Hearken and Prepare (Doctrine and Covenants 133-134)

Here are some of the main slides we used in our discussion last week about hearkening and being prepared. Click on each image to view it at a larger size. 

                   

Five of Them Were Wise painting

Captain Moroni Raises the Title of Liberty painting

We also had a discussion in class about things we do in our personal study to study and learn from the scriptures. Here how Elder Bednar studies here: 

Doctrine and Covenants 121-128: Sacrifice, Affliction, Baptism for the Dead, and Turning to Christ.

We lightly covered a little bit of the last three sections of our Come Follow Me study on Sunday:

1. Doctrine and Covenants 121-123, when Joseph Smith and others were unfairly imprisoned for four months. 

2. Doctrine and Covenants 124, when Joseph Smith continued to build temples.

3. Doctrine and Covenants 125-128, which talks about doing work for those that have gone before us.

I wish we had been able to cover more material but we had a great discussion. This is a highlight of some of the main quotes and videos focused mainly around the topic of adversity, some that we covered and some that we did not. If you were in my class, these slides are not in the order of our class discussion, but instead in chronological order of the sections. 

Highlights from Doctrine and Covenants 121

Joseph Smith and several other men were imprisoned for four months in a small, dark, space. Quentin L. Cook (Quentin L. Cook, "Personal Peace in Challenging Times, October 2021) shared his thoughts about this in our last General Conference:

"I was recently assigned to dedicate a portion of historic Nauvoo. As part of the assignment, I was able to visit Liberty Jail in Missouri. As I viewed the jail, I contemplated the events that make it such a significant part of Church history. The lives of the Saints were threatened as the result of an extermination order issued by the governor of Missouri. In addition, the Prophet Joseph and a few choice associates had been unjustly imprisoned in Liberty Jail. blessings. I was deeply moved as I read what the Prophet Joseph Smith declared as he was confined in Liberty Jail:"  

Our own desires, rather than a feeling of “Thy will be done,”2 create the feeling of a pavilion blocking God. God is not unable to see us or communicate with us, but we may be unwilling to listen or submit to His will and His time.

Our feelings of separation from God will diminish as we become more childlike before Him. That is not easy in a world where the opinions of other human beings can have such an effect on our motives. But it will help us recognize this truth: God is close to us and aware of us and never hides from His faithful children.

Henry B. Eyring, “Where is the Pavilion?” October 2012

When we become humble enough to submit ourselves to the will of Heavenly Father, we reflect the light of Jesus Christ, who always submitted Himself to the will of the Father (see John 6:38; 3 Nephi 27:13).

Adrian Ochoa, “The Choice of Humility,” Ensign, July 2020

The test a loving God has set before us is not to see if we can endure difficulty. It is to see if we can endure it well. We pass the test by showing that we remembered Him and the commandments He gave us.

Henry B. Eyring, “In the Strength of the Lord,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2004, 17.

Elder Hales suffered greatly, with health problems and major surgeries. About adversity he said:

This excerpt was taken from the talk, "“The Covenant of Baptism: To Be in the Kingdom and of the Kingdom.”

Highlights from Doctrine and Covenants 126

The Lord tells Brigham Young that his offering is acceptable to the Lord. He had served several missions far from his family and it was more important for him at that point to be with his family.

This reminds me of 3 Nephi 17, which was the time when the Savior had been crucified, and then resurrected, visited the people in the Americas, after many signs, including darkness for three days. The people had gone to the temple in the land of Bountiful when the Savior appeared. Of that time period, Bruce C. Hafen says: 

"The people in 3 Nephi 17 [3 Ne. 17] had survived destruction, doubt, and darkness just to get to the temple with Jesus. After listening to Him for hours in wonder, they grew too weary to comprehend Him. As He prepared to leave, they tearfully looked at Him with such total desire that He stayed and blessed their afflicted ones and their children. They didn’t even understand Him, but they wanted to be with Him more than they wanted any other thing. So He stayed. Their almost was enough.

Almost is especially enough when our own sacrifices somehow echo the Savior’s sacrifice, however imperfect we are. We cannot really feel charity—Christ’s love for others—without at least tasting His suffering for others, because the love and the suffering are but two sides of a single reality. When we really are afflicted in the afflictions of other people, we may enter “the fellowship of his sufferings”27 enough to become joint-heirs with Him.

