Lesson Summary: June 22, 2014

Judy Hulse presented thoughts and sparked discussion from the General Conference talk "Are You Sleeping through the Restoration" by President Uchtorf*.

The talk opens with the cautionary fable of Rip Van Winkle who slept 20 years and missed the Revolutionary War.

President Uchtdorf warns:
"When our time in mortality is complete, what experiences will we be able to share about our own contribution to this significant period of our lives and to the furthering of the Lord’s work? Will we be able to say that we rolled up our sleeves and labored with all our heart, might, mind, and strength? Or will we have to admit that our role was mostly that of an observer?"

“Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

“For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it.” Mark 8:34-35

He warns of addiction:
'Satan, our common enemy, has many favorite tools he uses to rob us of our divine potential to accomplish our mission in the Lord’s kingdom.

It saddens our Heavenly Father to see how willingly some of His noble [daughters] extend their wrists to accept the chains of devastating addictions.

[Sisters], we are truly [daughters] of the Most High and are endowed with unspeakable potential. We are designed to soar freely through the heavens. We are not meant to be shackled to the earth, imprisoned in straitjackets of our own making.

What is the remedy?

The first thing we must understand is that addictions are so much easier to prevent than to cure. In the Savior’s words, “Suffer none of these things to enter into your heart.” ...
My dear [sisters], always keep far away from habits that could lead to addiction. Those who do so will be able to devote their heart, might, mind, and strength to the service of God.'

Setting priorities-
Often we devote our best efforts in pursuit of a hobby, a sport, vocational interests, and community or political issues. All these things may be good and honorable, but are they leaving us time and energy for what should be our highest priorities?
Once again, it comes from the words of the Savior:
“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
“This is the first and great commandment.
“And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.”

[Sisters], we have committed to be a people who love God and our neighbor and who are willing to demonstrate that love through word and deed. That is the essence of who we are as disciples of Jesus Christ.
Those who live up to these principles will not sleep through the Restoration.

The Apostle Paul wrote, “Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.”
My dear friends, know that you are [daughters] of light.

I testify that the cleansing power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ and the transformative power of the Holy Ghost can heal and rescue mankind. It is our privilege, our sacred duty, and our joy to heed the Savior’s call to follow Him with a willing mind and full purpose of heart. Let us “shake off the chains with which [we] are bound, and come forth out of obscurity, and arise from the dust.”

*since this conference talk was given during Priesthood session, many pronouns here and during our lesson were changed to the feminine though the message is equally important to both genders.