Lesson for July 2, 2017

Today our lesson was given by our president, Suzy Sullivan. She taught us about talks, one by Elder Simmons "Let Us Not" and Elder Bednar and how we should say Thy Will Be Done. We need to trust that God loves us and has the big picture in mind. You have to let go of trying to counsel the Lord. You have to keep doing what you can, but even if you don't know what is next in store for you, you need to trust that God knows best and has the big picture in mind. You do know that Heavenly Father can give us extra grace and strength to handle what we have to go through. If we dont get what we want, we can still trust in our Heavenly Father and have peace that His will happens. You try to understand what is happening and why it is His will. What should be learn from the situation and not become bitter or angry. Suzy played part of Elder Bednar's talk about a couple who went through adversity. The husband was diagnosed with bone cancer with nodules in his lungs. He felt he had failed as a husband. His wife said it changed her perspective. She said it was the worst day of her life, but she was grateful for their temple marriage. Chemotherapy affected his health and psychology. They would sometimes wonder what Heavenly Father had in store for them. They found that prayer was their savior. The husband had surgery on one of the tumors. They found that the eternal principles they learned were invaluable. They had to find the faith to not be healed. They had to accept that the blessing they needed was contingent on not being healed. They recognized a principle that strong faith in the Savior must take into account the timing and purpose of Jesus Christ as a child submits to its father. What seemed to be perplexing questions, came to be seen as major principles to learn, such as "He that shall find his life shall lose it. Lots of paradoxes seemed to present themselves to the couple. They submitted their will to the will of the Father. True faith is to trust the Lord. The important thing is that they exhibit that true faith. None of us are going to escape challenges, so we'd better be strong. The time we have together with our families is a blessing, even if there are problems. Those who are made stronger can help others. Suzy told of how her husband wanted to go get a PhD and did not get accepted. They were puzzled, but then they started their own business and they got what they wanted, but a different way from what they thought they would get. Fear not, but believe. See what you do have as a gift. Sometimes we are blessed by some of our most painful experience. Sometimes when you plan things out, they do not turn out as great. We do our best with what we know and then accept what God gives to us. Elder Bednar said that if all maladies were removed, the plan of the Lord would be frustrated. He loves us and we are in his hands.

Lesson for June18, 2017

Today our lesson was given by Camille Maynard about Chapter 11 of the Teachings of Gordon B Hinckley, Chapter 11 "Home--The Basis o Righteous Life." Camille started by telling about President Hinckley and the Proclamation on the Family. There is a story about their home where their children grew up and how sad they were when they decided to move closer to Church headquarters He called the Proclamation asa a clarion call to strengthen the family and home. We all want to have strong homes. Camping together can strengthen a family. Family dinners can help families to bond. Extended family dinners are important to because everyone needs good relationships and people they can lean on. Prayers for each other can strengthen bonds. Going through hard times together can give a bonding experience. Having some available time together is important for feelings of closeness. Even if you have a very healthy family, investing in the one you love the most makes a big difference. Family councils helps a family to counsel together and to plan the year for the family. Family council can give children a voice We have to know and have to plan so time is apparent to us when we can spend time together. We want to be part of our grown children's lives, so social media can be a good way to stay in touch. President Hinckley said a home is the basis for a righteous life where we teach gospel principles. We can love our wayward family members and bless them through our examples and love. Family Home Evening, scripture study, and temple attendance, and even church pageants can help the family to be stronger. Church pageants are a way to be immersed in the gospel. Starting the day with a family devotional can help gospel principles be normalized. The roles of fathers and mothers are in viewing children as gifts of the Lord an a residue of affection that will guide love and respect for each other and for their parents. Single parents can allow leaders in the church or friends in the church to help their family. Never forget that Heavenly Father is there for us. He ways He will come to us even though we cannot go to Him. President Hinckley said he built his first home and the landscaping. He planted a honey locust tree right where the wind blew. When it grew, it grew in the direction of the wind. He tried to correct the tree by cutting off a branch that leaned too far, which was a drastic remedy. Remember to train up a child when he is young and when he is old he will have grown the right way. It doesn't take as much effort when children are young as it will when they are grown. One sister said that one-on-one outings with parents can help children know they want to be good, go on a mission, go to the temple, and other good things. It does take time. Having expectations can also be good. These expectations can be useful to guide children. They can be something to talk about between family members. Play and pray for your little ones. They are growing up in complex times that will require a greater strength than we have to have now. Pray that they will have that source of strength that will sustain them in any situation. Family prayer can be opportunities to express love for each other and be a special time to express gratitude for each of them. Saying nice things about other family members can bring a glow to their faces. Be careful not to be too critical. Help our children to know why we are grateful for the gospel and each other and help to strengthen their testimonies. President Hinckley said that when he was 5 years old, President Smith started Family Home Evenings. His family tried to do what President Smith wanted and even though their efforts were funny sometimes, something wonderful grew out of their efforts. Many times a FHE can be an opportunity to discuss gospel principles that are confusing. Sometimes FHE gives us a break from the world and can be a relief from stress If you have any doubt about FHE, try it for a while. Not every evening will be successful, but continuous efforts will bear fruit. Even if there are members who go astray. Keep at it. Never give up. Pray for them and love them and never give up. If we have those relationships in place, we could be non-judgmental so they want to be close to us. We can't take away someone else's free agency. If we have that relationship, then there may be times when we can offer some gentle comments. Raising a family may not be the easiest, but love can make the difference. With mastery over anger and Heaven's help we can be patient and encourage our family

