 17 that no other name shall be given for salvation—there is no other way to salvation. 3 Nephi29-30 where it says it is not the doctrine to have contention, but Christ’s doctrine is of peace. Alma 37:36-37 Let all our thoughts be directed to the Lord and when we lie down or rise up it should be to the Lord and He will watch over us. Being valiant in our testimony of Jesus Christ. Megan asked what part of a testimony is most important to us and what helped us gain that. In Alma 32 it talks about planting a seed. We don’t know at the beginning that Christ’s doctrines are true, but if we work with it and let it grow, we will know. Sister Cantrell said if you live by the laws of Jesus Christ, pay your tithing, you will be blessed. Sister Bauer said she grew up around people who were good, but didn’t have the gospel and that they had no comfort or direction. Only through His doctrine can we be saved. Another sister said that when we give service we should look for the surplus in our lives. Having such a testimony is vital, but being valiant in our testimonies means believing all that Christ said. We should also know that we are not going to be perfect, but it means to do everything the Lord or the bishop asks us to do even if things are not convenient for us right now. Megan said her sister left the Church because the gospel is not convenient right now. We need to ask when it will be convenient. We should look at our history and all the people who have worked so hard to establish what we have now. Get involved in genealogy so hearts will be turned. Sister Campbell said it all boils down to prayer and love and teaching correct principles. It’s not always easy, but they have to know they are loved by you and the Lord. People around us who truly care can make a difference. Sister Lyman said when she came back to Church she had gotten out of the habits and was embarrassed and overwhelmed by the enormity of the gospel. She needed to be reminded of small things, line upon line so she felt she could come back. She felt like she knew the prayers and temple visits her family did were made apparent to her and she felt supported. People need to have a testimony plus the spiritual aspect that they themselves can accept the gospel. They need the people around them to pray for them and love them and feel the Savior’s love through us. We need to hold Christ’s love in our hearts and treat people the way Christ would love them so they can be ready to gain a testimony of Christ. The Savior’s love can change us to where we can be an influence. God knows the hard work we do. We have to remember that it is God’s love and His time. We cannot control others. The only thing we can do is love them and pray for them. President Benson said we may not ever know in mortality how Christ performed the atonement, but we know it was because of His love for us. We cannot forget why.