YW Lesson 12/12/21
Alma 30:44-Kara to Read
“…The scriptures are laid before thee, yea, and all things
denote there is a God; yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the
face of it, yea, and its motion, yea, and also all the planets which move in
their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme Creator.”
Show universe video-Link to Universe Video
Any questions?
My mind is basically blown every time I watch this video. It is crazy how insignificant and small we can feel in this massive universe and yet we are significant.
Before we get into the lesson let’s remind ourselves who we
are and whose we are.
We are daughters of God, daughters of a Heavenly Father and
Mother, that love us more than we can comprehend.
That our elder brother is the Savior, Jesus Christ who also
loves us more than we can comprehend and has descended below all so that we can
repent and have eternal life.
He reminds us of this love in this scripture
1st nephi-21:16
"Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me."
As daughters of God one of our roles/responsibilities is to be "SEEKERS OF TRUTH"
So this lesson is about questions. Questions are a necessary
part of our journey in gaining our testimonies. We are all going to have
questions about the gospel, the church, and ordinances. Over time the prophets
of this church have encouraged each of us to seek for answers through research
and prayer.
But it is important, like Sis Betenson told us a few weeks
ago that we go to the right sources. That we find answers through the
scriptures, conference talks, prayer, the church’s website and personal revelation.
Not just by googling our questions, where we may not be able to trust the
source.
Think about it for a second, who asked a question that would
kick off the restoration of the church when the world was living without the
true gospel and priesthood on this earth?
Joseph Smith
What scripture inspired his question? James 1:5-6
“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth
to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that
wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.”
Where did he ask it? Grove of trees
What did he ask? Which church to join
What was the answer? None of them
What did he learn from this experience? There is a God.
Separate beings, we are made in their image, that the scriptures are true.
Do you believe that is the last time someone has seen our
Heavenly Father or Savior on this earth?
The prophets and apostles since Joseph Smith tell us time
and time again that they are special witnesses.
When my Dad was on his mission in 1973 he was attending a
zone conference at a ward in Leftborough, England and Prophet Harold B Lee was
the main speaker. There was an older picture of Christ on the wall and he
commented that that picture was not a very good representation of the Savior. Then
he explained that this picture is a much better likeness of him.
I am not saying that every Prophet and Apostle has had the
same experience as Joseph Smith. But I have a feeling many have at a minimum
had some personal contact with the Savior by hearing his voice or physically
seeing him.
When I first came back to the church from being inactive and
was starting to regrow my testimony. I had a lot of questions. One of the
things I greatly struggled with was the history of polygamy in the church.
If I had kept a better journal, or one at all in those days,
I would love to go back to see how I overcame my frustration with that
happening in our church. What I do remember is this. As I was slowly
reactivating in the church I came to a point when I needed to make a decision.
And I have never liked things in my life that are in the
“grey area”. It’s why I have never been good at science, because there are too
many answers and too many variables and things are always changing. This is why I love math and accounting
because I know that 2 +2 will always equal 4. Anyway, because my mind loves
things that are black and white, I decided either everything in the church must
be true, or none of it was true. There wasn’t a middle ground. My mind didn’t
allow for just “some” of it to be true. When I listed all the things in my mind
that I knew to be true and I had confirmation of those truths by the Holy
Ghost, I decided to just trust the Lord and have faith on the things I did not
completely understand.
And that is the thing with questions- questions are a great
thing to have, but we must always be careful not to allow those questions to
cause doubt or fear in the things we know to be true. I think it is helpful to
even not just weigh things out in your mind, but literally write them down.
Draw a For/Against Chart on Board.
Years, and I mean many years later, I read a book that was
about Joseph and Emma. It was called Joseph and Emma: A Love Story. I enjoyed
this book so much because it made me feel so much more relatable to them and
they became people to me and not just names. Part of the book talked about when
Joseph was instructed to take another wife and this book shared how much Joseph
Smith struggled and battled with this request. He really didn’t want to and in
fact, delayed this as long as he could. This really helped change my
perspective when I could see it from his eyes.
Also as I have learned more about church history and thinking about many women who had lost husbands in war and sickness, and with such a small community of people, I can't imagine how scared these women would have been to have houses full of children and no support. Clearly there was purpose and need for polygamy in the church during this time.
