Happiness For 4 Seminary Teachers

Jacob was a senior in my class last year. He's one of those amazing young men who came to seminary early every day, helped me set up the classroom, and memorized all 100 Scripture Mastery scriptures over the 4 years he attended seminary.  Today he invited his former seminary teachers to his home at 4:30 p.m. to watch him open his mission call with his family.  Really?  What an honor!

He's been called to serve in Washington, D.C. on an American Sign Language Mission and reports to the MTC in January!  How cool is that?  Jacob took ASL in high school so he's very excited to use it on his mission.  I'd say he's prepared for this moment in his life for a looooooong time now.  He's one of these strong ones in this RISING GENERATION of youth. We're so proud of him!

Today was a special day for Jacob. His gesture of including us in this special moment with his family was so incredibly gracious.  It was a gesture of gratitude.  Well Jacob, "you're welcome".  But really, "thank YOU!"

 

"Keep It Simple"

I threw down the challenge today. 

We've noticed a pattern in the scriptures beginning with Lehi. 

1. Someone bears his testimony of what he knows is true. (Lehi)
2. Someone else hears his testimony of the truth and has a desire to know for himself.  (Nephi)
3. He exerts faith by doing; living the principle testified of, or praying, etc. (Nephi prayed)
4. He then receives confirmation from the Spirit of the truth that was testified. (The Lord "visited" Nephi and softened his heart.)
5. Because he now knows by the Spirit, he can testify of what he knows is true. (Nephi testified to Sam.)

As we read through the Book of Mormon, we begin "plugging in" different people in the "Someone" or the "Someone else" spot.   Nephi goes from the "Someone else" spot to the "Someone" spot at the top.  And this continues throughout the book with different people.  This is how the Spirit is able to reach into the heart of another person.  This is how we allow the Spirit to work through us, and we then become instruments in the hand of the Lord. We must open our mouths. Someone has to start.

So far in class, our concentration has been on being the one who desires to know for himself.  We've focused on knowing how to go from steps 2-5.   Today I challenged my awesome class to put themselves in the TOP SPOT.  With fast and testimony meeting coming this Sunday, I challenged them to bear their testimonies in their own ward sacrament meetings of what they knew to be TRUE.   I, (gulp!), told them I'd do the same. 

(Moan, groan, "nooooooo"!)  Can't you just hear them? But some hands went up when I asked who would be willing to accept my challenge. 

The best part was when a class member told us that bearing your testimony can be very simple.  It doesn't have to be long, and when he bears his testimony, he tries to just KEEP IT SIMPLE. 

'Nuff said.  (Feedback on Monday.)

"Shhhh. The Spirit Whispereth."

Let the Holy Spirit guide;

Let him teach us what is true.

He will testify of Christ,

Light our minds with heaven's view.

Let the Holy Spirit guard;

Let his whisper govern choice.

He will lead us safely home

If we listen to his voice.

Let the Spirit heal our hearts

Thru his quiet, gentle pow'r.

May we purify our lives

To receive him hour by hour.

(LDS Hymns, Hymn 143, "Let the Holy Spirit Guide",

Text: Penelope Moody Allen, b. 1939. (c) 1985 IRI)

The students in my class who chose this hymn to sing this morning were inspired.  How interesting that the hymn prompts us to "let or allow" the Spirit to guide us. As we covered The Words of Mormon today, I was touched by the examples 3 members of our class gave of times they were prompted by the Holy Ghost to DO something, without knowing why.   How awesome that they are able to recognize what a prompting from the Spirit feels like. 

Nephi was prompted by the Spirit to prepare a set of smaller plates, without knowing why at the time.   The Lord commanded Nephi "to make these plates for a wise purpose in him, which purpose I know not. But the Lord knoweth all things from the beginning; wherefore, he prepareth a way to accomplish all his works among the children of men" (1 Nephi 9:5-6)

Mormon, centuries later, was prompted to include these small plates of Nephi along with his abridgement of the large plates of Nephi, again, without knowing why.   He says, "And I do this for a wise purpose; for thus it whispereth me, according to the workings of the Spirit of the Lord which is in me. And now, I do not know all things; but the Lord knoweth all things which are to come; wherefore, he worketh in me to do according to his will." (Words of Mormon 1:7)

Both of these prophets were not aware WHY they were moved upon by the Spirit to do what they did except that the Lord had commanded it.  They were both willing to be instruments in the hand of the Lord, without knowing why.  The Prophet Joseph Smith understood WHY.  In 1828, when the 116 pages of manuscript were lost, Joseph Smith was able to begin translation of the small plates of Nephi which covered the same period of time the lost manuscript covered.  The Lord's work was not going to be frustrated; all things in their proper order. 

