Pure, Clean & Virtuous

A Relief Society Lesson:  List Scripture Heroes on the board—while I do these, think, what have you learned from this person and how can they be of help to you in your life?

ESTHER            Courage

ABINADI    Steadfast & Immovable

ALMA THE YOUNGER     Change of Heart 

JOSEPH OF EGYPT       Flee from Temptation 

MARTHA & MARY   Trying to do their Best

                        

SONS OF HELAMAN     Obeyed with Exactness

When we were baptized we made a commitment and a covenant to God.  We agreed to “stand as a witness of Jesus Christ at all times and in all things and in all places.”  Many of us were only 8 when we made that covenant and probably didn’t really understand what we were getting ourselves into BUT as we grew in the gospel and we grew physically we better understood and we are here today because we all believe that, at least to some degree and we all want to do that. 

Elder Robert D.Hales made this comment in last conference:  You may not like what comes from the authority of the Church. It may contradict your [personal] views. It may contradict your social views. It may interfere with some of your social life. But if you listen to these things, as if from the mouth of the Lord Himself, with patience and faith, the promise is that ‘the gates of hell shall not prevail against you; … and the Lord God will disperse the powers of darkness from before you, and cause the heavens to shake for your good, and his name’s glory’ (D&C 21:6).”

Elder Boyd K. Packer said at this last conference:  The Apostle Paul prophesied and warned that “in the last days perilous times shall come.

“For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,

“Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,

“Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;

“Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.”¹

Paul also prophesied, “Evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.”

These verses serve as a warning, showing which patterns to avoid. We must be ever watchful and diligent. We can review each of these prophecies and put a checkmark by them as being present and of concern in the world today:…… For many it may be quite disturbing, even discouraging. Nevertheless, when I think of the future, I am overwhelmed with feelings of positive optimism.

Elder Jeffrey R Holland:   I want to say to my own granddaughter and the vast majority of the youth of the Church whom I meet around the world how extraordinarily proud we are of you. Moral and physical danger exists almost everywhere around you and temptations of a dozen kinds present themselves daily, yet most of you strive to do what is right.

With all that being said…I want to say, this is not a lesson about pornography but I’m going to ask you…how would you define Pornography? 

True to the Faith:  Pornography is any material depicting or describing the human body or sexual conduct in a way that arouses sexual feelings.

We all know that Pornography is something that we need to stay away from.

For Strength of Youth Pamphlet:  Do not attend, view, or participate in anything that is vulgar, immoral, violent, or pornographic in any way. Do not participate in anything that presents immorality or violence as acceptable. Have the courage to walk out of a movie, change your music, or turn off a computer, television, or mobile device if what you see or hear drives away the Spirit.

In 2005, Elder Dallin H Oaks gave a talk on pornography: He made this analogy: “Pornographic or erotic stories and pictures are worse than filthy or polluted food. The body has defenses to rid itself of unwholesome food. With a few fatal exceptions, bad food will only make you sick but do no permanent harm. In contrast, a person who feasts upon filthy stories or pornographic or erotic pictures and literature records them in this marvelous retrieval system we call a brain. The brain won’t vomit back filth. Once recorded, it will always remain subject to recall, flashing its perverted images across your mind and drawing you away from the wholesome things in life.” ¹

Pornographic images and thoughts are very difficult to erase from our minds. 

Pornography destroys relationships. 

Pornography impairs one’s ability to enjoy a normal emotional, romantic, and spiritual relationship with a person of the opposite sex. It erodes the moral barriers that stand against inappropriate, abnormal, or illegal behavior. As conscience is desensitized, patrons of pornography are led to act out what they have witnessed, regardless of its effects on their life and the lives of others.

Unfortunately I’m sure every one of us has known or knows someone who is or has had a problem with pornography.  It is a ramped problem in the world we live in.  None of us want to have this problem—we don’t want a husband or a boyfriend or a brother or sister or friend or father who has this problem—but if we haven’t yet, we probably will have someone close to us with this problem.  BIG or SMALL—that’s how huge this is.  When I was young—you had to put great effort to get pornography—you had to purchase it in a store.  And I think I’m safe in saying it was mild to what you can see anywhere you are.  It’s available at the click of a button.  Generally it’s a man’s problem but not exclusively. 

Pornography destroys—

            Self-worth

            Self-control

            The Spirit

            Relationships

           

What can we do to not have this problem?

