I love studying about Discipleship. I started it last year when I taught the New Testament. This post goes along with Alma 32:37-38, 42-43 and it is by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf. He teaches us how to become a disciple of Christ:
“This is the peaceable way of the follower of Jesus Christ.
“Nevertheless, it is not a quick fix or an overnight cure.
“A friend of mine recently wrote to me, confiding that he was having a difficult time keeping his testimony strong and vibrant. He asked for counsel. “I wrote back to him and lovingly suggested a few specific things he could do that would align his life more closely with the teachings of the restored gospel. To my surprise, I heard back from him only a week later. The essence of his letter was this: ‘I tried what you suggested. It didn’t work. What else have you got?’
“Brothers and sisters, we have to stay with it. We don’t acquire eternal life in a sprint—this is a race of endurance. We have to apply and reapply the divine gospel principles. Day after day we need to make them part of our normal life.
“Too often we approach the gospel like a farmer who places a seed in the ground in the morning and expects corn on the cob by the afternoon. When Alma compared the word of God to a seed, he explained that the seed grows into a fruit-bearing tree gradually, as a result of our ‘faith, and [our] diligence, and patience, and long-suffering’ [Alma 32:43]. It’s true that some blessings come right away: soon after we plant the seed in our hearts, it begins to swell and sprout and grow, and by this we know that the seed is good. From the very moment we set foot upon the pathway of discipleship, seen and unseen blessings from God begin to attend us.
“But we cannot receive the fulness of those blessings if we ‘neglect the tree, and take no thought for its nourishment’ [v. 38].
“Knowing that the seed is good is not enough. We must ‘nourish it with great care, that it may get root’ [v. 37]. Only then can we partake of the fruit that is ‘sweet above all that is sweet, and . . . pure above all that is pure’ and ‘feast upon this fruit even until [we] are filled, that [we] hunger not, neither shall [we] thirst’ [v. 42].
“Discipleship is a journey. We need the refining lessons of the journey to craft our character and purify our hearts. By patiently walking in the path of discipleship, we demonstrate to ourselves the measure of our faith and our willingness to accept God’s will rather than ours.
“It is not enough merely to speak of Jesus Christ or proclaim that we are His disciples. It is not enough to surround ourselves with symbols of our religion. Discipleship is not a spectator sport. We cannot expect to experience the blessings of faith by standing inactive on the sidelines any more than we can experience the benefits of health by sitting on a sofa watching sporting events on television and giving advice to the athletes. And yet for some, ‘spectator discipleship’ is a preferred if not a primary way of worshipping.
“Ours is not a secondhand religion. We cannot receive the blessings of the gospel merely by observing the good that others do. We need to get off the sidelines and practice what we preach. . . .
“. . . Now is the time to embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ, become His disciples, and walk in His way” (“The Way of the Disciple, Ensign, May 2009, 76–77).
Discipleship is a journey! I have faith that I am on the right path and as I patiently walk this path that seen and unseen blessings from Heavenly Father will attend me!
Monday, February 1, 2010
Faith and Hope
I ponder about faith alot. It is definitely something I live my life with. I have faith that what I am doing is what the Lord would have me do - right here and right now. Faith is what allows me to get up in the morning and meet another new day.
One of our Scripture Mastery scriptures is Alma 32:21 ~ "And now as I said concerning faith ~ faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen which are true."
This is what President Boyd K. Packer said about faith:
“Faith, to be faith, must center around something that is not known. Faith, to be faith, must go beyond that for which there is confirming evidence. Faith, to be faith, must go into the unknown. Faith, to be faith, must walk to the edge of the light, and then a few steps into the darkness. If everything has to be known, if everything has to be explained, if everything has to be certified, then there is no need for faith. Indeed, there is no room for it. . .
“There are two kinds of faith. One of them functions ordinarily in the life of every soul. It is the kind of faith born by experience; it gives us certainty that a new day will dawn, that spring will come, that growth will take place. It is the kind of faith that relates us with confidence to that which is scheduled to happen. . . .
“There is another kind of faith, rare indeed. This is the kind of faith that causes things to happen. It is the kind of faith that is worthy and prepared and unyielding, and it calls forth things that otherwise would not be. It is the kind of faith that moves people. It is the kind of faith that sometimes moves things. . . . It comes by gradual growth. It is a marvelous, even a transcendent, power, a power as real and as invisible as electricity. Directed and channeled, it has great effect. . . .
