Lesson for October 30, 2016

Today our lesson was given by Kristine Hansen on President Uchtdorf’s conference talk, “Fourth Floor, Last Door.” She talked about how this talk is about faith and she hoped that the Holy Ghost would help us with sharing about our testimonies about faith. President Uchtdorf used a scripture from the New International Version of the Bible: Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. Hebrews II:1. People who don’t believe, can’t understand that what we believe is not seen when it can’t be seen. We can understand that the earth is round. We have seen the photos by astronauts. We plan for things to happen and we have faith that they will happen. Marilyn Robinson, an author who believes, says it is silly for people to say that God does not exist. It is impossible to empirically say God does not exist. How did we get that faith? Sometimes the faith comes from previous experience, so we build up repeated episodes in our lives, so our faith gets stronger. Young Kai Magistro said in sacrament meeting that he prayed about something, went to church, and someone gave a talk on the very thing he’d prayed about. We believe in experts. We believe in doctors. We believe and have to come to see that everything is not a coincidence. We can come to see that the Lord’s hand is in our lives. Today we had the Primary sacrament meeting and their faith, simple and pure, and it was evident that they believe. We’ve been told by the brethren to keep a journal. Writing things down can become our family scriptures. We can test these things by doing what we are told by our church authorities and see if our lives are better. So, how can we know things? We can pray and feel the answer. When we bear our testimonies. We can understand that knowledge comes to us in ways beyond our senses. We have to read our scriptures and do what we should in the church. When we’re doing these things we feel happier. Alma said we have to make an experiment on our faith, like plant a seed. Everyone’s faith is different, but we can all test the scriptures. Faith is so powerful it can move mountains and divide the seas. President Uchtdorf said there are some things that faith cannot do: you cannot violate someone else’s agency and you can’t force your will on God. Paul said he had a thorn in his flesh and asked God to remove the thorn, but it didn’t happen. Paul was grateful because he learned compassion. President Uchtdorf said we have to learn to act on our faith. Like the Israelites carrying the ark across the river, we have to get our feet wet before the help comes. We have to try it first. Elder Packer told of trying to find a house and he found one, but couldn’t get a confirmation. We have to set foot into the dark. Sometimes we have to work with our agency or the agency of others and not try to inflict our will. It gets harder the older they get. It adds another dimension to our faith. If we raise our children according to God’s plan, we have to let them find out. We have to remember it is not the end, yet. We have eternity. President Uchtdorf said having faith is having trust in God’s wisdom. We should trust in God’s timing, too. He knows better. God loves better than we do. It is not always our job. We should see the blessing in the trial. When Alma the Younger was in a coma for three days, he was thinking of what his father had taught him. President Uchtdorf said that when we are not immediately answered, we need to keep knocking. That is how he met his future wife as a missionary. He put a Book of Mormon in the hands of his future mother-in-law and she used her agency to join the Church. We have to recognize the purpose of prayer. It is not to make God listen or for us to be rewarded. We need to recognize the little bits of progress. Kristine said she sometimes doesn’t get her answers, but she prays for a tender mercy and she is blessed with something that helps her endure. We have to trust. It helps to zoom out and see the bigger picture, like it’s a movie. What would have happened if Frodo turned away from Mount Doom and ran home? Imagine yourself as the heroine of your own movie and you need to just go a little further. As President Uchtdorf said, “Doubt your doubts before you doubt your faith.” Irma Bahr said when she went to the MTC and tried to learn English, she could not make progress. She went to the temple and prayed that no one could understand her, except God. The moment she said that, a little old lady hugged her and loved her and that was what she needed to keep going. How is your faith rewarded through prayer and diligence. Sometimes it takes a lot of time and a little step at a time. God has his own time table and can see the end from the beginning, so we can trust Him. The Holy Ghost can do more than we can. Kristine said she wanted to call her brother to repentance. She went to the temple and the Bible fell open to a verse that said that the servant of the Lord shall not strive with others and to let the Lord move people. President Uchtdorf said to the sisters, “The Lord lives. He knows you and understands you. He will not abandon you.” Persist faithfully and good things will come.