In Sunday School the other day we were talking about the fiery serpents that
came to the children of Israel. These serpents were everywhere.
They were biting people.
People were dying.
The frantic people went to Moses and begged him to tell God to get rid of the snakes.
Make. It. Go. Away. (Have you ever said that?)
God didn’t do that.
BUT, He did give them a solution to their challenge. It just wasn’t the one they wanted.
And we’re told in the Book of Mormon that some people didn’t act on the solution they were given.
I’ve always wondered why they didn’t.
I know that sometimes we think things need to be bigger to be impactful.
That could be part of it.
But yesterday a woman in our class shared another reason I hadn’t
thought about. She said, if she had been there with poisonous snakes
slithering everywhere, she would not take her eyes off the ground! She
would be constantly looking around for the snakes trying to make sure
she was safe.
Of course you would!
We do that often with our challenges and concerns.
We’re so busy or so worried about something that it is difficult to stop
thinking about it and focus on something else instead.
But that is what we are asked to do.
We are asked to lift our eyes from the problems and concerns we have and
look to the solution, to the Savior.
It would have taken a lot of courage and faith for the children of Israel to stop
looking around for the snakes and look up to see Moses holding the
bronze serpent on a pole. BUT IF THEY WOULD HAVE, they would have been
healed.
Their concerns would have been taken care of.
The same goes for us.
If we would pause for a moment, if we would take a deep breath, if we
would remember what the Savior is offering, we would look up to Him. We
would find answers.
We would find comfort, peace, healing, strength.
In ALL of our challenges.
But that requires us to give up a little of our control which is hard
sometimes because we think we have to handle it or hold everything
together.
But really, when we look to the Savior we have more power to do that
than we ever have alone.
From Dallin H. Oaks (4/2018):
“After reciting a seemingly small event that had great consequences, Nephi wrote, “And thus we see that by small means the Lord can bring about great things” (1 Nephi 16:29). The Old Testament includes a memorable example of this. There we read how the Israelites were plagued by fiery serpents. Many people died from their bites (see Numbers 21:6). When Moses prayed for relief, he was inspired to make “a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole.” Then, “if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived” (verse 9). Such a small thing for such a miraculous result! Yet, as Nephi explained when he taught this example to those who were rebelling against the Lord, even when the Lord had prepared a simple way by which they could be healed, “because of the simpleness of the way, or the easiness of it, there were many who perished” (1 Nephi 17:41).
That example and that teaching remind us that the simplicity of the way or the easiness of the commanded task cannot mean that it is unimportant to achieve our righteous desire.”
Turn Information into Action!
You listen to General Conference and are inspired. You try to read the scriptures and pray and even pay attention in Sacrament Meeting. (Sometimes you have to try really hard.)
Then what?
The next step after taking in all that information, insight, prophetic counsel, warnings, and powerful doctrine is to take action!
Sometimes it is pretty easy to know what you should do.
But other times it’s not quite so clear.
So let’s break it down.
When you take in information, especially when it’s a lot of information, it sits like a big lump in your mind.
Maybe you think of it as General Conference.
Maybe you even label it as good information.
(Did you know you label things in your head so you can find them again, kind of like hashtags?)
But it’s still a pretty big, undefined chunk in your mind.
You really do need to break it down into smaller, more defined, more understandable pieces so you can actually focus on what it is you’re dealing with.
If you don’t, it will stay as an overwhelming lump in your mind. You won’t focus on the great things that could happen with the information you have. And you’ll have a sense of overwhelm that continues to resurface and build.
So, let’s break that overwhelm down and get rid of it!
There are probably lots of ways you can do this. But since you are trying to turn information into action, I suggest you break it into action bits.
In fact, I recommend breaking it down into these action bits: things to avoid, to do, to understand more, to receive and, to say.
Those labels will help you know what to do with the information you have.
To Avoid – what habits, thought patterns, and behaviors should you avoid?
To Do – what actions do you need to practice until they become habit? What positive action do you need to put in place of your “To Avoid” habits?
To Understand – what related or supporting concepts, principles, or doctrine can you study to clarify or strengthen your beliefs and behaviors?
To Receive – what blessings have been promised that you need to look for, recognize, or be willing to accept?
To Say – how could you say this idea, principle or truth in a concise way?
You may be thinking…how does this works.?
Let’s say you hear…
That is a very powerful idea! Very powerful indeed!
An idea with so much potential to guide and strengthen your life!
But…
Even though in that form it feels powerful, there is nothing to act on. There is nothing so that powerful idea makes a difference for you, UNLESS you tell yourself something to DO about it.
So, let’s break it down into our action bits like this…
Look at all those things that came from one little quote. That’s a lot of actionable information!
Now instead of a lump of information you have the beginnings of an action plan.
Congratulations!
From here, pray for guidance and clarity.
Determine a few specific actions you can start with.
Do them and watch as your life transforms before your eyes!
It sounds cheesy, but it really will happen.
You can do it!
Practice turning information into action by using this note taking sheet as you watch or study conference talks.
During conference we will hear amazing thing! We will hear warnings, guidance, comfort, and protection that the Lord knows we need right now!
“The teachings of general conference are the considerations the Lord would have before us now and in the months ahead.” (Elder Anderson, October 2017 Conference)
We’ve created this note taking sheet to help you sort out how to use the information from conference WHILE taking notes.
By organizing your notes into 4 categories you will be able to see how to act on what you hear in a way that will make a big impact on your life.
