Come Unto Christ

I have felt, since my call to teach Seminary, that no matter what the subject matter was that I was teaching, my greatest assignment was to help these youth learn and understand how to "Come Unto Christ". It weighs heavy on my mind as I prepare my lessons and try and relate what the subject matter is to coming unto Christ. I feel heavily the stewardship. My testimony of Jesus Christ and the principle of obedience and discipleship burns in my heart and my desire for these precious youth to feel the same is overwhelming. The desire for my own children and grandchildren to understand and embrace these principles is just as powerful.

The personal struggles I have had since moving to Montana have been great. But I have come to know that it is through these struggles, through the crucible of my life that I have come to know the Savior in a way that never would have happened if I had stayed in Idaho. I have come to understand more fully the principle of obedience to the commandments as taught in the scriptures. I have come to more fully understand the calling of a disciple of Christ. I am coming to an understanding of the principle of submitting my will to His will and letting Him make of me what He needs me to be. I have a long way to go with this submitting thing but I know of the patience of the Lord and His continual loving push to get me to submit.

I my studies this morning for Seminary next week – we will be talking about Alma and Amulek – I found this article. I was drawn to it because of the title ~ "Come Unto Christ". Then I read this…

"In our quiet moments of reflection, we can search our thoughts for the way to Christ. President James E. Faust, Second Counselor in the First Presidency, said: "Hold your soul very still, and listen to the whisperings of the Holy Spirit. Follow the noble, intuitive feelings planted deep within your souls by Deity." (go here to find the talk by President Faust)

I started to think about life in general and how I need the guidance of the Lord in all aspects of my life – not just in preparing a Seminary lesson.

I need that guidance as I…

• continue to mother children who are parents themselves
  
• am a wife and companion to a very busy husband and disciple
  
• am a friend and a visiting teacher
  
• have frequent times of loneliness
  
• have the desire to control aspects of the lives of my children and forget that they are having experiences that are helping them to grow and come to know the Savior
  
• am the daughter to a recently widowed mother
  
• and the list goes on an on…
  

What is it that touches my heart this morning as I read that article? The fact that I need to remember to "Hold my soul very still" so the Lord can speak to me. I must block out the things of this world that threaten to destroy my peaceful soul and listen to the noble, intuitive feelings planted deep within my soul by a loving Heavenly Father who knows me and knows my children and my Seminary kids.

I just need to listen to the whisperings of the Spirit as I am guided as to what to teach and how to guide "my flock" to Christ. I pray that I will always be worthy to be a disciple of Christ and to be an instrument in His hands here upon the earth.

Mosiah 24

A few years ago while still in Blackfoot, Elder Bednar attended our Stake Conference. At the time he was still an area authority and president of BYU-Idaho. He spoke in this stake conference about Mosiah 24:13-15 and gave a really powerful sermon on the enabling power of the Lord in our lives.

So when we came to this chapter in our lessons I felt so impressed to discuss these verses in more detail. I knew of some struggles going on with a couple of the kids in my class and felt so impressed that the Lord wanted them to know this principle. In this chapter Alma's people are in bondage and being persecuted but because of their faith, obedience and patience the Lord strengthens them so that they can "bear up their burdens with ease and they did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord."

We talked about how this strengthening happens and the "Enabling Power" that the Lord grants unto us as we are faithful, obedience and patient.

Then I read them this thought by Elder Richard G. Scott of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles as he encourages us to cheerfully rely on the Lord when we face the challenges of mortality:

"Problems or trials in our lives need to be viewed in the perspective of scriptural doctrine. Otherwise they can easily overtake our vision, absorb our energy, and deprive us of the joy and beauty the Lord intends us to receive here on earth. Some people are like rocks thrown into a sea of problems. They are drowned by them. Be a cork. When submerged in a problem, fight to be free to bob up to serve again with happiness...