“In a world filled with skepticism and doubt, the expression ‘seeing is believing’ promotes the attitude, ‘You show me, and I will believe.’ We want all of the
proof and all of the evidence first. It seems hard to take things on faith.
“When will we learn that in spiritual things it works the other way about—that believing is seeing? Spiritual belief precedes spiritual knowledge. When we believe in things that are not seen but are nevertheless true, then we have faith” (“What Is Faith?” in Faith [1983], 42–43).
One of our Scripture Mastery scriptures is Alma 32:21 ~ "And now as I said concerning faith ~ faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen which are true."
This is what President Boyd K. Packer said about faith:
“Faith, to be faith, must center around something that is not known. Faith, to be faith, must go beyond that for which there is confirming evidence. Faith, to be faith, must go into the unknown. Faith, to be faith, must walk to the edge of the light, and then a few steps into the darkness. If everything has to be known, if everything has to be explained, if everything has to be certified, then there is no need for faith. Indeed, there is no room for it. . .
“There are two kinds of faith. One of them functions ordinarily in the life of every soul. It is the kind of faith born by experience; it gives us certainty that a new day will dawn, that spring will come, that growth will take place. It is the kind of faith that relates us with confidence to that which is scheduled to happen. . . .
“There is another kind of faith, rare indeed. This is the kind of faith that causes things to happen. It is the kind of faith that is worthy and prepared and unyielding, and it calls forth things that otherwise would not be. It is the kind of faith that moves people. It is the kind of faith that sometimes moves things. . . . It comes by gradual growth. It is a marvelous, even a transcendent, power, a power as real and as invisible as electricity. Directed and channeled, it has great effect. . . .
“In a world filled with skepticism and doubt, the expression ‘seeing is believing’ promotes the attitude, ‘You show me, and I will believe.’ We want all of the
proof and all of the evidence first. It seems hard to take things on faith.
“When will we learn that in spiritual things it works the other way about—that believing is seeing? Spiritual belief precedes spiritual knowledge. When we believe in things that are not seen but are nevertheless true, then we have faith” (“What Is Faith?” in Faith [1983], 42–43).
Humility
Before I forget I want to record some of the thoughts I have found on a couple of different topics. I haven't used these in a lesson but I don't want to forget them either.
This one goes along with Alma 32:8-16.
Alma is among the Zoramites...he perceived the readiness of the poor Zoramites to be taught the gospel. Their rejection by the wealthy Zoramites contributed to their state of humility.
I've always tried to be a humble person - I've tried to understand the principle of humility. I read this thought by President Ezra Taft Benson and suddenly it became clearer to me what a humble person is. This is what he said...
“We can choose to humble ourselves by conquering enmity toward our brothers and sisters, esteeming them as ourselves, and lifting them as high or higher than we
are (see D&C 38:24; 81:5; 84:106).
“We can choose to humble ourselves by receiving counsel and chastisement (see Jacob 4:10; Helaman 15:3; D&C 63:55; 101:4–5; 108:1; 124:61, 84; 136:31; Proverbs 9:8).
“We can choose to humble ourselves by forgiving those who have offended us (see 3 Nephi 13:11, 14; D&C 64:10).
“We can choose to humble ourselves by rendering selfless service (see Mosiah 2:16 17).
“We can choose to humble ourselves by going on missions and preaching the word that can humble others (see Alma 4:19; 31:5; 48:20).
“We can choose to humble ourselves by getting to the temple more frequently.
“We can choose to humble ourselves by confessing and forsaking our sins and being born of God (see D&C 58:43; Mosiah 27:25–26; Alma 5:7–14, 49).
“We can choose to humble ourselves by loving God, submitting our will to His, and putting Him first in our lives (see 3 Nephi 11:11; 13:33; Moroni 10:32)” (Ensign, May 1989, 6–7).
I'm trying to do all of those things - maybe I am succeeding in being humble :)
This one goes along with Alma 32:8-16.
Alma is among the Zoramites...he perceived the readiness of the poor Zoramites to be taught the gospel. Their rejection by the wealthy Zoramites contributed to their state of humility.
I've always tried to be a humble person - I've tried to understand the principle of humility. I read this thought by President Ezra Taft Benson and suddenly it became clearer to me what a humble person is. This is what he said...
“We can choose to humble ourselves by conquering enmity toward our brothers and sisters, esteeming them as ourselves, and lifting them as high or higher than we
are (see D&C 38:24; 81:5; 84:106).