The categories are:
To Avoid
To Do
To Understand
To Receive
Page 1 of the note sheet below is instructions and page 2 is the note taking sheet.
Print as many of page 2 as needed for conference.
To print select the pop-out icon in the upper right corner.
Activities to practice sharing thoughts and feelings about the gospel using questions from Sharon Eubank’s talk from 2017 October Conference.
These activities could be used in Family Home Evening and Church lessons or as youth activities. In connection with these activities Young Women could work on Personal Progress Good Work 7 about sharing your testimony with a friend.
Being able to clearly express our ideas and feelings brings order to our thoughts. The more we put anything in order the easier it becomes to create more order in our lives. And having Order in our lives positively impacts our Wellness and Relationships.
To Print: Select the pop out icon in the top right corner of the image.
Drawing the Power of Jesus Christ into Our Lives – Russell M. Nelson (4/2017)
We are currently studying this talk in our Facebook study group. That means the complete talk is not listed here yet. More will be added each day. The newest part that has been added is in blue. If you would like to join our group, search Facebook for “WHP General Conference Study” and request to join. We’d love to have you.
Below is the text from President Russell M. Nelson’s talk from April 2017 General Conference called, “Drawing the Power of Jesus Christ into Our Lives.” Additionally (not part of the President Nelson’s words) are bullet points that summarize principles, cautions, and actions from the talk. The bulleted comments are not intended to bring out all principles, cautions and actions from the talk and they represent the thoughts and beliefs of our writers and not President Nelson himself. Although we hope you may learn from our comments and our methods, we also hope that in your study you will follow the guidance from Moroni to know and understand truth for yourself, which in our opinion, includes how truth should be applied in your life and circumstances at this time. That understanding comes through the Holy Ghost. May you feel His guidance and have courage to follow where He leads.
Drawing the Power of Jesus Christ into Our Lives by Russell M. Nelson
My dear brothers and sisters, we live in a most difficult dispensation. Challenges, controversies, and complexities swirl around us. These turbulent times were foreseen by the Savior.
Life is full of controversies and challenges. It is difficult, complex, and turbulent. (Complexities is an interesting choice of words to add to the list.)
God is aware of the state of the world. (That doesn’t mean He likes it though.)
He warned us that in our day the adversary would stir up anger in the hearts of men and lead them astray.
Caution – The adversary tries to get people to be angry and lead them astray. (Think about how anger is part of his tactic to lead us astray. Think about how the adversary stirs up anger in the general population and in ourselves. Recognizing his tactics can help us reinforce against them.)
Yet our Heavenly Father never intended that we would deal with the maze of personal problems and social issues on our own.
We don’t have to handle things in our own. (Think about why God doesn’t want us to do things on or our own?)
God so loved the world that He sent His Only Begotten Son to help us.
Christ’s purpose is to help us.
God planned for us to have help. (Besides Christ, God put others in place to help us…like the prophet. Who else has God put in place to help you personally?)
And His Son, Jesus Christ, gave His life for us. All so that we could have access to godly power—power sufficient to deal with the burdens, obstacles, and temptations of our day.
Through Jesus Christ we have access to godly power sufficient to deal with burdens, obstacles and temptations. (Ponder that idea.)
Christ died for us so that we could have access to this godly power. (If we are not using that power then to some degree we are choosing to struggle on our own instead of accepting the help that had been offered.)
Today I would like to speak about how we can draw into our lives the power of our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ.
President Nelson is going to tell us HOW to have this power.
The first step in drawing the power of Jesus Christ into our lives us to learn about Him.
“It is impossible for [us] to be saved in ignorance.”6The more we know about the Savior’s ministry and mission7—the more we understand His doctrine8 and what He did for us—the more we know that He can provide the power that we need for our lives.
Condensing ideas into a brief process helps us know how to use it in our lives.
President Nelson identifies a powerful process for us. How do you visual that process? Is it blocks stacked on each other, where as you build one it creates a bigger foundation in order to build the next? Or does it look more like a three legged stool where building each of the areas keep us level and solid? Or do you see it in another way? Trying to visual the process can give us added insight about how to use the process and the benefits of the process. Go ahead, draw a picture of it!
Earlier this year, I asked the young adults of the Church to consecrate a portion of their time each week to study everything Jesus said and did as recorded in the standard works.9 I invited them to let the scriptural citations about Jesus Christ in the Topical Guide become their personal core curriculum.10
An example of how to study the scriptures.
I gave that challenge because I had already accepted it myself.
Only give assignments we’re willing to do ourselves.
I read and underlined every verse cited about Jesus Christ, as listed under the main heading and the 57 subtitles in the Topical Guide.11 When I finished that exciting exercise, my wife asked me what impact it had on me. I told her, “I am a different man!”
Learning about Christ will change us.
I felt a renewed devotion to Him as I read again in the Book of Mormon the Savior’s own statement about His mission in mortality. He declared:
“I came into the world to do the will of my Father, because my Father sent me.
“And my Father sent me that I might be lifted up upon the cross.”12
As Latter-day Saints, we refer to His mission as the Atonement of Jesus Christ, which made resurrection a reality for all and made eternal life possible for those who repent of their sins and receive and keep essential ordinances and covenants.
Everyone will live after they die because of Jesus Christ.