Lesson for June 11, 2017

Today our lesson was given by Maggie Kopp on "Nurturing the Eternal Partnership of Marriage." She said marriage lessons are not her favorite because there are issues that hit close to home. President Hinckley said the early years were not that hard but he did learn that there has to be a little give and take. He said to lose a long-time companion is very hard but he has the assurance that death is not the end and as surely there is a separation, there is eternity. He also said of his wife that she had always given him wings to fly and he has loved his wife for it. It is important let each other grow. Some sisters commented on the need to compromise and not to think you will change the other person. What is so good about President Hinckley and his wife Camille is that they acknowledge that there are problems, but they are so supportive of each other. Some of the things we need to take into consideration are unselfishness, supporting each other, . We do believe that our marriages will continue after death. It's a big deal to be sealed to each other and continue that relationship after death. Having divorce in the mix is scary. If you both continue and stay committed to the Lord. One sister thought she would never get married and had a hard time hearing about marriage, but she learned that even if she had those expectations, she learned that those good qualities can affect your relationship with every relationship you have. She said when she did meet her husband and he eventually wanted to go to the temple, it changed him and their relationship. Once they did get sealed, that mantle came onto their marriage and it was such a blessing. The deeper meaning of a Temple marriage can bring a closeness. In the marriage companionship there is no superiority, but a partnership of equals and each encouraging each other. If you're speaking to your spouse of should or ought, then you have a parent/child relationship and not a marriage. Do the job that needs to be done, even though some people do things differently from you. It's important to know why someone does something so you can come to an understanding. Resolving conflict is important. Contention comes easily and we need to know who we are and who our loved ones are. Lack of commmunication can lead to misunderstandings. A competitive spirit Differing cultural values. All these things need to be discussed and worked out. We can be a lot like our spouse but the family cultures from the families we come from can be very different. You are trying to mesh two different things to make your own cultural family unit. It is good to identify things to work on. The Holy Ghost can have a huge influence on your marriage if you are both trying to stay close to the Holy Ghost. If every husband or wife is doing what is necessary to make the other spouse comfortable, most problems will disintegrate. It goes back to being flexible and not seeking an argument. Not expecting our spouse to read our minds. As women, we're very hormonal, so we need to understand when our physical condition makes us more combustible. Ask yourself if there are things that are making you or your spouse grouchy. There must be respect for the wants and needs of each other. It all falls back on selflessness. If you make the effort for your spouse to accomplish or grow in talents, then you will grow closer. Marriage teaches you to be humbled and broken and formed into a different person. How do you balance that support so you don't feel burdened. It helps to be loving to them first and then their hearts will be softened. We shouldn't count instances or saying what is fair or not. Sometimes a role has to change to help the couple work things out. God loves us no matter who we are.

