Lesson for July 9, 2017

Today our lesson was given by Camille Maynard on Chapter 12 of the Teachings of Gordon B. Hinckley, "Obedience: Simply Live the Gospel." Camille started by saying that simple doesn't necessarily mean easy. President Hinckley said when he was fourteen, he heard President Heber j. Grant who quoted that great scripture by Nephi about whatever the Lord commands, He gives a way. In his first talk in Church when he was called to be a General Authority, he talked about the necessity to understand the purpose of the Churhc and to be obedient to the commandments, be courteous, and be more Christlike. It's a season to reach out with love and acceptance. We shouldn't judge others or their actions. Chelsea Jolley said, Let those with the right authority do what they need to do and the rest of us should just be nice. President Hinckley also talked about being a covenant people. The Restoration was to bring back that covenant with God and His people. "We are a covenant people, and great are the obligations which go with that covenant. We cannot be ordinary people. We must rise above the crowd. We must stand a little taller. We must be a little better, a little kinder, a little more generous, a little more courteous, a little more thoughtful, a little more outreaching to others." We have to put off the natural man and not be swayed by what is popular. We are suppose to be steady, which makes us not ordinary. One sister said that if she were not a member of this Church, life is much different from her siblings. Camille said her friend has left the Church and how different her life is now. Her day-to-day life is different without the gospel. Jayne Galloway said that once we make those covenants and make the decision to honor them, it makes life a whole lot easier. Seeing the way people dressed just gong into the mall or going into the distribution center gives us an idea of how peculiar we are. We have to make the choice to stick with our convictions. Virginia Roundy said that when we only see the world as it is we lose the bigger picture. We have to put off carnal pleasures and wait for eternal rewards. Understanding that you are a child of God and who you are helps you make decisions that you should. You can get really lost by thinking things are important that are valued by the world, but it might not be part of the gospel at all. The way of the gospel is really quite simple, even though it might not seem to be. One sister said she went with a friend who asked her to come into a bar with her and she wouldn't have to do anything, but sit there. She did and she met a man who asked her out and she ended up marrying him. For example, the type of entertainment we watch or where we like to be. Really small decisions in your life can have big consequences. Elijah went and did according to the word of the Lord. There was no arguing or waffling. He simply did what the Lord wanted. There are strict rules for every mission and some differences, but what a time in their lives is it that they learn how to be strictly obedient. Heavenly Father is so smart to ask young men to go on missions at that age. We should all try a little harder to the divinity in is and be better than what we are. We are religious 24 hours a day, not just on Sunday. We should be living our beliefs all the time. The whole story of the Book of Mormon is a story of how when people are righteous, they are blessed. When they are not righteous, there is war, famine, and sin. The Church will not dictate the way someone should go, but it will point out the way and leave it up to them. When President Hinckley was a college student, he thought the president of the church had overstepped his bounds. His father said the president always sought the guidance of the Lord and has no personal agenda, but only want the Lord's agenda. There is no selfish desire no matter what the issue. There is no desire to teach anything other than what the Lord would teach in the same circumstances. We need to sustain him. He is not perfect, but he is who the Lord has chosen, so our job is to sustain him. There is a principle we should follow: Keep the faith. A promise is that if you keep the faith, you will receive happiness. He told of a train with a baggage car that got lost because a switch point had been moved 3", making the baggage car move from SLC to New Orleans. A small movement may create a great gap. Actions may be magnified over time, so make the actions good actions. If we simply live the gospel as it has been laid out for us, we will receive blessings.