“We can choose to humble ourselves by receiving counsel and chastisement (see Jacob 4:10; Helaman 15:3; D&C 63:55; 101:4–5; 108:1; 124:61, 84; 136:31; Proverbs 9:8).
“We can choose to humble ourselves by forgiving those who have offended us (see 3 Nephi 13:11, 14; D&C 64:10).
“We can choose to humble ourselves by rendering selfless service (see Mosiah 2:16 17).
“We can choose to humble ourselves by going on missions and preaching the word that can humble others (see Alma 4:19; 31:5; 48:20).
“We can choose to humble ourselves by getting to the temple more frequently.
“We can choose to humble ourselves by confessing and forsaking our sins and being born of God (see D&C 58:43; Mosiah 27:25–26; Alma 5:7–14, 49).
“We can choose to humble ourselves by loving God, submitting our will to His, and putting Him first in our lives (see 3 Nephi 11:11; 13:33; Moroni 10:32)” (Ensign, May 1989, 6–7).
I'm trying to do all of those things - maybe I am succeeding in being humble :)
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Alma 31 ~ The Rameumptom
Tomorrow in Seminary we are going to talk about Alma 31. This is the chapter with the Rameumptom ~ the Holy Stand. As I was studying for this lesson ~ and thinking I would plan something fun for the Rameumptom, I came to understand just what this chapter is all about. I knew the story of "The Holy Stand" and how the Zoramites used it to stand upon and pray. But what I learned studying it was that the Zoramites were in a state of apostasy. They were an apostate sect of the Nephites who left Zarahemla and settled in Antionum. Alma got word that Zoram, their leader, was leading the hearts of the people to bow down to dumb idols. The Nephites feared that the Zoramites would join with the Lamanites and see them to destroy them.
So Alma took with him a great missionary force; Ammon, Aaron, Omner, Amulek, Zeezrom, and two of his sons, Shiblon and Corianton. When they arrived in Antionum they were astonished at what they found. "The Zoramites had built synagogues and they did gather themselves together on one day of the week, which day they did call the day of the Lord; and they did worship after a manner which Alma and his brethren had never beheld." (Alma 31:12)
"For they had a place built up in the center of their synagogue, a place for standing, which was high above the head; and the top thereof would only admit one person" (Alma 31:13). ~ The Rameumptom ~
Now this is what I learned… (taken from the Book of Mormon Institute Manual, p 220)
In Antionum, the missionary force of Alma and his companions came across a group of Nephite dissenters known as the Zoramites. Mormon not only recorded that the Zoramites had previously had the word of God preached unto them, but he further identified the cause of their apostasy:
- they would not keep the commandments,
- they no longer petitioned the Lord daily in prayer,
- they perverted the ways of the Lord,
- and what prayers they did offer to the Lord were vain and meaningless.
They ignored the basics, such as having a daily habit of meaningful prayer and scripture study.
Today there are those who have also fallen into similar false practices. Unless we are careful to guard against it, we too could fall into some of the same traps of
- routine prayers,
- worshipping only weekly during the three-hour block and
- not thinking of God again during the week,
- only praying in a set place,
- or becoming materialistic and prideful.
Elder Donald L. Staheli of the Seventy emphasized the importance of daily consistency in the basics of the gospel:
"Daily fervent prayers seeking forgiveness and special help and direction are essential to our lives and the nourishment of our testimonies. When we become hurried, repetitive, casual, or forgetful in our prayers, we tend to lose the closeness of the Spirit, which is so essential in the continual direction we need to successfully manage the challenges of our everyday lives. Family prayer every morning and night adds additional blessings and power to our individual prayers and to our testimonies.
"Personal, sincere involvement in the scriptures produces faith, hope, and solutions to our daily challenges. Frequently reading, pondering, and applying the lessons of the scriptures, combined with prayer, become an irreplaceable part of gaining and sustaining a strong, vibrant testimony" (Ensign, Nov. 2004, 39).
I got to thinking about that and about how often I fall into the cycle of my personal prayers being somewhat repetitive, casual or forgetful. It got me thinking about the "basics". Some refer to them as the "Sunday School" answers. But they are the basic principles of the gospel, the simple way to stay close to Heavenly Father. I am and will be eternally grateful for this calling to teach Seminary and for my new found love for the scriptures and my knowledge that if I'm having a bad day or feeling a little far away from my Heavenly Father – then I've probably not spent enough time in prayer and scripture study. I love the Book of Mormon!
Now, back to the lesson for tomorrow…
After we talk about the Rameumptom and prayer and apostasy, I think we will talk about being SOM's.