“Eternal life, or exaltation, is to inherit a place in the highest degree of the celestial kingdom, where we will live in God’s presence and continue as families.” (True to the Faith, p.52)
It is doctrinally incomplete to speak of the Lord’s atoning sacrifice by shortcut phrases, such as “the Atonement” or “the enabling power of the Atonement” or “applying the Atonement” or “being strengthened by the Atonement.” These expressions present a real risk of misdirecting faith by treating the event as if it had living existence and capabilities independent of our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ.
Caution: Be careful of things that misdirect our faith. We need to remember Christ. (In both sacrament prayers, found in D&C 20:77 & 79, it says we should always remember Christ. In a world that is forgetting Him more and more it’s important that we do all we can to actively and consciously remember Him. President Nelson’s statement of caution could be warning us that if we think of Christ’s miracles separate from Him, we run the risk of forgetting Him and His power. In the Sunday School Manual it says, “In the Book of Mormon there are over 240 instances of the word remember or forms of the word (such as remembered, remembrance, or forget not)…What must me remember? Why is it important to remember? Elder Spencer W. Kimball said: ‘When you look in the dictionary for the most important word, do you know what it is? It could be ‘remember.’ Because all of [us] have made covenants…our greatest need is to remember. That is why everyone goes to sacrament meeting every Sabbath day – to take the sacrament and listen to the priests pray that [we] ‘…may always remember him and keep his commandments which he has given [us]…’ ‘Remember’ is the word.’”
Under the Father’s great eternal plan, it is the Savior who suffered. It is the Savior who broke the bands of death. It is the Savior who paid the price for our sins and transgressions and blots them out on condition of our repentance. It is the Savior who delivers us from physical and spiritual death.
There is no amorphous entity called “the Atonement” upon which we may call for succor, healing, forgiveness, or power. Jesus Christ is the source.
Power comes from Jesus Christ.
Sacred terms such as Atonement and Resurrection describe what the Savior did, according to the Father’s plan, so that we may live with hope in this life and gain eternal life in the world to come. The Savior’s atoning sacrifice—the central act of all human history—is best understood and appreciated when we expressly and clearly connect it to Him.
Remember Him! (Ponder this last line from President Nelson. What more can we understand and appreciate when we think not of the Atonement, but of the Atonement of Jesus Christ?)
Please note: this is not the complete talk, more of this talk will be added shortly.
Jesus was the Anointed One—anointed by Heavenly Father to be His personal representative in all things pertaining to the salvation of mankind. Jesus was anointed to be our Savior and Redeemer. Before the world was formed, Jesus was anointed to make immortality a reality and eternal life a possibility for all of God’s children (see John 17:24; 1 Peter 1:20). Thus, Jesus bore two unique titles: the Messiah (Hebrew) and the Christ (Greek)—each meaning “anointed.” (See Bible Dictionary, “Anointed One.”)
Under the direction of His Father, Jesus was Creator of the earth (see John 1:2–3) and other worlds without number (see Moses 1:33). Long before His mortal birth, Jesus was the great Jehovah—God of the Old Testament. It was Jehovah who communed with Moses on Mount Sinai. It was Jehovah who made a covenant with Abraham that all nations of the earth would be blessed through Abraham’s lineage. And it was Jehovah who made covenants with families of the house of Israel. Jesus was also the promised Immanuel, as prophesied by Isaiah (see Isaiah 7:14).
Holy Bible, Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price.
See Topical Guide, “Jesus Christ.” In addition to text under that major heading, there are 57 subtitles about Him. For non-English editions of the scriptures, use Guide to the Scriptures.
More than 2,200 listings are cited in those 18 pages of the Topical Guide.
When the faithful woman touched the Savior’s clothing, He instantly responded, “I perceive that virtue [from the Greek dunamis, meaning “power”] is gone out of me” (Luke 8:46; emphasis added).
There were things said in my church meetings that got me thinking about secret agents. I’m guessing you’ve seen a movie or TV show about one. A person, probably with special skills or tools, who is given an important mission to accomplish. That person is willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done. They stay in the shadows so they don’t get caught. They have a team they can count on for help in a pinch. As they proceed with their mission, things do not go smoothly or according to plan. Regardless, they figure out a way through and we cheer when they are eventually successful in their mission! (I feel theme music would be appropriate here.)
Well, look at this scripture:
“For the power is in them, wherein they are agents unto themselves….” (D&C 58:28)
Did you see that? We are agents! Yes, this is talking about our agency, our ability to choose. But to me it’s insightful to think of ourselves as agents. Someone with special “power” and skills to complete a specific mission. Do you know what your special powers are? Do you know what your mission is?
We also have a team we can count on for help and there are people who will cheer us on in our successes. Who is on your team?
The agents in the movies sometimes remain secret because their mission requires it. But mostly likely our mission doesn’t. We do not need to be SECRET agents. When we try to stay in the shadows, not only do we keep our mission secret from the world, but we often keep the secret so well that we keep the secret from ourselves.
We are agents! We are agents! We are agents! We do not need to be secret agents.
I should point out that being a non-secret agent doesn’t mean we have to be totally out going and in the spot light all the time. Some would never be comfortable there for long. And some actually hide there. However, being a non-secret agent does mean that we spend our energy and effort finding out and completing our mission and being who we are instead of using all of that energy keeping people at a distance, worrying what others think of us or making sure that no one sees our talents. Sometimes some of us try to hide like this. We may not even know it. (Actually I think most of us try to hide like this in someways.)
