Lesson: Self-Discipline

Relief Society Presidency Lesson given by Devon Linn

January 6, 2013

SELF DISCIPLINE 

SELF-CONTROL 

SELF-MASTERY

When we see these words, often our first thought is GUILT!!! We zoom to the ONE thing that we have the hardest time having self-control with.

This hits close to home for me a lot lately, and I have learned that some temptations are harder and bigger than I can handle alone.

The discussion today is not intended to make you feel terrible and hopeless and guilty.  Try to only allow tiny twinges of the good, positive nudges that give you hope you can change!

WHAT EXACTLY IS SELF-MASTERY?

JAMES E. FAUST: In its simplest terms, self-mastery is doing those things we should do and not doing those things we should not do. It requires strength, willpower, and honesty.

What are some of our temptations and urges?

Impulse Shopping

Eating unhealthy food (or too much food)

Losing our Temper (not being in control of our emotions)

Wasting time on a game or TV

Any addiction or sin (lying, pornography, stealing, etc)

Gossiping

Ill-thinking of others

Anger or other unhealthy emotional outbursts

Road Rage

Snapping or saying unkind things to those we love

Manipulation of others

Sometimes Self-Mastery involves ACTION or INACTION, but sometimes it’s purely our THOUGHTS and EMOTIONS we must control better.

Since thoughts precede deeds, you must first learn to control your thoughts. “As [a man] thinketh in his heart, so is he.” (Prov. 23:7.)

  

Self-mastery is a challenge for every individual. Only we can control our appetites and passions. Self-mastery cannot be bought by money or fame. It is the ultimate test of our character. It requires climbing out of the deep valleys of our lives and scaling our own Mount Everests. -James E. Faust “The Power of Self-Mastery”

Russell M. Nelson Quote from “Self-Mastery”

Before you can master yourself, my precious one, you need to know who you are. You consist of two parts—your physical body, and your spirit which lives within your body. You may have heard the expression “mind over matter.” That’s what I would like to talk about—but phrase it a little differently: “spirit over body.” That is self-mastery.

When you arrived as a newborn baby, your little body was master. You had what I call the “I-want-what-I-want-when-I-want-it” philosophy. No amount of discussion could postpone your impatient demands when you wanted to be fed—and now!  But as you grow older, our concerns shift more toward your spiritual growth, in order that you might achieve your full potential. “For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit … and becometh a saint.” (Mosiah 3:19.)

That requires self-mastery. Remember, “The spirit and the body are the soul of man” (D&C 88:15.) Both are of great importance. Your physical body is a magnificent creation of God. It is his temple as well as yours, and must be treated with reverence. Scripture declares: “Ye are the temple of God. … If any man defile [it], him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.” (1 Cor. 3:16–17.)

  

So we have good intentions in life, but then stress comes along and POOF, there goes will power, self-control, and all the self-discipline we worked so hard to learn.  NOW WHAT? 

We obviously need some help overcoming our natural urges, so today I have TWO QUESTIONS that hopefully we can all discuss to maybe help one another have some new ways to overcome the natural man.

QUESTION 1: WHAT ARE SOME “IN THE MOMENT” WAYS WE CAN OVERCOME URGES, DESIRES?

• Focus on SOMETHING ELSE/ AVOIDANCE – If possible, leave the temptation
 
• Self-awareness: THINK ABOUT CONSEQUENCES

• Have Vision: Think about Motivations-- What is motivating this urge?

• Self-Assess; what makes it easier/harder to avoid this urge/this lack of self-control? Be your BEST SELF!

• PRAY:  NOT JUST FOR WHAT YOU WANT: LISTEN!!! The Addiction Recovery Manual is a wonderful resource for these topics for ALL of us. It states: Our prayers may have been ineffective in the past because we spent more time counseling the Lord—telling Him what we wanted—than seeking His will about our decisions and conduct. Think of a recent experience with prayer. Was it full of counsel to the Lord or from the Lord?

• Watch (wait) and Pray - like the Bishop has previously taught us; sometimes we need to NOT ACT right away, but rather stop and wait, with awareness (watching) and a lot of prayer, until temptations can pass or until we can receive added strength from the Lord.  Listen for SPIRIT: “The Savior said ‘I will tell you in your mind and in your heart, by the Holy Ghost’ (D&C 8:2,). . . . An impression to the mind is very specific. Detailed words can be heard or felt and written as though the instructions were being dictated.  A communication to the heart is a more general impression” (Richard G. Scott, “Helping Others to Be Spiritually Led,”).

• Remember, must Start Somewhere, sometime, some day – why not today? SO BE POWERFUL!

QUESTION 2: LONG-TERM WAYS WE CAN OVERCOME URGES, DESIRES?

• Be HONEST With Self. THIS IS A MOMENT OF HUMILITY & Part of LIFE

“If men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them” Ether 12:27.

ARP Manual states:

Admit that you, of yourself, are powerless to overcome your addictions and that your life has become unmanageable.

• PRAY (answer to both questions!): Part of the humility, admit to the LORD that you are powerless to overcome the NATURAL MAN.

We are consumed with the Natural Man, we need to remember that often our urges are replacing something greater.

“And my soul hungered; and I kneeled down before my Maker, and I cried unto him in mighty prayer and supplication for mine own soul; and all the day long did I cry unto him; yea, and when the night came I did still raise my voice high that it reached the heavens” (Enos 1:4).