"The Lord is intent on your personal growth and development. That progress is accelerated when you willingly allow Him to lead you through every growth experience you encounter, whether initially it be to your individual liking or not. When you trust in the Lord, when you are willing to let your heart and your mind be centered in His will, when you ask to be led by the Spirit to do His will, you are assured of the greatest happiness along the way and the most fulfilling attainment from this mortal experience. If you question everything you are asked to do, or dig in your heels at every unpleasant challenge, you make it harder for the Lord to bless you." (Ensign, May 1996, 24-25)

My object lesson was a jar of water. I first dropped a rock into it and of course it sunk. Then I dropped in a cork and of course it floated. We talked about the choice being ours whether we will be the rock or the cork. If we are the cork then the Lord can bless us and give us the enabling power spoken of in Mosiah 24. If we are the cork then we BECOME what the Lord needs us to become.

This poster hangs in our room...

I LOVE TO SEE THE TEMPLE!!!!!

Our lesson today was on 2 Nephi 12:2-3. We talked about the temple and how Isaiah says it is the Mountain of the Lords house. We talked about how the Lord walks the halls of the temple. I bore my testimony to them of how I know the Lord does in fact walk the halls of the temple. Have I seen him? No but I have felt Him and know that He is there - in His house! I bore testimony of the incredible revelations I have received in the temple. One of those I draw back on monthly, sometimes even daily, and it speaks peace to my soul over and over and over again. We talked about how everything you need to know to make it back into God's presence you learn in the temple.

I told them the story of the day that all 3 of my children and their eternal companions were in the temple together. With tears streaming down my face I relived that day and was grateful all over again that my children are worthy to be in the temple with me. I am grateful for my temple marriage, for my eternal companion who walks this life with me and keeps me grounded. We will celebrate our 28th anniversary next week. Oh how I love him, how I treasure the day that we were sealed in the Idaho Falls temple, how I treasure the times we return together to the temple. I LOVE THE TEMPLE!!!!

Elder Bruce R. McConkie said: "We expect to see the day when temples will dot the earth, each one a house of the Lord; each one a sacred sanctuary to which Israel and the Gentiles shall gather to receive the blessings of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Perhaps they will number in the hundreds, or even in the thousands, before the Lord returns."

President Brigham Young said, "To accomplish this work there will have to be not only one temple but thousands of them..."

Now some temple trivia for you...

*83% of all members of the church live within 200 miles of a temple

*130 temples in operation

*21 announced and in some stage of development or construction

*For 101 years there were only 17 operating temples ~ (from the dedication of the St. George temple in 1877 until I graduated from high school in 1978)

*There were 26 temples dedicated in the 80's
*25 in the 90's
*62 in the past 9 years ~ from 2000 to present

Now some questions to see if you know the answer to:

1. In what year was the greatest number of temples dedicated?
2. How many?
3. Which temple is the 100th and when was it dedicated?
4. Which number was the Nauvoo temple? (on it's second dedication)
5. When was it dedicated?
6. The very first temple was?
7. Which was the 1st temple dedicated? (not counting Kirtland and Nauvoo)
8. Which one was the Salt Lake Temple?
9. Which is the 130th?
10. Which is the first one dedicated by President Monson?

Do you want the answers? Okay, guess I'll give them to you!

1. 2000
2. 34
3. Boston Massachusetts ~ October 1, 2000
4. 113
5. June 27, 2002 (April 30, 1846 the first time)
6. Kirtland
7. St. George ~ April 6, 1977
8. 4th ~ dedicated May 21, 1888
9. Oquirrh Mountain Utah ~ August 21, 2009
10. Rexburg Idaho ~ February 10, 2008 ~ which was the 125th temple. Therefore he has dedicated 5 in the 18 months he has been the prophet!

Then my challenge to my kids ~ if you don't have a recommend (limited use for baptisms) ~ get worthy ~ see your bishop ~ get one ~ carry it with you ~ and use it whenever you visit a temple!!!!

2 Neph 2 ~ Act for Themselves

For the past two days we have been talking about 2 Nephi 2 and trying to understand that Heavenly Father has prvided all things necessary for us to choose freedom and eternal life or captivity and death.

We talked about the Creation, the Fall, and the Atonement - how they all fit together, they cannot be separated. There cannot be one without the other. Then we watched a video about the power to choose, laws, knowledge of good and evil, and opposition.

