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.

Lesson for October 16, 2016

Lesson for October 16, 2016 Today our lesson was given by Maggie Kopp on Chapter 18 “We Believe in Being Honest” and Chapter 19 “Our Commitment to God.” Maggie talked about the commonalities between the chapters. We discussed integrity, which is being whole, doing what you know is right, being the same in private and in public, having a consistent character, and being honest and fair (number one definition). When you teach your children when they are small, they carry it with them the rest of their lives. President Hunter told about a young man who had a series of speeding tickets and was almost arrested, which would keep him from serving a mission. That scared him and he straightened up. Adele Hickman, returned some crystal goblets that came to her by mistake and the clerk said she was stupid for not keeping them, which was not what Adele wanted her children to hear. Later she returned some milk she had not paid for by accident and the store manager came out to meet her because she was honest. Others told stories about how they had returned things because their religion motivates their lives. Heather Cantrell told about how when she did, the clerk said she knew Heather would do that because she was a Mormon. We discussed how that works in our lives. It’s something we may not think about, but just something we do. We might think about our motivation for what we do and say to others. This is important in marriage, so we don’t develop habits that would betray each other. President Hunter said honesty can help our relationships. In a fireside for young people, he said a happy life will come to us if we are honest with our family, bishop, work, friends, and school. Chelsea Jolley said one of her children learned that he got more leniency because he would tell the truth and make his own boundaries that would benefit his life. It’s easier because he can be trusted. Andrea said she would take her siblings Halloween candy until she took some that were not candy and nearly broke her tooth. She told her sister and it helped their relationship. She got over her pride and got closer to her sister. Sister Dibb said that when we are honest about big and little things, our lives are blessed and we have better relationships based on trust. We want physical things to have structural integrity that keep them from failing. Chapter 19 talks about commitment, which requires integrity of character to keep us functioning. That kind of integrity is what God requires of us. We should do what we commit to do. Be that person who can be counted on and be trusted. Rachel Hickman ___ said that integrity includes being sincere and dependable, even when we make mistakes and own them. She said about her mother that there were several people at their house. Rachel said she was punished for something she hadn’t done. Her mother came to her and apologized, so she said she needs to apologize when she is wrong. We are human and we will make mistakes, so we need to own them. Our children will trust us more as parents if we tell them we are sorry for something. One mother said her children have the reputation at school that they will do what they are told and can be trusted. The mother is on a committee at the school and the family’s integrity has had a downstream effect on the other school children and families. Adele told about when her children played lacrosse in a championship game. The coach told the referee when they had one extra player on the field when they made a winning goal. They replayed and the team lost, but the coach had set a good example. What has happened when we have seen Christlike people? They are compassionate to those around them, no matter who it is. Service is a good mantra for compassionate people. In our morning prayers, if we pray to be of service, we need to have our shoes on and dressed and ready to be of service. God wants us to be honest with Him in our dealings with him. When we are honest to our children, they can be honest with us. One of a sister’s Primary teachers told her that she should feel like Jesus is beside us at all times. If you can be that person whom everybody trusts, you can be that person who can serve others, because others feel they can come to you. Think about your commitment to being an honest person with integrity.