• FASTING:

Fasting fortifies discipline over appetite and helps to protect against later uncontrolled cravings and gnawing habits. (Nelson)

• Stay in TOP SPIRITUAL CONDITION:

Self-evaluation throughout life is not a new concept. In the Book of Mormon, Alma taught that maintaining a mighty change of heart takes effort. In verse after verse, he indicated that honest, prayerful self-appraisal and immediate repentance must be a continual part of life (see Alma 5:14–30). To retain what you have gained, you must stay in fit spiritual condition. (ARP Manual)

• Focus on GRATITUDE! Look for Tender Mercies in our lives:

From ARP MANUAL: “We should not underestimate or overlook the power of the Lord’s tender mercies. The simpleness, the sweetness, and the constancy of the tender mercies of the Lord will do much to fortify and protect us in the troubled times in which we do now and will yet live. When words cannot provide the solace we need or express the joy we feel, when it is simply futile to attempt to explain that which is unexplainable, when logic and reason cannot yield adequate understanding about the injustices and inequities of life, when mortal experience and evaluation are insufficient to produce a desired outcome, and when it seems that perhaps we are so totally alone, truly we are blessed by the tender mercies of the Lord and made mighty even unto the power of deliverance (see 1 Nephi 1:20).

• Yield to the Spirit – it trumps the Natural MAN!!!

• PREPARE AND EXPECT FUTURE STRUGGLES – GROW IN FAITH:

ARP MANUAL: You will grow in your ability to resist temptation as you study the scriptures and pray and meditate about them. Learning to receive revelation takes practice and patience. You can prepare yourself by studying what has been said by prophets and apostles and by trying to live according to their teachings. You can prepare by being ready to receive, write down, think about, and follow the guidance you receive. When you express gratitude to the Lord for the blessings you have received, your capacity to receive guidance will increase.

BE PATIENT WITH YOURSELF & DON'T LOSE HOPE!!!!

“When we put God first, all other things fall into their proper place or drop out of our lives. Our love of the Lord will govern the claims for our affection, the demands on our time, the interests we pursue, and the order of our priorities” (Ezra Taft Benson, in Conference Report, Apr. 1988, 3; or Ensign, May 1988, 4).

With the Lord, we are STRONGER than the Natural Man.  We are stronger than any temptation, any flare in temper, any desire…we can become like HIM.

AND ABOVE ALL: LOOK TO THE SAVIOR:

By nature, we all tend to be undisciplined, yet by looking to Jesus Christ and the example He has set,

you will find the humility to continue submitting to the Father. Like the Savior, you will be able to say sincerely “Thy will be done” (Matthew 26:42) throughout the day. The Light of Christ will guide you and prepare you to receive the companionship of the Holy Ghost. The companionship of the Holy Ghost will become more constant, and your ability to recognize and testify of truth will increase. Taken from the Addiction Recovery Manual

WE BECOME LIKE THE SAVIOR AS WE BECOME SELF-MASTERED!!! 
IT IS WORTH THE EFFORT!

Lesson: When loved ones let go of "the iron rod"

 

Devon taught a good lesson on what we do when others don't accept our invitation to come to Christ, are numbered among the lost sheep or let go of the iron rod. Whatever metaphor makes sense to you for your situation, these ideas may help.

Devon's young son shared what he learned in Primary recently and the conversation went something like this.

He showed her a picture of a sheep.

When she asked what it meant he said, "We are all sheep!"

"And what happened to the sheep?"

"They were lost."

"Who is the shepherd?"

"Jesus"

"And what will he do?"

"He will find us!"

And He will! But we are asked to help "feed my sheep".

Mists of darkness

In another familiar story we feel with Lehi in his dream of the Tree of Life the heartache of seeing a family member get lost in the mists of darkness or let go the iron rod that leads to the fruit or love of God, that is "precious above all".
 
What are the mists of darkness generally? Nephi tells us in 1 Nephi 12:17,

And the mists of darkness are the temptations of the devil, which blindeth the eyes, and hardeneth the hearts of the children of men, and leadeth them away into broad roads, that they perish and are lost.

What are some "mists of darkness" in our day?

Philosophies of men, anti-mormon information especially on the internet, hurt feelings, hang-ups, doubts and unanswered questions, mental illness, time/schedules, just drifting away, abuse, crime, drugs, TV, pornography, social media, music, feelings of inadequacies, guilt, insecurities, individual personalities.

It's quite a range of distractions and out-and-out evil that we and our loved ones can choose.

The point is we don't need to judge. We often don't know what is going on in someone's life that causes or effects the decisions they make.

What should we do instead? Just love them.

What we can do

Elder Holland in a talk titled "Because She Is a Mother" encourages us as parents of wayward children:

President Joseph F. Smith pled, “Oh! God, let me not lose my own.” ⁸ That is every parent’s cry, and in it is something of every parent’s fear. But no one has failed who keeps trying and keeps praying. You have every right to receive encouragement and to know in the end your children will call your name blessed, just like those generations of foremothers before you who hoped your same hopes and felt your same fears.

What do you do, or have seen others do when worry or grief for our friends and family overcome us? What can we do to help ourselves and them?

• Respect their agency
• Turn to God, turn them over to Him
• Remember that they were God's before they were ours and He knows them best
• Show unconditional love
• Resist judging
• Absolve ourselves of guilt
• Take care of yourselves first
• Never give up hope
• Understand that temple covenants and promises will be fulfilled
• Bear testimony in unconventional ways
• Know that it's okay to grieve
• Remember that the atonement can heal you and them

We also need to trust that the Good Shepherd knows his sheep. And He will find them.

