We are busy doing many activities every day! We make decisions every day! Some decisions are small and don't really have much affect on our lives. Some decisions lead us to other choices and other decisions.
What activities did you do this week? Some of my daily Activities this week—ran freedom run, went to parade, went geo-caching, went to byu dairy, went to bean museum, went up canyon & had a picnic, watched fireworks with family,
What activities did you do this week? Some of my daily Activities this week—ran freedom run, went to parade, went geo-caching, went to byu dairy, went to bean museum, went up canyon & had a picnic, watched fireworks with family,
What decisions have you made this week? Some of my decisions—when to get out of bed: if I should go running: what to make for picnic: how to decorate for bridal shower: what to
wear to bridal shower: what to teach for
Relief Society: whether to read
scriptures, should I eat this food???
Each decision is based on decisions that were made
previously and the consequence that will follow: Every morning I have to decide if I should go
running—things that affect that decision:
want to lose weight, don’t want to put lost weight back on, have a 5K
I’m signed up for in about 2 weeks, my daughter & 3 kids are in town and
are leaving this morning,
Our decisions we make every day—every minute can have a huge
impact on what we will be doing tomorrow and where we’ll be. Some don’t really matter—but even the
littlest decision can change the course we are on—should I go to this movie,
should I watch this show, should I be reading this book, should I wear this
dress, should I wear this swimming suit, should I hang out with these
people….and on and on.
Today’s lesson is about the
decisions we make every day and what will help us make better decisions.
This is the story of Robert & Hannah
Harris as told by Elder William Walker last conference: They were converted to the gospel and baptized by Wilford Woodruff in
England:
Having heard the voice of the
Shepherd, they fully committed their lives to living the gospel and following
the direction of the Lord’s prophet. Responding to the call to gather to Zion,
they left behind their home in England, crossed the Atlantic, and gathered with
the Saints in Nauvoo, Illinois.
They embraced
the gospel with all their hearts. While trying to get established in
their new land, they assisted in the building of the Nauvoo Temple by tithing their labor—spending
every 10th day working on the construction of the temple.
They were brokenhearted at the news of the death of their
beloved prophet, Joseph Smith, and his
brother Hyrum. But they carried on! They stayed true to the faith.
When the Saints were persecuted and
driven from Nauvoo, Robert and Maria felt greatly blessed to receive their endowments in the temple
shortly before they crossed the Mississippi River and headed west. Although
they were uncertain of what their future held, they were certain of their faith and their testimonies.
With six children, they slogged
through mud as they crossed Iowa on their way west. They built for themselves a
lean-to at the side of the Missouri River at what came to be known as Winter
Quarters.
These intrepid pioneers were waiting
for apostolic direction on how and when they would be heading further west.
Everyone’s plans were altered when Brigham Young, the President of the Quorum
of the Twelve, issued a call for men to volunteer to serve in the United States
Army in what came to be known as the Mormon Battalion.
Robert Harris Jr. was one of over
500 Mormon pioneer men who responded to that call from Brigham Young. He
enlisted, even though it meant he would leave behind his pregnant wife and six
little children.
Why would he and the other men do such a thing?
Because they were
converted—they had a mighty change of heart
(scripture)
(Someone pointed out during the lesson that even though this country did not support them in their religious beliefs, they loved their country and were willing to help it stay strong).
(Someone pointed out during the lesson that even though this country did not support them in their religious beliefs, they loved their country and were willing to help it stay strong).
Robert Harris wrote a letter
to his wife and stated why he did this:
“My faith is so strong as ever [and
when I think of the things that Brigham Young told us], I believe it about the
same as if the Great God had told me.”
In short, he knew he was listening
to a prophet of God, as did the other men. That is why they did it! They knew
they were led by a prophet of God.
Later
he continued in his letter and stated: “We must not
forget the things which you and I heard and [experienced] in the Temple of the
Lord.”
So not only did they believe in the words of a prophet, but
they believed in the things they had learned and experienced in the temple!! The Decisions they made impacted their entire
lives. They truly heard the voice of the Lord and were willing to follow.
Are we asked to do things that people outside the
church might ask: Why would they do
that?
What are some of those things????
What are some of those things????
