Lesson for October 8, 2017

Today our lesson was given by our Relief Society president, Suzy Sullivan, based on the talk “Be 100% Responsible,” BYU Elder Robbins at a BYU devotional. Suzy began the lesson by saying she had another lesson prepared and she heard this talk and decided it was what she needed to talk about. On the board she wrote AGENCY and RESPONSIBILITY. Satan goes about getting to us in sneaky ways He attacks both of these. In Hellman 13:40 it says to remember that those who perish and do iniquity do it themselves. So, we. Are responsible for all choices we make. Sometimes Satan convinces us that the principles of salvation should be used for evil purposes. For instance, freedom of choice could be used to choose abortion. He gave a list of anti-responsibility choices: 1. Blaming others; 2. Rationalizing or justifying; 3. Making excuses; 4. Minimalizing or trivializing sin; 5. Hiding; 6. Covering up; 7. Fleeeing from responsibility; 8. Abandoning responsibility; 9. Denying or lying; 10. Rebelling; 11. Complaining or murmuring; 12 Finding fault and getting angry; 13. Making demands and entitlements; 14. Doubting, losing hope, giving up, and quitting; 15. Indulging in self-pity and having a victim mentality; 16. Being indecisive or being in a spiritual stupor; 17. Procrastinating; 18. Allowing fear to rule; 19. Enabling. Sometimes there are actual reasons, but there is a difference between reasons and excuses. Suzy let us hear a story from the talk about how sometimes excuses are counterproductive, even if they are right. He told about two employees who were supposed to ship materials to where Elder Robbins and his employees were giving presentations. When he talked to the employees who were supposed to ship, they excused their errors and blamed them on others. Then an executive of a large company wanted a seminar, but the supplies were wrong. There was a lot of anger and a Vice President said there will be no more errors. So Elder Robbins’s instituted an incentive system for no errors. He told the employees that they would lose their bonus if there were errors, no matter who was responsible. He told them they were 100% responsible for each shipment. He said he removed the anti-responsibility list from their list of possibilities. They took it to heart and started calling other divisions to verify correct materials and shipment. Errors finally stopped and they began to earn their bonus each month. It brings peace when we are empowered and have taken the initiative. Elder Robbins told stores about being married. One woman drew a line down a piece of paper and wrote her husban’s Faust on one side and things she should do down the other. Then she threw away the side of the paper with faults on it. Forgiving is the responsibility of each of us individually. Communication is key to understanding expectations. For example, our spouses probably don't understand what we expect without being told. We need to recognize that we are needing to overcome some things, an take responsibility for fully confessing our sins and any wrong choices we make. We can’t blame other people for our wrong choices especially if you are the one who made a decision. Suzy suggested that we read the tall, so look up BYU education week and Robbins and Responsibility. He also calls this list the anti-faith list. We can all repent and take responsibility, so if we take these things to the Lord, He can help us.