Today we discussed these questions: (I'm not going to give you the answers - search for yourself then you tell me)

1. Why must there be an opposition in all things? (2Nephi 2:10-11, 15)
2. How do laws help us gain eternal life? (2Nephi 2:13)
3. What part does Satan play in our agency? (2Nephi 2:16-18)
4. Why is it important that we know good from evil? (2Nephi 2:5, 18, 26)
5. How did we get the power to choose our own destiny? (2Nephi 2:16, 26)
6. How can making correct choices bring freedom and making incorrect choices bring captivity? (2Nephi 2:26-30)

After we discussed the questions I reminded them of the continual lesson being taught in the Book of Mormon - OBEDIENCE.

Then came the challenge - prompted by the spirit - BE 100% OBEDIENT TO YOUR PARENTS AND YOUR TEACHERS FOR 1 WEEK! The parents they didn't bauk at but when I said teachers - there was murmuring!!! So tomorrow I will add to the challenge - they must be obedient WITHOUT MURMURING!!

I challenge you as well - Be 100% obedient - in whatever stage of life you find yourself right now - 100%. I'll check in with you in a week to see if you were successful :) Good luck friends!

2 Nephi 5:5-9

In these verses in Chapter 5 the Lord warns Nephi to take all those that would follow him and flee into the wilderness. They were to flee from the wickedness and evil of his brothers Laman and Lemuel.

There are times when it is necessary to physically flee from evil. Then there are times when we are not physically able to flee from wickedness. Here is a quote from Elder Richard G. Scott on how to protect ourselves:

"God has provided a way to live in this world and not be contaminated by the degrading pressures evil agents spread throughout it. You can live a virtuous, productive, righteous life by following the plan of protection created by your Father in Heaven: His plan of happiness. It is contained in the scriptures and in the inspired declarations of His prophets…

"Avoid worldly wickedness. Know that God is in control. In time, Satan will completely fail and be punished for his perverse evil. God has a specific plan for your life. He will reveal parts of that plan to you as you look for it with faith and consistent obedience. His Son has made you free – not from the consequences of your acts, but free to make choices. God's eternal purpose is for you to be successful in this mortal life. No matter how wicked the world becomes, you can earn that blessing. Seek and be attentive to the personal guidance given to you through the Holy Spirit. Continue to be worthy to receive it. Reach out to others who stumble and are perplexed, not certain of what path to follow" (Ensign, May, 2004, 100, 102).

I love how he says that the Lord created a plan of protection for us! Might I suggest that it could be summed up into one word: OBEDIENCE.
Over and over again in the scriptures we learn that those who are obedient are blessed and prospered, those who are disobedient are cut off from the Lord – they cut themselves off through their disobedience.

That is the lesson I'm striving to teach my students this year – Obedience brings freedom and blessings – Disobedience brings captivity and heartache. This is the lesson I'm striving to teach my children and my grandchildren through my example. I pray the Lord will bless me and strengthen me as I strive to be obedient!

2 Nephi 2:2

Part of this scripture states: "he shall consecrate thine afflictions for thy gain".

In 2 Nephi 2:2 Lehi stated that the trials we endure
can turn to our benefit (see also D&C 98:3). Elder
Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
explained how a sense of gratitude enables us to see
our hardships in the context of our purpose here on
earth: “When we give thanks in all things, we see
hardships and adversities in the context of the purpose
of life. We are sent here to be tested. There must
be opposition in all things. We are meant to learn
and grow through that opposition, through meeting
our challenges, and through teaching others to do
the same” (in Conference Report, Apr. 2003, 103; or
Ensign, May 2003, 97).

Elder Richard G. Scott of the Quorum of the
Twelve Apostles explained that God provides
us with challenges that are designed to help us
grow spiritually: “Just when all seems to be going
right, challenges often come in multiple doses
applied simultaneously. When those trials are not
consequences of your disobedience, they are evidence
that the Lord feels you are prepared to grow more (see
Proverbs 3:11–12). He therefore gives you experiences
that stimulate growth, understanding, and compassion
which polish you for your everlasting benefit. To get
you from where you are to where He wants you to be
requires a lot of stretching, and that generally entails
discomfort and pain” (in Conference Report, Oct.
1995, 18; or Ensign, Nov. 1995, 16–17).