Lesson for October 16, 2016

Lesson for October 16, 2016 Today our lesson was given by Maggie Kopp on Chapter 18 “We Believe in Being Honest” and Chapter 19 “Our Commitment to God.” Maggie talked about the commonalities between the chapters. We discussed integrity, which is being whole, doing what you know is right, being the same in private and in public, having a consistent character, and being honest and fair (number one definition). When you teach your children when they are small, they carry it with them the rest of their lives. President Hunter told about a young man who had a series of speeding tickets and was almost arrested, which would keep him from serving a mission. That scared him and he straightened up. Adele Hickman, returned some crystal goblets that came to her by mistake and the clerk said she was stupid for not keeping them, which was not what Adele wanted her children to hear. Later she returned some milk she had not paid for by accident and the store manager came out to meet her because she was honest. Others told stories about how they had returned things because their religion motivates their lives. Heather Cantrell told about how when she did, the clerk said she knew Heather would do that because she was a Mormon. We discussed how that works in our lives. It’s something we may not think about, but just something we do. We might think about our motivation for what we do and say to others. This is important in marriage, so we don’t develop habits that would betray each other. President Hunter said honesty can help our relationships. In a fireside for young people, he said a happy life will come to us if we are honest with our family, bishop, work, friends, and school. Chelsea Jolley said one of her children learned that he got more leniency because he would tell the truth and make his own boundaries that would benefit his life. It’s easier because he can be trusted. Andrea said she would take her siblings Halloween candy until she took some that were not candy and nearly broke her tooth. She told her sister and it helped their relationship. She got over her pride and got closer to her sister. Sister Dibb said that when we are honest about big and little things, our lives are blessed and we have better relationships based on trust. We want physical things to have structural integrity that keep them from failing. Chapter 19 talks about commitment, which requires integrity of character to keep us functioning. That kind of integrity is what God requires of us. We should do what we commit to do. Be that person who can be counted on and be trusted. Rachel Hickman ___ said that integrity includes being sincere and dependable, even when we make mistakes and own them. She said about her mother that there were several people at their house. Rachel said she was punished for something she hadn’t done. Her mother came to her and apologized, so she said she needs to apologize when she is wrong. We are human and we will make mistakes, so we need to own them. Our children will trust us more as parents if we tell them we are sorry for something. One mother said her children have the reputation at school that they will do what they are told and can be trusted. The mother is on a committee at the school and the family’s integrity has had a downstream effect on the other school children and families. Adele told about when her children played lacrosse in a championship game. The coach told the referee when they had one extra player on the field when they made a winning goal. They replayed and the team lost, but the coach had set a good example. What has happened when we have seen Christlike people? They are compassionate to those around them, no matter who it is. Service is a good mantra for compassionate people. In our morning prayers, if we pray to be of service, we need to have our shoes on and dressed and ready to be of service. God wants us to be honest with Him in our dealings with him. When we are honest to our children, they can be honest with us. One of a sister’s Primary teachers told her that she should feel like Jesus is beside us at all times. If you can be that person whom everybody trusts, you can be that person who can serve others, because others feel they can come to you. Think about your commitment to being an honest person with integrity.

Lesson for October 9, 2016

Lesson for October 9, 2016 Today the lesson was given by Suzy Sullivan, our Relief Society president on “Gratitude.” She has been thinking about this topic a lot lately. A Brother Huntington at BYU said that gratitude turns a house into a home and makes sense of our past, and our present, as well as giving sense to our future. Our thoughts influence our lives, so being grateful is a huge influence on our happiness. Suzy said once a friend told her of her blessings and Suzy felt a little jealous. She was angry with herself because she felt like she shouldn’t feel like that. Anti-gratitude feelings can make us unhappy, while gratitude can make us feel happy. Brother Huntington also said in a ten-week study wehre some were asked to include ten things they were grateful for, another group just went about their lives, another group focused on the negative. At the end, they were rated on health and happiness. The gratitude group was happier and had better health and even exercised more by at least 25% more than the other group. Those who kept a gratitude journal had many better aspects of their lives. They didn’t have to change anything, except writing down things to be grateful for. Negative thoughts consume you. If you try to be more positive every day, your day will be better. People who complain a lot are likely to fail, while people who are positive are more likely to succeed. If you give a child four positives to every negative, they will be more likely to change. It gets really simple sometimes to focus on the positive. Alma 37:37 it says that when you rise in the morning, let your thoughts be full of joy. Thinking of one positive thing in the morning can bring in the Spirit. One sister said she had a woman while they lived in Egypt and she found this woman blessing the blender because she said she had a time when she didn’t have one—and the washing machine, and other things. The woman was so happy. Gratitude has a way of making us focus on what is most important. One sister said when she was pregnant during the summer, she experienced gratitude for the first time when there was cold weather. Suzy told of one person who had a house he was not as fine as he wanted. His family went to a family home evening at a neighbor’s house that was large and the neighbor complained that their house was not good enough. So, the man knew he needed to be grateful for what he had and not complain. We need to be happy with what we have. Adele Hickman said a class was told to just make a prayer of gratitude without tacking on needs. Elder Holland said that the success of others does not diminish him, so we need to focus on what is good in our lives. What action should we take to make our lives better. Envy and jealousy are the opposite of love and we all need love every day. If we feel love for others, the darkness of envy and jealousy will leave. Then every day is a joy. When you’re feeling down, the best medicine is serving someone else. The grass is always greener where you water it. If you focus on your blessings, you have more blessings. Even if we say hi to someone, it may light up their day and that might be the only light they have that day. Brother Huntington said to keep a gratitude journal and think on the day and remember what is good. A gratitude tree during the November season was good for one family, where they cut out leaves and wrote things they were grateful for and put them on the tree, was encouraging. Chelsea Jolley said she needs to focus more on the tender mercies in the Book of Mormon. She thinks that if she notices them more in scripture, she can feel them in her life. So, now she tags them in her scriptures and she is noticing more little things in her life that are working out better—especially that it’s the Lord’s plan so it will work. Brother Huntington said to add more thank-yous to your vocabulary. It can work in all areas of your life, even the grocery store or other places. We need to notice more often, even the small things, and people around us will work better and be happier. Joni Trewartha said most people who called her in her job call to complain, and she always ends the call with a thank-you and their attitude changes. When your baby starts learning to talk teaching them words to say thank you and bless you, they become more socially aware and can communicate better. It does make a difference in their success. One sister said her mother was grateful for changing diapers because it meant the children’s little bodies actually work and they are eating enough or drinking enough. It’s also good to write thank you notes. Thank you notes are so rare that they stand out and really bless the recipient. Lisa Anderson writes thank you notes to manufacturers and actually gets them to answer and offer her products to try. A handwritten note is precious and powerful. Heather Cantrell said she gave a thank you note and a box of candy to the firemen who helped her son when he died. They still have that note on their wall. Be thoughtful and live in the blessed moment. Also, give thoughtful prayers and focus on gratitude in your life.

