Lesson Summary: January 12, 2014

Cheryl M. from the stake presented her thoughts around the fact that when we love as God loves, we feel that same joy and how we can relate that to difficult relationships.

In Alma 27 in the Book of Mormon, we read of Ammon's joy overcoming him "even to the exhausting of his strength" as he meets Alma.




When we are frustrated with others, we can gain patience as we seek to love as God loves and utilize some of these techniques offered by the sisters:
Using prayer as a lifeline, think of others as babies, we are each a child of God, the other person just hasn't learned it yet, everybody has a backstory that can effect their behavior, he who offends you, conquers you, Thank You for being such a pain - a book about dealing with difficult people, most people just want to be understood, beware of the damage of gossip/lingering on the negative for yourself, hand it over to the Savior, we can only can change ourself.

Lesson Summary: January 5, 2014

Tori G. provided an overview of Joseph Fielding Smith's life from the new Teachings of the Prophets: Joseph Fielding Smith Manual to set the stage for our study of his words this year.

Joseph Fielding Smith was born in Salt Lake City on July 19, 1876.  His father is the Prophet Joseph F. Smith, his grandfather was Hyram Smith and his great-uncle was the Prophet Joseph Smith.

His mother served as the second counselor in the General Relief Society Presidency and was a prolific midwife.

He learned service in family duties.

 

He had a strong love of scripture reading and gospel study.

 “From my earliest recollection,” he later said, “from the time I first could read, I have received more pleasure and greater satisfaction out of the study of the scriptures, and reading of the Lord Jesus Christ, and of the Prophet Joseph Smith, and the work that has been accomplished for the salvation of men, than from anything else in all the world.” - Joseph Fielding Smith

His father served as a righteous example.

 

He married Louie Emily Shurtliff in 1898 and was called on a mission to Great Britain in 1899.

'At the end of his first day of missionary work in England, he wrote in his journal: “This has been a very important day in my short life. I came from my home less than a month ago for the purpose of preaching the gospel of our Lord. … I have been out tracting today and delivered 25 tracts [pamphlets]. It is the first of this kind of work that I ever tried to do and it did not come to me very easy. … I bore my testimony to the world for the first time today, but will be able to do so better. With the help of the Lord I shall do his will as I was called to do.”

'Elder Joseph Fielding Smith was honorably released from his mission on June 20, 1901. In his two years of diligent service, “he did not make one convert, did not have opportunity to perform one baptism, although he did confirm one convert.” However, he and his companions had planted gospel seeds, helping many people find greater peace and understanding, and he had grown personally as a student and teacher of the gospel and as a priesthood leader.' (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Fielding Smith, Life and Ministry)

After his mission, he was hired to work in the Church Historian's office.

 

His wife Louie died in 1908 leaving 2 daughters behind.  President Smith then married Ethel Georgina Reynolds, who was a clerk in the Church Historian's office and went on to have 4 more daughters and 5 sons before she passed away in 1937. 

He then married Jessie Ella Evens who was a talented singer in the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.  She died in 1971 and President Smith died a year later in 1972.

Lesson Summary: January 19, 2014

This weeks lesson was taught by Katie T. from the Joseph Fielding Smith manual chapter #1 "Our Father in Heaven".

The lesson consisted of 3 areas of discussion:
1) Heavenly Father's characteristics
2) God the Father
3) God our friend


1. Heavenly Father's characteristics

To exercise faith in God and worship him, we must have an understanding of his characteristics.

"God is our Father; he is the being in whose image man is created. He has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man’s (D&C 130:22), and he is the literal and personal father of the spirits of all men. He is omnipotent and omniscient; he has all power and all wisdom; and his perfections consist in the possession of all knowledge, all faith or power, all justice, all judgment, all mercy, all truth, and the fullness of all godly attributes. … If we are to have that perfect faith by which we can lay hold upon eternal life, we must believe in God as the possessor of the fullness of all these characteristics and attributes. I say also that he is an infinite and eternal being, and as an unchangeable being, he possesses these perfected powers and attributes from everlasting to everlasting, which means from eternity to eternity.^6"

Gods characteristics: (list from the class discussion)
merciful, divine, all knowing, powerful, loving, just, creator, eternal, perfect, giving


2. God the Father 

Proverbs 3:5. "Trust in the Lord with all thine ^bheart; and lean not unto thine^cown understanding. "

Why would you trust in God?
- If you understand who he is, then you understand he wants to help you.

Why is it important to understand that God loves us individually?
If we understand this, we can more easy love others individually?

We were asked if anyone wanted to share an experience of Gods love.

• Alison H. discussed her struggle with health problems and an initial poor prognosis. She had the missionaries over 24 years ago and one of the missionary discussed how we can have miracles according to our faith. She bore her testimony of the overwhelming sense of love she felt from her Heavenly Father as he has helped her through health struggles. 
• Heather C. discussed how she felt Heavenly Fathers lover though suffering. When we are suffering and yearning for him, he is there. 

D&C 76:24 , That by ^ahim, and through him, and of him, the ^bworlds are and were created, and the ^cinhabitants thereof are begotten ^dsons and daughters unto God.

From this, and other scripture, I say, we learn that the great work of the Father is to bring to pass the salvation of his children giving unto each that reward which each merits according to his works. I feel most assuredly that our Father in heaven is far more interested in a soul—one of his children—than it is possible for an earthly father to be in one of his children. His love for us is greater than can be the love of an earthly parent for his offspring.¹¹

Heavenly Father loves us more than we can imagine

3. God our friend 

What do you think leads a person to be able to pray to God as if they were talking to a friend? 

What are some ways you can strengthen your relationship with Heavenly Father?

• Sister S. discussed how Heavenly Father is her best friend and how she goes to him in prayer with exciting news.

Talk to him to strengthen your relationship.  Heavenly Father knows everything about you and loves you still!

Proverbs 17:17 A ^afriend loveth at all times...

Thank you Katie for this wonderful lesson.