Bruce C. Hafen, “The Atonement: All for All,” General Conference, April 2004

Highlights from Doctrine and Covenants 127 
Joseph Smith had been falsely accused, and to avoid imprisonment, was hiding out in friends' homes. In the meantime, he wrote letters, much like Paul did as he traveled around preaching and teaching the gospel, often with what he called "a thorn in his side." He starts his letter to members in this section as follows:

Joseph himself draws parallels to Paul. We can gain further insight from this observation by Seely:

The Prophet Joseph Smith must have felt a deep kinship with the Apostle Paul.

•  Both began their service to the Lord through a life-changing vision. 

• Both were true to the vision they received and acted with unrelenting faith and courage to fulfill their missions, bearing testimony to a skeptical world (see JS—H 1:24–25). 

• And both sealed their testimonies with their blood as witnesses to the gospel they had so fervently preached throughout their lives.  

    "Paul, Untiring Witness of Christ," by David Rolph Seely and Jo Ann H. Seely

Some observations about affliction:

When faced with unfairness, we can push ourselves away from God or we can be drawn toward Him for help and support. For example, the prolonged warfare between the Nephites and the Lamanites affected people differently. Mormon observed that “many had become hardened” while others “were softened because of their afflictions, insomuch that they did humble themselves before God.”25

Dale G. Renlund, “Infuriating Unfairness,” April 2021 General Conference

Do not let unfairness harden you or corrode your faith in God. Instead, ask God for help. Increase your appreciation for and reliance on the Savior. Rather than becoming bitter, let Him help you become better.26 Allow Him to help you persevere, to let your afflictions be “swallowed up in the joy of Christ.”27 Join Him in His mission “to heal the brokenhearted,”28 

strive to mitigate unfairness, and become a stonecatcher.29

Dale G. Renlund, “Infuriating Unfairness,” April 2021 General Conference

Doctrine and Covenants 124:4 also has a focus on temple work:

When I was serving as the Executive Director of the Temple Department, I heard President Gordon B. Hinckley refer to this scripture spoken by the Lord about the Nauvoo Temple: “Let the work of my temple, and all the works which I have appointed unto you, be continued on and not cease; and let your diligence, and your perseverance, and patience, and your works be redoubled, and you shall in nowise lose your reward, saith the Lord of Hosts.”12 (D&C:127:4)

Our work in the temple is tied to our eternal reward. Recently we have been put to the test. The Lord has called us to work in the temples with “diligence, … perseverance, and patience.”13 Being “recommended to the Lord” requires those qualities. We must be diligent in living the commandments, persevere in our attention to our temple covenants, and be grateful for what the Lord continues to teach about them and be patient as we wait for temples to reopen in their fulness. 

Ronald A. Rasband, “Recommended to the Lord,” October 2020 General

Highlights from Doctrine and Covenants 128

In Doctrine and Covenant 128, the Saints learned about Baptism for the Dead, that work could be done for those that died without learning about the gospel. This was a huge relief for Joseph Smith, who had struggled and worried about his brother Alvin, that had died. There is a great video about it here, called Glad Tidings: The History of Baptisms for the Dead. 

Here are some thoughts about temple work:

“Jesus’s Atonement in behalf of all represents a great vicarious sacrifice. He set the pattern under which He became a proxy for all mankind. This pattern under which one man can act in behalf of another is carried forward in the ordinances of the house of the Lord. Here we serve in behalf of those who have died without a knowledge of the gospel. Theirs is the option to accept or reject the ordinance which is performed. They are placed on an equal footing with those who walk the earth. The dead are given the same opportunity as the living. Again, what a glorious and wonderful provision the Almighty has made through His revelation to His Prophet”

(Gordon B. Hinckley, “The Great Things Which God Has Revealed,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2005, 82

83). 

Many of your ancestors did not receive those ordinances. But in the providence of God, you did. And God knew that you would feel drawn to your ancestors in love and that you would have the technology necessary to identify them. He also knew that you would live in a time when access to holy temples, where the ordinances can be performed, would be greater than ever in history. And He knew that He could trust you to accomplish this work in behalf of your ancestors.

Henry B. Eyring, “Gathering the Family of God,” April 2017 General Conference

There are quite a few videos in the Come Follow Me for Sunday School manual related to Baptisms for the Dead. This is just a few of the ones I considered highlighting for the class. I wish we had time to watch them.