Lesson for Septemer 25, 2016

Lesson for September 25, 2016 Today our lesson was given by Kristine Hansen about three conference talks: “Always Retain a Remission of Your Sins” by Elder Bednar; “The Healing Ointment of Forgiveness” by Elder Duncan; and “He Will Place You on His Shoulders and Carry You Home” by President Uchtdorf. President Uchtdorf told of visiting Dresden and the church that was nearly destroyed. After the reunification of Germany, the city decided to rebuild the church, using the blackened stone among new white stones. The scars are a reminder of what happened, but of hope and man’s ability of creating new hope from rubble. How much more capable is our Heavenly Father of making something beautiful out of our hopelessness or despair. No life is so shattered that it cannot be restored. He told of the parable of the lost sheep. All of us are at some point in our lives, the lost sheep. Over the centuries this parable has been seen as a call to bring back the lost sheep. But could it be possible that the parable is about the Savior’s mission to reach out to those who are lost. What do the sheep need to know to be reached out to? Does it need specialized technology or sponsorship? No, the Good Shepherd knows and loves us and he will reach out to us. Perhaps He will reach out to us more than once. There is a catch. We have to want to be rescued. We have to have hope to be able to feel the love that is reaching out to us. Obedience is the life blood of faith. It is by obedience that we gather light to our souls. Sometimes we feel like a piece of iron being hammered into shape, but that iron is our support. Kristine had us look at D&C 93 where it says that intelligence is light and truth and God’s glory is also light and truth and Satan doesn’t have it. If we want to have light and truth, we need to keep the commandments. If we keep them long enough, we will gather enough light and truth to be filled. D&C 130 tells us that whatever light and truth we gather in this life will rise with us in the resurrection. If we gain more of that light and truth in this life, we will have more light and truth in heaven. We could read the scriptures, but if we didn’t keep the commandments we wouldn’t get what we should out of them. Through obedience and diligence through living the gospel. If we know what we should do, but don’t actually do it, we won’t gain what we should. Being a member of the Church is not checking off a check list, but doing what we should by light and truth and becoming the type of person who does those things out of light and truth and love. No matter how dark our world seems, the Lord will seek us out, especially if we signal that we are ready to be healed. Chelsea Jolley said her daughter deals with severe depression and sometimes feels that she is too far down for Heavenly Father to reach. Chelsea said she has to remind her daughter that there have been times when her Heavenly Father has stepped in to help her. A lot of her help has to be when she is ready. If we seek him the Lord will find us. Elder Bednar talked about the process of spiritual rebirth. It takes a lifetime to be spiritually reborn. The ordinances of exaltation and redemption some through channels. If we recognize this, we have the power to be lifted up through the power of the gospel. The baptismal covenant contains having His spirit to be with us, and the initial cleansing, remember Christ, and remembering Him. This ordinance is not enough. We need the laying on of hands to receive the Holy Ghost for the ongoing cleansing of our souls. Members of the Lord’s restored Church can have the companionship of the Holy Ghost that gives us an ongoing cleansing. We will be warned and prompted to repent. But even that is not enough, so we need the sacrament to help us be cleansed every week. If you take it 48 times a year from 8-78 you will take it over 3,000 times. It gives us access to the Lord’s power of Atonement and to be made pure and holy so we can stand spotless before Him in the final day. The act of partaking of the sacrament does not remit sins, but preparing to take it worthily does help us retain a remission of our sins by leading us to repent weekly and have the Spirit of God with us. That is the promise of the sacrament and helps us to retain a remission of our sins, by being worthy to take the sacrament every week. If you keep working at it, you can be clean and ready to enter the presence of God. We should not want to be baptized again to feel renewed, but we should feel it many times in our lives through preparing to take the sacrament. The gift of the Holy Ghost, taking the sacrament, and other ordinances are an interwoven network of events to help us retain a remission of our sins. Elder Duncan’s talk about forgiveness is lovely because we can get rid of burdens of bad feelings toward others, we can retain a remission of our sins because God will forgive us, and others will forgive us. Our families are those we should practice the forgiveness that we are required to give all men. When someone hurts us on purpose, it is so painful for so long. We don’t forgive others for them, we forgive others for ourselves. Elder Duncan said we sometimes can’t forgive because it does not feel like justice. We have to remember that God will forgive and we are required to forgive. One sister’s father said that when someone makes him angry that person is taking up rent in his brain and he says it isn’t worth it to be damaged further by that person. Have you ever see someone more like Heavenly Father sees them by forgiving them. One sister said that one sister companion on her mission needed some forgiveness because they talked and forgave each other and understood that they were not enemies and that they served each other. They are still in contact and their friendship is special. The forgiveness we give to others can redeem them and change their lives. The forgiveness the Lord gives to us can change us. If we seek Him out, the Lord will lift us up on His shoulders and make us who we can be.

