Lesson Summary: Sept 30

Toady we combined with the Priesthood and heard from the Bishop on being a prepared servant for our Father in Heaven. In the vision of the tree of life, Nephi tells us that the fruit of the tree was the sweetest of all fruits. The fruit is the love of God and when we feel that in our lives it is truly the sweetest feeling. We can share that fruit with others.

We are living in the time of the gathering of Israel. It is the Lords gathering and he is preparing his people.

"The Lord trusts His true disciples. He sends prepared people to His prepared servants. You have had the experience, as have I, of meeting people where you were sure the meeting could not have been by chance." - Henry B. Eyring

If we are prepared servants, then we are able to have experiences such as Elder Eyring, meeting people that we are sure is not chance.

Several members shared their experiences of meetings and opportunities that filled this promise. Whether it be chance meetings with strangers, casual discussions with friends, or contacting lost friends these members were all prepared to share the Gospel. They could tell about a church program such as genealogy, or share pamphlets or media. All were open to the Spirit to understand what the needs are in that situation. God knows each of us and wants to connect us together.

We need to prepare our hearts. One way of doing that is to create patterns in our life.

How do we prepare ourselves and think about our interactions with others. Changing our attitudes from sharing the Gospel to sharing ourselves can change our hearts. In this way this sharing works into our lives in a way that is seamless.

The Bishop discussed four types of parenting styles. One may confront the child for disrupting sleep, another may ignore, another tells the child that there is nothing to work around, and the fourth effective style is one that picks up the child and listens to their fears, then stands with them as they confront those fears. This is how we should approach our interactions with others, we should listen to what they need and the stand with them as they discover.

We can extend ourselves by taking the time to simply talk to our neighbors instead of rushing by, by asking for help from our neighbors, or being willing to share ourselves. We should approach the people around us with faith hope charity and love. We don't need wisdom or bravery etc. All we need is faith hotel charity and love. Our relationships should not be based on our expectation of converting people but simply based in love. If it is right then the fruits will come, but we must trust in The Lord of the vineyard to provide the growth that is prepared to be received.

If we are prepared to receive and love others then the Bishopric has felt that we can see fruit come. If we can be an inviting people. We have been challenged to make an invitation a week, anything from walking the dog to going to the temple.