John K. Carmack in an excellent conference talk titled When Our Children Go Astray seeks to comfort and gives very practical steps we can take. [Well worth reading again!]. He reminds us:

In 1929 Elder Orson F. Whitney of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said: 

“You parents of the wilful and the wayward! Don’t give them up. Don’t cast them off. They are not utterly lost. The Shepherd will find his sheep. They were his before they were yours—long before he entrusted them to your care; and you cannot begin to love them as he loves them. They have but strayed in ignorance from the Path of Right, and God is merciful to ignorance. Only the fulness of knowledge brings the fulness of accountability. Our Heavenly Father is far more merciful, infinitely more charitable, than even the best of his servants, and the Everlasting Gospel is mightier in power to save than our narrow finite minds can comprehend” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1929, 110).

Don't give up. Don't cast them off
Heavenly Father is far more merciful...and mightier to save than we.

So yes, Maddox, He will find us, all of us!

e

Singles Fireside Sunday

Lesson Recap - Change

Lesson: IMPLEMENTING CHANGE IN OUR LIVES
by Devon Linn
 

 

I AM NOT PERFECT….yet?

Are any of us perfect? I for one definitely am not, though I tell my husband that’s a good thing. Who wants to be married to someone who is absolutely perfect? It would make you feel so inadequate all the time being less than they are, right? So I tell my darling Milt that it's a good thing that I'm a little bit messy, because if I were neat then I would be absolutely perfect in every way!  He is so lucky to have such a messy wife!

Other than having a cleaner house, I think I probably have plenty of other things to work on. What’s great is that with the gospel, the Lord will help give us promptings telling us the ways we can improve in our lives and the changes we need to make if we have the Spirit.

I get these promptings all the time. Sometimes they come to me while listening to General Conference, or a lesson in church on Sunday, or reading my scriptures, and then I usually do try to be better for at least a few days but then….*poof* they're just gone and I've forgotten the prompting and moved onto something else I need to work on. And I don’t think I forget because I’m lazy or don’t really want to be better, but it’s more because life just seems to get too darn busy and my brain just has too much going on to remember everything (or sometimes anything at all!)

I’m sure everyone has failed at least once or twice to follow a prompting. Usually for me, it begins with listening to a lesson or a talk and thinking, “Yes! I can do that and be better! I can improve in my efforts to ______________ (fill in the blank: pray more, work on family history, judge less, prioritize my time better, study my scriptures, write in my journal, etc etc etc).”

But when it comes time to actually and consistently IMPLEMENT the change, I find myself too busy cleaning, doing laundry, working, paying bills, and other everyday things that I’m just so busy and exhausted that I’ve totally forgotten the prompting I received in the first place. Does this happen to everyone? Luckily the Lord knows and loves us, so he sends a lot of “reminder” promptings, because He just won't give up on us.

One of my favorite quotes to read when I feel overwhelmed at all the things I need to be doing is this one by Sister Beck:

 “Good women always have a desire to know if they are succeeding. In a world where the measures of success are often distorted, it is important to seek appreciation and affirmation from proper sources. To paraphrase a list found in Preach My Gospel, we are doing well when we develop attributes of Christ and strive to obey His gospel with exactness. We are doing well when we seek to improve ourselves and do our best. We are doing well when we increase faith and personal righteousness, strengthen families and homes, and seek out and help others who are in need. We know we are successful if we live so that we qualify for, receive, and know how to follow the Spirit. When we have done our very best, we may still experience disappointments, but we will not be disappointed in ourselves. We can feel certain that the Lord is pleased when we feel the Spirit working through us. Peace, joy, and hope are available to those who measure success properly.” – Julie B. Beck

Oh, if I could only read this quote every day! Sister Beck’s words are exactly what I constantly need to hear to re-commit myself to try harder and keep working in the right direction. It’s not important to be hard on ourselves if we aren't perfect already, but it is important that we are trying to improve ourselves every day.

I love that Sister Beck specifically mentions trying to develop attributes of Christ, because that goal seems to encompass all the other promptings I receive. I also love that she pointed out that doing our best still won’t keep disappointments away, because that’s just not how the plan works, but at least we won’t be disappointed in ourselves when we’ve followed the Spirit and done our best. I have felt the peace and hope that comes when we feel the Spirit working through us, and it is worth every effort I make to strive to feel that love and joy as often as I can while on this earth.

RESOLUTION TIME!

I don’t normally believe in Yearly Resolutions, but I whole-heartedly vote for having weekly ones that I think about during the Sacrament. Last year Ellen did a post on this RS blog on what our Resolutions for the year were going to be, and I actually thought about it and replied to her, thinking I’d give it a try. Sad to say…this week I had to go back to the blog to remember exactly what they were. I did remember that there was something about not yelling at my children, so that’s something!  And I do think I did better (minus maybe 10 days or so, give or take).

 

But I think the resolutions listed by other sisters were inspiring for me. They were things that seemed to be prompted not by the world, but by the Spirit. Read a recap of these here, because there were some goals that I thought were some great ideas. 

What are some of your goals/resolutions/changes you want to make?

Here are some of the things sisters mentioned in Relief Society:

• Pray more, better, more intently
• Be more in tune with the Spirit/more Spiritually Discerning
• Work on Family History
• Write Personal History/Journal
• Learn/Gain Knowledge
• Be Healthier
• Better Visiting Teacher
• Scripture study/Institute
• More Self-Reliant (work on food storage, 72-hour kits, etc).
• Prioritize time better
• NOT making lists & plans (obviously, this one applied to some of our proactive sisters, and does not apply to me. :)

PIECE OF CAKE, RIGHT?  Oh, wait...Obstacles?

