Sunday, December 28, 2008

12/28/08 TFOT Lesson - Celestial Marriage

Today's lesson was led by Tony Pullen and focused on the most recent general conference talk given by Elder Nelson entitled "Celestial Marriage".
Tony began with a quote from the talk that emphasized the point that salvation is an individual matter whereas exaltation is a family matter. The discussion then turned to how husbands can be more selfless in marriage, spending more time filling the needs of their spouse over satisfying their own needs & wants.

Some noteworthy comments in the discussion:
  • Pres. Low quoted his brother as saying that marriage is the one thing abrasive enough to refine us!
  • Elder Christensen referenced a 25+ year old Ensign article written by a woman who described the remarkable change in her once troubled marriage after she started concentrating her efforts on being a more "perfect wife" rather than on despairing over her many disappointments brought on by her husband.
  • Elder Christensen also commented that a century ago there were very real fruits that a woman could see from her labors around the house/farm at the end of the day. However, in today's world many of these tangible accomplishments of a homemaker have been stripped away, or hollowed out, through technology and outsourcing. Thus, the sense of accomplishment, of achieving goals, of fulfilling ambitions is made much more difficult for women working at home. Husbands therefore need to be especially sensitive to these unfulfilled needs and provide support to their wives' pursuits both in and out of the home.
  • Bro. Porter reminded us that if our Heavenly Father's work and glory is the eternal life of His children (Moses 1:39), then our most important work is the teaching and nurturing of our family (and could that not be extended to our brothers & sisters outside the four walls of our home?). Within the home, this nurturing is the responsibility of both parents. Fathers should make this a joint effort with mothers, not an occasional effort.
  • Bro. Dionne suggested that husbands put themselves in their wives' place for an entire weekend, week, or even month if possible. He said that this experience helps one better see AND understand what one's spouse is doing in her role as mother.
Here's a link to Elder Nelson's talk.

Sunday, December 21, 2008

"...go in service and faith to your outer limits"

In place of a quorum lesson today, I'd like to share a general conference address by President Henry B. Eyring (link below):



President Eyring, General Conference May 2008



The talk is titled, "Faith and the Oath and Covenant of the Priesthood" and was to be the basis for much of the lesson I had planned for today. I invite each of you to study and ponder this profound message. As I extend that invitation, I would like to echo Elder Eyring's words: "My purpose...is to help you grow in your confidence that you can and will rise to the blessings of the oath and covenant of the priesthood". As you study, I'd like you to think about how Elder Eyring's message applies to our covenant responsibilities in three areas where the Lord wants us to succeed: (1) our families, (2) sharing the gospel, and (3) serving those in need. Elder Eyring has said that: "the more faithful service you give, the more the Lord asks of you...The tough part of that reality, however, is that for Him to give you...increased power you must go in service and faith to your outer limits". Prayerfully consider how you individually, and we as a quorum can improve in the three areas above. Consider what your own "outer limits" and capacities are and how you can stretch them. I know that the Lord will help you do that. As we each place our trust in Him, He will give us increased power to do his work. He will not let us fail.

Thank you all for the priesthood holders you are and for the example you set for me. I am grateful for the blessing of being able to serve in this quorum with you and look forward to pushing our "outer limits" together.

Jonathan

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

12/14/08 Lesson: JS #22

Gaining Knowledge of Eternal Truths -
Brandon Westover led a lively & interesting discussion by starting with the question "what is truth?". He acknowledged that this was a difficult question, and one that might even seem a bit absurd, but that if we claim to "have the truth" or state that the Spirit will "teach us truth" then we are somewhat obligated to define what that "truth" is. It was generally agreed that truth is constant and repeatedly verifiable, whereas "facts" can change and be wrong.

Dave Sundahl shared an experience from his mission where he gave a brief overview of the restored gospel to a person he had contacted on the street and then got the response, "oh, so really your message is about revelation". Why, yes, it is!

Ben Castleton made the point that there is tremendous power to learn truth by obeying the commandments. Though we may have doubts and questions at times, obeying the commandments will always be to our benefit (in that it is prerequisite to having the Holy Ghost with us always).

Joseph Smith once said, " the most prominent difference in sentiment between the Latter-day Saints and sectarians was, that the latter were all circumscribed by some peculiar creed, which deprived its members the privilege of believing anything not contained therein, whereas the Latter-day Saints...are ready to believe all true principles that exist, as they are made manifest from time to time."
The beauty of this church is its openness to revelation, to new information from the heavens, to knowledge, to truth (see Articles of Faith 1:9).

Knowledge is revelation. Hear, all ye brethren, this grand key: knowledge is the power of God unto salvation.
(Joseph Smith, 1843)

Sunday, December 7, 2008

12/7/08 Lesson: JS #23

Todd Petracek led an excellent discussion about Unity, based on chapter 23 in the Joseph Smith manual. He started by referencing the story of the early saints unifying around the building of the Kirtland temple. This was a very tangible, concrete goal around which the saints could unify. He then asked us what the goal or purpose of our unity today should be. Some suggestions included providing help in a disaster, engaging with our community (in non-disaster situations), and nurturing & developing our children. While it might be less obvious how to act in a unified, productive way in these situations, it is nonetheless important that we work together to figure it out! Todd closed the lesson by sharing that one of the main things which attracted him to the church was the community that he saw in it and which he wanted to be a part of. (What better witness can we have?)
I think this discussion uncovered how sharing the gospel and serving our communities can be done simultaneously. Many of our neighbors, as well as colleagues at work/school, want to be part of a cause that is blessing peoples' lives. By giving them opportunities to serve (much like Tom Lowery did with his co-workers who helped him move yesterday!), people lose themselves in service to others and in so doing become more united with those people they are serving - and serving with. What a great antidote to the spiritually-sapping, self gratification-driven society which we live in today!

