visiting teaching message for February

so a funny conversation happened with Alex this morning. I happened to hear a conversation that he was having with Natalee. It went something like this, "did you know boys are better than girls? because boys have the priesthood." Of course, right away I told Alex he needed to come take a seat next to me. I then proceeded to explain to him that boys and girls have different gifts that we have been given from our Heavenly Father. Girls have the opportunity to have children- which is a gift from Him and boys get the priesthood, which is their gift from Him. Each of those gifts has the power to bless others and bring them closer to their Heavenly Father and Savior Jesus Christ. I explained that each is needed to bring about the plan of salvation and to build up the kingdom of God. Now of course I didn't explain it just like this but I did it at his level and let him know that boys are not better than girls. I tell you this story because as I sat down to prepare my Visiting Teaching message I realized that the message is on the divine roles of women. Funny how this story fit right in with this lesson. So often in today's world, and moreso within the church, we are taught that getting married and having babies is our only role in this life (as women) and while this is a righteous goal, it is imperative that we realize it is not our only role. We as women are here to nurture, lift, and teach not our own children but all those around us. We can choose to accept or reject this gift but it is our responsibility at whatever stage we are at in this life. Its hard to admit but even when we are not yet married or mothers we still have this responsibility; we are still, by our actions, thoughts, examples and attitude either leading children, youth, and our peers either toward the Savior or away from him. I have children and that is a priority- i have a charge over them but my responsibility extends to their friends and anyone I come in contact with. For some reason the world wants women to believe we are nothing without a boyfriend or spouse but I know this is not the case- it is our responsibility to find our strength within and then when the Lord sees fit to bless us with a family, we will not require someone else to lift us to higher ground but we will have the means necessary to lift them to higher ground. Men and women have different responsibilities and when we don't develop those attributes the way it is needed, it is not the responsibility for the other to pick up the slack. The only way to develop these attributes is to have faith in our Heavenly Father and know that he loves us and knows us. I like what M. Russell Ballard says, "Every sister in this church who has made covenants with the Lord has a divine mandate to help save souls, to lead the women of the world, to strengthen the homes of Zion, and to build the kingdom of God." This is our responsibility, notice that it says nothing that being married or having children is a requirement for this. Again, you are either leading people away from the truth or towards it. We must develop these qualities now and then when marriage and family enters into the picture we will be ready to fulfill our responsibilities within those bounds. I must admit so often I want to change my husband and mold him into thinking like me, but that is not part of the plan. we have different roles for a reason, we have different gifts for a reason and it is my responsibility to learn why? My husband teaches me and i am so grateful to have a firm testimony of the gospel, even before meeting him, so that I can learn and grow from this marriage. He teaches me about myself, things i couldn't do on my own. I am sure I do the same for him. But if we both had not been solid in our testimonies of our Savior and the gospel it would be much harder for us to see this. His priesthood doesn't just bless our family it blesses others and if he were unmarried his priesthood would still bless others. The same goes for women, we have the power to nurture, promote growth and influence everything and everyone around us. We do this with or without marriage and while marriage and creating children is something we want to attain we must develop ourselves first and develop a firm testimony of our Heavenly Father and Savior and their plan, blessing others with this knowledge, so that when we are blessed with children we can share that knowledge with them. So I guess as I have pondered the words in the message this month I have come to the conclusion that these Divine Roles must be accepted and lived no matter what stage we are at in our lives. We must use these roles to bless others. We must find strength from within and recognize that Heavenly Father knows us and loves us. We must develop these roles so that when the whirlwinds and storms come blasting at us from all different directions we can stand strong and in doing so hold those around us up--and when the time comes we can hold our families up in the storms that are bound to come at us with full force.

PS I used the picture of Mary and Martha because for what we know, neither of these righteous women were married at the time and yet each of them had different roles. At different times we have different responsibilites- we must use our time wisely to develop these attributes- they may not come naturally. Mary was at the saviors feet taking in all that he had to offer and Martha was preparing and keeping up the different aspects of the household. Maybe Martha was married and at that time in her life it was her responsibility to make the household one that could be where the Lord resided but Mary was single and she needed to take that time to build her knowledge of the teaching of the Savior so that when it was time for her to take upon herself her own household she would have a reservoir of knowledge and experience to get her and her household through the tough times. *this is just a thought that has occured to me, it is not gospel but it is does let us know that the Lord is looking after each one of us and at whatever stage we are at in our life we must draw strength from our Savior.

Obedience (talk given February 22,2009)

This is my talk- I am posting it because I plan on taking all of my posts at the end of the year and putting them into a book of remembrance. I want this to be part of it. It is long so you don't need to read it. You can scroll down to my week 8 entry below.