I bring this up now because it’s on my mind. But also because as I have been studying President Uchtdorf’s conference talk, I’m intrigued how fear keeps us a secret agent. How fear keeps us from acknowledging our special skills and holds us back from discovering or completing our mission.
If you’re intrigued by this idea, try writing a list of your missions. What are you here on earth to do? Write as many thoughts as you can. Then come back to it later and write some more. Write down all the ideas that come. I think you’ll be amazed at the specialized skills you’ve been given and the amazing mission you have (should you choose to accept it).
Accept it. Let yourself be you! It will be amazing!
A discussion about motherhood – could be used in personal study or as a family home evening or class lesson for kids that are old enough to have a discussion.
As ones who have access to the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ we should have different perspective on parenting than much of the rest of the world. We can understand the role a mother and father play in God’s great plan! For now let’s discuss motherhood.
Questions to Consider:
Why are mothers important? (Consider how motherhood fits into God’s plan.)
How can kids, men, and women honor and protect motherhood?
Ideas for Leading this Discussion:
Read through the resources listed (or others you know about or are inspired to read). Pick out a few paragraphs that fit points you feel are important for your family or class.
For a small group: Ask the group to think of answers to the two questions. Have each person read their paragraph to themselves and think about how it answers those questions. Then have everyone read their quote and share their thoughts with the group.
For larger groups: Split into smaller groups. Give each group one of the quotes to read together and discuss how it answers the two questions. Then have the groups share what they have discussed.
Use three pieces of paper and label each with kids, men, and women. Ask your family or group how kids, men and women defend motherhood. Split large groups into smaller groups and give the small group one of the papers. Have them write ideas on the paper so they can share them with the rest of the group. In a family, give out the papers and have everyone think of ideas. But try giving the kid paper to dad and the mom paper to a daughter etc. It will probably be easier for someone to come up with ideas for someone else than for themselves.
“Everyone, no matter what their marital circumstance or number of children, can be defenders of the Lord’s plan described in the family proclamation. If it is the Lord’s plan, it should also be our plan!” -Bonnie L. Oscarson
“Sisters, when you know why the Lord wants you to be a mother, you will have more courage to stand up against a society that would belittle that choice. You will also have the depth of character to develop the talents and skills needed to be an effective mother.
“To the brethren, you can learn now to support, defend, and encourage the women in your lives. Start with your own mothers and sisters by respecting and showing gratitude to them for all they do. Secondly, be considerate to the women you come in contact with each day…
“For all of us, if we don’t hold up the role of motherhood, others in the world will tear it down!” -Christine C. Gilbert (from a devotional at BYU-I)
Ways that Kids, Men, & Women can honor and protect motherhood. (Note, this isn’t only about honoring your own mother. It’s about defending the idea of and importance of mothers. And everyone has the responsibility to do that!) There are many more ideas that could be added to this list.
Kids – obeying, not speaking bad about mom, encouraging friends to obey and respect their moms, helping at home, giving mom hugs, doing nice things for mom, spending time with & helping grandmas.
Men – respect women in words & actions, help kids respect women, fathers show kids he loves & respects their mother, devote time & effort & thought to own mother as well as wife, work together with wife to care for home & family, help teach own kids & others about kindness & respect & service, pray for wife & mother & daughters, express gratitude for & to women, help kids find ways to help & celebrate mom.
Women – be kind to self & other women, do your best & be ok with that, express gratitude to other women, don’t compare, pray for guidance, develop & boldly use unique gifts you’ve been given, know why women and mothers are important to God, privately & publicly claim your role as a mother, talk to children about why mothers/being a mother is important to you.
Perfect Love Casteth Out Fear – Dieter F. Uchtdorf (4/2017)
Below is the text from President Dieter F. Uchtdorf’s talk from April 2017 General Conference called, “Perfect Love Casteth Out Fear.” Additionally (not part of President Uchtdorf’s words) are bullet points that summarize principles, cautions, and actions from the talk. The bulleted comments are not intended to bring out all principles, cautions and actions from the talk and they represent the thoughts and beliefs of our writers and not President Uchtdorf himself. Although we hope you may learn from our comments and our methods, we also hope that in your study you will follow the guidance from Moroni to know and understand truth for yourself, which in our opinion, includes how truth should be applied in your life and circumstances at this time. That understanding comes through the Holy Ghost. May you feel His guidance and have courage to follow where He leads.
My beloved brothers and sisters, dear friends, what a privilege and joy it is to meet as a worldwide Church united in our faith and love for God and His children.
I am especially grateful for the presence of our beloved prophet, Thomas S. Monson. President, we will always take to heart your words of direction, counsel, and wisdom. We love you, President Monson, and we always pray for you.
Years ago, when I was serving as stake president in Frankfurt, Germany, a dear but unhappy sister approached me at the end of one of our stake meetings.
“Isn’t it terrible?” she said. “There must have been four or five people sound asleep during your talk!”
I thought for a moment and answered, “I am pretty sure that church sleep is among the healthiest of all sleeps.”
My wonderful wife, Harriet, overheard this casual exchange and later mentioned that it was one of the nicest answers I had ever given.
The Great Awakening
A few hundred years ago in North America, a movement called the “Great Awakening” spread across the countryside. One of its primary objectives was to awaken the people who appeared to be asleep regarding spiritual matters.
Young Joseph Smith was influenced by the things he heard from preachers who were part of this religious awakening. It is one of the reasons he decided to seek earnestly the will of the Lord in private prayer.
