Lesson for August 28, 2016

Lesson for August 28, 2016 Today our lesson was given by Kristine Hansen on Teachings for Our Times on talks by Elder Stevenson (“Where are the Keys and Authority of the Priesthood”), President Monson (“A Sacred Trust”), and By Elder Rasband (“Standing with the Leaders of the Church”). The theme is being united by priesthood authority and priesthood keys. These were addressed to priesthood and the youth. How do we as women experience the priesthood and priesthood keys and those we associate with who hold the priesthood. Kristine went to Denmark and saw the original Christus, along with the statues of the twelve apostles that are in the church with the Christus. President Kimball and several apostles and seventies went to Copenhagen and had a private showing. President Kimball told the stake president, pointing to the statue of Peter with keys, that he held the real keys and told the stake president to tell everyone in Denmark. He told the caretaker that he worked every day with apostles in stone and today he was in the presence of real apostles. The original keys had disappeared from the earth, so after Joseph Smith began his ministry, he was visited, along with Oliver Cowdery, along the banks of the Susquehannah River by Peter, James, and John. The keys those apostles gave to Joseph and Oliver were for leadership, the gift of the Holy Ghost, giving blessings, organizing the Church, preaching. Before that in the Doctrine and Covenants, they were able to get the keys of baptism, sacrament, and the ministering of angels in the Aaronic Temple. In the dedication of the Kirtland Temple, Joseph and his counselors went behind the pulpit and were visited by Jesus Christ, Moses with the gathering of Israel, Elias and the gospel of Abraham and gathering our families for eternity, and Elijah with the sealing keys. The rest of the Christian world does not understanding the existence and necessity for keys. President Monson has all the keys and the apostles have the keys in dormancy. When President Monson dies, the other apostles place their hands on the chosen apostle and activate the all the keys in that person. It’s as if we have a car, but no keys. What keys really mean is the ability to preside, direct, and delegate. President Monson can use these keys to delegate to the other leaders of the Church in an orderly fashion by authority and by revelation so the Church can function. It’s not about age or experience, it’s about order and calling and keys. People who are called to a calling are given the keys to operate in that calling. Not all decisions have to be made by a bishop, but can be made by a father or one who has stewardship over something. President Monson told a story about a WWII pilot who was shot down. He and his crew were in a life raft for three days and rescuers didn’t see them. The young pilot had the priesthood and was impressed to command a rescue ship to pick them up. The ship turned and came to them and picked them up. Chelsea Jolley said her father was in an accident when Chelsea was five. He was on life support and the family was being prepared for his death, but the stake president gave him a blessing that he would have a miraculous recovery. Chelsea’s mother went home and started baking cookies, because everything would be all right. Her father lived for more than twenty more years and was able to work, even though he had some physical problems. Heather Cantrell’s daughter was healed by the power of the priesthood when she nearly died because of heart problems. Elder Rasband asked several questions about standing with the leaders of the Church, such as are we listening to the counsel of the leaders of the Church? Do we accept their counsel? Do we have a testimony of the leaders of the Church? Do we choose to follow their counsel? Do we choose to hold fast to the iron rod? Are we standing with the leaders of the Church? Do we believe they have the keys and represent the Lord? Our leaders include the General Authorities, the stake president, the bishop, and the other leaders in our ward, including both women and men. If we don’t stand with any of these, we’re not standing with the Savior as well as we can. Kristine found that a beloved niece who married a returned missionary is not going to bless her child in the Church because of literature by those disaffected by the Church. Her older sister has a husband who is not in the Church. They have seven children and some have followed her into the Church and some have followed her husband. She was asked to be a Young Women’s president, but thought she would not take the calling because she was not the perfect Mormon woman. She dreamed that the Savior called her to the calling, so she did accept. How can we stand with the Relief Society presidency or the leaders of the Church? Accepting callings is one way. Doing what they ask us to, such as studying the scriptures, going to the temple, doing our visiting teaching, etc. Going the extra mile in small things, such as setting up and tearing down chairs and tables, sitting next to people who are new, not thinking somebody else can do whatever needs to be done. One of the ways is to realize that all the levels of people in the Church are trying to do their best and that we still need to help them without criticism. Not judging is an important principle. Realizing that the Lord guides the Church and will help to qualify those who serve is a good way to operate.