And of course because we are obedient to the laws of the land as stated by the below article of faith, polygamy was discontinued when it became illegal in our country. Yes there are other churches that still practice polygamy to this day in the US, but this church is not affiliated at all with our church and is known as the FLDS church. Unfortunately too many to this day still confuse us with this church.
- We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law.
Other things I also had to seek inspiration on. For example
I grew up in the church and thought “I know all the stories” and didn’t realize that I actually didn’t really understand the experiences of Adam and Eve. It was years
before I understood her role and how we are really just like her. Adam and Eve were childlike in the Garden of Eden. They didn't know how to have children and so would have never been able to have children had they stayed there. Also, think about how easy it is to persuade a child to do something wrong. You could tell any 4 year old to go touch a stove and since they wouldn't know they couldn't trust you, would do it anyway. In that context, it can be more easily understood how Eve was persuaded by Satan to partake of the fruit. And me she may have
partaken of the fruit first, but we also partake of the fruit just the same when we sin and have to repent. So we are really all just the same as mother Eve.
It is also hard to be apart of this world and see the
suffering taking place, the slavery and human trafficking, the poverty, the
abuse and wonder How could a loving God allow this to happen? Over the years I
have come to learn a few things about this topic. Two scriptures have helped me
to overcome this frustration. First, the Lord has said that he will not take
away anyones agency. There is a story in the book of Mormon around 82 BC where
alma and amulek had preached to their people and converted many. The wicked
people burned their wives and their
children.
Alma 14:8-11
8 And they brought their wives and children together, and whosoever believed or had been taught to believe in the word of God they caused that they should be cast into the fire; and they also brought forth their records which contained the holy scriptures, and cast them into the fire also, that they might be burned and destroyed by fire.
9 And it came to pass that they took Alma and Amulek, and carried them forth to the place of martyrdom, that they might witness the destruction of those who were consumed by fire.
10 And when Amulek saw the pains of the women and children who were consuming in the fire, he also was pained; and he said unto Alma: How can we witness this awful scene? Therefore let us stretch forth our hands, and exercise the power of God which is in us, and save them from the flames.
11 But Alma said unto him: The Spirit constraineth me that I must not stretch forth mine hand; for behold the Lord receiveth them up unto himself, in glory; and he doth suffer that they may do this thing, or that the people may do this thing unto them, according to the hardness of their hearts, that the judgments which he shall exercise upon them in his wrath may be just; and the blood of the innocent shall stand as a witness against them, yea, and cry mightily against them at the last day.
Isaiah 55:8-9
8-For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your
ways my ways, saith the Lord.
9-For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
Another example from my own life starts from my patriarchal
blessing which talks about the children I will bear and raise. Henry and I
tried to have kids of our own for 12 ½ years, we were also licensed foster
parents and tried to adopt at one point, and all paths became a dead end.
It has been a very heart wrenching struggle for us. Of
course so many thoughts would go through my mind. I must have messed up too
much and basically invalidated my patriarchal blessing. Why is it so easy for
others to get pregnant and have children and it hasn’t happened for us? What
are we doing wrong?
But what I have
learned is that our trials are not because of sin, but because we are supposed
to learn something. (If you remember from my recent talk, I shared the story of
the blind man where the people asked Jesus, who sinned, this man or his parents
that he was born blind.” Jesus response was that neither had sinned, explaining that trials are not because of sin.
All of our trials have purpose. And I have had to learn how
to trust in the Lord more and have more faith that I will be able to have
children in the next life.
What we fail to realize so many times because we get so
caught up in the day to day, is the meaning and purpose behind it all.
Why is this life a test?
What is this life a test of?
It really is all about obedience. We are being tested, if
the Lord asks us to do something, will we do it? In my mind I compare it to
being in the army. As a soldier in the army the most important thing that must
be done is to follow the orders of your commanding officer. It is critical for
any operation to be successful.
So many times we talk about eternal life, but what is that?
What will we be doing for eternity? If we make it to the celestial kingdom, it is
likely that we could be in charge of our own worlds at one point. We clearly
know there are many worlds out there. And Heavenly Father needs to know that he
can trust us with a responsibility like that.
I personally would love to be over a world with animals, how
cool would that be!
Over the years other things have come up that become
controversial- to the worlds standards, and even to members. what are some of
those things?