Obedience is a very broad topic and I as sit and think about it I find my mind wandering in many directions. When I first heard the word Obedience my thoughts strayed to not wanting to be told what to do. That’s right, one of my weaknesses is when I feel as if someone is taking away my choice; or in other words when someone is telling me what to do. I remember as a youth when my mom and dad would tell me I couldn’t do something or when they would ask me to do something. For the most part I would fight them and try to convince them they didn’t understand my situation or I would try to negotiate my way out of doing whatever it was they were asking. Now I see my children doing the same thing and I have a greater understanding as to why they responded the way they did to my requests or why they were asking things of me that I just didn’t want to do.
Becoming a parent, I must say, changed my way of thinking. As I ponder obedience and how its meaning has changed throughout my life I am led to think of how my Heavenly Father, as well as my parents here on earth, have been so patient with me. I can only imagine that Heavenly Father feels the same way towards me, that my parents feel towards me and I feel towards my children. Each parent has experienced life ahead of the other. Each parent has a knowledge and understanding that as children we don’t yet possess. My parents prayed that I would heed their instructions and listen to their counsel, the same way I do for my children. I can only imagine, on a much larger scale, the kind of prayers our Heavenly Father says for us daily.
Because Heavenly Father knows each one of his sons and daughters personally, and because he has had experiences that we have not had, he has given us counsel, guidelines, laws and ordinances that will provide protection, blessings, guidance and an overall sense of his unconditional love for each and every one of his children. Obedience to these things will bring us joy beyond imagination and disobedience- destruction, pain, sorrow and needless trials. We left a pre-mortal existence in which we chose to follow our Savior, our brother, Jesus Christ. We knew it would not be easy but we also knew it would be necessary for us to become as our Father. As with all experiences we could only imagine what this life would be like and until we were living it we would never have a full understanding. Just as our Savior knew he would have to suffer “an infinite atonement” for each of us, until he was in the Garden pleading with His Father, he did not know how difficult it really would be and just as our Savior had to come to earth and grow in wisdom and stature by showing obedience not only to his earthly father, Joseph but also to his Heavenly Father- we too must do the same.
We came to this earth to have experiences, show our faith, and be free to choose for ourselves which path we would follow. We are free to choose— Ezra Taft Benson stated, “We are here to learn the first lesson toward exaltation-obedience to the Lord’s gospel plan.” In the third article of faith it states, “We believe that through the atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the gospel.” Heavenly Father sent us here with a plan- the plan of salvation, the plan of happiness, the plan of mercy. He sent his eldest son, Jesus Christ, to atone for our sins so that we could return to him.
Alma 34:9-10, 15 (infinite atonement)
9 For it is expedient that an aatonement should be made; for according to the great bplan of the Eternal God there must be an atonement made, or else all mankind must unavoidably perish; yea, all are hardened; yea, all are cfallen and are lost, and must perish except it be through the atonement which it is expedient should be made.
10 For it is expedient that there should be a great and last asacrifice; yea, not a bsacrifice of man, neither of beast, neither of any manner of fowl; for it shall not be a human sacrifice; but it must be an cinfinite and deternal esacrifice.
15 And thus he shall bring asalvation to all those who shall believe on his name; this being the intent of this last sacrifice, to bring about the bowels of mercy, which overpowereth justice, and bringeth about means unto men that they may have faith unto repentance.

But even still we must choose for ourselves whether or not we will be obedient to the laws and ordinances He has set forth through prophets of old, modern prophets and ultimately through the example he set forth while he resided here on earth. Notice that in the third article of faith it says “may be saved.” It is not set in stone, Heavenly Father and our Savior Jesus Christ have done their part and continue to do so- it is up to us to do our part. What is our part? Obedience!
When we become members of the church, at baptism we take upon us the covenant to be witnesses.
Mosiah 18: 8-11
8 And it came to pass that he said unto them: Behold, here are the waters of Mormon (for thus were they called) and now, as ye are adesirous to come into the bfold of God, and to be called his people, and are willing to bear one another’s burdens, that they may be light;
9 Yea, and are awilling to mourn with those that bmourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as cwitnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in, even until death, that ye may be redeemed of God, and be numbered with those of the dfirst resurrection, that ye may have eternal life—
10 Now I say unto you, if this be the desire of your hearts, what have you against being abaptized in the bname of the Lord, as a witness before him that ye have entered into a ccovenant with him, that ye will serve him and keep his commandments, that he may pour out his Spirit more abundantly upon you?
11 And now when the people had heard these words, they clapped their hands for joy, and exclaimed: This is the desire of our hearts.