These preachers had a dramatic, emotional preaching style, with sermons that were known for their heavy emphasis on the fiery terrors of hell that await the sinner.1 Their speeches didn’t put people to sleep—but they may have caused a few nightmares. Their purpose and pattern seemed to be to frighten people into church.
Fear as Manipulation
Historically, fear has often been used as a means to get people to take action. Parents have used it with their children, employers with employees, and politicians with voters.
Experts in marketing understand the power of fear and often employ it. This is why some advertisements seem to carry the implicit message that if we fail to buy their breakfast cereal or miss out on the newest video game or cell phone, we run the risk of living a miserable life, dying alone and unhappy.
We smile at this and think we would never fall for such manipulation, but we sometimes do. Worse, we sometimes use similar methods to get others to do what we want.
My message has two purposes today: The first is to urge us to contemplate and consider the extent to which we use fear to motivate others—including ourselves. The second is to suggest a better way.
The Problem with Fear
First, let us address the problem with fear. After all, who among us has never been compelled by fear to eat better, wear a seat belt, exercise more, save money, or even repent of sin?
It is true that fear can have a powerful influence over our actions and behavior. But that influence tends to be temporary and shallow. Fear rarely has the power to change our hearts, and it will never transform us into people who love what is right and who want to obey Heavenly Father.
Fear is a powerful motivator.
Fear as a motivator is temporary and limited.
People who are fearful may say and do the right things, but they do not feel the right things. They often feel helpless and resentful, even angry. Over time these feelings lead to mistrust, defiance, even rebellion.
Fear leads to helplessness, resentment, and anger. Then to mistrust, defiance, even rebellion.
Fear motivates people to act a certain way, but it may not change their feelings.
Unfortunately, this misguided approach to life and leadership is not limited to the secular world. It grieves me to hear of Church members who exercise unrighteous dominion—whether in their homes, in their Church callings, at work, or in their daily interactions with others.
Often, people may condemn bullying in others, yet they cannot see it in themselves. They demand compliance with their own arbitrary rules, but when others don’t follow these random rules, they chasten them verbally, emotionally, and sometimes even physically.
The Lord has said that “when we … exercise control or dominion or compulsion upon the souls of the children of men, in any degree of unrighteousness, … the heavens withdraw themselves [and] the Spirit of the Lord is grieved.”2
The Holy Ghost withdraws if we excise control over another person “in any degree of unrighteousness”
There may be moments when we are tempted to justify our actions by believing that the end justifies the means. We might even think that to be controlling, manipulative, and harsh will be for the good of others. Not so, for the Lord has made it clear that “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, [and] temperance.”3
When using fear to control others the ends DO NOT justify the means. (Fear may get quick results, but not positive end results.)
The Lord’s way is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance.
A Better Way
The more I come to know my Heavenly Father, the more I see how He inspires and leads His children. He is not angry, vengeful, or retaliatory.4 His very purpose—His work and His glory—is to mentor us, exalt us, and lead us to His fulness.5
God inspires and leads.
Anger, vengeance, and retaliation are not God’s way.
God’s intention is to mentor and lead us to be the best we can be. (His desire is for lasting change and he uses perfect methods. So if we want lasting change in ourselves or others, use His methods.)
God wants us to have all that He has.
God described Himself to Moses as “merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth.”6
God is merciful, gracious, longsuffering, full of goodness and truth.
Our Father in Heaven’s love for us, His children, surpasses by far our ability to comprehend.7
God loves us. This is part of His motivation for how He associates with us. (It may be insightful to ponder how God’s love and desire for us to be the best we can is the driving force behind all aspects of the gospel, the organization of the church, and each commandment He has given us.)
Does this mean that God condones or overlooks behaviors that run contrary to His commands? No, definitely not!
Love does not mean accepting or overlooking negative behavior.
But He wants to change more than just our behaviors. He wants to change our very natures. He wants to change our hearts.
There is more involved in improvement and change than changing behavior alone.
He wants us to reach out and take firm hold of the iron rod, confront our fears, and bravely step forward and upward along the strait and narrow path. He wants this for us because He loves us and because this is the way to happiness.
Our behavior doesn’t change God’s love for us or His desire for us to be our best self.
God shows us the way to happiness.
Faithfully following God’s teachings, overcoming fears, and courageously living the gospel is the way to happiness.
So, how does God motivate His children to follow Him in our day?
He sent His Son!
God sent His Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to show us the right way.
God motivates through persuasion, long-suffering, gentleness, meekness, and love unfeigned.8 God is on our side. He loves us, and when we stumble, He wants us to rise up, try again, and become stronger.
He is our mentor.
He is our great and cherished hope.
He desires to stimulate us with faith.
He trusts us to learn from our missteps and make correct choices.
One of the ways Satan wants us to manipulate others is by dwelling upon and even exaggerating the evil in the world.
Focusing on the negative is a fear motivator.
Certainly our world has always been, and will continue to be, imperfect. Far too many innocent people suffer because of circumstances of nature as well as from man’s inhumanity. The corruption and wickedness in our day are unique and alarming.
But in spite of all this, I wouldn’t trade living in this time with any other time in the history of the world. We are blessed beyond measure to live in a day of unparalleled prosperity, enlightenment, and advantage. Most of all, we are blessed to have the fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ, which gives us a unique perspective on the world’s dangers and shows us how to either avoid these dangers or deal with them.