fyi - Pres. Eyring gave a great talk on unity in the October conference - it's worth the read (or re-read)

Sunday, November 23, 2008

Lesson, 11/23/2008

We were combined with the High Priests today. Keith Dionne taught from President Monson's talk, "Finding Joy in the Journey." Keith focused on four elements of the talk.
  1. Finding joy now. We shouldn't continually be awaiting a time when things will be better. There are things we can enjoy now, even if things are tough.
  2. Focusing on what's important. What makes the journey great is the people we connect with.
  3. Finding joy in generational change. President Monson put it this way.
    If you are still in the process of raising children, be aware that the tiny fingerprints that show up on almost every newly cleaned surface, the toys scattered about the house, the piles and piles of laundry to be tackled will disappear all too soon and that you will—to your surprise—miss them profoundly.
    Likewise, we should enjoy the change we experience as we get to take care of people who once took care of us, like parents or grandparents.
  4. Being grateful. We should be thankful for everything God blesses us with--not just the stuff we asked for. Keith shared a story of friends with a severely disabled child, whom they considered a blessing for many reasons, including that their friends, neighbors, and members of the church gathered together to serve them.

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Reframing Quorum Duties and Membership, Handout

What follows is from a handout from Jonathan Clark in his first lesson as President of the Elders' Quorum. His objective is to have us re-frame our role as a quorum.

Elder Russell M Nelson:
“All Church activities, advancements, quorums, and classes are means to the end of an exalted family.”

President Henry B Eyring:
(1) “I have learned over the years that the strength in a quorum doesn’t come from the number of priesthood holders in it. Nor does it come automatically from the age and maturity of the members. Rather, the strength of a quorum comes in large measure from how completely its members are united in righteousness. That unity in a strong quorum of the priesthood is not like anything I have experienced in an athletic team or club or any other organization in the world.”

(2) “Priesthood quorum members are taught in more ways than by lessons in a class. The quorum is a service unit, and the members learn in their service. A quorum can give greater service than the members could give alone. And that power is multiplied by more than their numbers. Every quorum has a leader with authority and responsibility to direct priesthood service. I have seen the power that comes when quorums are called to move out to help in times of disaster. Time and again I have had people outside the Church express surprise and admiration for the effectiveness of the Church in organizing to give help. It seems to them like a miracle. In all priesthood service the miracle of power comes because leaders and members honor the authority of those who direct the service in priesthood quorums across the earth.”

“Miracles of power can come as quorums reach out to serve others. They come as well when the priesthood service is to members within the quorum.”

(3) “One of the hallmarks of a strong quorum is the feeling of fellowship among its members. They care for each other. They help each other. Quorum presidents can build that fellowship best if they remember the Lord’s purpose for unity in the quorum. It is of course so that they will help each other. But it is more, much more. It is so that they will lift and encourage each other to serve in righteousness with the Master in His work to offer eternal life to Heavenly Father’s children.

“Understanding that will change the way we try to build fellowship in the quorum… Understanding why the Lord wants fellowship can change the way an elders quorum party is planned. I’ve been to a party where the man who planned it was a convert to the Church. Finding the gospel was the sweetest thing that had ever happened to him. So neighbors and friends not yet members of the Church were invited to the party. I still remember the feeling of fellowship as we visited with them about what the Church meant to us. I felt in that party more than fellowship with brothers in the priesthood. The Master invited His disciples to His first Quorum of the Twelve in His mortal ministry this way: “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”8 And so that night at a party, I felt that I was in the fellowship of the Master and His disciples, becoming what He wants us to be.

“I was blessed with that same feeling of fellowship by a priesthood leader when I was in the Aaronic Priesthood. He understood how to build priesthood fellowship that can last. He arranged with the owner of a woodlot for us to spend an afternoon chopping wood and putting it in bundles. The bundles were for widows so that they could have a fire in the cold of winter. I still remember the warmth of fellowship I felt with my priesthood brethren. But even more I remember feeling that I was doing what the Savior would do. And so I felt fellowship with Him. We can build that precious fellowship in our quorums in this life and then we can have it forever, in glory and in families, if we live according to the covenants.”

President Stephen L Richards (1879–1959):
“A quorum is three things: first, a class; second, a fraternity; and third, a service unit. Within it the men of the Priesthood learn of the principles of the Gospel, establish true brotherhood, and carry forward the work of Christ. It is a God-given association from which they derive more of lasting advantage than from any other fraternal organization in our society. Its prime purpose is to encourage and safeguard the individual.”

Lesson, 11/16/08

Brandon Westover taught lesson 21 from TPC:JS (my shorthand): The Second Coming and the Millenium.

Highlights and questions

-Joseph Smith prophesied accurately the beginnings of the US Civil War.
-The second coming has, in some sense, started already.
-How do you understand the statements like "the moon will turn to blood"?
-As LDS, we believe in actively working to bring about the fulfillment of prophecies, not waiting around for them to happen.
-How can we be prepared to see and understand the signs of the second coming?