A Visit from Father - President Russell M. Nelson shares a personal family history story that bears testimony of the importance of temple and family history work for all families."

Connected to Eternal Families

If We Put God First

Redeeming the Dead Redeemed Me

Doctrine and Covenants 81-84 - On Priesthood Power and Helping Our Neighbor

I'd like to share a few questions and quotes that I used in my lesson today. This are not all of the slides but I did want to highlight the most significant ones:

Doctrine and Covenants 84:17-28

How would your life be different without the priesthood of God?

In October 1995, "Blessings of the Priesthood," Elder Robert D. Hales said:

Why are you grateful for the priesthood? What experiences have you had with priesthood power - in your families, callings, or personal lives?

M. Russell Ballard spoke at a BYU Devotional in August 2013, called "Let Us Think Straight." He said:

How do we gain access to the power of the priesthood?

Linda K. Burton, the 16th General President of the Relief Society from 2012-2017 spoke in June 2014, in a talk called, "Priesthood Power - Available to All." She said:

The Come Follow Me manual for Sunday School emphasizes that EVERYONE works with priesthood power. This snippet is from when we studied Doctrine and Covenants 20:38-60.

We also learn that the Lord sustains all those who serve him.

In the scripture above, what might the phrase "feeble knees" mean? How can we "strengthen" those with feeble knees?

Elder Ashton, in the talk, "Strengthen the Feeble Knees," goes on to say, 

"In March of 1832 when this section was revealed, Church members had reason to be fearful. In Hiram, Ohio, where the Prophet Joseph Smith was living, there was a rising tide of hostility against the Saints. Joseph and Sidney Rigdon were brutally attacked by a mob of fifty men.

Those who would destroy at the present time no longer use tar and feathers; they taunt and fault.

Today, almost 160 years later, there is no doubt in my mind that the admonition to strengthen feeble knees is more apropos than ever.

Who among us has not experienced feeble knees or fear and uncertainty over the responsibilities we encounter in this mortal existence?"

- Strengthen the Feeble Knees, Marvin J. Ashton, General Conference October 1991

Here are some videos that I didn't have time to share in class today that I highly recommend:

Works of God - 4 minutes

Teachings of Thomas S. Monson: Rescuing Those in Need - 6 minutes

For Primary Choristers (and Teachers): A Prize Wheel

I searched for and looked into making a Prize Wheel for every year that I was in Primary. I never felt right about spending the Primary budget on one, nor could I find one in a price range that I felt was reasonable for its intended purpose, which was light use maybe once a quarter. I even bought a lid from Home Depot and started trying to fashion on myself (but then stopped when I moved onto a new calling ... but the weight thing was a little tough anyway. It has to be perfectly balanced or it will always land on the same triangle).

So, I'm thrilled to share that IKEA has a prize wheel for only $25 (plus ~$5 for shipping). 

https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/lustigt-prize-wheel-game-30387038/

If you have an IKEA in your area, you can check to see if they have it in stock. Not surprisingly, it is out of stock in Draper so I am having one shipped to me. If you have been considering one, I'd run to grab this before it is out of stock. It is the best price I have seen on a quality prize wheel, and better made than the ones I considered that were more expensive, based on the fact that I can see at least some of this birch plywood instead of being entirely made out of plastic.

Some IDEAS for using a Prize Wheel as a Primary Chorister:

1. Choosing WHAT song to sing. There are so many spaces that you can either make large pie slices so there are fewer options (just tape to wheel) or you can put the song and verse to break it up further.

2. Choosing HOW to sing a song (girls only, boys only, staccato, whisper, standing on one leg, while hopping on one leg, facing the back of the room, etc.)

3. Choosing WHO gets to come up to the front of the room for something, depending on how many people you have in in your primary. Or, for a larger primary, you can narrow down to which class.

4. Choosing HOW many points the class gets toward a common goal

5. Choosing how many more notes the pianist will play toward guessing what song she is singing (so it would be a bunch of low numbers, 1, 2, 3, 4, which repeat.) 

etc. 

So many things you could do with a prize wheel! See why I always wanted one? If you decide to buy one, and need some help with how to use it, feel free to ask questions below. If you list the songs you want to work on and any goals for that day, I can help you figure out out a fun way to use the wheel!