            1.  Center your life around the Savior

            2.  Study your scriptures daily

            3.  Study the general conference talks:  Elder Hales, “We gather to hear the words of the Lord, and we return to our homes to live them.”  You can’t live them if you don’t remember them-study them so you can live them.

            4.  Live a chaste life—be virtuous

            5.  Keep the commandments

            6.  Regular Temple Attendance:  Elder Oaks: “an endowed priesthood bearer’s fall into pornography never occurs during periods of regular worship in the temple; it happens when he has become casual in his temple worship” (letter of Mar. 13, 2005).

(we make sacred covenants in the temple, review those covenants, study them and learn about them and what they really mean—those not endowed: live worthy as if you had received your endowment—do baptisms for the dead)

            7.  Build Family Relationships:  Elder Oaks:  “build the spiritual strength of our families by loving relationships, family prayer, and scripture study.”

What can we do to help the Young Men we associate with every day?

            1.  Live a chaste life—be virtuous—For Strength of Youth Pamphlet:  Physical intimacy between husband and wife is beautiful and sacred. It is ordained of God for the creation of children and for the expression of love between husband and wife. God has commanded that sexual intimacy be reserved for marriage.

When you are sexually pure, you prepare yourself to make and keep sacred covenants in the temple. You prepare yourself to build a strong marriage and to bring children into the world as part of an eternal and loving family. You protect yourself from the spiritual and emotional damage that come from sharing sexual intimacy outside of marriage. You also protect yourself from harmful diseases. Remaining sexually pure helps you to be confident and truly happy and improves your ability to make good decisions now and in the future.

The Lord’s standard regarding sexual purity is clear and unchanging. Do not have any sexual relations before marriage, and be completely faithful to your spouse after marriage. Do not allow the media, your peers, or others to persuade you that sexual intimacy before marriage is acceptable. It is not. In God’s sight, sexual sins are extremely serious. They defile the sacred power God has given us to create life. The prophet Alma taught that sexual sins are more serious than any other sins except murder or denying the Holy Ghost

Chastity in “True to the Faith”

If you are single and dating, always treat your date with respect.   Never treat him or her as an object to be used for lustful desires. Carefully plan positive and constructive activities so that you and your date are not left alone without anything to do. Stay in areas of safety where you can easily control yourself. Do not participate in conversations or activities that arouse sexual feelings. Do not participate in passionate kissing, lie with or on top of another person, or touch the private, sacred parts of another person’s body, with or without clothing. Do not allow anyone to do such things with you.

           

            2.  Stay out of boys bedrooms & don’t allow boys in your bedroom…do not have sleepovers with boys even if “you’re just sleeping” . . . don’t cuddle under blankets. . . . Go home at appropriate times. . . be careful about where you are when you are alone together, (stay in public or in groups)

           

            3.  Dress modestly—at all times & in all things & in all places—even around the apartment—especially if there are boys visiting your roommates.  For you to be attractive—your clothes don’t need to be provocative. 

That goes with the types of pictures you post on facebook and instagram.  I don’t believe that you should post any pictures of yourself in swimsuit attire, at least in a full figure pose—unless you have a cover-up on.

For Strength of Youth Pamphlet:  Immodest clothing is any clothing that is tight, sheer, or revealing in any other manner. Young women should avoid short shorts and short skirts, shirts that do not cover the stomach, and clothing that does not cover the shoulders or is low-cut in the front or the back. Young men should also maintain modesty in their appearance. Young men and young women should be neat and clean and avoid being extreme or inappropriately casual in clothing, hairstyle, and behavior. They should choose appropriately modest apparel when participating in sports. The fashions of the world will change, but the Lord’s standards will not change.

Elder Russell M.Ballard:  understand that when ‘you’ wear clothing that is too tight, too short, or too low cut, ‘you’ not only can send the wrong message to young men with whom ‘you’ associate, but ‘you’ also perpetuate in their own minds the fallacy that a woman’s value is dependent solely upon her sensual appeal. This never has been nor will it ever be within the righteous definition of a faithful daughter of God

Elder Holland:

For you to fully claim Heavenly Father’s blessings and protection, we ask you to stay true to the standards of the gospel of Jesus Christ and not slavishly follow the whims of fads and fashions. The Church will never deny your moral agency regarding what you should wear and exactly how you should look. But the Church will always declare standards and will always teach principles…. In the gospel of Jesus Christ, modesty in appearance is always in fashion. Our standards are not socially negotiable.