I especially love the part in Elder Scott's quote that says "When those trials are not consequences of your disobedience, they are evidence that the Lord feels you are prepared to grow more".

Are you a Laman and Lemuel or a Nephi and Sam

Today the kids had to look at a picture with hidden pictures - you know the ones. I just gave them the picture - asked them what they saw. Then I gave them a list of the hidden pictures they had to find.

Then we talked about the difference in how Laman and Lemuel viewed the wilderness experience and how Nephi and Sam viewed it. We read 1 Nephi 17:20-21 for Laman/Lemuel's take on it - then compared that with 1 Nephi 17:1-3 which is Nephi's take on it. The exact same experience with much different outcomes. We talked about how murmuring just prolongs your "pity party".

And we talked about 1 Nephi 17:45. Why couldn't Laman and Lemuel believe as Nephi - because according to verse 45 they were "...Swift to do iniquity but slow to remember the Lord your God...ye were past feeling..."

I ask you - ARE YOU A LAMAN AND A LEMUEL OR ARE YOU A NEPHI? Something for you to ponder today...

One more assignment - search verses 1 & 2 then see the lesson learned in verse 3 (chapter 17) "Thus we see" in the scriptures means a lesson is taught and learned. Let me know what you discover!

Tomorrow..."Can you hear the still small voice or are you in a spiritual dead zone" - complete with my very own Mormon Ad!

The Iron Rod part 2

So today we talked about their experience with their Iron Rods yesterday. We had a great discussion about the reaction of their school mates when they would tell them what the rod stood for. Some of their friends thought it was a pencil, some an eraser. Some of the teachers made them put them away. I asked them if it was a hard experiment. Selena said not as hard as she thought it would be. Lexi had conversations on the bus. Some of the acquaintances responded with "I didn't know you were a mormon"! What a great lead in to our discussion about example.

I told them that now those people know that they are mormons and they WILL be watched. We talked about how now that people know they are a mormon those people will be watching to see if they do something that mormons aren't supposed to do (according to their knowledge). They will watch to see if Tayler or Lexi or Cooper or any one of the kids do something - and they will think - if she does it then it must be okay and I will do it.

I think overall it was a great experience for them. I hope it is something they will remember for their lifetime. Today we talked about repentance being the way to grasp ahold of the rod if you let go.

The spirit was there at the end of the class as I bore my testimony of my knowledge of the Savior and the love he has for those incredible kids who try so hard to do what is right. And as I bore testimony of the power of the Atonement and how I know in a very real and personal way how the Atonement changes lives! How grateful I am for the hard things that I had to suffer to gain the testimony that I have today of the Atonement.

Tomorrow will be a Scripture Mastery day complete with donuts :)

The Iron Rod

Today we talked about the symbolism in Lehi's vision about the Tree of Life. We talked about the importance of holding on tight to the Iron Rod. I gave them each an "Iron Rod" - a 6" piece of a dowel that I painted silver. Their challenge: to hold the rod for 24 hours - take it to school with them - eat with it, sleep with it - don't put it down for 24 hours. Tomorrow we will share insights and experiences the had with their Iron Rod! I'm anxious to hear their experiences!

Book of Mormon Year

The greatest blessing that comes to me because of teaching Seminary is my increasing love for the scriptures and the words of our Latter-day Apostles. Every day in my studying I find something that I want to share with someone or that I want to always remember for myself. So out of that is born this blog.

I truly am grateful for this calling. It is by far the hardest calling I have had. But the blessings I am receiving far outweight the challenge. And so I am most grateful that the Lord entrusted me with this assignment.

I came to know the Savior in a very real and personal way last year as I taught from the New Testament. And now this year as I teach from the Book of Mormon I am learning of it's power in a whole new way. My testimony is being strengthened as I read, ponder, and pray.