Are you a SOM?
What is a SOM you might ask??
A Sunday Only Mormon.
Are you like the Zoramites who gather on one day of the week, recite a prayer, endure the 3 hour block of meetings and then return home not to think about God again until the next week when you go back and repeat the drill?
And then for fun I think we will draw a latter-day Rameumptom and come up with a teenage prayer…We'll see how it goes…I might post pictures of their pictures
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Alma 8:18
Tomorrow in Seminary we will be talking about Alma chapter 8. I will introduce a new player to them in the story - Amulek. Hopefully we will have time to focus on Alma 8:18...
Alma has gone into the city of Ammonihah and tried to help the people understand their need for repentance. The people are angry with Alma ~ they reviled him, spit upon him and caused that he should be cast out of their city. As he was journeying towards the city of Aaron he is visited by an angel. The angel tells him... in verse 15...
"Blessed art thou, Alma, therefore, lift up thy head and rejoice, for thou hast great cause to rejoice; for thou hast been fathful in keeping the commandments of God from the time which thou receivedst thy first message from him..."
The angel then tells Alma to return to the city of Ammonihah and again preach repentance to them. The angel tells Alma to say to the people "except they repent the Lord God will destroy them".
Those are pretty hard words. I'm not sure I would have the courage to say that to an entire city. Especially when they were angry already!
But here is the verse that I love...verse 18:
"Now it came to pass that after Alma had received his message from the angel of the Lord he returned speedily to the land of Ammonihah..."
Would I have had the courage to RETURN SPEEDILY? When the Lord asks something of me do I do it speedily?
President Henry B. Eyring taught that prompt obedience to the Lord is necessary to our spiritual well-being:
"However much faith to obey God we now have, we will need to strengthen it continually and keep it refreshed constantly. We can do that by deciding now to be more quick to obey and more determined to endure. Learning to start early and to be steady are the keys to spiritual preparation...
"A loving Heavenly Father and His Beloved Son have given us all the help They can to pass the test of life set before us. But we must decide to obey and then do it. We build the faith to pass the tests of obedience over time and through our daily choices. We can decide now to do quickly whatever God asks of us". (Ensign Nov. 2005, 38, 40)
Maybe, just maybe, my struggles wouldn't seem to last so long if I were better at prompt obedience and determined endurance. I truly do rejoice when I have "been faithful in keeping the commandments of God". As I ponder this I believe that "returning speedily" as quoted in Alma 8:18 is a commandment - speedy obedience!
Alma has gone into the city of Ammonihah and tried to help the people understand their need for repentance. The people are angry with Alma ~ they reviled him, spit upon him and caused that he should be cast out of their city. As he was journeying towards the city of Aaron he is visited by an angel. The angel tells him... in verse 15...
"Blessed art thou, Alma, therefore, lift up thy head and rejoice, for thou hast great cause to rejoice; for thou hast been fathful in keeping the commandments of God from the time which thou receivedst thy first message from him..."
The angel then tells Alma to return to the city of Ammonihah and again preach repentance to them. The angel tells Alma to say to the people "except they repent the Lord God will destroy them".
Those are pretty hard words. I'm not sure I would have the courage to say that to an entire city. Especially when they were angry already!
But here is the verse that I love...verse 18:
"Now it came to pass that after Alma had received his message from the angel of the Lord he returned speedily to the land of Ammonihah..."
Would I have had the courage to RETURN SPEEDILY? When the Lord asks something of me do I do it speedily?
President Henry B. Eyring taught that prompt obedience to the Lord is necessary to our spiritual well-being:
"However much faith to obey God we now have, we will need to strengthen it continually and keep it refreshed constantly. We can do that by deciding now to be more quick to obey and more determined to endure. Learning to start early and to be steady are the keys to spiritual preparation...
"A loving Heavenly Father and His Beloved Son have given us all the help They can to pass the test of life set before us. But we must decide to obey and then do it. We build the faith to pass the tests of obedience over time and through our daily choices. We can decide now to do quickly whatever God asks of us". (Ensign Nov. 2005, 38, 40)
Maybe, just maybe, my struggles wouldn't seem to last so long if I were better at prompt obedience and determined endurance. I truly do rejoice when I have "been faithful in keeping the commandments of God". As I ponder this I believe that "returning speedily" as quoted in Alma 8:18 is a commandment - speedy obedience!
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
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.
Sunday, December 20, 2009
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...
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...
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