Young women, choose your clothing the way you would choose your friends—in both cases choose that which improves you and would give you confidence standing in the presence of God. ⁷ Good friends would never embarrass you, demean you, or exploit you. Neither should your clothing.

Elder Oaks:  young women, please understand that if you dress immodestly, you are magnifying this problem by becoming pornography to some of the men who see you.

Why should I care about the way I dress?

“Your clothing expresses who you are. It sends messages about you, and it influences the way you and others act. When you are well groomed and modestly dressed, you can invite the companionship of the Spirit and exercise a good influence on those around you” (True to the Faith, 107).

Why should I dress modestly?

“Prophets have always counseled us to dress modestly. This counsel is founded on the truth that the human body is God’s sacred creation. Respect your body as a gift from God. Through your dress and appearance, you can show the Lord that you know how precious your body is. . . .

“Maintain high standards of modesty for all occasions. Do not lower your standards to draw attention to your body or to seek approval from others. True disciples of Jesus Christ maintain the Lord’s standard regardless of current fashions or pressure from others” (True to the Faith, 107).

            4.  Have frank and open conversations about pornography.  (probably not on the first date)

 Be careful of the young men you date—if they are not willing to take care of a pornography problem, then get out.  Be like Joseph of old and flee.  Pornography damages the heart and soul to their very depths.  If they are working to overcome a problem, then remember that the atonement can change a heart.  The atonement can heal so you should give them a chance.

Who wants a boyfriend with a pornography problem?  NO ONE—NEVER

           

Girls—the boys don’t want a girl friend who is not modest and does not have moral high standards.  They don’t want a girl friend that’s going to allow their sexual drive get out of control.  BOYS Sex Drives are WAY DIFFERENT THAN GIRLS!!  BE CAREFUL!!  And if the boys want you to be intimate with them, then you don’t want them because they don’t have respect for you and who you are. They don’t have respect for God and his commandments.  The world teaches us that sexuality is freedom to have sexual relations with everyone and anyone.  That it’s fun and that it’s good.  But we know differently—recently read a blog about sexuality—why would you want to give the most priceless thing that you have to just anyone.  Why would you not want to save that part of you for that ONE person you want to spend eternity with?  Why would you want to give a peep show to someone who has no respect for you or your body?  BE MODEST!!  

Modesty is about sexuality. 

I love you!  This lesson today is because I love you.  You are amazing young women who have great futures and testimonies and strength.  I am constantly amazed at how awesome you are. 

           

I want to offer a challenge to you:

When you pull something out of your closet to wear, evaluate it.  Look at yourself in the mirror when you put it on.

    Is it too low?  Too short?  Too tight? 

·     If you haven’t received your endowment yet, could you wear what you have on with temple garments? 

·     If you have temple garments, do you have to tuck your garments so they don’t show?

Is it too low?  Too short?  Too tight?    If it is then have the COURAGE to modify or throw it out.  Even if you love it to pieces.  With today’s fashions, you could easily put something underneath if it’s too low,  If it’s too short, you might be able to put on a pair of leggings.  Too tight??? I’m not sure there’s much hope for modification on that one.

         When you go to buy something new, ask yourself the same questions. 

Is it too low?  Too short?  Too tight?    

If it is, don’t buy it.  Even if it’s the cutest thing you’ve ever seen and you REALLY REALLY want it!! 

WRAP IT UP:  

            Courage to do what is right when you are buying clothing

            Courage to talk to roommates when you see a problem

            Courage to say no to a young man

            Courage to FLEE when and if necessary

            Be Steadfast and Immovable—do all that is asked of you—Be beautiful daughters of God

            Change of Heart if necessary—pray for understanding

        Do your Best

        Obey with exactness so that when others talk about you they say:  

And they were all young women, and they were exceedingly valiant for ^courage, and also for strength and activity; but behold, this was not all—they were women who were true at all times in whatsoever thing they were entrusted.

  21 Yea, they were women of truth and ^soberness, for they had been taught to keep the commandments of God and to ^walk uprightly before him.

I said this was not a lesson about pornography.  This is a lesson about YOU young single women.  A lesson to help us all be pure and clean and virtuous.  It is a lesson about how we can help the young single men that we associate with to be worthy priesthood holders...to be pure and clean and virtuous. Heavenly Father loves us and wants us to return to Him.  He gave us Jesus Christ who gave us the atonement.  The atonement can help us be clean and pure and virtuous!