When I think of these blessings, I want to fall to my knees and offer praises to our Heavenly Father for His never-ending love for all of His children.
You can see bad and you can see good depending what you look for.
The gospel gives us a unique perspective of the challenges of life and how to handle them. (President Uchtdorf talked about this in another talk about the Plan of Happiness. See our study group posts about that talk.)
Give thanks to God for His love.
I don’t believe God wants His children to be fearful or dwell on the evils of the world. “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”10
He has given us an abundance of reasons to rejoice. We just need to find and to recognize them. The Lord often reminds us to “be not afraid,” to “be of good cheer,”11 and to “fear not, little flock.”12
Fear is not of God.
God wants us to focus on the good.
The Lord Will Fight Our Battles
Brothers and sisters, we are the Lord’s “little flock.” We are the Saints of the latter days. Inherent in our name is the commitment to look forward to the Savior’s return and prepare ourselves and the world to receive Him. Therefore, let us serve God and love our fellowmen. Let us do this with a natural confidence, with humility, never looking down on any other religion or group of people. Brothers and sisters, we are charged with studying the word of God and heeding the voice of the Spirit, that we may “know the signs of the times, and the signs of the coming of the Son of Man.”13
We should have hope in the fact the Savior will come to earth again. We should prepare ourselves, and the world, for that day.
What is “natural confidence?”
We are, therefore, not ignorant of the challenges of the world, nor are we unaware of the difficulties of our times. But this does not mean that we should burden ourselves or others with constant fear. Rather than dwelling on the immensity of our challenges, would it not be better to focus on the infinite greatness, goodness, and absolute power of our God, trusting Him and preparing with a joyful heart for the return of Jesus the Christ?
Knowing or being aware of something is different than fear. (We don’t have to be ignorant to avoid fear. In fact, this isn’t about avoiding fear. It is about facing it and moving forward past it.)
Focus on the goodness of God.
Actively prepare for the 2nd coming.
As His covenant people, we need not be paralyzed by fear because bad things might happen. Instead, we can move forward with faith, courage, determination, and trust in God as we approach the challenges and opportunities ahead.14
Fear paralyzes people.
Approach opportunities and challenges with faith, courage and determination. (If we are in patterns of fear we may not know how to approach opportunities with anything but fear. Look to courageous heroes, modern day or ancient. Think through what they might do if they were approaching the situation that you are.)
We do not walk the path of discipleship alone. “The Lord thy God … doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.”15
“The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.”16
In the face of fear, let us find our courage, muster our faith, and have confidence in the promise that “no weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper.”17
Do we live in a time of peril and turmoil? Of course we do.
God Himself has said, “In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”18
Can we exercise the faith to believe and to act accordingly? Can we live up to our commitments and sacred covenants? Can we keep the commandments of God even in challenging circumstances? Of course we can!
We can because God has promised, “All things shall work together for your good, if [you] walk uprightly.”19 Therefore, let us set aside our fears and live instead with joy, humility, hope, and a bold confidence that the Lord is with us.
We are not alone. God is on our side.
Have courage, faith and confidence because God can overcome all.
We can be successful.
Perfect Love Casteth Out Fear
My beloved friends, my dear brothers and sisters in Christ, if we ever find ourselves living in fear or anxiety, or if we ever find that our own words, attitudes, or actions are causing fear in others, I pray with all the strength of my soul that we may become liberated from this fear by the divinely appointed antidote to fear: the pure love of Christ, for “perfect love casteth out fear.”20
We do not need to be afraid. There is another way. (Think of movies or stories where someone has been poisoned and they, along with their friends and allies, frantically search for the antidote. Fear is a poison of sorts and we’ve just been told that there is an antidote. It will probably take some time and effort to get and apply the antidote. But we know it’s there. Find it! As if your life depended on it.)
Christ’s perfect love overcomes temptations to harm, coerce, bully, or oppress.
Christ’s perfect love allows us to walk with humility, dignity, and a bold confidence as followers of our beloved Savior. Christ’s perfect love gives us the confidence to press through our fears and place our complete trust in the power and goodness of our Heavenly Father and of His Son, Jesus Christ.
In our homes, in our places of business, in our Church callings, in our hearts, let us replace fear with Christ’s perfect love. Christ’s love will replace fear with faith!
Love overcomes harm, coercion, bullying and oppression. (This is something to really think about. This doesn’t necessarily mean that to get out of an oppressive situation we need to love our oppressor enough so they’ll change. That often isn’t the right answer. But love can still help us in that situation. We can know that God loves us. We can love ourselves and know we’re worth fighting for. And then Christ’s perfect love can help us heal and move forward. Love can also help us overcome our desire to mistreat someone else.)
Through Christ’s love we can have humility, dignity, bold confidence, and faith.
Christ’s love is how we replace fear with faith.
His love will enable us to recognize, trust, and have faith in our Heavenly Father’s goodness, His divine plan, His gospel, and His commandments.21 Loving God and our fellowmen will turn our obedience to God’s commandments into a blessing rather than a burden. Christ’s love will help us become a little kinder, more forgiving, more caring, and more dedicated to His work.
Christ’s love helps us understand God, His plan for us and other key points of the gospel.
Love changes our perspective.
As we fill our hearts with the love of Christ, we will awaken with a renewed spiritual freshness and we will walk joyfully, confidently, awake, and alive in the light and glory of our beloved Savior, Jesus Christ.