It can be hard to change. When we are truly trying to change something that is really going to make an impact in our lives, that’s when the adversary seems to work the hardest on us. I love this quote by C.S. Lewis:

“Only those who try to resist temptation know how strong it is. … You find out the strength of a wind by trying to walk against it, not by lying down. A man who gives in to temptation after five minutes simply does not know what it would have been like an hour later. Christ, because He was the only man who never yielded to temptation, is also the only man who knows to the full what temptation means” (Mere Christianity [1960], 109–10). -C.S. Lewis

What are some of the things that are blowing against us? What is keeping us from making these inspired changes in our lives?  Here is a list of things sisters in Relief Society mentioned:

• Time!!!
• GUILT/Feelings of Inadequacy
• Habits
• Addictions/Natural Man
• Physical hardships
• Stress

I think guilt is really the one that sneaks in more often than we realize. We hear lessons like this and we immediately think, “oh, I've already failed so many times! I’m so terrible, and I just can’t change because I’ve already failed before!” You know if you are feeling a pit in your stomach right now about something that you want to change.  That icky feeling is not from the Lord.  Satan is the one that makes us feel bad about ourselves and inadequate.  "Good guilt" that comes from the Lord should be something you feel inspired about and feel hopeful that you can change, and should never make you feel terrible about yourself.

 

 All of these obstacles listed are real and hard, but I think the one that many of us need to overcome first is the guilt that we carry around with us. Then we can work on overcoming the others.

We need to start today by telling ourselves to stop looking back and feeling guilty and inadequate at our previous habits, but just focus forward and the change that we CAN make. We are daughters of our Heavenly Father, and we are free to act however we choose to act. If we want to change, no one can stop us. Satan throws negativity and guilt at us to try to keep us from reaching our divine potential, but he cannot stop us if we choose to change!

We are strong enough for self-control. We are Heavenly Father’s children, and he has sent us here with the capacity to overcome and accomplish great things.

Each of us is accountable for his own actions. How can any of us hope to play a great role in time or eternity if we have no power of self-control? Is overcoming self-control easier or harder than overcoming lack of time?

WHEN SHOULD WE START?  TODAY!

Donald Hallstrom of the seventy gave a talk a few years ago on procrastination, and in it he talked about one the most memorable “prophet-isms” from President Kimball:

"One of President Spencer W. Kimball’s effective encouragements was the succinct “Do It.” He later expanded this to “Do It Now” to pointedly teach the need for timeliness. President Kimball also taught the profound principle that procrastination leads to the loss of exaltation. He said: “One of the most serious human defects in all ages is procrastination, an unwillingness to accept personal responsibilities now. … Many have allowed themselves to be diverted and have become … addicts to mental and spiritual indolence and to the pursuit of worldly pleasure.” - Donald L. Hallstrom

Elder Hallstrom also said:

“We know what is right, but we delay full spiritual involvement because of laziness, fear, rationalization, or lack of faith. We convince ourselves that “someday I’m going to do it.” However, for many “someday” never comes, and even for others who eventually do make a change, there is an irretrievable loss of progress and surely regression.” - Donald L. Hallstrom

Doesn’t that make us realize that we really do need to be working and trying and moving in the right direction? We need to change, because as the quote from C.S. Lewis earlier talked about trials being like the wind, you cannot just stand still and hope to be going anywhere. We need to be moving forward, and improving, and becoming more like our Savior to bring about true joy in our lives here on the earth. And will it be easy? No. It will take some work. As Elder Uchtdorf puts it so perfectly:

"When our wagon gets stuck in the mud, God is much more likely to assist the man who gets out to push than the man who merely raises his voice in prayer—no matter how eloquent the oration. President Thomas S. Monson put it this way: “It is not enough to want to make the effort and to say we’ll make the effort. … It’s in the doing, not just the thinking, that we accomplish our goals. If we constantly put our goals off, we will never see them fulfilled.” -Dieter F. Uchtdorf

THE KEY TO REMEMBER:

The one thing that we have to remember is that we can do it because we have the Savior helping us with our inspired goals. Sister Beck reminds us in this quote how our resolutions really can be weekly ones we think about during the sacrament, and then we can repent and move on.

“It is not possible to make real change all by ourselves. Our own willpower and our own good intentions are not enough. When we make mistakes or choose poorly, we must have the help of our Savior to get back on track. We partake of the sacrament week after week to show our faith in His power to change us. We confess our sins and promise to forsake them.” -Julie B. Beck

One of my favorite scriptures is Philippians 4:13, which says, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” I know that that is true, and that the Savior wants to help us change for the better. He can do anything, and we are worth it! He loves us enough to help us overcome every trial, every bad habit, every addiction. And we can change whatever we don’t feel good about, because HE will be there with us. He is our Savior, and He alone can heal us from all imperfections. It won’t be easy, but we can do it.

Article: A Natural Woman

This is perfect reading for Mother's Day! 

Arm yourself with a little truth to stave off the M-day blues...

I’m glad I’m a woman. I’m glad I’m a wife. I’m glad I’m a mother. I’m glad I’m a Mormon. In fact, my Mormon-woman-wife-and-motherness is the core of my personal identity, and I recognize it as the source of my greatest blessings and opportunities for growth in this life. I am not, however, a perfect Mormon-wife-and-mother (gasp!). And any Mormon-wives-and-mothers out there reading this post? Neither are you (double gasp!).

Seriously, we’ve got issues, don’t we? We’re lazy and whiny and angry and lustful and controlling and jealous and aggressive and mean and petty and occasionally even faithless. We yell at our kids. We choose going to the movies over going to the temple. We give our husbands the silent treatment. We walk out of the grocery store in the rain with three kinds clinging to the cart, and when we realize that we forgot to have the cashier scan the 12-pack of Diet Coke, we don’t go back inside and pay for it.

And these examples are just the small things.

I don’t mention all this because I want to revel in our faults or air our dirty laundry. I’m saying it because it’s true, and as the old saying goes, the truth will set you free.