Callings Define You

The beginning of a new school year and a new semester, and Bishop Roper, aka my dear husband, asked me to speak on callings and how callings have impacted my life.  WOW!!  When you think about it, the callings I have had really have made a big impact on my life.  So here's the talk.

Kim and I love to travel and we especially like cruising.

This summer we went on a cruise out of Boston to Maine, Nova Scotia Canada, Prince Edward Island (which was my favorite), Quebec City and Montreal.

While in Montreal we visited the Notre Dame Basilica.  It is a huge beautiful cathedral originally built in the late 1600’s.  Because it was too small for their congregation, it was rebuilt in the early 1800’s.  The chapel holds about 2500 people.    A smaller chapel was added to the cathedral in the late 1800’s to accommodate smaller congregations for events such as weddings and funerals.

We went on tour of this cathedral.  It was beautiful.  But the thing that struck me the most was the statement that they have over 20,000 members of their congregation and less than 200 attend their weekly masses.

That struck me for a couple of reasons.  First of all –how sad to have that many members but have that few that attend.

2^nd—how do you know your members when there are that many?

And there is no way you could have the opportunity to serve with that many people.  It’s mind boggling to think about trying to organize it.  

My point, we belong to a church where we believe in serving within the church.  When we were baptized we made a covenant to serve Jesus Christ all our lives.  One way to do that is to accept callings within the church. 

I’ve thought back on my life and the callings I have had and feel very strongly that I would not be the person I am today if I had chosen to not serve and accept callings in my wards and stake.  The first calling I remember having was when I had gone home from BYU for the summer. I was called to be the Jr. Sunday School Chorister. {nothing wrong with being a chorister, Doug!  haha :)}    I lived in southwest Iowa in a very small branch.  Jr. Sunday School was similar to what Primary is like now.  ANY way, I was the chorister and I don’t know if I really knew what I was doing and I don’t think I put my whole self into it.  I say that because I remember choosing songs while I drove with my parents to church on Sunday morning.

The next calling I remember having was probably my senior year at BYU and I was called to be the Relief Society historian or maybe photographer.  I would take pictures at RS activities and put them into a scrapbook kind of book.  That calling actually made me stretch because I was very quiet and didn’t really want to be noticed but when you’re taking pictures of everyone you definitely get noticed.  A bit awkward for me to say the least.  I always wondered what the point was because as far as I knew nothing was ever done with the book and no one ever even looked at it.  

The next calling I remember was after we were married and we had moved into Kim’s homeward.  I was called to teach Primary.  It was the first calling I remember really wanting to do my best and to really make a difference in the lives of these kids that I was teaching.  I think that is when I truly gained a testimony of the importance of serving in the church and to serve with all your heart, might, mind and strength.   I have since served in many different callings.  I have had opportunities to serve in the nursery and primary and Sunday school and young women’s both on the ward level and on the stake level.  The callings I have had have taught me, and molded me.  They have made me stretch.  They have made me search.  They have taught me to get out of my comfort zone and to rely on the Lord.  They have taught me to love.

4 years ago, Pres. Mullen called Kim to be on the high council in this stake.  At the time, I was serving in a stake Young Women’s presidency in my home stake.  Pres. Mullen told me he would like me to attend with Kim but that I could keep my calling.  I was grateful because I hadn’t been in that calling very long and loved serving with the sisters I was working with.  2-3 months later he called me into his office and called me to be the Stake Relief Society President for this stake.  I was shocked.  He had told me I could keep my calling in my home stake!  I had never even had a Relief Rociety calling before.  I had no idea what a Stake Relief Society president did.  My mind was flooded with thoughts of inadequacies.  But as quickly as those thoughts went through my head I knew that my Heavenly Father had called me to this position.  And that He loved me and had complete confidence in me.  I knew that He would guide me and help me.  And He did.  When I got discouraged and thought I don’t know how to do this….I remembered the words that Pres. Hinckley’s father gave to him while he was on his mission, to forget yourself and go to work.  I had to forget that I was this little girl from a little town in Iowa who didn’t know very much.  I had to forget myself and my inadequacies.  I had to get on my knees and plead for direction.  I had to study and ponder and learn.  And then I had to go to work!  And Heavenly Father was there with me every step of the way.  I felt His hand in my life.  He guided me and inspired me and gave me the confidence I needed to help the Relief Society sisters in this stake.  Then 2 years ago when my dear husband was called to be the Bishop of this ward, Pres. Mullen gave me the choice to continue being the Stk. RS Pres. or be released.  I chose to keep the calling and keep doing what I was doing.  A couple of months later as I sat in this room in a sacrament meeting, the feeling flooded my mind with the thought that it was time for me to be released and give my full attention to this ward.  I did all that I could to control my emotions until I was alone and then I cried (maybe bawled) because I didn’t want to be released.  I loved serving and working with so many sisters in the stake.  I didn’t want to loose that.  But the Lord knows what he is doing, and I didn’t loose anything.  I just got something different.  And I have been able to concentrate on this ward and I have loved every member that has passed through those doors.