I testify, with the Apostle John, “There is no fear in [Christ’s] love.”22 Brothers and sisters, dear friends, God knows you perfectly. He loves you perfectly. He knows what your future holds. He wants you to “be not afraid, only believe”23 and “abide in his [perfect] love.”24 This is my prayer and blessing in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Other Resources (not from President Uchtdorf’s talk):
Our study group posts about God’s Plan based on a talk from President Uchtdorf helps us see how our knowledge of The Plan gives us a unique perspective about life.
Are You a Secret Agent? – do you know your mission and your special skills? Don’t let fear keep us hiding these things from the world and from ourselves.
Amazing Things Song – a song about the power of faith. It’s fitting for our discussion about overcoming fear because we’ve been told that faith is the opposite of fear. I love all the amazing examples of faith in the song. If such great things could happen to all those people because they had some faith, then I know that great things will come my way as I build my faith.
Video of a Duck Family Jumping Off a Bridge – I’m sure that many of us can relate to those little ducklings who are standing at the edge of the bridge, vulnerable, nervous, and perhaps even fearful. From their perspective there are quite a few problems with the situation and a big choice to make. But the mama duck was there telling them to push forward, to trust her, that it would be ok. That is the direction, comfort and guidance that is available through Jesus Christ and his teachings. One by one each of those little ducks took a leap of faith. And the more we come to know and trust Christ we can too.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fy_dvn6vLro
Footnotes (from President Uchtdorf’s talk):
George Whitefield and Jonathan Edwards are two prominent examples of this kind of preacher.
On one occasion, the Savior wanted to enter a village of the Samaritans, but the people rejected Jesus and would not receive Him into their village. Two of His disciples were deeply offended by this and asked, “Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” Jesus answered with this caution: “You do not know what manner of spirit you are of. For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them” (see Luke 9:51–56, New King James Version [1982]).
See Doctrine and Covenants 121:41. Surely if God expects us, His mortal children, to behave this way toward each other, He—a perfect being possessed of every virtue—would be the model for such behavior.
The premortal Council in Heaven is an excellent case study that demonstrates the character of God. There our Heavenly Father presented His plan for our eternal progression. Key elements of that plan included agency, obedience, and salvation through the Atonement of Christ. Lucifer, however, proposed a different approach. He guaranteed that all would obey—none would be lost. The only way to accomplish this would be through tyranny and force. But our loving Heavenly Father would not permit such a plan. He valued the agency of His children. He knew that we must make mistakes along the way if we are to truly learn. And that is why He provided a Savior, whose eternal sacrifice could cleanse us of sin and permit our entry back into the kingdom of God.
When our Father in Heaven saw that many of His beloved children were seduced by Lucifer, did He force them to follow His plan? Did He intimidate or threaten those who were making such a terrible choice? No. Our all-powerful God could surely have stopped this rebellion. He could have forced His will upon the dissenters and made them comply. But instead, He allowed His children to choose for themselves.
Moses’s counsel to the people of his day still applies: “Do not be afraid. … See the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today” (Exodus 14:13, New King James Version).
Let us remember that the Savior came not “into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved” (John 3:17). In fact, “he doeth not anything save it be for the benefit of the world; for he loveth the world, even that he layeth down his own life that he may draw all men unto him” (2 Nephi 26:24).
Let kids choose a topic by tapping a picture. Then listen to the prophets speak about it. Great for kids at home or in primary!
This slide presentation has video clips from the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles from October 2016. (Note: It may take a little while to load the videos. If you’re using a handheld device for this presentation you will need the Google Slides app to make it work correctly.)
Instructions:
Press play or start presentation.
The 2nd slide is the main slide. Each of the pictures in the speaking bubble links to a clip from a different Apostle.
Have your children pick a picture and click on it (if you are on a mobile device you may have to click on the link under the action links. There is a guide to which image goes to which slide in the speaker notes.)
Once you pick the link the video should automatically play. (The small picture of the Quorum of the Twelve or associated link will link back to the second slide)
When the video is over click once and it will go to the next slide which will be blank.
At this time you can ask people to identify which it was that just spoke.
One click on this page will reveal the speaker’s name and picture. A second click will reveal some thoughts or questions.
After you are done discussing the quote for as long or short as you want you can click on the small picture of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles to take you back to slide 2 to pick another topic.
Gratitude
Originally Posted in Facebook Study Group in November 2016
Since next Thursday is a time appointed to celebrate our thankfulness, we will study gratitude for the week. As I began to look through talks from last conference that addressed this topic, I was impressed to look at one from the April conference in 1990. I found this story from Luke 17:12-20 which raised a question in my mind that I haven’t considered before and to which I still don’t have an answered.
As the Savior went through Samaria and Galilee, “he entered into a certain village,[and] there met him ten men that were lepers” and they “lifted up their voices and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” Jesus told them to go show themselves unto the priest.
“And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed.
“And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God.
“And fell down … at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.
“And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?
“There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.
“And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.”
There were 10 cleansed but only 1 was told that he was made whole and not just healed from the disease. What made the difference? It seems to have a lot to do with the gratitude that the man felt and expressed.
James E Faust gave the talk. As I read through it, I had the distinct feeling that this was one of those talks given not only because we needed it at the time, but also, and perhaps more importantly, because we would need it to be part of who we are when the greater need would come a few years later.