As Mormon women, we’re all familiar with the lady I like to call the Angel Mother Straight from Heaven (HT Coventry Patmore and Virginia Woolf). When I was a younger mom, the mythology of the Angel Mother filled me with a kind of numb despair. Mormon women are “naturally” inclined to want to stay home and nurture their children (so who’s this mother of two children under two sitting at the window sobbing jealous tears as her husband goes off to grad school?). Mormon women are “naturally” patient (so who’s this lady rampaging through the house when her son can’t find his soccer shoes?). Mormon women are “naturally” spiritual (so who’s this woman lying in bed reading Margaret Atwood’s A Handmaid’s Tale while her husband reads his scriptures?).

Thankfully, as time has passed, this mythology has held less and less sway over the way I see myself, for the simple reason that I’ve lived long enough now, and known enough Mormon women, to realize that none of us is the Angel Mother....

Read the whole article, by Angela, on Segullah. You'll be glad you did.

Thanks to Em for passing this link along to us.

Photo credit

Empowerment

I found this article on Feminist Mormon Housewives blog, of all places, titled How Are You Empowered in the LDS Church. Surprisingly, it starts This post is meant to highlight the good things about being a woman in the Church. If you want to debate the topic, I ask that you hash it out on one of the other threads. Thanks. It wasn’t going to be another gripe session as many posts on that blog turn out to be.


It got me thinking about what a great day we live in, what great opportunities are ours and how good it is to be a woman in the church today.

The answers in the blog range from I have a chance to speak publicly and give my testimony every month,

...to I have grown from my many callings,

...to you’re just as likely to hear a woman “preaching” in an LDS church as a man,

...to I actually find RS to be empowering. Not sitting in RS every Sunday (although sometimes that can work), but combining my female voice with the voice of many women in my area, and in my ward. There is just something special, and powerful, and absolutely lovely about women gathering and lifting each others burdens. 

So I’ve asked you to share how you feel empowered.

Elizabeth Latey:

In a world that surrounds us with so many images of what a woman ought to look like, dress like, etc. I find so much strength in the words of the leaders of the Church, which remind us of our inherent divine nature. Satan would have us get caught up in the nothing-ness of fads, where the Lord has us focus on the eternities.

To quote the apostle Boyd K. Packer from the recent General Conference, “We know who we are and we know what we know.” In a world full of confusion, it is empowering to be able to state this in full confidence!

Devon Linn:

I feel empowered as a woman in the church mainly because I think we understand agency better than most. I choose to stay home to be a mother at this time in our lives, rather than furthering my education or moving up in a career, and I know it's my choice and it is most certainly not always the easiest on.

And in the future when I do decide it is time for me to look for employment and jump back into the workplace (which eventually is probably a pretty safe bet in the unpredictable economic times we live in), I know that what I choose to do will be a choice I will make with my Heavenly Father prayerfully. 

Really, the power to choose with the Lord on our side is empowering, and it gives us such an advantage in the world!

Ellen King:

I feel empowered by knowing I have direct access to God, our Heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, His Son and our Savior, by listening and responding to the Holy Ghost, another member of the Godhead. What an awesome doctrine!

To think that I can feel close to them at any time is incredible. And, can be guided by them and feel their love at any time. To think that others believe God does not speak today and is far distant or nonexistent is baffling. The doctrines of the gospel empower us!

Now, it's your turn. Add a sentence or two to the comments and let us know how you feel empowered.
e

photo credit

Lesson: The Fall of Adam and Eve

Taught by Marie Tiller

Gospel Principles, Lesson 6, The Fall of Adam & Eve

What evidence helps us know that Adam and Eve were valiant spirits?
Adam and Eve were among our Father’s noblest children.

In the spirit world Adam was called Michael the archangel. He was chosen by our Heavenly Father to lead the righteous in the battle against Satan.

Adam and Eve were foreordained to become our first parents. The Lord promised Adam great blessings: “I have set thee to be at the head; a multitude of nations shall come of thee, and thou art a prince over them forever”.

Eve was “the mother of all living”. God brought Adam and Eve together in marriage because “it was not good that the man should be alone”. She shared Adam’s responsibility and will also share his eternal blessings.

What can you learn from the examples of Adam and Eve?
When Adam and Eve were placed in the Garden of Eden, they were not yet mortal. In this state, “they would have had no children” (2 Nephi 2:23). There was no death.

They had physical life because their spirits were housed in physical bodies made from the dust of the earth (see Moses 6:59; Abraham 5:7).

They had spiritual life because they were in the presence of God. They had not yet made a choice between good and evil.

God commanded them to have children. He said, “Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it, and have dominion over … every living thing that moveth upon the earth” (Moses 2:28). God told them they could freely eat of every tree in the garden except one, the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Of that tree God said, “In the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die” (Moses 3:17).

Satan, not knowing the mind of God but seeking to destroy God’s plan, came to Eve in the Garden of Eden. He tempted her to eat of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. He assured her that she and Adam would not die, but that they would “be as gods, knowing good and evil” (Moses 4:11). Eve yielded to the temptation and ate the fruit.

When Adam learned what had happened, he chose to partake also. The changes that came upon Adam and Eve because they ate the fruit are called the Fall.

What great blessings resulted from the transgression?
Some people believe Adam and Eve committed a serious sin when they ate of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. However, latter-day scriptures help us understand that their Fall was a necessary step in the plan of life and a great blessing to all of us.

Because of the Fall, we are blessed with physical bodies, the right to choose between good and evil, and the opportunity to gain eternal life.

None of these privileges would have been ours had Adam and Eve remained in the garden.

After the Fall, Eve said, “Were it not for our transgression we never should have had seed [children], and never should have known good and evil, and the joy of our redemption, and the eternal life which God giveth unto all the obedient” (Moses 5:11).