When we are baptized we are willing to be called his people, willing to bear one another’s burdens, willing to mourn with those that mourn, comfort, to stand as witnesses. In essence we become a stand in here on earth for our Savior. We covenant at baptism we will serve him and keep his commandments. In doing so, he will bless us even more abundantly by bestowing upon us the gift of the Holy Ghost, a member of the Godhead, who will help ease our burdens, mourn with us, comfort us and witness to us of the truth- a witness of the plan of salvation and the unconditional love our Father in Heaven and Savior have for us.
Every Sunday we are able to renew that covenant by partaking of the sacrament. When we do so we are again promising we will be obedient (keep the commandment and serve him). Otherwise, “ …if you should transgress and go contrary to that which has been spoken, that ye do withdraw yourselves from the spirit of the Lord, that it may have no place in you to guide you in wisdom’s paths that ye may be blessed, prospered and preserved…the man that doeth this cometh out in open rebellion against God; therefore he listeth to obey the evil spirit, and becometh an enemy to all righteousness.” (Mosiah 2:36-37)
Obedience takes faith, as with all aspects of the gospel. Sometimes we don’t know why we are being asked to do something or not do something- all we need to know is that our Heavenly Father has asked it of us. We need to have faith that he knows us and loves us and would never ask anything of us unless it would bring us closer to him and strengthen us in our endeavors to build the kingdom of God. I must go back to my youth when I would argue with my parents about issues pertaining to my social life. It was hard to hear the answer “No” to a plethora of requests such as my dress, my friends, dating, curfews, dancing, media choices and so many others. At the time I didn’t understand and would always answer with a resounding “you just don’t understand- you never lived my life- you don’t care” something along those lines would come racing out of my mouth and I would try to rationalize, justify or find some way around it. Always they would remain consistent in their resolve- they would listen, they would hear and they would empathize but they did not change their minds. Over time I understood their reasoning and I would stop asking and obey- maybe at first it was because I had to, but it became something I knew was for my own good and because they loved me. Now as a parent I understand and see it all from the same perspective. The same is with our relationship with our Heavenly Father. We are asked to do or not do things that we may not understand, we may want a different answer, we want to say that He doesn’t care or he is making requests of us that are not in harmony with the way the world is today. Again, it comes down to having faith and knowing that our Heavenly Father knows you and loves you as an individual.
So often we want to pick and choose which laws, commandments, guidelines and ordinances we want to be obedient too. We allow the things of the world to divert us from those things that are of an eternal nature. As members of the church we know that obedience may save us or in other words through obedience we will receive eternal life. But it is obedience to all the laws and ordinances not just the ones that are convenient at the time. President Spencer W. Kimball warned us, “The cares of the world are so many and so entangling, even very good people are diverted from following the truth because they care too much for the things of the world.”
We are all children of our Heavenly Father and we must be willing to submit to the requests of our Heavenly Father just as our children must submit to ours. Only the difference is Heavenly father and Jesus Christ are perfect. Jesus Christ follows the will of His Father and we are asked to follow Jesus Christ.
D&C 76:1-5
1 aHear, O ye heavens, and give ear, O earth, and rejoice ye inhabitants thereof, for the Lord is bGod, and beside him there is cno dSavior.
2 aGreat is his wisdom, bmarvelous are his ways, and the extent of his doings none can find out.
3 His apurposes fail not, neither are there any who can stay his hand.
4 From eternity to eternity he is the asame, and his years never bfail.
5 For thus saith the Lord—I, the Lord, am amerciful and gracious unto those who bfear me, and delight to honor those who cserve me in righteousness and in truth unto the end.
6 Great shall be their reward and eternal shall be their aglory.

Regardless of our age and stage in life, daily obedience to gospel principles is the only sure way to eternal happiness. President Ezra Taft Benson put it most poignantly when he said, “When obedience ceases to be an irritant and becomes our quest, in that moment God will endow us with power.”
Where does this power come from? It comes from the knowledge received as we do and heed his counsel. Joseph Smith stated in the History of the church, “In obedience there is joy and peace unspotted, unalloyed; and as God has designed our happiness … He never will institute an ordinance or give a commandment to His people that is not calculated in its nature to promote that happiness which He has designed, and which will not end in the greatest amount of good and glory to those who become the recipients of his law and ordinances.”
As with all things obedience must be learned. But, like Jesus, we must learn obedience. That is the purpose of our mortal life. If we fail in this experience, we will not find the true happiness that leads to exaltation. However, It is not something that comes naturally.
Mosiah 3:19
19 For the anatural bman is an cenemy to God, and has been from the dfall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he eyields to the enticings of the Holy fSpirit, and gputteth off the hnatural man and becometh a isaint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a jchild, ksubmissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father
How do we learn to be obedient? A talk given in October, 1977 by Elder Delbert Stapley of the Quorum of the twelve apostles outlines the line upon line process in which we become obedient.
First, we must recognize we are not to walk alone.
“The Lord has clearly revealed His will concerning His children and shown us His plan of redemption. His laws are explicitly recorded in the standard works of the Church, which are the Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price.”
We have life’s lesson manual at our fingertips. Everything we need to know is contained within the standard works. Do we use the scriptures in an effort to know the will of God and understand his commandments regarding his children?
Elder Stapley continues with the second step to learning obedience - heeding the words of our modern day prophets and leaders.
Their words are scripture and they speak in the language of today. Are we picking and choosing the words in which we will take counsel and tossing the rest aside? The Lord didn’t say obey the laws and ordinances that are convenient for you. “Thou shalt give heed unto all his words and commandments which he shall give unto you as he receiveth them, walking in all holiness before me;
“For his word ye shall receive, as if from mine own mouth, in all patience and faith.” (D&C 21:4–5
The people of King Benjamin recognized this when they covenanted with God after hearing the words of their modern day leader and example.
Mosiah 5:5
5 And we are willing to enter into a acovenant with our God to do his will, and to be obedient to his commandments in all things that he shall command us, all the remainder of our days, that we may not bring upon ourselves a bnever-ending torment, as has been spoken by the cangel, that we may not drink out of the cup of the wrath of God.
We continue to learn obedience, as Elder Stapley states, by disciplining ourselves in all things. He continues by saying, “We must recognize that mortality has been granted to us as a probationary state where all physical appetites are to be mastered. It is far more difficult to repent in the spirit world of sins which involve physical habits and actions.”

