Lesson Summary: July 20, 2014

Katie T. began a discussion of Chapter 18: Living by Every Word that Proceeds from the Mouth of God in the Joseph Fielding Smith manual by a 'sighted guide' technique for people with vision loss.
She guided a volunteer back into the room with audio commands and descriptions of what she should do to get to where she should go.  We can be similarly guided by the Lord when we listen to his commandments and guidance from his prophets.

The volunteer noticed that it might take practice and trust to become better at being led.




President Smith tells a story of a man who said he liked a talk he gave on keeping the Word of Wisdom....now that he was keeping it.

• How does following the commandments change our feelings about the gospel?

And secondly, he doth require that ye should do as he hath commanded you; for which if ye do, he doth immediately bless you; and therefore he hath paid you. And ye are still indebted unto him, and are, and will be, forever and ever; therefore, of what have ye to boast?
Mosiah 2:24

"As we keep the commandments, the Lord comforts and blesses us and strengthens us to become men and women worthy of exaltation. 

To please [the Lord], we must not only worship him with thanksgiving and praise, but render willing obedience to his commandments. By so doing, he is bound to bestow his blessings; for it is upon this principle (obedience to law) that all things are predicated." (Chapter 18: Living by Every Word that Proceeds from the Mouth of God)

There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated--And when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated.
Doctrine & Covenants 130:20-21

• What are ways The Lord will bless us as we keep the commandments?

The manual cites that we will: become better people, grow nearer to God, build faith, be strengthened, be comforted, receive salvation, keep us unspotted from world, give us protection, quicken our minds, give knowledge to help clear up difficulty, peace, immortality, glory, eternal life/a place in the kingdom of God, joy, all that He has will be ours.

For whoso is faithful unto the obtaining these two priesthoods of which I have spoken, and the magnifying their calling, are sanctified by the Spirit unto the renewing of their bodies.

They become the sons of Moses and of Aaron and the seed of Abraham, and the church and kingdom, and the elect of God.

And also all they who receive this priesthood receive me, saith the Lord;

For he that receiveth my servants receiveth me;

And he that receiveth me receiveth my Father;

And he that receiveth my Father receiveth my Father’s kingdom; therefore all that my Father hath shall be given unto him.

And this is according to the oath and covenant which belongeth to the priesthood.

Doctrine & Covenants 84: 33-39

• What experiences can you share in which you received some of those blessings?

Many sisters referred to Elder Bednar's recent address on tithing, noting that it may not be a windfall of money at an opportune time that results from following the commandment but rather that we are taught to live within our means and other beneficial patterns of life.

"… I believe the Lord meant just what He said, that we should be perfect, as our Father in heaven is perfect. That will not come all at once, but line upon line and precept upon precept, example upon example, and even then not as long as we live in this mortal life, for we will have to go even beyond the grave before we reach that perfection and shall be like God. But here we lay the foundation. Here is where we are taught these simple truths of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, in this probationary state, to prepare us for that perfection. (Chapter 18: Living by Every Word that Proceeds from the Mouth of God)

• What one thing can you do better each day with the Lords help to "stay on the road to perfection"?