I was impressed by the word "whispereth" that Mormon uses.  As if in order to hear the Spirit, we must be still; quiet. There are times when the Spirit will caution us, protect us, teach us, inspire us, and move us to DO something.  And sometimes without knowing why.   We don't need to know why.  We need to be good about not needing to know why.   We only need to be ready to DO when He prompts us.

Can you imagine?

Since becoming a seminary teacher, my scriptures have become as important for me to tote around as my wallet, cell phone,  or keys.   I take them everywhere.  I never know when I might have a few minutes to sit and read them.  I have one of those "pocket-sized" copies of the Book of Mormon in my purse, too.  Just in case.   I know.  One of my daughters calls me a "scripture geek".   It is what it is.  I find it fascinating how one can discover something NEW every time they read them.  Fascinating!

Reading them brings me peace.  I've come to understand who God is and how much He loves us.  The scriptures contain his commandments, his laws, and testimonies of those who know Him.

Have you ever wondered what your life would be like without scriptures? 

I found it interesting in the Book of Mormon to learn of some of the Lord's covenant people who were without scriptures/records.  We find in the Book of Omni, that Mosiah, a descendant of Lehi, discovered a large group of people in Zarahemla whose ancestors also left Jerusalem centuries before, as Lehi did.  The difference between Lehi's group, and these people of Zarahemla (a.k.a., the Mulekites) is that Lehi's group had a record of their people (the Jews), and the others didn't.  When Mosiah and the Nephites met the Mulekites, they realized that "their language had become corrupted; and they had brought no records with them; and they denied the being of their Creator; and Mosiah, nor the people of Mosiah, could understand them." (Omni 1:17)  The Mulekites' language had degenerated, they lost their culture, their doctrine, and they didn't know God.  All this was due to the fact that they had taken no scriptural record with them when they left Jerusalem. 

King Benjamin, Mosiah's son, taught, "...Were it not for these plates, which contain these records and these commandments, we must have suffered in ignorance, even at this present time, not knowing the mysteries of God." (Mosiah 1:3)   The mysteries of God are truths learned only by faith and revelation; FAITH in God, and REVELATION from God.

A life without knowing God?   I can't imagine....................

"For They Did PRICK THEIR HEARTS With the Word."

In our Church, there are many meetings that we attend; we are a Church of meetings!  That's good. We sit through many talks and lessons over our lifetime.  Some of them build our faith, and others call us to repentance. The ones that call us to repentance either solidify our testimonies of the gospel (usually if we are living consistent with what is being taught), or they "prick our hearts".   A "heart-pricking" is a GOOD thing!  It's meant to humble us.  It's a sign and an opportunity for us to "turn" back to the Lord and repent.  Perhaps if we didn't feel the "pricking", natural consequences of our actions might send us through a trial that would have the same effect on us, but be more painful.  Perhaps a "STAB", rather than a "prick"?

In the Book of Jarom, he notes this description of the Nephites who lived during his time.  There was much to be done to humble them "...because of the hardness of their hearts, and the deafness of their ears, and the blindness of their minds, and the stiffness of their necks..." (Jarom 1:3)  President Ezra Taft Benson tells us that this is PRIDE.  Fortunately for the Nephites, their leaders were faithful men of God.

Their spiritual preparation: Their "...leaders were mighty men of the faith of the Lord", and they taught the Nephites the ways of the Lord.  (Jarom 1:7)

The temporal result of their spiritual preparation: "...We withstood the Lamanites and swept them away out of our lands, and began to fortify our cities, and whatsoever place of our inheritance." (Jarom 1:7) "...And thus being prepared to meet the Lamanites, they did not prosper against us.  But the word of the Lord was verified, which he spake unto our fathers, saying that: Inasmuch as ye will keep my commandments ye shall prosper in the land." (Jarom 1:9)  Couldn't we use this same spiritual preparation to "sweep away" Satan?

They had stalwart leaders who served valiantly in their callings to continually use the word of the Lord to remind them of their covenants with Him, and to look to the Savior for their salvation through the Atonement.  "....They kept them from being destroyed upon the face of the land; for they did prick their hearts with the word, continually stirring them up unto repentance.." (Jarom 1:12) 

We just recently listened to General Conference and our stake held a Stake Conference a few weeks ago. There was much to be heard; I felt a few "pricks". When we feel those "pricks", we'd be wise to make some adjustments in our lives so that the next time we hear similar talks, we wouldn't say "ouch!".

Returning to Lehi's Vision

As I was pondering what we learned this past week in the book of Jacob, I found it more than coincidental that everything could relate back to Lehi's Vision. That's something that had never occurred to me before in reading and studying the Book of Mormon.