That’s the way the church works.  That’s the way the Lord works.  He needs us to be the instruments in His hands to further the work.    We know that:

"When ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God."

Mosiah 2:17

We also believe the words in the 5^th & 6^th Articles of Faith which say…

5 We believe that a man must be called of God, by prophecy, and by the laying on of hands by those who are in authority, to preach the Gospel and administer in the ordinances thereof.

 6 We believe in the same organization that existed in the Primitive Church, namely, apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, evangelists, and so forth.

I also love the scripture that says:

 D&C 1: 23 That the fulness of my gospel might be proclaimed by the weak and the simple unto the ends of the world,  

THAT’S US—the weak and the simple.  Even though all of you have great talents, abilities, testimonies, and strength!!!  You're great examples to me.

This is Christ’s church and He needs us to further His work.  We do it by accepting callings.  Some of you may receive your first real calling while living at Lanai.  You may think, that it’s a stupid calling or that it’s a made up calling or that you don’t know what you do in that calling, or that you are not qualified for that calling.  Whatever that calling is, you need to get on your knees and pray for direction.  You need to study and find out what it is you need to do.  And then you need to forget yourself and go to work.

 (Didn't include this part to cut it down on time.)  My second counselor when I was the Stk. RS Pres. was a young single adult in the stake.  She told me that her first calling in her ward was to be a sacrament meeting greeter.  She thought it was a worthless, no purpose calling.  But she did it and she did it cheerfully.  She greeted the members each Sunday as they came to sacrament meeting with a smile.  After she had been released, a member of the ward told her how much they looked forward to her smile every Sunday.  It was a strength for him and helped him want to come to church.  At that point, my counselor had a change of heart and she was glad that she had taken her calling seriously.

Pres. Uchtdorf said,  no matter what your responsibilities or circumstances may be, you and I know there is always a special joy that comes from dedicated … service….he went on to say also…. Whether in a large ward or a small branch, we are called upon to serve, to bless, and to act in all things for the good of everyone and everything entrusted to our care.

When Pres. David O. McKay was a missionary in Scotland, he was feeling very homesick so he went out touring castles when he saw a stone above a door that read, “What e’er thou art, Act well thy part.”  That simple saying made a life changing impression on him.  He thought, “You are a member of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  More than that, you are here as a representative of the Lord Jesus Christ.  You accepted the responsibility as a representative of the Church.”  He had been out sightseeing that day, not doing missionary work.  He says, “I accepted the message given to me on that stone, and from that moment we tried to do our part as missionaries in Scotland.”

As you accept callings in the ward, remember these words:  “What e’er thou art, Act well thy part”    

In other words, no matter what the calling, give it your all.  Do it with all your heart, might, mind and strength.  Learn your duty and do it—no matter how big or how small.  Remember you are a representative of the Lord Jesus Christ—even if you’re just a chorister or a RS photographer.

We all come from different circumstances, and we have different experiences and different personalities and different talents.  The Lord knows this.  He knows what each of you needs and he will call you to a position that will help you grow and expand.  He will call you to a position that will give you opportunities to help others to grow and change and expand.  And you may not get to see that and you may never know the impact that you had on the lives of others.  And that’s ok.  We still serve.

(Left this part out of my talk to cut the time down.)  Last week in Sunday School we were talking about the prophet and apostles and in a video Pres. Hinkley made the comment that non of the apostles had chosen that career path.  I thought about that.  Each of them had chosen a career path, they are doctors and lawyers and educators and accountants and all kinds of careers, but none of them had set out to become an apostle or prophet of God.    The same is true for us.  We really don’t come to church expecting to be the Relief Society president or the gospel doctrine teacher, but each of these callings have to be filled to help the ward function and to help the members gain stronger testimonies and a myriad of other purposes.  And the Lord needs us to accept those callings.

Proverbs 3:5 ¶Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own dunderstanding.

 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy cpaths.