Women in the priesthood, Priesthood for Black members, One pair of earrings, No tattoos,Children of gay parents and baptism, Gay marriage, Vaccine
Leaders-how have you been able to gain a testimony of the
decisions made by our church leaders in these situations?
Girls- are there any of you that have had a question about
something and been able to find an answer or find comfort?
Read James 1:5-6 again
“ If any of you lack
wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth
not; and it shall be given him.
But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that
wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.”
From Come Follow Me
this week:
In the 200 years
since Joseph Smith’s First Vision, God has continued to give “revelation upon
revelation, knowledge upon knowledge” to the leaders of His Church. In some
cases, that revelation directed Church leaders to make changes to the policies
and practices of the Church, “according as the Lord will, suiting his mercies
according to the conditions of the children of men”. Official Declarations 1 and 2 represent this kind of revelation—one led
to the end of the practice of plural marriage, and the other made the blessings
of the priesthood, including temple blessings, available to people of all
races. Changes like these are part of what it means to have a “true and living
church” (Doctrine and Covenants 1:30), with a true and living prophet.
Let’s read
D & C 42:61
“61 If thou shalt ask, thou shalt receive revelation upon
revelation, knowledge upon knowledge, that thou mayest know the mysteries and
peaceable things—that which bringeth joy, that which bringeth life eternal.”
Is that not one of the most beautiful scriptures ever?
What stands out to you from the scripture and why?
2nd Nephi 28:30
30 For behold, thus
saith the Lord God: I will give unto the children of men line upon line,
precept upon precept, here a little and there a little; and blessed are those
who hearken unto my precepts, and lend an ear unto my counsel, for they shall
learn wisdom; for unto him that receiveth I will give more; and from them that
shall say, We have enough, from them shall be taken away even that which they
have.
Matthew
7:7
7 Ask, and it shall
be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
8 For every one that
asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it
shall be opened.
What does this mean to you?
Let’s talk about prayer for a minute
Do we always get an answer the first time we ask it? Why
not?
Does it ever feel like we are praying to the ceiling?
Show quote-
How can we continue
showing our faith as we wait for answers?
Read the paragraph’s
from elder bassets talk Link to Full Talk
"In order to understand the mysteries of God, or those things that can be understood only through revelation, we must follow the example of Nephi, who said, “Being exceedingly young, nevertheless being large in stature, and also having great desires to know of the mysteries of God, wherefore, I did cry unto the Lord; and behold he did visit me, and did soften my heart that I did believe all the words which had been spoken by my father.”6 The Lord Himself further explained that Nephi had exercised faith, sought diligently with lowliness of heart, and kept His commandments.7
Nephi’s example of seeking knowledge included (1) a sincere desire, (2) humility, (3) prayer, (4) trust in the prophet, and an exercise of (5) faith, (6) diligence, and (7) obedience. This method of seeking is in great contrast to my “prying at the plates,” or trying to force an understanding of things meant to be revealed according to the Lord’s timetable and through the power of the Holy Ghost.
In this modern age, we have come to expect that knowledge can and should be obtained immediately; when information is not easily known or accessible, it is often dismissed or mistrusted. Because of the abundance of information, some unwittingly give more credibility to available sources with an unknown origin rather than relying on the Lord’s established pattern for receiving personal revelation. Jacob could have been describing our time when he said: “But behold, [they] were a stiffnecked people; and they despised the words of plainness … and sought for things that they could not understand. Wherefore, because of their blindness, which blindness came by looking beyond the mark, they must needs fall; for God hath taken away his plainness from them, and delivered unto them many things which they cannot understand, because they desired it.”8
In contrast is President Dieter F. Uchtdorf’s counsel. He spoke of missionaries, but his words are equally applicable to all seekers of spiritual truth. “When … missionaries have faith in Jesus Christ,” he said, “they will trust the Lord enough to follow His commandments—even when they do not completely understand the reasons for them. Their faith will be manifest through diligence and through work.”
Play the song a child’s prayer-Link to A Child's Prayer
I love the articles of faith. As kids in primary we memorized
them and I can still remember most of them. The articles of the faith answer so
many questions about what we believe.
I
ISpend some time memorizing 1-2 articles of faith- Articles of faith handout
Recite it. What does this article of faith teach us?
I have a testimony that our questions will be answered even if they aren't answered right away if we pray sincerely and seek out answers from the right sources.
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