Marriage in the temple
Wearing temple garments—night and day
Dressing modestly—strength of youth pamphlet
No alcohol—word of wisdom
No sexual relations before marriage—keep morally clean
throughout our lives
Serve and help others--serve in the church
Have Honesty & Integrity in ALL our doings
Use appropriate language—control our emotions & thoughts
Don’t watch inappropriate movies & other media—stay away
from pornography
Why do we do these things?
Because we have testimonies and are converted to following
Jesus Christ and His prophets!
How do we become committed to living the gospel the
way Robert and Hannah Harris did?
We have to be converted to the Lord and to His gospel. When we are truly converted then we will want to do the things that are required of us and we will do them willingly.
Sheri Dew wrote in her book, Women and the Priesthood: "Conversion is immersion. Immersion in truth. Immersion in the scriptures. Immersion in the temple. Immersion through fasting, prayer, and time to contemplate the things of heaven.
We need to think about the Lord more. We need to seek to understand who He is
and what He taught. The more we know about the Lord Jesus Christ, the more we
will want to know. The more we testify about what we know, the more it will
become integral to who we are."
- Sheri Dew
Immersion makes me think of
baptism—the act of fully immersing the body in the water. Completely covered & surrounded by the
water. If we then are immersed in things of God and to the gospel of Jesus Christ—then we are going to surround ourselves
with the gospel and the principles of it.
We will completely cover our lives with the life of Jesus Christ. We do that by attending the temple regularly
and by reading the scriptures daily and not just reading but studying and
pondering on the principles taught in them.
By fasting and praying—not just going without food on fast Sunday but
truly fasting with a purpose and having prayer intertwined with the fasting.
And then contemplating or pondering the things that God wants us to do. And DO
IT NOW! (as President Monson has said)
How to gain the testimony
necessary:
Alma 32:27:
But behold, if ye will
awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle
of faith, yea, even if ye can no more than desire to believe, let
this desire work in you,
even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my
words.
Alma said we have to have a desire and
experiment upon the word—which means we have to read and/or listen to the
scriptures and prophets words and then exercise our faith and then let that
desire work in us—we’ve got to do something.
Live the principles you are learning about.
Alma 31: 5 And now, as the preaching of
the word had a great tendency to lead the people to do that
which was just—yea, it had had more powerful effect upon the minds of the
people than the sword, or anything else, which had happened unto them—therefore
Alma thought it was expedient that they should try the virtue of the word of God.
the word of God is going to help
us do what is right!
Mosiah 3:19 For
the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from
the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of
the Holy Spirit, and putteth off
the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement
of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, 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.
We can’t gain that testimony
without yielding to the Holy Ghost
Elder
Bednar said in a talk “Converted unto the Lord”:
….. “a
testimony is personal knowledge of spiritual truth obtained by revelation. A
testimony is a gift from God and is available to all of His children. Any
honest seeker of truth can obtain a testimony by exercising the necessary
“particle of faith” in Jesus Christ to “experiment upon” (Alma 32:27) and “try the virtue of
the word” (Alma 31:5), to yield “to the
enticings of the Holy Spirit” (Mosiah 3:19), and to awaken unto
God (see Alma 5:7). Testimony brings increased
personal accountability and is a source of purpose, assurance, and joy.”
Read Matthew 7:7 7 ¶Ask, and it shall
be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall
be opened unto you:
Moroni 10:4 4 And
when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye
would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these
things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart,
with real intent, having faith in Christ, he
will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy
Ghost.
Elder Bednar: “Seeking for and obtaining a testimony of spiritual truth requires asking, seeking, and knocking (see Matthew 7:7; 3 Nephi 14:7) with a sincere heart, real intent, and faith in the Savior (see Moroni 10:4). Fundamental components of a testimony are knowing that Heavenly Father lives and loves us, that Jesus Christ is our Savior, and that the fulness of the gospel has been restored to the earth in these latter days.”
Elder
Robert Hales adds his insight:
Turn
to the scriptures. Kneel in prayer. Ask in faith. Listen to the Holy Ghost.
