Faith
Lesson Review:
"The Great Commandment - Love the Lord"
Ezra Taft Benson - Chapter 1
Doctrine:
The first and great commandment is to love the Lord.
The great test of life
is obedience to God. “We will prove them herewith,” said the Lord, “to
see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall
command them” (Abraham 3:25).
The great task of life is to learn the will of the Lord and then do it.
The great commandment of life is to love the Lord.
“Come unto Christ,” exhorts Moroni in his closing testimony, “… and love God with all your might, mind and strength” (Moroni 10:32).
This,
then, is the first and great commandment: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy
God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind,
and with all thy strength” (Mark 12:30; see also Matthew 22:37; Deuteronomy 6:5; Luke 10:27; Moroni 10:32; D&C 59:5).
It is the pure love of Christ, called charity, that the Book of Mormon
testifies is the greatest of all—that never faileth, that endureth
forever, that all men should have, and that without which they are
nothing (see Moroni 7:44–47; 2 Nephi 26:30).
Invitation to Action:
Why
did God put the first commandment first? Because He knew that if we
truly loved Him we would want to keep all of His other commandments.
“For this is the love of God,” says John, “that we keep his
commandments” (1 John 5:3; see also 2 John 1:6).
We must put God in the forefront of everything else in our lives. He must come first, just as He declares in the first of His Ten Commandments: “Thou shalt have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3).
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.
We should put God ahead of everyone else in our lives.
When we choose to put God first in our lives, His blessing come in abundance.
Men and women who turn their lives over to God will discover that He can make a lot more out of their lives than they can. He will deepen their joys, expand their vision, quicken their minds, strengthen their muscles, lift their spirits, multiply their blessings, increase their opportunities, comfort their souls, raise up friends, and pour out peace. Whoever will lose his life in the service of God will find eternal life.
Read or Listen to the entire lesson here:
FAMILY
We had a wonderful sacrament meeting program on Sunday! We were taught about the importance of having regular family home evening and family scripture study.
Here is what President Monson say's about Family Home Evening-
"We cannot afford to neglect this heaven-inspired program. It can bring spiritual growth to each member of the family, helping him or her to withstand the temptations which are everywhere. The lessons learned in the home are those that last the longest."
As President Gordon B. Hinckley and his predecessors have stated, “The home is the basis of a righteous life, and no other instrumentality can take its place nor fulfill its essential functions.”
What makes family home evening successful?
Here is what President Monson say's about Family Home Evening-
"We cannot afford to neglect this heaven-inspired program. It can bring spiritual growth to each member of the family, helping him or her to withstand the temptations which are everywhere. The lessons learned in the home are those that last the longest."
As President Gordon B. Hinckley and his predecessors have stated, “The home is the basis of a righteous life, and no other instrumentality can take its place nor fulfill its essential functions.”
What makes family home evening successful?
- Start and end with prayer. This invites the Spirit, increases love, and teaches your family how to pray.
- Learn from the scriptures and the words of latter-day prophets to help your family live the gospel.
- Add music, such as hymns and Primary songs, to create an atmosphere of love, peace, and joy.
- Make it fun by playing games, acting out scripture stories, and making treats. Keep the atmosphere light and loving.
- Be consistent. Monday nights are set aside by the Church for family home evening. If that doesn’t work, find a night that does.
- Add variety. Help a neighbor in need, hold a lesson at the park, or go for a walk as a family.
She gives the following suggestions to help your family in your study:
-Study with a question.
-Study by topic.
-Study for guidance.
-Study with a promise.
President Ezra Taft Benson said,
"“When individual members and families immerse themselves in the scriptures regularly and consistently, … other areas of activity will automatically come. Testimonies will increase. Commitment will be strengthened. Families will be fortified. Personal revelation will flow.”
RELIEF
The teaching part of Visiting Teaching is taught in the, "Teaching No Greater Call" manual. Here is what is what we learn:
When
you are assigned to be a visiting teacher, an important part of your
responsibility is to “learn of the spiritual and temporal needs of the
sister and her family” and to “give spiritual instruction through a monthly message” (Church Handbook of Instructions, Book 2: Priesthood and Auxiliary Leaders [1998], 203). You are a teacher of the gospel.