Lesson for June 4, 2017

Today our lesson was given by Andrea Gerber of our Relief Society presidency. The lesson is on forgiveness. Andrea started by saying that she has been thrust into a master class on forgiveness. She set some base rules about what forgiveness is not. Forgiveness is not accepting people who has harmed them. It does not require us to ignore the wrong we see, but we must not treat others in anger. Forgiveness is not necessarily reconciliation. It doesn't mean rationalizing bad behavior. It doesn't mean that trust is restored automatically. Some things don't require restoring trust in any situation. When Andrea moved into the ward, some ugly accusations were made against them and they ended up in court. She had never had anyone try to harm her before. All the rules she knew suddenly were not working anymore. The judge saw through the accuser's claim and declared Andrea and her husband were innocent. During this situation, she felt close to the Lord and it was sweet. She felt humbled by her situation She contrasts that what she felt as she developed a sense of anger and self-righteousness and that was harder than being sued. Joseph B. Wirthlin spoke about the law of compensation: It may not come right away, but every tear will be recompensed. Andrea found that taking revenge could heal what happened to her heart. She had to turn to the Lord. The law of compensation is key. In Isiaiah 6:3 he says that Christ will give beauty for ashes. In Luke 6:38 it says give and it shall be given to you, for with the same measure you use will be given to you. She used an analogy of buying rice in a market and the seller won't shake the basket to give you more when it settles, but the Lord will let the rice settle, fill your basket again, and let it run over it's so full. President Uchtdorf says that means we should have kindness. Some sisters told of times when they have been healed and compensated. Emily Campbell told of losing one daughter three years ago and how it was the worst. She said that her other daughter has the same disease and is getting worse, so her experience is a holy and a sacred thing. She feels like her experience happened for a reason. Several sisters went through hard experiences in divorce and yet they feel like they have been compensated and have closer relationships with their current husbands. Andrea told about her little brother who has Down Syndrome and autism and what a blessing he is. Sometimes the compensation is not being trapped like some are by bad experiences. Hopefully the joy of living better is compensation. Maggie Kopp said that our culture needs outrage right now. Sometimes this outrage makes us do good things, like MADD or something like that. But moving beyond being outraged is the better course. If you're always campaigning against something is not as good as campaigning for something. Campaigning against can develop into a form of pride. If you can pray for someone, you can perhaps move beyond that bad experience. At one point Andrea felt it was unsafe to forgive. When someone hurts us, they have stolen from us. She feels like it makes little holes in her soul. What she fills those holes with are things like hurt and anger and the memory of that experience. So she felt like should remember to have something to keep. We have to give up those things to allow the Lord to fill our holes with love and more than we had before. One sister said she had an unjust bill, but as soon as she paid it, it was no longer in her life. Ask yourself if you are enjoying victimhood. You get to feel sorry for yourself. We're talking about score keeping. In a marriage, keeping score is harmful to a marriage and to a life. The gospel doesn't allow us to keep score. We can allow the Lord to have things under control and take care of the situation Then He can fill our souls with light and love. Open your heart. Soften your heart. As we open our hearts to the glowing dawn of the gospel the dark of anger and revenge disappears. We can pray for people. If you can pray for someone you can feel love in your heart. It's important to remember that everyone is suffering. We should never project our anger onto anyone else. Andrea says she believes in the power of prayer and doesn't want karma to not happen, but you should pray that that they get what they need to become a different kind of person. Sometimes you need help from the Lord to take it as far as it should go. He gives us the love to forgive. Turning to the Lord can heal us. Fill our days with uplifting church programs and scriptures and service and our healing can begin. The Lord's conditions are that we forgive other so He can forgive us. The commandment to forgive is for our good. You don't have to be a Victim twice by being victimized by your own hate.