We can edify and rejoice together - that which is of God is light

One of the great beauties of the gospel of Jesus Christ is that because we are all equals, and we are all children of a loving father, we all have the opportunity to grow and enhance our spiritual gifts together.  He wants to give to us all generously and has given us ways to learn and improve and take full advantage of the gifts with which he has blessed us.

One of the blessings from the Lord is the opportunity to edify and help each other grow and learn. In Doctrine and Covenants 50:13-22, the Lord talks about the roles of the Spirit, teachers, and students. 

In verse 22 it says:

"Wherefore, he that preacheth and he that receiveth, understand one another and both are edified and rejoice together." 

In verse 24 it says:

"That which is of God is light; and he that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light; and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day." 

There is so much we can learn from these verses. When we work together to edify one another, we all benefit. It reminds me of one of my favorite sayings, "Rising tides raise all boats." In addition, when we bring light into our lives, it grows and grows. There is no limit to growing our light. What an amazing blessing! 

A couple of weeks ago in Sunday School I emphasized a scripture and talk from Jan E. Newman that I did not share on my blog. I want to share it now because it feels so relevant to  Doctrine and Covenants 49-50, and the Come Follow Me study emphasis: "That Which is of God is Light."

When we gather as a class, we shouldn't expect the teacher to talk at us. We should expect an open discussion where we can contribute not just what the Spirit whispers to us at that time, but what we learned in our homes and in our personal study. Some of the most edifying things I have learned in class were comments from parents that shared an experience about learning in their homes. For example, one sister shared that her child has anxiety. They had recently studied an ancestor of theirs together and learned that this ancestor also had anxiety. It gave the young girl a special connection with her ancestor that comforted her. It was a a powerful example to me during a lesson where we discussed family history work and learning as a family. I would not have that memorable story in my heart and mind had that young mother not decided to speak up and share her experience.

During General Conference in April, Jan E. Newman, the second counselor in the Sunday School General Presidency, talked about this:

Talk link here.

To me, this is why is significant in Matthew 18:20 that, "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." 

What a powerful thing! That we can pray to Heavenly Father in our minds and in our hearts but we can also gather together to have him in our midst. 

Blessings and gifts from God (Doctrine and Covenants 46-48)

The Come Follow Me study for Doctrine and Covenants 46-48 is called, "Seek Ye Earnestly the Best Gifts." This is because Doctrine and Covenants 46 talks about how everyone is given at least one gift, so that we can go out and do good in the world with our gift.

Doctrine and Covenants 46:11-12 says:

11 For all have not every ^agift given unto them; for there are many gifts, and to every man is given a gift by the Spirit of God.

12 To some is given one, and to some is given another, that all may be profited thereby.

It is an incredible thing that our Father in Heaven is blessing each one of us with at least one gift, and that we not take that gift for granted. I talked about Spiritual Gifts in December last year, here so I don't want to re-write all that I shared previously. Instead, I'll comment that the Come Follow Me for Sunday School manual asks:

The Lord declared that gifts of the Spirit benefit those who are faithful and are “not for a sign” (verse 9). Perhaps class members could discuss how spiritual gifts benefit the faithful. How can these gifts help those who want to gain or strengthen their testimony of the gospel?

This question made me think of an experience that I had over ten years ago. I was working for Hewlett-Packard, in a very busy and stressful role, when my bishop called me into his office and asked if I would be the new Girl's Camp director. He was not releasing me from my calling as Primary chorister, which was also a very busy calling that I put a lot of time into (as you know if you found this article through my original purpose of this blog, to share chorister activity ideas!). I thought, "How am I going to take a week off work at this time, and handle my workload and my other calling, too?" However, I accepted the calling and put my all into it, which for me meant that I was putting in hours of work every night for weeks and weeks to prepare for camp. 

However, the week of camp finally came around and when I got to camp, I realized that I did most of the prep work before camp and that while I was camp, I could mostly just relax. I unexpectedly realized I was on a week-long vacation that I would not have taken from work on my own. I did sacrifice some things of course. My birthday happened during camp and I couldn't celebrate it with my husband the way I prefer. However, while at camp, I had an opportunity to rest and rejuvenate. I love to be outside and I love to camp! Then, when I returned from camp, I suddenly had a couple of great job opportunities pop up, one of which I accepted. I truly feel that the Lord blessed me for my obedience. The Lord answers prayers in his own time and way for reasons that he can see that we cannot but at that time, it reminded me of the words, "Well done, thy good and faithful servant."