Learn that your name and needs are known by our Heavenly Father, just as
Joseph’s were. Live the gospel with patience and persistence. And in the name
of Jesus Christ, I promise, “If ye will … ask [Heavenly Father] in faith,
believing that ye shall receive, with diligence in keeping [the Lord’s]
commandments, surely these things shall be made known unto you.” 30”
How do
we gain a testimony?:
desire
experiment (do something with that desire-seek for knowledge)
try God’s word (experiment with what you learn)
listen to the Holy Ghost (promptings will come!)
pray to Heavenly Father
obey the commandments
have faith
desire
experiment (do something with that desire-seek for knowledge)
try God’s word (experiment with what you learn)
listen to the Holy Ghost (promptings will come!)
pray to Heavenly Father
obey the commandments
have faith
So not only do we have to pray and seek for
conversion but we have to obey his commandments so that the Holy Ghost can dwell
with us and testify to us so we have that assurance that what we are doing is
God’s will. As we live God's laws, we will more fully understand them. It all goes full circle. seek-live-learn-find answers-seek more etc.
Elder
Bednar: “For many of us, conversion is an ongoing process
and not a onetime event that results from a powerful or dramatic experience.
Line upon line and precept upon precept, gradually and almost imperceptibly,
our motives, our thoughts, our words, and our deeds become aligned with the
will of God. Conversion unto the Lord requires both persistence and patience.”
Discuss— testimony
and conversion take constant effort and work.
This is why we have the “primary answers” pray, read scriptures,
obey—over and over—round and round—and when we do these things we are blessed
with a change of heart which makes obedience easier and our commitment
stronger—and we are blessed with the constant companion of the Holy Ghost and
we will receive the personal revelation that we need in our lives as we make
important decisions.
When I started working on this lesson I felt the need to talk
about the importance of gaining and having a testimony of Jesus Christ. But as I read Elder Bednar’s talk I realized
there is more than just testimony that we need to carry us through this life.
Elder Bednar said: “Testimony is the beginning of and a prerequisite
to continuing conversion. Testimony is a point of departure; it is not an
ultimate destination. Strong testimony is the foundation upon which conversion
is established.
Testimony alone is not and will not be enough to
protect us in the latter-day storm of darkness and evil in which we are living.
Testimony is important and necessary but not sufficient to provide the
spiritual strength and protection we need. Some members of the Church with
testimonies have wavered and fallen away. Their spiritual knowledge and
commitment did not measure up to the challenges they faced.”
How does conversion differ from testimony?
It’s on going—it’s a
change of heart—which means we change how we do things
I have a friend that has a testimony but isn’t converted! She hasn't gone to church for years yet she knows the church is true! How sad.
Read
Helaman 15:7-8 Find the steps of Conversion:
1. Believe the scriptures & words of
prophets
2. Faith in Jesus Christ
3. Repentance
4. Change of Heart
5. Firm and Steadfast
Anti-Nephi-Lehies are a great Example of what happens when you are
converted:
They believed the things they were taught by Ammon and the Holy Ghost. They saw God's hand in their lives and they had a might change of heart. They put away their weapons of war--they quite living unrighteous lives.
They believed the things they were taught by Ammon and the Holy Ghost. They saw God's hand in their lives and they had a might change of heart. They put away their weapons of war--they quite living unrighteous lives.
6And as sure as the Lord liveth, so
sure as many as believed, or as many as were brought to the knowledge of the
truth, through the preaching of Ammon and his brethren, according to the spirit
of revelation and of prophecy, and the power of God working miracles in
them—yea, I say unto you, as the Lord liveth, as many of the Lamanites as
believed in their preaching, and were converted unto the
Lord, never did fall away.
7 For they became a righteous people;
they did lay down the weapons of their rebellion, that they did not fight
against God any more, neither against any of their brethren.
How do we fight against God?
By not obeying him
By criticizing leaders & the things they say
Read from Elder Holland’s address in April Conference: (Isaiah 30: 9-11) Elder Holland is very blunt and forthright.