Lesson for May 28, 2017

Today our lesson was given by Kristine Hansen on Russell M. Nelson's conference talk, "Drawing the Power of Jesus Christ into Our Lives." Kristine also spoke briefly in sacrament meeting on this lesson. She does believe that if we draw this power into our lives it helps us with everything. Christ never intended for us to go through the troubles in this life alone. He intended for us to get power for help. There are six ways to draw this power into our lives. The first is to learn about Him She is taking the challenge of reading about everything in the Topical Guide about Jesus Christ. She asked five sisters to take the challenge with her and keep track of their feelings and insights and how it influenced. It helped these sisters to love Him more and understand who He is. Using technology of computer or paper and pencil helped the sisters understand the scriptures better Jayne picked uplifting parts of Christ's ministry. She found that if you don't take notes, you don't remember what you read. Then go back and see what you learned. What Jayne learned that in the OT there was nothing about Christ being an exemplar, but there was about Him being a Good Shepherd Jayne was led on a scripture hunt, such as going from being the Word to being the Light. She found many great and powerful words with the most important being to rejoice. McKenzie said she took the challenge as she tried to wean her baby. She found that all the scriptures helped her in many aspects of her life. One of her favorites was the Atonement and it was beautiful. She read the part about how Christ is the Advocate and the Comforter. One verse John 14:8 said I will not leave you comfortless. She felt Christ'S help all week. Heavenly Father is the perfect example to us as He was a perfect parent. She loved that Heavenly Father introduced Christ by saying He was well pleased by Christ. So, positive things all around. Lisa Anderson said she apppreciates the opportunity to read through by topic. She chose those things that help her remember the Savior. She loved that all things are created in the Spirit first. She was comforted that Christ did not give in to temptation. Jeanette said she has been doing it for some time now. It has reflected her whole month. In the temple, the matron challenged them to do what Elder Nelson wanted them to do. She said in the temple, she had a witness of the Holy Ghost that there were angels in the room assisting people who needed help and blessings in that session. She felt she was a witness that angels do come when we need them. Learning about Christ helps us broaden our understanding and deal with our lives. The Lord is there to strengthen us.Elder Nelson also encourage us to study "The Living Christ" and see how it affects us. Elder Nelson also said to put the Savior at the center, not his deeds or teachings, but the Savior himself. It is doctrinally incomplete to talk of the Atonement without saying the Atonement of Jesus Christ because it is the Savior who delivers us from physical death and our sins. His atoning sacrifice shows his commitment to Him. We should get into that habit so He is who we look to for our help. The third thing he recommended is to have faith and then act on it--to follow him. Do you have the courage to speak up when someone badmouths the Church. Lana said she went to college and had to stand up to her English professor who wanted her to read something inappropriate. We need to find a way to do it with kindness and love, especially on Facebook. When we act on that faith, we get more power. Finally, keep covenants. People slack off on keeping their covenants. They feel they can become casual and maybe life would be easier. These decisions make us go inactive We need to put Christ at the center of our lives and remember we made our covenants with Jesus Christ. We will. Less prone to slacking off. When we are given the ordinances, we are given access to great power. Ask, why you would remove yourself from the blessings? We might pray to recognize what we receive and to avoid confusion. There is so much deception all around us and not be deceived. We can also stay unspoiled from the world. It's not true that we are not good enough, or pride, or cynicism, and we need to understand what our standards are and how it should be enacted in our lives. Justification of our beliefs is important. We need to remember what is normal and what is OK to be normal and what is not. We need to reach out to Christ for help and know how to handle our problems. If the Lord's power is in our lives it is as if a drowning person reaches out for safety If Christ knows we are sincere we can draw the power of Christ into our lives. We can feel optimism and strength and happiness.

Lesson for May 21, 2017

Our lesson today is given by Camille Maynard on "The Precious Gift of Testimony," chapter 9 in the Teachings of Gordon B Hinckley Camille asked about events that solidified our testimonies. Some sisters too of times when they were younger and realized tha they have testimonies. It is good to know that we have that gift. President Hinckley tells of his first memory of spiritual things when he had an ear infection at age 5 and heard his father giving him a blessing and felt the Spirit. He also remembered saying his prayers as a teenager and getting into bed and recognizing the gift he had received of knowing he had a testimony. We all had those first feelings of knowing a testimony. How can our testimony contribute to the worl-wide church. Like little drops of water we fill up the lamps of the church. How we fulfill our callings also contributes. We carry a light with us that influences others. Some people are more able to reach people in the way that speaks to them and it's different for each person. We have become a great family in different circumstances, but we have common testimonies.President Hinckley said: This thing which we call testimony is the great strength of the Church. It is the wellspring of faith and activity. . . . It is as real and powerful as any force on the earth. The Lord described it when He spoke to Nicodemis and said, "Yhe wind Bowery where it listens, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit" (John 3:8). This thing which we call testimony is difficult to define, but its fruits are plainly evident. It is the Holy Spirit testifying through us. It has the power to change lives and actions. He also said that personal testimony is what motivates us to sacrifice for the gospel and make change in our lives. It is heard from all factions of members in the Church. Life is purposeful and we are on a common journey of achieving security in the fact that God lives and we have places and things to go and do. Camille had us read five stories about testimony and its effects. One story was but David Casteneda and his poor farm and walking in poverty until the elders contacted them and baptized them. They grew in prosperity and as a family. Over 200 people have joined the church because of them. Another story was about a naval officer from another country. He was being trained in the USA an he was attracted to some other officers who had light. The Spirit touched his heart as they taught him and he joined the Church. He knew his family would cast him out and he thought he might lose his career. He said "It's true, isn't it, then what else really matters?" Lisa Merrill taught a man on her mission and when he returned home from going to school he found that his family had joined the Church. The third story is about an engineer whose wife wante to join the Church and he grew angry about time and money it woulD cost. He walked the street swearing and angry, but a voice came to him and said, "It' true" and peace came to him. He went home to find his wife praying. The things he was upset about were no longer a problem to him. Some people who look up the Church do so academically, but others are not concerned with costs and want the truth, so the things that academically are barriers are no problem with the right attitude The fourth story is about an intellectual woman, major in the Army, who spoke to a military group in Berchtesgaden about when the missionaries came to see her. They were so impressive she offered to buy anything they were selling. They told her of the gospel and her testimony is now the most precious thing her life. Now she just wants to serve others. President Hinckley said it is the same with hundreds of people a over the world, no matter their economic status or education. We all have our own stories of how we have to stand on our own feet. Suzy said on her mission she met a combative man who complained about Joseph Smith. She said that by testifying about Joseph Smith, she gained a certainty of Joseph Smith. Camille said she had a similar experience hearing a missionary testify of Joseph Smith. When we have fears, we can pray to be reassured. As parents, we can teach our children to ray to overcome their fears. Our children may lean on our testimonies until they are sure of their own. How has your testimony sustained you in your life and influenced others? Did your mother help you pray? Remember the parable of the 10 virgins and fill your lamps with oil by going to the temple and praying and studying scriptures so we can be grounded in the gospel. In the New Testament when Jesus fed the 5,000 and telling the people the gospel, but some people thought it was too hard. Some left, but some disciples said, "You have the truth. Where could we find it elsewhere?" The gospel gives us the chance to have a testimony. What a blessing.

