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.