Lesson Summary: July 28, 2013

This week Mickey T. taught our combined class using It's a Miracle by Neil L. Andersen and We Are One by Henry B. Eyring.

'Can you imagine the scene of the eleven Apostles on the mountain near Galilee when the risen Lord came to them and said: “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost”? “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.”

“All nations”? “All the world”? “Every creature”? Was it possible? Although Jesus reassured them, they must have wondered if miracles really would accompany them in spreading the gospel.

'The Lord needs you now more than ever to be an instrument in His hands. All of us have a contribution to make to this miracle.

'I promise you, as you pray to know with whom to speak, names and faces will come into your mind. Words to speak will be given in the very moment you need them. Opportunities will open to you. Faith will overcome doubt, and the Lord will bless you with your very own miracles.

'We are all in this together. With fellow ward members and missionaries, we plan and pray and help one another. Please keep the full-time missionaries in your thoughts and prayers. Trust them with your family and friends. The Lord trusts them and has called them to teach and bless those who seek Him.' (2013 April General Conference, It's a Miracle, By Neil L. Andersen)

We split into groups to discuss the following questions:

• To what degree am I feeling the love of The Lord?
• What challenges slow you from sharing the Gospel?  Busyness? Fear?
• What promises were declared in the lesson talks?

Lesson Summary: July 21, 2013

This week Sara G. guided our discussion through Lesson 14 “With God All Things Are Possible” in the Lorenzo Snow manual with associated thoughts from the April Conference talk "Lord, I Believe" by Jeffrey R. Holland.

In speaking of the experience of being called to become the next Prophet of the Church, it was written of Lorenzo Snow:

“there was no use in his making excuses as to inability etc., to assume the vast responsibilities involved in the position. … He felt that it was for him to do the very best he could and depend upon the Lord.” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Lorenzo Snow)

We can do anything required of us, with God's help.
When we participate in God's work, we need his help.
God's promise: my grace is sufficient

Matthew 19:16

"And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?"

"The character of the religion that we have espoused demands a certain course of conduct that no other religion that we know of requires of its adherents; and the nature of those demands upon us [is] such that no person can comply with them, unless by assistance from the Almighty." (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Lorenzo Snow)

Sara had us take an small piece of paper with one side listing:
How have you helped build the kingdom of God on the earth and how have you called upon God's help to accomplish these things?
On the other side she asked us to list the responsibilities, roles, relationships and duties in our life.
We shared these with each other in small groups.

A famous quote to help focus our thoughts from Neal A. Maxwell was:

"God does not begin by asking us about our ability, but only about our availability, and if we then prove our dependability, he will increase our capability!" (It's Service, Not Status, That Counts, Ensign, July 1975)

“Where the Lord plants us, there we are to stand; when he requires us to exert ourselves for the support of these holy principles, that we are to do; that is all we need to trouble ourselves about; the rest our Heavenly Father will take care of.” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Lorenzo Snow)

"Honestly acknowledge your questions and your concerns, but first and forever fan the flame of your faith, because all things are possible to them that believe." ("Lord, I Believe," April 2013 General Conference, Jeffrey R. Holland)

Lesson Summary: July 14, 2013

Katie T. gave us a great lesson from Chapter 13 of the Lorenzo Snow manual - Relief Society: True Charity and Pure Religion.

A few definitions of religion are: the service and worship of God or a cause, principle, or system of beliefs held to with ardor and faith.

Moroni 7:45

And charity suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

 Luke 10:27

And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.

'he said, “It is difficult to imagine what we should have done, or what progress the work of the Lord would have made, without them.” To cite one example, he referred to the Church’s missionary program at the time, in which married men often were called to serve full-time missions: “When we have been absent on foreign missions, their missions at home have generally been no less arduous than ours abroad; and in the midst of trial and privation they have exhibited a patience, a fortitude and a self-help that has been truly inspiring. Thank God for the women of this Church! That is the way I feel today as I join in this assembly.” ' (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Lorenzo Snow)

• President Snow declared that it would be difficult to imagine the progress of the work of the Lord without the women of the Church. In what ways do women contribute to the work of the Lord today?

"The mission of the Relief Society is to succor the distressed, to minister to the sick and feeble, to feed the poor, to clothe the naked, and to bless all the sons and daughters of God." (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Lorenzo Snow)

Matthew 25:34-40

 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 

  For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:

  Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.

  Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?

  When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?

  Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?

  And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

Isaiah 1:17

 Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.

• Think of a time when Relief Society sisters fulfilled this mission by helping you or your family. How have such actions influenced your life?