How can we honor Eve?
Some Christians condemn Eve for her act, concluding that she and her daughters are somehow flawed by it. Not the Latter-day Saints! Informed by revelation, we celebrate Eve’s act and honor her wisdom and courage in the great episode called the Fall.

Joseph Smith taught that it was not a “sin,” because God had decreed it.

Brigham Young declared, “We should never blame Mother Eve, not the least”.

Elder Joseph Fielding Smith said: “I never speak of the part Eve took in this fall as a sin, nor do I accuse Adam of a sin. … This was a transgression of the law, but not a sin … for it was something that Adam and Eve had to do!”

From Dallin Oakes, The Great Plan of Happiness, Nov 1993, Ensign

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Lesson Recap: Love and Law

Quotable Quotes from this conference talk:

God’s universal and perfect love is shown in all the blessings of His gospel plan, including the fact that His choicest blessings are reserved for those who obey His laws.

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The love of God does not supersede His laws and His commandments, and the effect of God’s laws and commandments does not diminish the purpose and effect of His love.

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There is no greater evidence of the infinite power and perfection of God’s love than is declared by the Apostle John: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son” (John 3:16). 

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If only we will listen, we can know of God’s love and feel it, even when we are disobedient. 

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God’s choicest blessings are clearly contingent upon obedience to God’s laws and commandments.

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He will bless us to endure the consequences of others’ choices, but He will not prevent those choices.

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The effect of God’s commandments and laws is not changed to accommodate popular behavior or desires. If anyone thinks that godly or parental love for an individual grants the loved one license to disobey the law, he or she does not understand either love or law.

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Following the example of an all-wise and loving Heavenly Father who has given laws and commandments for the benefit of His children, wise parents condition some parental gifts on obedience.

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There is no area of parental action that is more needful of heavenly guidance or more likely to receive it than the decisions of parents in raising their children and governing their families. This is the work of eternity.

Thanks, Cheryl for you preparation and the thought-provoking discussion.

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Freedom to Choose

Margie Clark, Gospel Principles, Lesson 4, Freedom to Choose

Agency Is an Eternal Principle
God has told us through His prophets that we are free to choose between good and evil. We may choose liberty and eternal life by following Jesus Christ. We are also free to choose captivity and death by following Satan. The right to choose between good and evil and to act for ourselves is called agency.

4 Conditions, In Order

1. Laws - God said, “We will prove [test] them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them.”
2. Opposites - Lehi told his son that there must be “an opposition in all things. If not so, … righteousness could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness, neither holiness nor misery, neither good nor bad.”
3. Knowledge - God will not hold us accountable for something we did not know about. And, as we are taught in Corinthians, our Heavenly Father will not allow us to be tempted beyond our power to resist.
4. Freedom to choose - If we were forced to choose the right, we would not be able to show what we would choose for ourselves. Also, we are happier doing things when we have made our own choices.

If any one of these were missing or out of order it would thwart God's plan for us and our eternal salvation.

Accountability
Even though we are free to choose our course of action, we are not free to choose the consequences of our actions. The consequences, whether good or bad, follow as a natural result of any choice we make.

Heavenly Father has told us how to escape the captivity of Satan. We must watch and pray always, asking God to help us withstand the temptations of Satan.

God’s commandments direct us away from danger and toward eternal life. By choosing wisely, we will gain exaltation, progress eternally, and enjoy perfect happiness

Additional Scriptures

• • Moses 7:32 (freedom of choice)
  
• • Abraham 3:24–25 (earth life a test)
  
• • Alma 41:3; Moroni 7:5–6 (works judged)
  
• • 2 Nephi 2:11–16 (opposition is necessary)
  
• • Moroni 7:12–17 (choosing good and evil)
  
• • 2 Peter 2:19; John 8:34 (sin is bondage)
  
• • 2 Nephi 2:28–29; Alma 40:12–13 (reward according to works)
  
   

Lesson Recap: Jesus Christ, Our Chosen Leader and Savior

Jesus Christ, Our Chosen Leader and Savior 
Lesson 3, Gospel Principles
Marie Tiller


Why do we need a Savior?
When the plan for our salvation was presented to us in the premortal spirit world, we were so happy that we shouted for joy (see Job 38:7).

We understood that we would have to leave our heavenly home for a time. We would not live in the presence of our Heavenly Father. While we were away from Him, all of us would sin and some of us would lose our way. Our Heavenly Father knew and loved each one of us. He knew we would need help, so He planned a way to help us.

We needed a Savior to pay for our sins and teach us how to return to our Heavenly Father.

Our Father said, “Whom shall I send?” (Abraham 3:27).

Jesus Christ, who was called Jehovah, said, “Here am I, send me” (Abraham 3:27; see also Moses 4:1–4).

Jesus Christ was chosen and foreordained to be our Savior. 
Many scriptures tell about this (see, for example, 1 Peter 1:19–20; Moses 4:1–2). One scripture tells us that long before Jesus was born, He appeared to a Book of Mormon prophet known as the brother of Jared and said: “Behold, I am he who was prepared from the foundation of the world to redeem my people. Behold, I am Jesus Christ. … In me shall all mankind have life, and that eternally, even they who shall believe on my name” (Ether 3:14).

In what ways does the War in Heaven continue today?
Because we are here on earth and have mortal bodies, we know that we chose to follow Jesus Christ and our Heavenly Father. Satan and his followers are also on the earth, but as spirits. They have not forgotten who we are, and they are around us daily, tempting us and enticing us to do things that are not pleasing to our Heavenly Father.

In our premortal life, we chose to follow Jesus Christ and accept God’s plan. We must continue to follow Jesus Christ here on earth. 