Lesson for AUGUST 14, 2016

Lesson for August 14, 2016 Our lesson today was given by Camille Maynard about President Hunter’s teachings about “The Sacrament and the Lord’s Supper.” Because President Hunter was not baptized until later in his life and was not allowed to pass the sacrament, he had some tender feelings about the sacrament, especially about how the boys who get to pass the sacrament should have the feeling that it is a special experience. He talked about the Passover and how the sacrifice was a lamb without blemish. It represents Christ’s sacrifice and the fact that Christ is the Shepherd. It reminds every generation of the freedom and deliverance of the Hebrews from the Egyptians, as well as spring and the deliverance from winter. It shows that the grave and death have no lasting power over us. Chris Boyadjian told of the process in Europe from Christmas to Easter of participating in the Passover. After eating the bitter herbs and unleavened bread, the lamb is so sweet. It is to teach us that accepting the Savior is sweet. When the Savior instituted the sacrament at the time of the Passover, to show that it was another milestone in His ministry. He said that he who believeth on me shall never hunger and he who believeth on me shall never thirst. His sacrament ties the New Testament to the Old Testament. It was the last Passover Jesus was mortal on this earth and he testified of his purpose, but people were still not able to understand. Finally preparations for the Passover were complete. Jesus taught them a newer and holier meaning of the bread as his body and the wine as his blood and how it is to help them remember Him. It took the old covenant of protection to a new covenant of safety. Now animal sacrifice was not needed because He had made the sacrifice and given them the emblems of his blood and body. We can be safe from addictions and other sorrows through being obedient to our covenants. We are spiritually safe, as well. In the preexistence we had the faith that Jesus would save us and the sacrament shows that we are saved from the finality of death and hell. President Hunter told about his experience during a sacrament meeting. He told of taking the sacrament and feeling like we are serving other as we pass the trays along the rows. He told how Christ’s sacrifice took the place of animal sacrifice. He is a good example of what we should think about when we are taking the sacrament. We can think about if we are putting God above all others. He mentioned the baby that cried, but surely the Lord would not be displeased that a child was participating in the ordinance, although we should try to teach the children before church about how to behave. We are teaching our children that on Sunday that is where they should be. Sometimes in other churches, children are not tolerated. We all have strategies to make being in church more attractive than being outside of church. On lds.org there are stories from members about how they handle church things that we can learn from. Our children learn how to behave from that training.

Lesson for August 7, 2016

Lesson for August 7, 2016 Today was a Relief Society presidency lesson. It was given by Adele Hickman on “Approaching the throne of God with confidence” by Elder Jorg Klebingat. First we had Sister Linda Campbell tell us about her experience doing visiting teaching and how Bishop Roundy told her that if every member did their visiting teaching and home teaching, his burden and bishop would be lighter. Sister Hickman told us about her father and how he was her therapist and friend. He had a PhD in psychology, played the piano, and has a song in the Primary songbook. He was so kind and good that Adele is sure he could approach the throne of God with confidence. Elder Klebingat said that the adversary tries to put as much distance as possible between you and God and that there is no use in trying to do better. It’s a lie that Satan uses to confound us. As long as you allow these lies to chisel away at your soul, you will not live life in a healthy way. There are things we can do to gain spiritual confidence: (1) Take responsibility for your own spiritual wellbeing. Stop making excuses. The Lord knows your circumstances and also if you don’t want to live the gospel. Spiritual confidence grows when you take responsibility for your growth. (2) Take responsibility for your physical wellbeing and start at where you are and then you can increase your strength. You can be more confident if you feel well. (3) Be obedient. Confidence comes when you are obedient. Sister Jolley said when her son was getting ready for his mission, she thought it was genius to send out a self-centered young man to where he has to be 100% obedient and learn something. What a great time for them to learn. Her son learned so much about how much better life is when he was obedient. Sister Hickman said her son Adam played ice hockey and the championship game was on a Sunday. His teammates and their parents all tried to persuade him to play. He decided not to play and when Sister Hickman asked him why, he said “You taught me.” She was so happy. (4) Repent quickly. We get confident when we know we are right with God. Emily Campbell said her kids are learning to repent quickly. Another sister said that happy families and unhappy families fight the same number of times, but the happy families forgive each other quickly. In Dorothy Francis’s family they can say, “Erase, erase” when they say something wrong. Sister Hickman told the story of a family of quail where some fell in the drain on the street and they were able to get all but one out. The one would not cooperate. (5) Become really, really good at forgiving. Spiritual confidence increases when God knows you have no ill feelings toward someone else. Sister Boyadjian said that taking responsibility for your own actions and repenting quickly is like what they ask you to do in therapy. It’s our decision to be better and choose what to do. There are plenty of excuses, but we need to stop being the victim. In the Olympics yesterday in the women’s rugby a woman had cancer, but kept training in spite of her chemotherapy and now she is in the Olympics. (6) Accept your trials as part of mortality. You never know what will happen. Millions are being tested. Don’t feel like you are being punished, but that it’s part of the plan. Partner with God to do well to the end. Some of your experiences with be with you for your life and you need to just do your best to be acceptable before God all the time in spite of your shortcomings. God has planned many experiences for all of us that we signed up for and that will only happen in this life. We need to have an eternal perspective that we agreed. Adele’s son Brent was teaching at University of Chicago and was made bishop and had a family. He found that he had tumors in his sinuses and had to have serious operations. Adele asked him how he could go on. Brent said, “Heavenly Father knew I had these tumors when he made me the bishop.” Our Heavenly Father and His Son love us and put us here to succeed.