In
order to teach the sisters assigned to you, you need to prepare
yourself spiritually and learn to apply the principles of gospel
teaching discussed in this book. You should also strive continually to
improve your teaching (see “Making a Plan to Improve Your Teaching,” pages 24–27).
As you select a message to share, remember the following instruction:
“Visiting teachers give spiritual instruction through a monthly message.
Messages that are published in the Ensign or the International Magazines are to be used as a guide and adapted to the needs of each sister”
Prepare each visiting teaching message as carefully as you would prepare a lesson for a Church class.
The following suggestions will help you as you teach the sisters you visit:
https://www.lds.org/manual/teaching-no-greater-call-a-resource-guide-for-gospel-teaching/lesson-10-the-teaching-part-of-visiting-teaching?lang=eng&query=blessing+of+visiting+teaching
- •Pray and read the scriptures together whenever possible. Use the scriptures at every appropriate opportunity. Bring them for each visit. Use them to answer questions or give counsel.
- •Follow the promptings of the Spirit as you teach.
- •Be sensitive to the time constraints of the sisters you visit.
- •Find ways for the sisters you visit to participate in the lessons. Show keen interest in what they have to say.
- •Testify of the truths you teach. Share examples of how to apply those truths in everyday life.
https://www.lds.org/manual/teaching-no-greater-call-a-resource-guide-for-gospel-teaching/lesson-10-the-teaching-part-of-visiting-teaching?lang=eng&query=blessing+of+visiting+teaching
Sweeping the Earth As If a Flood:
Have you been tempted to share the gospel with someone who is close to you? I loved this talk by Dallin H Oaks titled, "Sharing the Gospel." He says, "I have concluded that we need three things to fulfill our prophet’s challenge. First, we need a sincere desire to share the gospel. Second, we need divine assistance. Third, we need to know what to do.
Desire:
Desire:
As with so many other things, sharing the gospel begins with desire. If we are to become more effective instruments in the hands of the Lord in sharing His gospel, we must sincerely desire to do so. I believe we acquire this desire in two steps.
First,
we must have a firm testimony of the truth and importance of the
restored gospel of Jesus Christ. This includes the supreme value of
God’s plan for His children, the essential position of the Atonement of
Jesus Christ in it, and the role of The Church of Jesus Christ in
carrying out that plan in mortality.
Second,
we must have a love for God and for all of His children. In modern
revelation we are told that “love, with an eye single to the glory of
God, qualify [us] for the work” (D&C 4:5). The early Apostles of this dispensation were told that their love should “abound unto all men” (D&C 112:11).
Divine Assistance:
We also need divine assistance to guide us in sharing the gospel. Just
as our desires must be pure and rooted in testimony and love, our
actions must be directed by the Lord. It is His work, not ours, and it
must be done in His way and on His timing, not ours. Otherwise, our
efforts may be fated to frustration and failure.
Know What to Do:
When we have a sincere desire to share the gospel with others, and when
we have sought divine assistance in our efforts, what should we do? How
do we proceed? We begin by beginning. We should not wait for a further
invitation from heaven. Revelation comes most often when we are on the
move.
You can read the entire talk here:
He gives great perspective and wonderful ideas!
Relief Society Announcements:
Lesson manuals - If you or any of the ladies you visit teach have not received an Ezra Taft Benson lesson manual or the teaching schedule please get with a member of the presidency. They would like to make sure everyone who wants one gets a copy.
Lesson Schedule for January:
January 4th - President's Instruction
January 11th - Ezra Taft Benson #1 - "The Great Commandment" - Love the Lord
January 18th - Ezra Taft Benson #2 - "Pray Always"
January 25th - Teachings For Our Time - "Joseph Smith" by Elder Neil L. Anderson - November General Conference
2015 Relief Society Curriculum:
Teachings of President's of the Church - Ezra Taft Benson
Recipes on the blog:
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