In Mosiah:  Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings and He will direct them for good.

Who He calls He qualifies.   

We must trust God that He will help us. I have truly seen God’s hand in my life.  I have learned so much about the gospel and about the church.  My testimony has grown tremendously.  I have gained confidence in myself and have learned so much about myself.  I have gained more love for people than I ever thought was possible.  We are truly blessed to be members of a church that gives us so many opportunities for growth.  We don’t have a great cathedral to meet in each Sunday, but we are divided up into small enough congregations, that we can get to know each of our members and reach out to each one in friendship and love by serving them.  

Where e’er thou art, act well thy part.  

Pray, Study and Go to Work. 

 THIS IS THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST!  WE ARE A BLESSED PEOPLE to be a part of this great work!  I love you and look forward to getting to know you new people.  I love my Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.  I love my husband and support him.  He loves each of you as well. Where e’er thou art, act well thy part.

Death, the Inevitable

The Relief Society President, Jessica Lew, fairly newly called, asked me to teach Relief Society on Sunday May 26.  Because we have had so many people in our ward lose loved ones this past year and a half, the Bishop gave the topic of Death.  Oh boy, how do you teach a lesson on death?Well I did it and here it is.

We have seen several severe tornadoes in Oklahoma this year.  How do you prepare for a tornado?

            I grew up in Missouri and Iowa:  you need to get underground—basement or cellar.  If that’s not possible, in a closet or in the bathtub.  Maybe you should take a 72 hour kit with you!

 Hurricane Sandy last fall in NY and New Jersey shore line

How do you prepare for a hurricane?

                        Board up windows; stay in a room in the middle of the house, maybe a bathroom; get to higher ground; evacuate

                        New Orleans--Hurricane Katrina 2005—mandatory evacuation—over 100,000 people didn’t have cars, 10,000 were put up in the Superdome and 10’s of 1000s waited it out in their homes and were then forced out by flooding—people complained that the government didn’t take care of them-put them in the stadium and left them there—be a little self-sufficient and bring a 72 hour kit.  But overall, the government and the population were not prepared!

President Thomas S. Monson married Frances, the love of his life.  Just this past week she passed away.

            How do you prepare for this?  

The lesson today is not about physically preparing for disasters.  What did all of these pictures have in common?  Today’s lesson is on death!  That sounds morbid but it really isn’t.   How do we prepare for DEATH!  Death is a part of life that is inevitable.  And MOST of the time we don’t know when it will happen.

WE ARE A BLESSED PEOPLE

Do we know what will happen tomorrow?

            We really don’t.  Anyone of us could be called home when we walk out the door today.  We need to be prepared for whatever is in store—whether it be ourselves or someone we love.

This year in the 251^st ward we have had members lose their mothers, their brothers, their uncles, their cousins, their grandparents……gratefully we haven’t lost any ward members.

How do we prepare for death?   Even though it’s something we know will eventually happen, I don’t know if we are ever totally prepared for it.  It’s still very difficult when someone we love passes away.  Watching Moore OK….News commentators asked many survivors "Why do you continue to live here?"   Their responses, “Because we love it!  And we just know that this is tornado country and we know that this is what can happen.  We’re strong.”

WE are a BLESSED people because we KNOW God's plan!

Plan of Salvation:

            Pre-earthly life

                        Plan was presented--one presented by Satan and one by Jesus Christ

                        We accepted the plan & chose to follow Jesus Christ          

                        We came to earth knowing it was temporary

                        The only way to get out of this earth is to DIE

                        We knew that everyone’s stay here would be different

                        That we would be subject to acts of nature & consequences of other’s choices as well as our choices.

Our pre-existence was like the people in Oklahoma—we knew it would be difficult but we were willing to take the chance.  We KNOW!

Pres. Monson said:

My brothers and sisters, death eventually comes to all mankind.  It comes to the aged as they walk on faltering feet.  Its summons is heard by those who have scarcely reached midway in life’s journey, and often it hushes the laughter of little children. Death is one fact that no one can escape or deny. 

In the YW Broadcast last March, Pres. Uchtdorf told of his journey to leave East Germany and escape into West Germany when he was a small boy.  He told of the risk that his family was willing to take in order to have their freedom.  He told of the plan that his parents so carefully made so they would be successful.  They each took a different journey out.  His father took the shortest route out of East Germany through Berlin.  His brothers took separate routes north.  His sister went with Young Woman Leaders on a train.  They payed a worker to unlock a door and they jumped out of the train while passing through West Germany.  Pres. Uchtdorf was young and went with his mother over the mountain range on foot. This is so much like our own journey here on the earth.   We are all traveling on different paths but we are all heading for the same destination—to return to our Heavenly Father.   Pres. Uchtdorf said…..

