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.