“I come to this pulpit to speak about gratitude as an expression of faith and as a saving principle. The Lord has said, ‘And in nothing doth man offend God, or against none is his wrath kindled, save those who confess not his hand in all things, and obey not his commandments.’ (D&C 59:21.) It is clear to me from this scripture that to ‘thank the Lord thy God in all things’ (D&C 59:7) is more than a social courtesy; it is a binding commandment.” Elder James E. Faust
As I read this statement from Elder Faust, I noticed a list of short phrases about gratitude. Each one of them suggested a question that will help understand thankfulness better.
How is gratitude “an expression of faith?”
In what way is gratitude “a saving principle?”
What will gratitude do in my life as “a binding commandment?”
(To share post #1 use this link: www.walkhispath.org/wp/2017/02/09/gratitude#Gratitude1)
Elder Faust said that one way gratitude is important to us is that it provides protection against many negative characteristics. Those he listed are being self centered, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful and unholy. It will help keep us safe from those negative attributes because it will change our focus. It will help us look for good even when things seem to go wrong. In other words, it elevates our vision.
Gratitude helps us to recharacterize situations in our life. This means that when something happens to us, we can find different ways to look at it. We will talk more in future posts about how this can happen.
[Gratitude Post #2]
“A grateful heart is a beginning of greatness. It is an expression of humility. It is a foundation for the development of such virtues as prayer,faith, courage, contentment, happiness, love, and well-being.” Elder James E. Faust
What an amazing concept. I hope we all want to be great! Please take a moment to consider what possibilities lie ahead of us if we take the next step beyond recognizing and expressing our gratitude to having a grateful heart. This change of heart will require some help from the Savior.
A grateful heart seems to be part of the foundation upon which we should build our lives as spoken of by Helaman (see Helaman 5:12) and by Christ (see Matthew 7:24-25 and 3 Nephi 14:24-25}.
I spent more than 30 years constructing buildings of various types. If the foundation of a building is constructed incorrectly or placed upon poor quality soil and not repaired, it becomes more difficult to build on and the building may be unsafe.
It is even more important to make sure that the foundation of our life is built correctly. Just look at the what we can create on a foundation of a grateful heart. A grateful heart does more than just protect us from negative characteristics, it helps us create positive ones. However, as Elder Faust said, “There is a truism associated with all types of human strength: ‘Use it or lose it.’”
(To share post #2 use this link: www.walkhispath.org/wp/2017/02/09/gratitude#Gratitude2)
[Gratitude Post #3]
“As with all commandments, gratitude is a description of a successful mode of living. The thankful heart opens our eyes to a multitude of blessings that continually surround us. President J. Reuben Clark said,’Hold fast to the blessings which God has provided for you. Yours is not the task to gain them, they are here; yours is the part of cherishing them.’” Elder James E. Faust
Gratitude, like many other things, begins in our life as a commandment where we consciously have to look for things we are grateful for and then work to express them. With time and effort, we are able to get to a place where the Savior will help us change our heart to be grateful and our expressions of appreciation will flow easily and often. Then, finally,gratitude will describe the way we live.
As we learn to cherish all of the gifts we are given, we will learn how easy it is to share them. I hope that all of us will take some time tomorrow to consider how blessed we really are.
(To share post #3 use this link: www.walkhispath.org/wp/2017/02/09/gratitude#Gratitude3)
[Gratitude Post #4]
Happy Thanksgiving day. We hope you have a marvelous celebration and, hopefully, that you will even be able to enjoy the company of family and eating good food.
Over the last few days I have gained a greater understanding and appreciation of the role of gratitude in our lives. It is amazingly powerful. But the power comes at a cost to us. Sister Bonnie D. Parkin put it this way in the last conference. “The kind of gratitude that receives even tribulations with thanksgiving requires a broken heart and a contrite spirit, humility to accept that which we cannot change, willingness to turn everything over to the Lord—even when we do not understand, thankfulness for hidden opportunities yet to be revealed. Then comes a sense of peace.”
The list Sister Parkin gives may seem overwhelming, but obtaining each characteristic will move us closer to God and I know that whatever the cost it will be worth it. And like the scriptures teach, God will help us “precept upon precept.”
(To share post #4 use this link: www.walkhispath.org/wp/2017/02/09/gratitude#Gratitude4)
[Gratitude Post #5]
There is one more thing from Elder Faust’s talk that should be addressed. It is both a warning and a tool for us to use. And even though he demonstrates it with gratitude it is true for battles between other opposing characteristics in our life. He said, “It seems as though there is a tug-of-war between opposing character traits that leaves no voids in our souls. As gratitude is absent or disappears, rebellion [ against moral cleanliness, beauty, decency, honesty, reverence, and respect for parental authority] often enters and fills the vacuum.”
The warning: When we let a positive characteristic atrophy or die, the void is usually filled with something negative. Also if we get rid of a negative characteristic and do not replace it with a positive one, it will usually be replaced by a negative characteristic.
The tool: A very good way to get rid of bad characteristics in our life is to find the opposite (a positive characteristic in opposition to the negative) and begin to make it a greater part of our life. It not only gets rid of the negative characteristic by pushing it out, but the new one replaces the old one so there is no gap to fill.
Whether you already recognize something you would like to change or you need to ask Heavenly Father if there is something you need to change now or you are already in the middle of change, this will be a good tool to have available to use. Is this weekend a good time to apply it to something in your life?
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