Lesson for September 18, 2016

Lesson for September 18, 2016 Today our lesson was given by Camille Maynard on “Preserve and Protect the Family,” chapter 17 in the Teachings of Howard W. Hunter. The Church has the responsibility and authority to preserve and protect the family. The authorities of the church can give us guidance for our goals for our family. The Proclamation on the Family is to the entire world, not just members of the Church. We should treat it as if it is for everyone in the world. The Lord was interested in the family when it instituted Family Home Evening and has been around for a long time, since the time of President Joseph F. Smith. Mondays were designated during the time of President McKay. The Proclamation says that it is the duty of a father and a mother to raise their family in the way of the Lord. For except the Lord build the house, it shall not stand. In seeking after the welfare of the members of the Church, families of all sorts are needful of having home teachers and other support from their congregations. Wherever we are in the world, we can have support from our ward congregations. Parents can be partners in the leadership of their homes to love and protect children. President Hunter talked to the men of the Church about what they should do: the family is ordained of God, the men should lead their families to church, improve the spiritual atmosphere of the home through personal scripture study, honoring their wives, accept their wives as their partners to make decisions. Most of us understand we need home evening or scripture study, but we need to be ready to teach our children to study and pray. We need to get our own spiritual state in order. We need to honor the priesthood and temple covenants, as well as honoring and reverencing motherhood. We should understand it is an honor to be a mother and an honor to be a father. We can help our men to take responsibility for family home evening or scripture study or family prayer. Sometimes our men don’t recognize that there are things they can do, we can remind them. It seems they don’t work that way. One thing we can do to be united, we can plan and talk about things before they happen, if we can. We can decide to have open communication. You can be united in how to come to a decision that works is modeling how to function as a couple for the children. Don’t talk about it in front of the kids, but do it in private. Our homes should be places of prayer, and love, and teaching the gospel. We should not just rely on schools, church, and others to give our children a foundation. President Hunter said that a home is strong and beautiful when we strive to live the gospel in our family circles. Children need to feel secure and safe in their homes, so integrity in the family is essential, as is showing love to each other. What we do in private will come out in public behavior. We can be more relaxed and comfortable if we are secure and not lash out at our family members if we respect them. We can do things together to build relationships through family home evening and build strength in the family. When we are not close to our family, we can use technology to connect, such as Skype or smart phones. Dinners with families is a way to be connected. Afterwards, then games can be played. We can change the focus of FHE from having to learn the gospel to connecting to each other with a touch of gospel lessons thrown in. We need to recognize what is needed for our family, or our spouses. Sometimes the gospel questions come up at random times, such as driving in the car, or after school. Keeping technology distractions away at a time when you can be all together is important. It shows that we place importance on our times together. Family scripture and family prayer are also important. Getting out the scripture packet of the scripture stories can help children relate to the stories and remember the points of the story. Sister Bush has each child be in charge of a day for family prayer and they each say some reason they are grateful for that person before the prayer. Prayers where we mention family members help our children and ourselves know we are prayed for. It helps if our children can hear us praying for them. President Hunter said our homes should be a holy place.