Monday's lesson - Pride (Jacob 2)

Tuesday's lesson - Riches, Wealth & Pride (Jacob 2)

Wednesday's lesson - Immorality, Unchastity (Jacob 2-3)

Thursday's lesson - Having your actions consistent with that you know (Jacob 3)

Today in Seminary we referred back to Lehi's vision and tried to identify the parts of his vision that would apply to what we learned this past week.  It all seems to apply. 

The Great & Spacious building described in 1 Nephi 8:26-27, 33 and 1 Nephi 11:35-36 describe the lifestyle of some of the Nephites in Jacob 2-3.   The building is filled with a variety of different people wearing fine clothing, mocking those who are being obedient to spiritual things.   If they were once spiritual people, they no longer feel the Spirit or have an understanding of things NOT of this world.  If they have never learned to recognize the Light of Christ, we can understand why they scorn those who have.  They are caught up in PRIDE and SELF.

Wednesday's & Thursday's lessons dealt with being loyal to the Lord, keeping your actions consistent with what you know, and being accountable for that.   We went back to Lehi's vision in 1 Nephi 8 and re-identified the 4 groups of people in his vision.

1.  vvs. 21-23 - People on the path, lost their way in the darkness, never caught hold of the rod.

2.  vvs. 24-25, 28 - People on the path, pressing forward clinging to the rod, ate the fruit, were ashamed after heeding influence from the world, fell away.

3.  vvs. 30, 33 - People on the path, pressing forward holding fast to the rod, ate the fruit, heeded not the world.

4.  vvs. 31-32 - People who never made it to the path, lost, never made it to the rod, went the way of the world.

We discussed which people were more accountable for what they knew, and which ones stayed loyal to the Lord. We also applied D&C 82:3 to these groups of people in Lehi's vision.  It was very interesting to become re-acquainted with this vision. As we keep referring back to it, my class is becoming better at relating the people in the vision to groups of people today.  I asked our class to try to see if they could apply whatever they are reading in the Book of Mormon to Lehi's vision.  It may not always fit, but let's just see what does fit.  It brings greater light to our understanding.  I'm sure we will discover more as we continue.  How exciting!

JUST DO IT!

Here are my thoughts from today's seminary lesson in Jacob 3:3-11......

When I was little, my dad used to have a paperweight on his desk that said, "DO IT".  Whenever I hear the Nike slogan or see the logo, "Just Do It.", I think of my dad.  Nike has the right idea.

So did President Spencer W. Kimball, 12th president of the Church who has said, “We must lengthen our stride and must do it now.”

President Gordon B. Hinckley, 15th President of the Church, gave a talk to the youth and young single adults on 12 November 2000 in Salt Lake City titled “A Prophet’s Counsel and Prayer for Youth."  In it he shared some counsel to help the youth face the challenges ahead of them:

"Be loyal to the Church under all circumstances.....This is the very work of God designed to bring about the immortality and eternal life of His sons and daughters.......Walk in faith before Him with your heads high, proud of your membership in this great cause and kingdom which He has restored to the earth in this, the last dispensation of the fulness of times. Why? To bring you happiness...............Be true to your own convictions. You know what is right, and you know what is wrong. You know when you are doing the proper thing. You know when you are giving strength to the right cause. Be loyal. Be faithful. Be true, my beloved associates in this great kingdom."

The Nephites didn't have either President Kimball or President Hinckley, but they had Jacob.  In chapter 3 of Jacob in the Book of Mormon, the Nephites have not kept their actions consistent with what they know. There has been a "disconnect", somewhat of a slumber, with what they know, and how they have been living.  Because of this, there has been an absence of the Spirit in their lives; an absence of divine direction.  They know better, but have not done better. 

It's interesting that Jacob uses the words, "...arouse the faculties of your souls; shake yourselves that ye may awake from the slumber of death", as if they have not been conscious of what they have been doing. They've been distracted, preoccupied, incoherent, disjointed, non-alert.  The PRIDE that they have developed has allowed temptation to creep into their lives until they are in a state of being "unaware" of their inconsistency in living the gospel.  They will be held accountable for the light, knowledge, and understanding they have received and comprehend.  So will we.

Sometime in our life, when we're ready, we come to understand that living true to what we know, brings us peace and contentment.  It invites the Spirit to dwell with us.  Blessings flow through our obedience in LIVING the gospel of Jesus Christ and not just saying we're living the gospel.  We must be alert and aware at all times, 'lest the adversary deceive us and distract us from doing good things......Maybe we can work on minimizing that periodical "disconnect" that happens when we lose focus. 

If Jacob were here, he'd tell us to open our eyes and "Just Do It."!