Back in that first estate, you knew with absolute certainty that God existed because you saw and heard Him. You knew Jesus Christ, who would become the Lamb of God.  You had faith in Him.  And you knew that your destiny was not to stay in the security of your premortal home.  As much as you loved that eternal sphere, you knew you wanted and needed to embark on a journey.  You would depart from the arms of your Father, pass through a veil of forgetfulness, receive a mortal body, and learn and experience things that hopefully would help you grow to become more like Father in Heaven and return to His presence….There were so many things that would be out of your control. Mortal life would be hard at times, filled with unexpected bends in the road: sickness, heartbreak, accidents, conflict…. The journey ahead seemed so long and uncertain—so filled with risk.

It wouldn’t be easy, but you knew it was worth every effort.

I mentioned many that lost loved ones and family members to death in the past 2 years.  Some day, there is a great chance that at least one of you will lose a husband and someone will lose a child.

How do you prepare for death in life?  Scripture Helaman 5:12:

And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall. 

 

Sometimes when you think of that scripture you think of temptations—but there are other things that happen that can shake our faith and when we need to be built on that rock!

There is no room in our lives to say WHY?  There isn’t always a why—it just is.  We have to learn to take what comes and make the best of it. 

There is no room for blame—you can't say: God took her from me when I needed her most. 

When my daughter Meggie died, I was really sad, but I never doubted that she was okay and I knew she was in a better place.  I knew she had received her physical body and she was allowed to go on to a better place.  I was filled with peace.

Darrell—When Kim was 5 his 6 year old brother was getting off the school bus in front of his home when a car passed the bus and hit and killed Darrell.  Some of Kim's parent's friends told them to sue the driver of the car.  Kim's grandfather came to his parents and told them that suing would not bring him back—it would not change what happened.  BITTERNESS will not bring us peace.  It’s okay and normal to mourn.  It’s okay to be angry.  It's not necessary to blame and it doesn't help bring peace.

How do we build on that rock?

President Mullen's 5 things to follow!

Scripture study

Obedience—Sons of Helaman—2000 stripling warriors

Repentance

Strengthen our faith through experiences--ACT

            Look every day for God’s hand in your life

Prayer

Temple Attendance—renewing the covenants we make there

Partaking of the sacrament on a regular basis

Put the Lord first:  Mary N. Cook spoke at the Young Women's Broadcast in March—she told the story of a young woman she met in the temple.   She had just returned home from a mission.  When she started seminary her teacher told her class that they could expect trials in their lives.  She thought—“I don’t want to have trials.”  It wasn’t but a few weeks later that her very healthy young father got very ill and passed away a few weeks after that. 

She said, “It was so hard. You never want to lose the hero of your life. I knew I could make it a springboard for growth or allow it to be a roadblock. I didn’t want to let it ruin my life, because I was only 14 years old. I tried to be as close to the Lord as possible.”

She had a decision and a choice to make.  I love that she saw it that way.  She wasn’t bitter towards God.  This girl really understood the plan of salvation.  We came to earth to get a body and we will leave this earth at some point.  Continuing her story—listen to the things she did that helped her build her foundation:

 "I read my scriptures a lot. Alma chapter 40 assured me that the resurrection is real and through Christ’s Atonement, I could be with my father again. I prayed a lot. I wrote in my journal as often as I could. I kept my testimony vibrant by writing it down. I went to church and to Young Women every week. I surrounded myself with good friends. I kept close to caring relatives and especially to my mom, who was the anchor in our family. I sought out priesthood blessings from my grandfather and other priesthood holders.”

 List on the board the things that she did:

            Read her scriptures—a lot

            Prayed—a lot

            Wrote in her journal  ( way to express feelings) (safe environment) (why did this help her?)

            Wrote her testimony—how does that help?  It makes your testimony real—you concentrate on it and realize that it exists

            Kept good friends

            Stayed close to her mother-family

            Attend church meetings including YW

            Sought Priesthood blessing

We talked about preexistence—what happens to us right after we die?