Alma 34:31-34
31 Yea, I would that ye would come forth and aharden not your hearts any longer; for behold, now is the time and the bday of your csalvation; and therefore, if ye will repent and dharden not your hearts, immediately shall the great plan of redemption be brought about unto you.
32 For behold, this alife is the time for men to bprepare to meet God; yea, behold the day of cthis life is the day for men to perform their dlabors.
33 And now, as I said unto you before, as ye have had so many awitnesses, therefore, I beseech of you that ye do not bprocrastinate the day of your crepentance until the end; for after this day of life, which is given us to prepare for eternity, behold, if we do not improve our time while in this life, then cometh the dnight of edarkness wherein there can be no labor performed.
34 Ye cannot say, when ye are brought to that awful acrisis, that I will repent, that I will return to my God. Nay, ye cannot say this; for that same spirit which doth bpossess your bodies at the time that ye go out of this life, that same spirit will have power to possess your body in that eternal world.

And finally we learn obedience by the things we suffer. Trials and afflictions are times in which we can draw strength and gain a deeper relationship with our Heavenly Father and Savior. By remaining obedient in times of tribulation we begin to recognize that we are not alone. Oftentimes it isn’t until after the trial has passed that we come to understand fully the reasoning for the heartache however if we have remained obedient it is then we are able to see that obedience does have power and ultimately, the happiness for which we are searching.
Elder Stapley comments, “Sometime in the eternities to come, we will see that our trials were calculated to cause us to turn to our Heavenly Father for strength and support. Any affliction or suffering we are called upon to bear may be directed to give us experience, refinement, and perfection.
The Lord has revealed in this dispensation that our rewards in the eternities are predicated on our level of obedience. If we are fully obedient to celestial law, fulfilling the laws of Christ, we will be worthy of a celestial glory.”
Following these steps will lead to lasting happiness as long as we do it with an open heart and mind. If we do these things complaining all along the way we won’t be able to see the good. Just the other day we had a party for my daughter Natalee in which we invited her kindergarten class to watch a movie. The day came and only a few of her friends were able to attend. She was so disappointed and moped and whined the entire duration of the movie. At the end she came to me and explained her sentiments. My reply was, “Natalee you can choose to moan and groan about your other friends not being able to come or you can find joy in the friends that did come. It’s your choice.” I say to you today the same thing, You can moan and groan about how hard it is to be obedient to all of the counsels, laws, and guidelines set forth today or you can find joy the joy in it.”
Mosiah 2:41
41 And moreover, I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and ahappy state of those that keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are bblessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out cfaithful to the end they are received into dheaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of never-ending happiness. O remember, remember that these things are true; for the Lord God hath spoken it.
Elder Donald L. Staheli Of the Seventy stated in April of 1998 conference, “As we grow in the gospel, we learn the value of obedience to principles which will consistently align us with the teachings of our Savior and prophets. As we are obedient to their teachings, we then begin to understand what the Savior meant when He said, “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.”
When we are obedient to the laws and ordinances of the gospel we will find growth that changes, molds, encourages, refines, and cleanses us. We will find that the natural man, who is an enemy to God, will be set aside and we will become the Son or Daughter of God with potential far beyond our capacity to know at this time. This cannot be obtained without entering into the waters of baptism and covenanting with our Heavenly Father, receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost, and remaining obedient until then end. We are imperfect beings and Heavenly Father in his great plan knew this which is why he sent his Son to atone for our sins and make it possible to repent. By earnestly striving to do better, correcting behavior that is not in compliance with gospel standards, and doing so without complaint we will find joy in obedience. It will no longer feel like a burden but will be a witness to our Heavenly Father of our faith and love in Him and His plan.
As King Benjamin ended his address to his people he stated the following
Mosiah 5:15
15 Therefore, I would that ye should be steadfast and immovable, always abounding in agood works, that Christ, the bLord God Omnipotent, may cseal you his, that you may be brought to heaven, that ye may have everlasting salvation and eternal life, through the wisdom, and power, and justice, and mercy of him who dcreated all things, in heaven and in earth, who is God above all. Amen.
I would like to end with these words from a popular primary hymn
I am a child of god, He has sent me here, Has given me an earthly home, With parents kind and dear
To lead me guide me walk beside me, Help me find the way, Teach me all that I must do , To live with Him someday.
Not all of His children were born to homes with the gospel but that does not mean he hasn’t made the gospel accessible to all of His children. We, as members of the church, have a responsibility- to share his message with our brothers and sisters. Our Heavenly Father is a kind and dear parent, He leads us, he guides us, he walks beside us- he’ll help us all find the way- he’ll teach us all that we must do- to live with him again. When we share our knowledge with others we are representing our Savior and serving him.
I have a deep testimony of this gospel. I know it is true. I know that by following the counsels found within the scriptures as well as that of prophets and leaders today we will find a happiness that will be eternal in nature. I know that my Heavenly Father loves me and knows me. The Gospel of Jesus Christ was restored by Joseph Smith in the latter days and the Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ. By reading the words contained therein we will find a power we cannot find anywhere else. It is the power of truth and by asking sincerely we can know that truth for ourselves.