Lesson for September 11, 2016

Lesson for September 11, 2016 Today our lesson was given by Maggie Kopp on Chapter 16, “Marriage—An Eternal Partnership.” Maggie reminded us about relationships from last week’s lesson. Some of the qualities with those relationships are that they are long-term (really long term), there is respect, honesty, love, free agency, enjoy being around them, traditions together, you can depend on each other, trust, laughter, sincerity, want to be each other’s friend, generosity, and others to be talked about later. She had some quotes from President Hunter. “It is not good for man or woman to be alone.” Neither can reach eternal blessings without the other. As baptism is necessary to enter the church, so temple marriage is necessary for eternal life. We need to see it as essential because it is central to the gospel. It is a commandment. It will help us become exalted. It takes a man and a woman to be their very best. It takes us both to do it. We have to have a goal to be a celestial person and look forward to being with a person who is celestial, too, and who wouldn’t want to be married to a celestial person. Sometimes we are not the normal happy family. How do we balance out the idea that we may not be the ideal. Lisa Anderson said she has been offered other opportunities, such as serving in the temple as much as she do, so we all have our own paths. We have to find out what those paths are. So many young males have died before adulthood—many more than young females—so they are promised marriage in eternity. Marriage is a learned behavior, according to President Hunter. All the things we listed at first, those are learned behaviors as well. We learn relationship skills, such as saying the right thing to our spouse or teenager. We had to learn how to get over a rejection, or breakup, or other hardships. There is a lot of adjusting and learning to do on a daily basis. Everyone has to work. Sometimes we can make it fun and enjoyable, even with the hard work. If you are a baker, you still need to go through the process of mixing and baking and presenting the baked goods to others. Some people may be better at some things, than others, but we can all work on things. President Hunter spoke of some qualities that are essential: charity and patience, oneness of heart, fidelity, tenderness and respect, attentive listening, and selflessness. Charity and patience is especially difficult. There is a scripture that you can pray for charity and that kind of love can tide us over. Chelsea’s mother is good at this. Her father had an accident with a brain injury while they already had four children. Her mother said she had to remember that her father did not choose to have a brain injury. Her mother’s charity spills over onto her kids. Prayer and being accepting is key. We have to be reciprocal and talk together and get on the same page. It takes work to get together on a day-to-day basis. Maggie had a good friend in California that she could go for months without talking, but it eventually got so where they were not on the same page. Maggie realized she had to keep up the communication to maintain their relationship. One of the great stories is Adam and Eve and how the temptations came when they were not together, but when they were together they could not be tempted. We need to share goals, too, so you can work on them together. Being articulate can help, so being up front in the way couples interact—maybe even more obvious than we think we need to be. Being humble and being OK with your partner doing as well as you can. Being considerate and positive toward each other. Ask each other how each feels loved so we know how to show love to the other one. Wherever we are in our relationships, we need to remember that these relationships make us more celestial. Sometimes it’s hard. Sometimes it’s easy. It’s still work.