Only by following Him can we return to our heavenly home.

Think about how the Savior’s teachings have influenced you
From the beginning, Jesus Christ has revealed the gospel, which tells us what we must do to return to our Heavenly Father. At the appointed time He came to earth Himself. He taught the plan of salvation and exaltation by His word and by the way He lived. He established His Church and His priesthood on the earth. He took our sins upon Himself.

More references to share with your friends and family:
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, church website
Mormon's Belief in Jesus Christ - 17 video clips of the Prophet and Apostles bearing testimony

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More Conference Thoughts

As I look back over the past two days I see a couple threads running through. 

Love, live what you believe, understand and use the Holy Ghost. 

What stood out to you?

The sessions can be viewed at LDS.org, if you missed any, including the Priesthood session.

***Don't miss Elder Holland's powerful testimony of the Book of Mormon on Sunday afternoon. It was so sincere and forceful that it brought tears to my eyes and a strong witness of the Spirit. Again, powerful.



Saturday pm
Elder Oakes - God's love and God's law
His love is so perfect that He gave His commandments,
so that we could become perfect like Him.
This talk deserves further study. It follows on so logically.

Elder Hales - God and His Son Jesus Christ live
Your personal knowledge of God is not only the greatest gift
you’ve been given, it will bring you the greatest joy in your life.
Believe in God. The Spirit will witness.

Elder Zeballos - Do the best you can
With faith, dedication, responsibility, and love do all we can
to achieve perfection though it appears impossible. He will help.
He wants us to serve with heart, mind, might and strength.

Elder Callister - 4 great truths from Joseph Smith
The gospel is like a 1000-piece jigsaw puzzle with 100 pieces in place
then Joseph came along and put the other 900 pieces in place.
An unusual format using questions to prove out Joseph's work.

Elder Watson - Temperance
Temperance is more than exercising restraint in food and drink,
it is a divine attribute of Jesus Christ, a spiritual gift from the Holy Ghost.
Counter to the mode of operation today: indulging in ourselves to excess.

Elder Andersen - Repentance brings the Lord's love into our lives
Come unto him and spiritually be wrapped in his arms.
Humbly petition for what we should do, the changes we should make.
Relief will come in the timetable of the Lord.

Elder Packer - (from his seat, anybody know why?) The Holy Ghost, How It Works
None of us are left alone. The gift of the Holy Ghost operates
for men, women, and children. Prayer is your personal key to heaven.
Loved his suggestion to create a delete key to use to resist temptation.


Sunday am
President Eyring - We must expect to become better
We will all meet the Savior, we must prepare.
Through living the gospel we can become like the Savior.
(Didn't catch all of this, darnit. When one watches at home I guess one should expect to lose the internet connection at least once.)

Elder Perry -
The pioneers faced their uncertain future knowing the truths of the gospel.
Through missionary work we can help others face the future.
Didn't catch all of this talk either. Add your synopsis in the comments.

Elder Burton - Living with virtue
Virtuous traits must never be forgotten or set aside.
If lost, families will be weakened, faith will be softened, important
relationships will be jeopardized.
Integrity and spirituality are interconnected!

Sister Dibb - Get a grip
We live in scary times, with challenges and dangers.
Invited to get a grip: hold to the iron rod and never let go.
She is over the top with her affectation, but at least she’s got some personality.

Elder Nelson - Access to personal revelation
We can access info from heaven without hardware, software or monthly service fees.
One of the Lord's most marvelous gifts—prayer.
Revelation need not come all at once, but incrementally

Love the song Love Is Spoken Here. This was beautiful.

President Monson - Do something for someone today
Those who live only for themselves shrivel up, lose their lives.
Those who live to serve others grow and flourish, save their lives.
Ask yourselves...what good have I done in the world today?

Hymn - Have I Done Any Good in the World Today - beautiful arrangement. I love this version. Should replace the original hymn.

The choir is sounding like one voice lately. All their efforts to improve over the last few years is showing.

I think some of the most interesting parts of conference are the coming and going. Seeing people greet one another, more natural, more authentic. [That’s my touchstone this year, authenticity. I think we all crave authentic relationships, interactions, advertising, customer service etc. That’s why Facebook and Twitter are so appealing (though not totally authentic, unfortunately).]

Ah, they’re waving at President and Sister Monson.

Ah, love the commercials they show after conference. Feel good ads, cute (though not authentic, darn).


Sunday pm
Elder Holland - Testimony and witness of the Book of Mormon
Find the fullest measure of peace or comfort by embracing
the Book of Mormon and He of whom it testifies.
His powerful testimony of the Book of Mormon brought tears to my eyes. Wow, was he ever adamant.

Elder Cook - Accountability to fellowman
We have a feeling of accountability for our fellowmen because we love
and want to please our Father in Heaven.
God wants us to love and care for each other.

Elder Nielson - Go forth and preach to all nations
The Savior’s call is to you of the rising generation; heed the prophet's voice.
You are called to go this last time. There is not greater work, no greater call.
Testified of how in his life he has seen the fulfillment of the prophecies and President Kimball's call to lengthen our stride in the 70's.

Elder Renlund - Change of heart
Examine your changed heart. Can you feel so now? Becoming casual
with prayers and scripture study, a changed heart will turn to stone.
Prayer, scriptures, church. The fire of testimony can burn again.

Elder Ringwood - An easiness and willingness to believe
An easiness and willingness to believe the word of God comes from
a softness of heart, which comes from the daily living of the gospel.
Periods of intense change and trials keep my heart soft.

Elder Sitati (black man) - New pioneers keeping covenants
I have lived to see good fruit of gospel bless Africa. 300,000 saints.
A new celestial culture is growing in homes and families, scriptures and FHE.
How blessed we are to have the gospel in these last days.