Lesson for May 14, 2017

Lesson for May 14, 2017 Today our Mother's Day lesson was given by Bishop Greg Jolley on "We Look to Christ." Bishop Jolley drew a tree and called it a specimen tree that is the ideal for that kind of tree, the perfect tree. Because it is Mother’s Day and women everywhere like to feel they are perfect, so he is going to describe the perfect woman. Listed were Christ-like, courageous, nurturing, loving, patient, kind, there, prayerful, loves children unconditionally, clean house, great cook, forgiving, flexible, involved, listener, (righteous anger), respectful. We’re all working on the kind of person that we are. Bishop Jolley said the lesson felt more like an Easter lesson than a Mother’s Day lesson. But there could be something helpful for each of us. Bishop Jolley had Megan Williams read a story about the Mesa Arizona Temple as local clergymen visited. A Protestant minister asked about the absence of the cross. President Hinckley said the cross is the representation of the dying Christ and we worship the living Christ. He said that our symbol for Christ is our lives as we live the commandments of Christ. The take away from this message is that the lives of our people must become a meaningful expression of our faith. We can do this through visiting teaching as a way to serve. If everyone would do their teaching as it should be, it would lighten the load of the bishop. Bishop Jolley recognizes the good work of the sisters. Sisters who live their religion to the best of their ability actually look different from other people. The light shines through them and it is unmistakable. It doesn’t mean that we are all the same, but we can be that expression of what our Heavenly Father wants us to be. Being Christlike is something we work toward. Some of the accounts of what Christ did have special meaning, such as the story of Mary and Martha, the woman taken in adultery and forgiven by Christ without condemning her, woman who had the issue of blood and touched Christ’s hem and was healed, a Greek woman who asked for Christ to heal her daughter and said even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall, the daughter of Jairus, the Samaritan woman at the well and he was compassionate. Bishop Jolley said he’s lost a few family members over the last year. He realizes that our natural man makes us judgmental and critical. Perhaps we lose the understanding that people are struggling. When our bodies separate from our spirits, we become less judgmental because we are no longer the natural man who tends to judge others. How do we take these stories and make them change us. When we repent and gain humility, we try to do what we should do, we can teach others to repent. The idea is that the way Christ taught with an extension of love and boldness, it had an impact on individuals. It is almost impossible to attain all of Christ’s attributes, but we can choose one and work on that one, then choose another one and work on that one until we gain more Christlike attributes. We read those passages of scripture about Christ and we can come to recognize the traits we have, good and bad, and know what to work on. If we search for what we need, we can find it. A lot of the stories are connected to faith and the idea that Christ is seeking after all of us, so he doesn’t seem so far away. When we try to emulate him, Christ will be familiar to us. President Hinckley said although he experienced terrible things, but Christ was still able to say as he died, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” He said that even though he suffered tremendously. How many times do we think about that? Do we think that our problems are because of someone else or do we own our problems. Bishop Jolley told of his experience playing soccer for BYU. For the first game, his friend was jealous of the bishop’s starting position and purposely made him late to the game, so the bishop lost his starting position. He didn’t find out until much later. He found out when he was ready to forgive and not blow up at the young man. One of those attributes is to forgive and we need the time to learn that. Bishop Jolley asked when was the last crisis of faith each of us had, when things are difficult. Those crises of faith are more often than we might think. We think we have to be a perfect person, but in reality God only expects us to try. The acquisition of understanding and motivation to be better come from three things: (1) read the word of the Lord, (2) serve, (3) pray. This is the invitation and the promise is sure. We know not what is ahead of us. We live in a world of uncertainty. There is accomplishment, disappointed, good health, sickness, sorrow, but we do know there is the Redeemer of the world, and the Rock of our Salvation. If Christ is the focus of our lives, we can get through anything.