Week 8

Its been a few days since teaching this lesson and along with the fact that I gave a talk on Sunday- I have had to take a few days to digest everything that I learned on Sunday. #1 thing that I learned while giving my talk- my Heavenly Father knows me, he loves me- we are given the power of creation so that we can learn of Him and know Him. (If we so choose) Everything about being a parent is symbolic of our Heavenly Father's plan. The spirit witnessed of that to me not only as I was preparing my talk but as i was giving it. He wants us to return to Him and it is up to us to make the choices necessary to do so. Which leads me to my lesson on Sunday about the first 4 principles of the gospel: Faith, Repentance, Baptism for the remission our sins and the laying on of hands, for the gift of the holy ghost. The first 2 are principles and must be planted and nurtured. We must use these principles continually because first of all faith is a belief in something not seen but as you use it, it is something you witness daily by using it. (only if you want to) for instance, today i was at the store and remember having put the $40 for bday presents into my purse yesterday. I got to the store and couldn't find it anywhere- sheer panic on my part, because that is a lot of $$$ we don't necessarily have. Anyway, as my mind is racing and I am thinking of all the places it could have fallen out in between then and now a thought kept occurring to me- its ok, everything will be Ok. Now i could've passed that off as me being the forever optimist and knowing that even if we never found it- all would work out over time but then the thought came you had another bag. but not remembering any kind of detail of having put it into that bag- i could've continued to stress but again the thought came it's going to be OK. Needless to say, I still looked everywhere and wanted to get home right away to check the garage and such but I finished my errands- with the thought that all would be fine. I actually had to keep telling myself that because I really was stressing out inside and in my head. I didn't see anything, I didn't feel anything- I just had faith that no matter how it turned out it would be OK. But I must admit I kept saying silent inner prayers that I would find the $$$. After finishing my errands we headed home and I looked in the garage, all over the car, and headed inside to check around the area I had put my purse. Nowhere to be found. I was crushed but the thought again came regarding the other bag I had had with me. I ran to it and searched and there it was. I immediately sent up thanks to my Heavenly Father- why? because I know my natural self had no memory of ever putting it in there, I actually remember (incorrectly though it may be) putting it into my purse. But I know that Heavenly Father prompted the other thoughts and it was found. This is faith- believing in something you can't see, which is there. You may ask, what if I hadn't found the $$$ then the faith then must continue on to the thoughts that all would be OK in the end, maybe my checking account would have been off $40 in the positive, maybe our family would've been invited to someone's for dinner or something that would make up for the $40, maybe lots of things...the whole matter is Heavenly Father is watching over me, he is protecting me and he will provide when necessary. The first article of faith is we believe in God the eternal Father, in his son Jesus Christ and in the Holy Ghost. We must have faith that he lives and we are his sons and daughters, once we know that it is a matter of applying that knowledge to all facets of our life- even when things aren't going as well as we'd like. Its easy to know it when things are going well. This knowledge of who He is and ultimately who we are leads us to want to better ourselves, improve, grow and reach our full potential but we can't do this without repentance- but this principle is our responsibilty. Our Savior has already done his part and as we gain a testimony of Him and the atonement we want to do our part- we want to ask for forgiveness for the pain and suffering he took upon himself for us. Now not all his pain was due to sin- remember he felt all heartache, pain, sorrow, anything that we would endure in this life. It is the sin that we commit that we are responsible for and this can only be done if we stop the behavior and turn to Him. If we don't recognize his part in it then there is no true repentance. When there is true repentance we are then led to the ordinances of the gospel baptism and the Holy ghost by one in authority. Why? The priesthood is the acting for and in behalf of our Savior, who is one with our Father in Heaven. When we are baptized it is literally coming from God- we are literally in the presence of our Savior- and he is washing away our sins. We in turn are covenanting that we will keep His commandments, serve him, and always remember Him. Not only does he wash away our sins but then he gives us a comforter, a guide, a member of the Godhead to keep us on the strait and narrow way- we recieve the Holy Ghost to be with us always (as long as we are obedient to the covenant we took upon us at baptism). We are not perfect and so we must continue to have faith and repent and so the sacrament is a renewal of those covenants made at baptism. Every week we get to continue to have faith, repent and then on the sabbath we, in a sense, get to be rebaptized by partaking of the sacrament- which is administered to us by the priesthood, by those who are in authority to do so. What a wonderful blessing. To be reminded that we are his sons and daughters and that he continues to be with us. These are the first 4 principles of the gospel because without them we could not return to our Heavenly Father and his son, our brother, Jesus Christ. Every day brings us closer to Him by being obedient to the laws and ordinances, and principles he provides to us through the scriptures, through prophet of today and those of old. He never changes- the world changes but He never does. We have a choice to follow this truth or to procrastinate what we already know. the sooner we do as we know we should the easier it becomes to live it. But again it requires faith and the recognition of His hand in our daily life. Always we can toss it aside but when we have faith we grow stronger in knowing we are not alone.