Elder Christofferson - Moral discipline
Moral agency must be accompanied by moral discipline;
consistently choosing right because it is right.
The intelligent use of agency requires the knowledge of the truth.

President Monson
"Love and prayers for you. Remember me, and those who serve with me, in your prayers." We are all in this together. We all have a part to play. 

Thanks for letting me indulge in notetaking here in the blog. I found that I fully absorbed and processed so much more of conference knowing I would record a bit of it here. This, rather than doing some chore or handiwork, kept me engaged and participating.


Ellen

Thoughts on a Gospel Principle: Agency & Eternal Progression

Part 3 of a 3-Part Series
By Guest blogger: Jenn Low

DO something about it

Not only as a teacher, but as a student, I try to act on what I learn as well.

It is so easy to attend our church meetings and enjoy the Spirit and edification we receive there and then leave and go about our busy weekly schedule without acting upon those impressions and insights. The full purpose of those meetings is left unrealized.

Just as we are commanded to liken the scriptures to ourselves, so we should do with talks and lessons we participate in (1 Nephi 19:23).

After all the material is taught, and the Spirit testifies and instructs, and testimonies are shared, we then must ask ourselves: well, now what? What am I going to DO about it (D&C 41:5)?

When on top of my game, I do this by posing a question to myself related to the material covered that demands action, that demands faith. For example, after a lesson on temples I could ask, “What will I do to increase my ability and readiness to be instructed by the Spirit when I attend the temple?” This question could easily have been posed to the whole class, but my answer is personal and specific. I write it down and put it someplace where I can easily and frequently be reminded of it.

We call this a goal.

A goal precedes a determined and directed action.

The week that follows provides action-proving time… a miniature probationary state. The cycle is complete with the dawning of the next Sabbath: a time for accountability, renewal, and needed adjustments.

Isn’t it wonderful that the Father knew that life would be more manageable when viewed in little chunks?

The gospel of our Savior is one of action.

The gospel demands it. His divine mercy and grace are only available to us after we have acted to the point of exhausting all of our own resources. This time we have been given here and now is a gift in which to do just that.

Learn. Plan. Act. Repeat. Until that blessed day when, through actions that become more and more like those of the Savior, we are found to be like Him (Moroni 7:48).

And even then we will continue to act.

Part 1 • Part 2 • Part 3

Thoughts on a Gospel Principle: Agency & Eternal Progression

Part 2 of a 3-Part Series
By Guest blogger: Jenn Low

The Principle of Progression

Reflecting on the topic of The Gospel in Action called to my remembrance this principle of progression. With it was brought a renewed desire to not waste this precious gift of heightened progression time. Why wait to alter a flaw in our character which would take five times as long (okay, so I obviously don’t know the exact ratio… I just like the number five) to fix in the eternities?

I doubt we will be any less busy!

Think of it like a limited time offer for that fabulous, must-have, as-seen-on-TV item which is being presented during the next half hour for one easy payment of $29.95 instead of the normal six payments! Act now and you’ll also get a physical body and the chance to make essential temple covenants—a priceless value—absolutely free! Hurry—a deal this good won’t be around forever!

As a teacher, I am constantly creating opportunities for my students to act upon instruction and information learned and discussed.

It is through the action that the principles taught take on personal significance and value.

It is through the action that the greatest learning and change occurs.

It is through the action that they are able to demonstrate to me what they have learned.

When there is no action as reinforcement, knowledge gained, no matter how significant or impressive, is not integrated and internalized at the needed level and all-too-quickly melts away.

(Part 3: DO something about it)

Thoughts on a Gospel Principle: Agency & Eternal Progression

Part 1 of a 3-Part Series
By Guest blogger: Jenn Low

Somewhere in the middle of an hour-long conversation I had with a colleague about the church she queried, “Does everyone in your church know as much about your religion as you do?”

My answer was a resounding YES!

I replied that the church encouraged all of its members to gain as much knowledge of things eternal as possible and that the organization of the church required members to do so, for we are in a constant state of being called upon to instruct others.

My friend remarked that this was a wonderful thing. It is wonderful that I could just as truthfully have said to her that such attainment of truth and knowledge is essential in gaining exaltation.

Why?

Because if one truly believes in something, they will act upon it.

Faith, in the Bible dictionary, is defined as a “principle of action” for we know that it is by our works that we able to reap salvation and exaltation (Mosiah 5:15). As our active faith becomes stronger in the Savior, we become more like Him.

This earth life has been afforded to us as a probationary time of action, of preparation, of progression, of growth, of molding our characters to become like God’s (Alma 12:24).

However, such progression does not end with this earthly existence. We will learn, and grow, and act, and become more like God in the Spirit World and then again in whichever kingdom of glory our actions have made us worthy of.

To be unable to grow and progress and become more glorified is the very definition of being damned.

Why then, with literally eternity in which to become like God (and we will need it!) is there such a push for us to act NOW in full force and without delay?

There are certainly many answers to this question!

Part of the reason is because during this perfectly orchestrated “testing ground” portion of the Lord’s plan (a.k.a., earth life) our ability to mold our characters has the greatest turnaround time we will ever experience in the whole of our existence! Our ability to progress and grow directly correlates with our ability to use our agency.

Agency is only valid when there is a choice available to be made and acted upon. And there will never be another time like this earth life when such magnitudes of unhampered choices are available to the children of God.

The veil and the lack of God’s physical presence ensure this and act as catalysts for growth.

We are utterly and completely free to choose, and because of this our choices have a more profound impact and who we are and who we will become (2 Nephi 2:27).

(Part 2: The Principle of Progression)