It is as the Lord Himself lamented to the prophet Isaiah:
“[These] children … will not hear the law of the Lord:
“[They] say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits:
“Get you out of the way, turn aside out of the path, cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us.”10
Sadly enough, my young friends, it is a characteristic of our age that if people want any gods at all, they want them to be gods who do not demand much, comfortable gods, smooth gods who not only don’t rock the boat but don’t even row it, gods who pat us on the head, make us giggle, then tell us to run along and pick marigolds.11
Talk about man creating God in his own image! Sometimes—and this seems the greatest irony of all—these folks invoke the name of Jesus as one who was this kind of “comfortable” God. Really? He who said not only should we not break commandments, but we should not even think about breaking them. And if we do think about breaking them, we have already broken them in our heart. Does that sound like “comfortable” doctrine, easy on the ear and popular down at the village love-in?
Are we guilty of wanting to take the easy road?
What are things we are asked to do that are hard? (look in For Strength of Youth Pamphlet)
What are things we are asked to do that are hard? (look in For Strength of Youth Pamphlet)
Dress
differently than the world—being modest & not being ashamed of it
Media—Movies, books, magazines, internet use, music
Integrity & Honesty
Wearing the temple garment appropriately
Sabbath Day Activities
Sexual Purity
Tithing
Tatoos and Piercings
Are we trying to create God
in OUR image? The way we want Him to
be?
Or do we have testimonies and
conversion in Jesus Christ in such a way that we will make the sacrifice to
obey Him completely and with exactness.
Are the little decisions we make every day a reflection of what we believe?
I want to close with the
story of Elizabeth Smart. At the age of
14 Elizabeth Smart was taken from her home at knifepoint while her family
slept. For nine months she was held
captive, many of those months in the mountains in walking distance from her
home in Salt Lake City. Two days before
she was kidnapped she sat in LDS Sunday School class with all her friends and
listened to her teacher. He said, “If
you will pray to do what God wants you to do, He will change your life.” She felt the spirit and listened even more
carefully. He continued, “If you will
lose your life in the service of God, He will direct you. He will help you. So I challenge you to do that. Commit to Heavenly Father and He will guide
your way.” That afternoon she went home
and found a quiet place and prayed to her Heavenly Father. She said “God I’m here. I’m only 14.
I know I’m just a little girl. But I’ll do whatever it is that you want
me to do. I really do want to serve
you. But I’m not sure that I know
how.”
Two days later when she was
kidnapped at knife point she was confused and wondered if this was what God had
wanted for her. This is what she wrote
about that: “It certainly wasn’t. I know that now. Being taken captive was not part of some
great, eternal plan. Though it would
take a while, the answers to my confusion eventually settled in my mind. I don’t think what happened to me was
something that God intended. He surely
would not have wished the anguish and torment that I was about to go through
upon anyone especially upon a child. But
since that time, I have learned an important lesson. Yes, God can make some good come from
evil. But even He, in all His majesty,
won’t make the evil go away. Men are
free. He won’t control them. There is wickedness in this world. When faced with pain and evil, we have to
make a choice. We can choose to be taken
by the evil. Or we can try to embrace
the good.”
Elizabeth Smart goes around
the country and speaks to different groups.
Many ask her, How did you survive?
She responds, “the main reason I was able to survive is because of my
God, my family, and my community.”
She tells how she relied on
her family, horse back riding and playing her harp when she returned home. They
were her therapy. Then she said, “All of these things have helped me. But ultimately, to get better, I simply made
a choice. Life is a journey for us
all. We all face trials. We all have ups and downs. All of us are human. But we are also the masters of our fate. We are the ones who decide how we are going
to react to life.”
Elizabeth Smart has a
testimony of God and Jesus Christ. She
is converted to them and wants to live her life the way they want her to. She understands what life is all about. She has chosen the path she wants to be on
and she has grasped the iron rod and is not letting go! The evil that she sees in the large and
spacious building are of no consequence to her.
She has chosen to partake from the tree of life and not look back! We can do the same. Even though our lives are not comparable and
your choices are probably more about choosing right over wrong, we can be the strong woman that she is and
make the choices that we need to make in our lives because we are the masters
of our lives. She knew who she was. She knew who God was and She knew what she
wanted in life. She had a testimony and
was truly converted. That’s what we
need—a testimony of Jesus Christ and be truly converted to follow Him.
With that testimony and that
conversion we make the decisions of how we will live our lives.
Be like Hannah & Robert Harris
Be like Elizabeth Smart
Be like the Anti-Nephi-Lehies