Week 7

I must admit that sometimes during class i feel like I am rambling on and on but yet at the same time I feel like the things that I am "rambling" on about I am led to talk about.. today I went into class and began speaking about things that I hadn't thought about before. Today was an extension of last week's lesson regarding revelation. Last week was about the importance of revelation and what we need to do to receive it. this week was about how to recognize it when we receive it. That is probably one of the hardest things about revelation. To recieve it we have to be worthy to receive it but also we have to be willing to receive the Lord's answer and not necessarily the answer we are looking for. Often times we think we are ready to receive specific answers but the Lord knows otherwise. He will give us the answer we are seeking but he will give it a little bit at a time...sometimes he wants to see really how strong our testimony is. We may be seeking answers to questions that we really need to prove ourselves with first. Are we being righteous and diligent now only to fall away when the Lord doesn't give us what we want, when we want it? Are we going to lose faith or become stronger by humbling ourselves and asking what the Lord wants instead of what we want. Its funny how we tend to do what the Lord asks of us if and only if he blesses us with good things but we also have to remember that trials and the answer "no" or waiting to give us answers is a blessing, too. If he gives us answers and knowledge that we are not ready for and then we choose to not accept his answers than we are accountable for that knowledge and we will be judged based on it. We also sometimes have to prove ourselves worthy.. we must be patient and this means learning what patience is and staying righteous, growing in our testimonies and becoming closer to the Lord while we are waiting for our answers line upon line. We can't just give up when we are tired of waiting. We must study, ponder, meditate and pray--looking for bits of our answers along the way. We must develop characteristics that bring us closer to the Lord and help us to build up the kingdom of god- beginning with ourselves. I can't say the process any better than what it says in the manual and so i cam copying and pasting the list. I will put my comments under each of the steps...just to remind myself of where I need improving.



a. Be patient and continue to wait faithfully on the Lord (D&C 98:2). He will answer in His time. Exercising patience helps us grow spiritually and develop attributes of godliness... even prophets must exercise patience as they seek divine guidance.

I spoke last week that we all can become like the prophets of old and today- if we choose to put time and effort into it. How are we using our time- are we filling our time with things of god and righteousness or could we stand improvement. I know I could definitely make a more concerted effort in this area.


b. Increase our efforts to be in tune spiritually so we can receive and recognize the whisperings of the Spirit.

so often we surround ourselves with so much noise, movies, music, friends, negativity- our own thoughts. Are we making time to read scriptures, say prayers, think about those things that build us up and bring us closer to our Savior. do we take even 15 minutes a day of quiet solitude to think without distraction. this is so important because if it is too "noisy" we won't hear the promptings of the spirit.


c. Increase our efforts to study and pray, recognizing that we may not have done this as long, as faithfully, or as honestly as we should.

I believe this goes hand in hand with the one up above. we can always be doing better in areas of spirituality. if we aren't reading our scriptures at all, start with one verse in the morning and then throughout the day ponder on that scripture and ask what it has to do with you. If we aren't praying faithfully every day and night make an effort to do so. when we are attending church are we going just to socialize or are we listening for inspiration and motivation. there are always areas we could stand to improve upon. all efforts will be recognized by the Lord and will make us worthy of revelation as well as help us to recognize when we are receiving revelation.



d. Be more faithful in obeying the commandments (Isaiah 59:2).

Again this goes along with the above and when we are doing the above this will fall into place because we will want to be doing this.


e. Set the matter aside for a while. Flashes of inspiration often come when we least expect them, while our minds are no longer consumed by the matter.

Boy, I can testify to this. It goes along with being patient and it goes along with trusting that the Lord will give us answers when he knows we are ready. So often, as i said before, we want our answers now and when we don't get it on our time we obsess about it and begin to lose faith that the answer is ever going to come. But when we stay faithful and continue doing those things that the Lord has asked of us then we can know that when we ask, he will answer, there then is no reason to obsess because the answer will come when we are ready.


f. Recognize that we may be seeking counsel on matters that we should determine for ourselves, using our best judgment based on study and reason. In these cases the Lord may leave us to decide on our own (for examples, see D&C 58:25–28; 60:5; 61:22; 62:5). The Lord often allows us to make our own decisions in righteousness.


g. Evaluate whether we may have received an answer already but have not accepted it because it was not what we hoped for or expected. If we insist on what we want, we may close off the Spirit’s communication with us.

so often we want everything to be quick and easy but when we don't put time and effort into it then when we receive the knowledge we are seeking we tend to cast it aside. As with anything that we put time and effort into it it becomes more valuable and we are less likely to cast it aside. Sometimes the answer is no, sometimes the answer is not what we were expecting but always the answer will be what the Lord knows it right for you as an individual.

Faith is not easy but when we use it we will be strengthened and blessed in so many ways we are unaware of.

when we follow the process and make ourselves open to hearing the "still small voice" we can't go wrong. In the world today we are told so often we can do it by ourselves, that we don't need anyone or anything else but I know through my own experiences this is true but it also something that i have to continue to develop and understand. when it comes to things of the gospel they must be understood by our spirits and the only way to do that is to make ourselves worthy of the spirit that can testify to us of ALL truth- as long as we are seeking it and open to making the changes necessary for the spirit to be present.

i love this gospel and while it does not always seem easy to make choices that keep us on the strait and narrow; it is far easier in the long run and as we do so our roots will become more grounded and when the storms come it will be harder for us to be uprooted.

Week 6

this weeks lesson was about revelation and the importance of personal revelation. One thought struck me and that is that everything that is revealed to the prophets can be revealed to me. I have heard that thought before and yet it meant something to me as i stated it to the class I found myself expounding on that point. A prophet is son of God just as i am a daughter of God. The only difference between me and a prophet is that he has progressed line upon line, precept upon precept further than I have. If I want to do the work that he has done and make the sacrifices that he has made than I too can know what he knows. Now i must admit I am not there yet. And as I type that statement I ask myself why am i not there yet and to be honest I already know the answer to that statement...I am still way too selfish and by that I mean that I am not willing to make the sacrifices I would need too, to make myself worthy of that kind of inspiration. However, i find that as I study the scriptures and make myself more willing to do His will that my mind has been opened to greater understanding of even the more simple principles. but that knowledge comes at a sacrifice of time. I do find though that the more time and effort I put into things of a spiritual nature, those things that need to be done of the physical nature get done in a more timely fashion. anyway on to the lesson this week. Revelation is a process. I had never thought of it in that way before but really it is one of those principles that comes line upon line....the first step is to study it out in your mind. What is it that you want to know? well then do your homework, make room and time for finding the answer. So often a thought occurs to me that I want to know something about and if I don't actually study it out in my mind and put myself in a situation to know the answer than the thought leaves and won't return again until another time. the second thing is to ponder and meditate. Now I think that often times step one and two go hand in hand. However, there is such thing as getting information and doing nothing with it. For instance i can't tell you how many history, math, english tests I have taken over the years that I "studied" for but I don't know anything about to this day. this is because I got enough of an answer that got me a good grade on the test but I didn't put any effort into making that information a part of me. Most often I just crammed to know what I needed to know long enough to get a good grade. however when you add pondering and meditation, which again is time and effort, than you have information that you will recall at a later date- it will become a part of you and you will be better for it. the third step is Prayer- you can have all the information and knowledge you want but if you don't ask if you are heading in the right direction or if it can be confirmed to you by the Holy Ghost than you will never really know. Because the things of the spirit must be confirmed by the spirit. Our natural man wants so much to be in control but really it is our spirits that need to be in control because it is our spirits that are going on to eternal life.( along with our perfected bodies). I believe that prayer is one of those principles that we take for granted but yet it is the most important. Most often the biggest problem is that we tend to talk and talk and talk and then when it comes time for the listening part we won't or don't take the time for it. I am a definite culprit of this. I talk and don't listen (as well as i should) but lately I have been trying more, not just with prayer but with my casual conversation, too. I tend to interrupt or am thinking of something I want to say when someone is talking. I need to devote my efforts when someone is talking to listening to them and them only. the same goes with prayer. Now not always is the answer going to come when we are on our knees however are we making time in our lives to be able to hear the answer when it does come? Or are we surrounding ourselves with so much noise, music, media, negativity, thoughts from the adversary...that when the answer does come we just ignore it and then get upset at God because he didn't answer our prayers? Just recently I have had such simple prayers answered. they don't seem like much but when all is said and done I know they are answers. It's easy to just chalk it up to chance and say we did it ourselves or it was just a coincidence but when it comes right down to it I know that my Heavenly Father answers my prayers.

Now in my lesson this week this is as far as we got because the kids had a lot to say and experiences they wanted to share but there are some really important steps left to explore and so I will list them

3. Be obedient and serve God.
In today's world it can be difficult to be obedient, especially to the the commands that seem more of a personal choice. things like what we watch, listen, or take in to our minds. Things like how we dress and portray ourselves to society. Things like how we fill up our time and what we are doing with our time. Obedience is obedience to all things not just things we pick and choose and what fits in with the lifestyle the world would like us to have. It's difficult- I know there are things that I could be doing better and I am trying. It is hard not to watch movies that are great but really don't allow the spirit to be present. It is a pain when we go shopping for clothes and things aren't long enough, or in style enough or cute enough. It is even more difficult when those I know who have taken the same covenants upon themselves as I have and yet they are doing things that our prophets have strongly recommended or commanded us not to do. Its hard but then again we are all individuals with freedom to choose however when we choose to do those things we are then giving up the opportunity to recieve revelation because when we are not obedient then the spirit cannot be present.

4. The next is to be meek and humble. This can be expounded upon but I think if we are doing those things mentioned above this just falls into place because then we know that we cannot do things alone, that Christ is our center and that his love for us is all we need in a world that wants us to believe that we can do everything for ourselves and we don't need anyone. This is Satan's strongest tool. It is the root of all evil, it is pride. It will bring only temporary happiness.

5. Last of all is to surround ourselves with things of God...Service, scriptures, love, callings, friends that strengthen and protect us and buoy us up. It means acquiring knowledge in all aspects and wanting to learn and teach and bring others to Him.

Revelation is so important. It is the only way in which we can come to know the things of God. It is the only way to know the road we need to be on, the direction and path we should take. It is only way to stay on the strait and narrow and to hold onto the iron rod. It is the only way that the world won't drag us into the dark and dreary waste of the world. To do those things that will keep the spirit in our lives and give us the answers to the most probing of questions will bring eternal happiness which is the most important because when this life ends eternity is all we have. it is God's greatest gift.

I love this gospel and while I know it is difficult to live in the world today if we live the principles of the gospel the best that we can it will bring us true joy and lift our spirits to higher ground as we follow christ and help to build up the kingdom of God.

Week 4 and 5

These past 2 weeks I have taught from the same lesson. I split the lesson in 2, as it suggested. I must admit that the first week I felt prepared but left feeling as if something was missing. I taught about the visitation to Joseph Smith from Moroni, I taught about the 116 pages of lost manuscript, I got a bit into the witnesses but still even though I was teaching from the lesson manual I came away feeling as if i missed something. I still don't know what it is, maybe I didn't miss anything. I felt as though the class understood- maybe I need to study these events more and get more from them other than the facts placed before me. As i think about Martin Harris and how he must have felt- he broke a covenant- he had made a promise to the Lord and he broke it. Even though the Lord had prepared for this event Martin still had to take responsibility and repent. Joseph Smith got the first answer from the Lord and still went back at the behest of martin. How often do we do these things? Yes, on a much smaller scale, at least in our eyes, but really when we make a promise to the Lord how often do we rationalize going a step over the boundaries- thinking nothing will happen. When we are given an answer how often do we go back and ask for a different answer wanting the answer the world would have us receive; rather than the answer the Lord is giving. Yes, sometimes after much pleading he will change his mind but not without consequence and we must take responsibility for our own actions and not blame it on the Lord for not protecting us. Maybe that is the point I missed out on teaching in my class or maybe that is the point that I needed to come to. But really the lesson goes on from there...Joseph Smith did not receive the plates until his whole reason for getting them was to build up the Kingdom of God and do the Lords will. How often do we ask for more knowledge just to be able to have it but not for the right reasons; to use it for the building up the Kingdom of God and doing the Lords will. It took 4 years of learning and growing before he got the plates. We have to expect the same when it comes to obtaining knowledge about the gospel. Are we daily studying from the information we already have? Are we praying and developing a relationship with our Savior and Heavenly Father? Are we proving through our actions that we are ready to receive answers that we have been seeking? I ask these questions rhetorically because I have to ask them of myself. This was week four and here is my handout



This past week was an extension of the lesson the week before going into how we as members of the church have knowledge, The Book of Mormon, at our fingertips and we are taking it for granted. We are not using it and sharing it the way that we should. The Book of Mormon is not just for us, it is for the world. It will change lives, starting with your own. When we are reading it, it has the power to lift us up, strengthen us, protect us, and keep us from deceptions in the world. That power is for everyone who picks it up and reads, studies, and ponders its words. Over the past couple of years i have to say I have put that to the test and it is true. I can truly tell the difference in my life in when I am reading it and when i am not. I can tell from day to day. I must admit that even though i can tell the difference I do have days where i choose for one reason or another to put it off. Whether i recognize it that day or in the week I know when something is missing. it is my responsibility to share this with others and I am trying. I am trying through my actions, my conversations, and my love of others. I am trying in my attitude, in the changes I am making over time within myself. I love the gospel. I love studying the Book of Mormon, the old testament and the New, as well as the doctrine and covenants. As i do, I am strengthened in the realization that each of these pieces of scripture testify of my Savior and the reality of his atonement for each one of us. I am strengthened in knowing that the prophets yesterday, today and tomorrow all teach the same thing. To follow christ, to trust in him, that He is the only way back to our heavenly father.