"It has always been a source of pleasure to me to notice how faithfully you sisters of the Relief Society have stood by the servants of the Lord under all circumstances. You have ever been found at the side of the Priesthood, ready to strengthen their hands and to do your part in helping to advance the interests of the kingdom of God; and as you have shared in these labors, so you will most certainly share in the triumph of the work and in the exaltation and glory which the Lord will give to His faithful children." (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Lorenzo Snow)

• In what ways do Relief Society sisters “advance the interests of the kingdom of God”? What examples have you witnessed of Relief Society sisters and priesthood holders working together?

"I would advise the brethren to encourage their wives to [participate in] the society … ; for it would be a good thing to have the influence of this organization in every home. I ask you, my sisters, in your visits to the homes of the Latter-day Saints, to carry this influence wherever you go. The Lord has clearly shown to you the nature of your relationship to Him and what is expected of you as wives and mothers. Teach these things to those whom you visit, especially to the young ladies. …
You... should exercise all your influence … in favor of pure motherhood and faithfulness to the marriage covenant." (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Lorenzo Snow)

"As the Church grows, its field of usefulness will be correspondingly enlarged, and it will be even more potent for good than it has been in the past. If all the sisters will rally to the support of the society, it will accomplish a mighty work and be a continued blessing unto the Church. It would be gratifying to see the middle-aged as interested in this institution as the aged, and by becoming so they will find that it will strengthen their faith, give them broader ideas of life and its responsibilities, and advance them materially along the path of progress and perfection." (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Lorenzo Snow)

• Ponder President Snow’s plea for Relief Society sisters to exercise their influence “in favor of pure motherhood and faithfulness to the marriage covenant”. Why is this influence needed in the world today? In what ways can Relief Society sisters help young women prepare for temple marriage and motherhood?

Lesson Summary: July 7, 2013

Sue A. shared a message titled "Choices" using the For the Strength of Youth pamphlet and L. Tom Perry's talk "Obedience to Law is Liberty" from April's General Conference.

Elder Perry describes a book given to all servicemen at the beginning of WWII.

"In many respects, this world has always been at war. I believe when the First Presidency sent me my little brown book, they were more concerned about a greater war than World War II. I also believe they hoped the book would be a shield of faith against Satan and his armies in this greater war—the war against sin—and serve as a reminder to me to live the commandments of God."   (2013 April General Conference, Obedience to Law Is Liberty, By  L. Tom Perry)

The principles in the pamphlet "For the Strength of Youth" are not just for the youth of the church but apply to all of us. 

"You are responsible for the choices you make. God is mindful of you and will help you make good choices, even if your family and friends use their agency in ways that are not right. Have the moral courage to stand firm in obeying God’s will, even if you have to stand alone. As you do this, you set an example for others to follow.
"While you are free to choose your course of action, you are not free to choose the consequences. Whether for good or bad, consequences follow as a natural result of the choices you make." (For the Strength of Youth, Agency and Accountability)

• What choices do you make in your life that are different than the choices made by friends/neighbors/co-workers who are not of our faith?  Why and how do you make these choices?

"In my judgment, four of the Ten Commandments are taken as seriously today as ever. As a culture, we disdain and condemn murder, stealing, and lying, and we still believe in the responsibility of children to their parents."But as a larger society, we routinely dismiss the other six commandments:

• If worldly priorities are any indication, we certainly have “other gods” we put before the true God.   
• We make idols of celebrities, of lifestyles, of wealth, and yes, sometimes of graven images or objects.
• We use the name of God in all kinds of profane ways, including our exclamations and our swearing.
• We use the Sabbath day for our biggest games, our most serious recreation, our heaviest shopping, and virtually everything else but worship.
• We treat sexual relations outside marriage as recreation and entertainment.

"And coveting has become a far too common way of life." (See Exodus 20:3–17.)  (2013 April General Conference, Obedience to Law Is Liberty, By  L. Tom Perry)

In Clayton M. Christensen's book "How Will You Measure Your Life" he relates a warning of outsourcing in our family life. Parents now working for the children, instead of children working for the family.

• How do you live in the world without succumbing to the world’s standards?  Which world standard’s are hard for you and/or your kids?  How do you teach them (or did you in the past if they are grown)?

There are always consequences.  Some come soon, some may not come in this life:

Elder Perry talks about how Satan wants us to give up our Agency -- to thwart God and to make us miserable.

"Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself."  (2nd Nephi 2:27)

• How does your access to priesthood power and Temple Covenants affect your choices, and your ability to make good ones? 
• How does your connection to power in association with Sisters in Relief Society affect your choices?

"These standards are a guide to help you make correct choices. Review the standards often and ask yourself, 'Am I living the way the Lord wants me to live?' and 'How have I been blessed by living these standards?'...
"As you do these things, the Lord will make much more out of your life than you can by yourself. He will increase your opportunities, expand your vision, and strengthen you. He will give you the help you need to meet your trials and challenges. You will gain a stronger testimony and find true joy as you come to know your Father in Heaven and His Son, Jesus Christ, and feel Their love for you." (For the Strength of Youth)