         
We go to a probationary state known as Paradise:

Alma 40:11-12

 11 Now, concerning the state of the soul between death and the resurrection—Behold, it has been made known unto me by an angel, that the spirits of all men, as soon as they are departed from this mortal body, yea, the spirits of all men, whether they be good or evil, are taken home to that God who gave them life.

12 And then shall it come to pass, that the spirits of those who are righteous are received into a state of happiness, which is called paradise, a state of rest, a state of peace, where they shall rest from all their troubles and from all care, and sorrow.

 

This makes me feel such COMFORT!  My daughter, Annie, told her 7 year old daughter about Paradise.  She talked about what a glorious place it is and how happy you are when you are there.  For many days after, Meggie kept saying to her, “I want to go to Paradise.”

So what happens after paradise?  Is that the end?

Resurrection & Judgement

2 Nephi 9:13

13 O how great the plan of our God! For on the other hand, the paradise of God must deliver up the spirits of the righteous, and the grave deliver up the body of the righteous; and the spirit and the body is restored to itself again, and all men become incorruptible, and immortal, and they are living souls, having a perfect knowledge like unto us in the flesh, save it be that our knowledge shall be perfect.

Alma 40:23

 23 The soul shall be restored to the body, and the body to the soul; yea, and every limb and joint shall be restored to its body; yea, even a hair of the head shall not be lost; but all things shall be restored to their proper and perfect frame.

Alma 11: 42-44

42 Now, there is a death which is called a temporal death; and the death of Christ shall loose the bands of this temporal death, that all shall be raised from this temporal death.

 43 The spirit and the body shall be reunited again in its perfect form; both limb and joint shall be restored to its proper frame, even as we now are at this time; and we shall be brought to stand before God, knowing even as we know now, and have a bright recollection of all our guilt.

 44 Now, this restoration shall come to all, both old and young, both bond and free, both male and female, both the wicked and the righteous; and even there shall not so much as a hair of their heads be lost; but every thing shall be restored to its perfect frame, as it is now, or in the body, and shall be brought and be arraigned before the bar of Christ the Son, and God the Father, and the Holy Spirit, which is one Eternal God, to be judged according to their works, whether they be good or whether they be evil.

To summarize these scriptures:

We go to paradise as a righteous spirit and we stay there until the resurrection when our spirits will be reunited with our bodies in a state of immortality and then we will go through the judgment where Christ will decide where we will live for eternity. We could do a whole lesson on that part alone.

Another truth about death is that our relationships continue in the next phase of our lives because of eternal marriages in the temple.

D&C 132:19

…if a man marry a wife by my word, which is my law, and by the new and everlasting covenant, and it is sealed unto them by the Holy Spirit of promise, by him who is anointed, unto whom I have appointed this power and the keys of this priesthood; and it shall be said unto them—Ye shall come forth in the first resurrection;…and shall inherit thrones, kingdoms, principalities, and powers, dominions, all heights and depths,…and they shall pass by the angels, and the gods, which are set there, to their exaltation and glory in all things, as hath been sealed upon their heads, which glory shall be a fulness and a continuation of the seeds forever and ever. 

We have been promised eternal life with those that we love if we meet the requirements. 

2 Ne 31:20 tells us how to meet the requirements

2 Ne 31:20

20 Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life.

These requirements are the things that will help us Build on the Rock of the Redeemer

When death strikes—because we understand the PLAN then does that mean we shouldn’t mourn the loss of a loved one?                      THAT IS LUDICROUS!   If you saw any clips of Sister Monson’s funeral you would have seen the prophet of God, weeping for his Frances.

It’s OKAY and it’s natural. 

Elder Russel M. Nelson said:  "Irrespective of age, we mourn for those loved and lost. Mourning is one of the deepest expressions of pure love. It is a natural response in complete accord with divine commandment: “Thou shalt live together in love, insomuch that thou shalt weep for the loss of them that die.” (D&C 42:45.)

Moreover, we can’t fully appreciate joyful reunions later without tearful separations now. The only way to take sorrow out of death is to take love out of life."

And that would be tragic!

I don’t know if we can ever fully prepare for death—but we can do our best.

Live like you were dying; Love because you are.

Early in the lesson I said:

We are a Blessed People! 

I truly believe that!  We KNOW what God’s plan is.  We need to build on the rock of the redeemer.  Strengthen our faith so that when death comes knocking on our door, we will be ready and we’ll be able to have enough faith that we’ll be able to feel the peace which the HOLY GHOST will bestow upon us.  We all have to go through it with someone.  We’ll be okay because we KNOW!