I share this as I look at the gifts described in Doctrine and Covenants 46, and this verse 26:

26 And all these gifts come from God, for the benefit of the children of God.

"You are not alone. Jesus is here."

 I felt this message from a newly divorced single mom really was a great example about some of the things we talked about in Sunday School on Sunday, as it touches on the discussion around turning to the Lord, and it'll all be okay, and how we can all teach each other, even the little ones.

@churchofjesuschrist

Verified

“This last year I became a single mom. While it has been the worst of times, it has also been the best as I have felt buoyed up and loved in so many other ways. I have two little boys. They are 15 months apart. They love me not because of what I do but because I am theirs. Their love is unconditional. That is now my job as a mom. It doesn’t matter what they do or what they don’t do. It is to help them know that I love them, their heavenly parents love them, and that that will never change. Going through hard times is part of this life, but I want them to know that I will always be here for them no matter what.

“I have always felt that motherhood is a partnership with fatherhood. Going through the divorce, I often felt so hurt and scared and alone and worried that I am going to have to do this alone. I remember feeling this way and asking my oldest son, ‘How do you feel now that Daddy lives in a different house and we are all alone?’ He simply and beautifully replied, ‘Mommy, we aren’t alone. Jesus is here.’ It made me realize that I co-parent with Him. I let Him take on part of that role that I felt was missing. This has been such a comfort to me. You aren’t alone in motherhood, even if you’re single like I am. You get to partner with our Savior. He knows our pain and what we are going through, and He is the perfect partner on this journey.” —Rachel

This week, may we give thanks to our mothers and all those who have filled that role in our lives. As you give thanks for mom, we invite you to tag @churchofjesuschrist or send us a direct message so we can share your post on Mother's Day.

Doctrine and Covenants 45 - Promises Shall Be Fulfilled

In Doctrine and Covenants 45:3-5 we read:

In Jeffrey R. Hollands's book, "Witness for His Names," he reminds us that the Savior is pleading our case for us, like a lawyer. In class today, we talked about how we can have the best lawyer in the world. but if we don't show up, there's only so much the lawyer can do for us. The Savior is our advocate, and that is a huge relief, but once we understand that we have him always on our side, we need to take his advice, too! 

In 1993, D. Todd Christofferson reflected on this, saying, 

"It is of great significance to me, that I may at any moment and in any circumstance approach through prayer the throne of grace, that my Heavenly Father will hear my petition, that my Advocate, him who did no sin, whose blood was shed, will plead my cause." (D. Todd Christfferson, "I Know in Whom I Have Trusted," April 1993 General Conference)

Much of Doctrine and Covenants 45 is about "wars and rumors of wars," the "the whole earth shall be in commotion, and men's hearts shall fail them," (Doctrine and Covenants 45:26) so it's a great reminder that yes, we will face troubling times, but, as Jesus reminded his twelve disciples shortly before his crucifixion: 

President Nelson recently reminded us, in the talk, "Embrace the Future with Faith:"

I also really loved Lisa L. Harkness talk, "Peace, Be Still," from the same conference. She said:

Sister Harkness drove this point home by reminding us that the disciples of the Lord were on the boat with him when it began to sink. These were extremely experienced fishermen, and for them to feel such fear, the situation was dire. Indeed, they were only human to have "waves of fear" distract them, but, Sister Harkness reminds us, "Regardless of our circumstances, we can intentionally make efforts to build and increase our faith in Jesus Christ."

Jeffrey R. Holland also puts the world we are dealing with in perspective for us:

I highly recommend watching this four-minute video from President Nelson in November 2011, called "Men's Haert Shall Fail Them." He talks about surviving an almost plane crash and why his heart did not fail him. 

Finally, I ran out of time in my lesson today because of the great discussion, so I did not get to encourage a discussion about what it means in Doctrine and Covenants 45:31-32 to "stand in holy places, and ... not be moved." I will cover this in a separate post later but for now leave you with this thought, that Zion is a holy place, and it's a place that we are all welcome to access, no matter where we live. 

In The Gathering of Scattered Israel, we learned: