Help me with my lesson...

Today I am reading this talk: - This is the "Teachings for our Times lesson that I am teaching this month:
You Know Enough
Elder Neil L. Andersen Of the Presidency of the Seventy

Today's post is some random sections of the talk, combined with my ideas on perhaps how I will teach it, or some thoughts.

While there are many experiences like the one we are having today, full of
spiritual power and confirmation, there are also days when we feel inadequate
and unprepared, when doubt and confusion enter our spirits, when we have
difficulty finding our spiritual footing. Part of our victory as disciples of
Christ is what we do when these feelings come.

Isn't this true... perhaps we can discuss as a class what the best responses to those days and situations are. Maybe- before I read any of the talk, I can have the class write down on a 3 x 5 card what makes them feel close to the Savior.- Then I can have this first quote read, - asking them to remember the most recent of these times in their personal lives, and ask, what the best responses to those days are- asking them to read what they had previously written on their card.

Faith is not only a feeling; it is a decision. He would need to choose faith.

I can ask the class- "what does he mean that faith is not only a feeling, but a decision?" Here- perhaps we could have a little video clip- from Indiana Jones- where he is taking the "steps of faith"- where he has to put his foot forth, and lean forward before the foundation appears under his foot. I could ask the class members to recall times in their lives, big and small where they "chose faith." (maybe I could ask some people ahead of time to do this)

He got on his knees. His spiritual balance returned.

I could ask the class to get up and do some balancing exercises, standing on one foot, bending over to touch the floor- do the yoga tree pose - (I would need to wear just the right outfit that morning)- We could then talk about spiritual balance... Why are we sometimes off balance spiritually- how do we find that balance again? (two knees- on the ground)

Challenges, difficulties, questions, doubts—these are part of our mortality. But
we are not alone. As disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ, we have enormous
spiritual reservoirs of light and truth available to us. Fear and faith cannot
coexist in our hearts at the same time. In our days of difficulty, we choose the
road of faith. Jesus said, “Be not afraid, only believe.”4

What are these reservoirs? How do we tap them?

"Choose the road of faith."- "Be not afraid, only believe." These sound so simple- when times are hard, when doubt and fear are all around us- how do we have this as our response?

Hadley Peay is now seven years old. Hadley was born with a very serious hearing
impairment requiring extensive surgery to bring even limited hearing. Her
parents followed with tireless training to help her learn to speak. Hadley and
her family have cheerfully adapted to the challenge of her deafness.
Once,
when Hadley was four, she was standing in the checkout line at the grocery store
with her mother. She looked behind her and saw a little boy sitting in a
wheelchair. She noticed that the boy did not have legs.
Although Hadley had
learned to speak, she had difficulty controlling the volume of her voice. In her
louder voice, she asked her mother why the little boy did not have legs.
Her
mother quietly and simply explained to Hadley that “Heavenly Father makes all of
His children different.” “OK,” Hadley replied.
Then, unexpectedly, Hadley
turned to the little boy and said, “Did you know that when Heavenly Father made
me, my ears did not work? That makes me special. He made you with no legs, and
that makes you special. When Jesus comes, I will be able to hear and you will
get your legs. Jesus will make everything all right.”

What have you learned from children, when it comes to faith?

OK- so if anyone is reading this blog and has any ideas for my lesson- how to make it better- please share :)

The Faith of a Child

In Elder Anderson's talk- I really enjoyed two of the stories that he told:

You Know Enough

Elder Neil L. Andersen Of the Presidency of the Seventy



I once visited a mission in southern Europe. I arrived on the day a new
missionary was preparing to return home at his own insistence. He had his ticket
to leave the next day.
We sat together in the mission president’s home. The
missionary told me about his challenging childhood, of learning disorders, of
moving from one family to another. He spoke sincerely of his inability to learn
a new language and adapt to a new culture. Then he added, “Brother Andersen, I
don’t even know if God loves me.” As he said those words, I felt a sure and
forceful feeling come into my spirit: “He does know I love him. He knows it.”
I let him continue for a few more minutes, and then I said, “Elder, I’m
sympathetic to much of what you’ve said, but I must correct you on one thing:
you do know God loves you. You know He does.”
As I said those words to him,
the same Spirit that had spoken to me spoke to him. He bowed his head and began
to cry. He apologized. “Brother Andersen,” he said, “I do know God loves me; I
do know it.” He didn’t know everything, but he knew enough. He knew God loved
him. That priceless piece of spiritual knowledge was sufficient for his doubt to
be replaced with faith. He found the strength to stay on his mission.

I like that perspective, that even just one piece of spiritual knowledge can be sufficient for doubt to be replaced with faith.

1 nephi 11:17:17 And I said unto him: I know that he loveth his children; nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things.

Hadley Peay is now seven years old. Hadley was born with a very serious hearing
impairment requiring extensive surgery to bring even limited hearing. Her
parents followed with tireless training to help her learn to speak. Hadley and
her family have cheerfully adapted to the challenge of her deafness.
Once,
when Hadley was four, she was standing in the checkout line at the grocery store
with her mother. She looked behind her and saw a little boy sitting in a
wheelchair. She noticed that the boy did not have legs.
Although Hadley had
learned to speak, she had difficulty controlling the volume of her voice. In her
louder voice, she asked her mother why the little boy did not have legs.
Her
mother quietly and simply explained to Hadley that “Heavenly Father makes all of
His children different.” “OK,” Hadley replied.
Then, unexpectedly, Hadley
turned to the little boy and said, “Did you know that when Heavenly Father made
me, my ears did not work? That makes me special. He made you with no legs, and
that makes you special. When Jesus comes, I will be able to hear and you will
get your legs. Jesus will make everything all right.”

I love the faith and innocence of little children. I know that Jesus does make everything all right.

I read 3 Nephi 9:22 today- a reminder of the pure faith of little children. They know enough. We know enough.

Therefore, whoso repenteth and cometh unto me as a little
child, him will I receive, for of such is the kingdom of God. Behold, for
such I have laid down my life, and have taken it up again; therefore repent,
and
come unto me ye ends of the earth, and be saved.

D2 is in Kindergarten. Her new little best friend just sent her an
invitation to her birthday party- on a Sunday. (this is her first such invitation) After our talk about how we didn't go to birthday parties on Sundays, that Sundays were for church, etc., she said, "maybe that Sunday will be General Conference again!"

DH was out of town this past weekend, and I foolishly, took all four kids to JoAnn fabrics. We were picking out yarn for scarves, and before long, I was regretting the trip.

When we got into the car, I asked,
"OK- so who was "good" in the store? "
D1 said, "I was good!"

D2 added, "I was good!"

(this was true- they were good.)

S1 (3 years old) followed with the same tone of voice as his sisters, "I was bad!"

(true, true, all true.)

I just love how children tell the truth!

3 Nephi 4 Faith and Doubt

The first Sunday of every month, at BYU, the students get together and go to the Marriott Center for the CES fireside. Boys love to ask girls to go, as it is the least expensive date on campus. With that said, I rarely seemed to be asked, but all of my gorgeous roommates were asked every time, leaving me looking for someone to walk there with. (I was fine going by myself, but then my roommates would feel bad for me, and insist that I go with them and their date- I was pathetic, I know) (I think I am still a little bitter:) This time, however, I did have a date. We were going to see President Hunter speak. Facing the speaker, we were sitting on the left side, about 2/3 of the way up. The fireside began like usual. The choir sang, the benediction was given, the speaker was introduced. Not long after President Hunter stood up to speak, a psycho in a white suit stormed the stage area, and, carrying a suitcase that he said contained a bomb, tried to get the prophet to read a letter, saying that he (the psycho) was going to lead the church. It was so bizzar. I remember when he first stood up, and threatened those in the fireside with the bomb, it was really scary. It wasn't until someone in the audience started singing, "We Thank Thee Oh God for a Prophet"- that everything changed. We all started singing, and the entire atmosphere in the Marriott center changed. The man, (Cody Judy) still had the briefcase, but he had lost his power, because we had lost our fear- it was replaced with faith.

3 Nephi 4:7 And it came to pass that they (the Gadianton Robbers) did come up to battle; and it was in the sixth month; and behold, great and terrible was the day that they did come up to battle; and they were girded about after the manner of robbers; and they had a lamb-skin about their loins, and they were dyed in blood, and their heads were shorn, and they had head-plates upon them; and great and terrible was the appearance of the armies of Giddianhi, because of their armor, and because of their being dyed in blood.

Sometimes the challenges before me are scary. They can seem daunting, even impossible to overcome. I get the feeling that such was the case with the Gadianton Robbers and their blood-dyed loin cloths. Whenever great challenges come before me, the great question is how will I respond, with fear or faith in Christ?

Peter started walking on water, before some doubt crept in: Matt. 14: 31

31 And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?

The Stripling Warriors were miraculously preserved, as they exercised their faith, doubting not. Alma 56:48 We do not doubt our mothers knew it.

Here is the Nephite's response to the Gadianton Robbers:

8 And it came to pass that the armies of the Nephites, when they saw the appearance of the army of Giddianhi, had all fallen to the earth, (they fell to the earth- but not with fear, but rather as a way to put their faith in God- through prayer, for their deliverance.) and did lift their cries to the Lord their God, that he would spare them and deliver them out of the hands of their enemies.

And so it was- they overcame and were preserved- here is their conclusion:

31 And it came to pass that they did break forth, all as one, in singing, and praising their God for the great thing which he had done for them, in preserving them from falling into the hands of their enemies.

32 Yea, they did cry: Hosanna to the Most High God. And they did cry: Blessed be the name of the Lord God Almighty, the Most High God.

33 And their hearts were swollen with joy, unto the gushing out of many tears, because of the great goodness of God in delivering them out of the hands of their enemies; and they knew it was because of their repentance and their humility that they had been delivered from an everlasting destruction.

What a great example- they replaced fear with faith, and when they prevailed, they knew the source of their success, and gave credit and thanks to God.

I like this quote from Joseph Smith:

“But those who have not made this sacrifice to God do not know that the course which they pursue is well pleasing in his sight; for whatever may be their belief or their opinion, it is a matter of doubt and uncertainty in their mind; and where doubt and uncertainty are there faith is not, nor can it be. For doubt and faith do not exist in the same person at the same time; so that persons whose minds are under doubts and fears cannot have unshaken confidence; and where unshaken confidence is not there faith is weak; and where faith is weak the persons will not be able to contend against all opposition, tribulations, and afflictions which they will have to encounter in order to be heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ Jesus; and they will grow weary in their minds, and the adversary will have power over them and destroy them.” (Lectures on Faith, 1891 ed., 6:2, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12.)

Back to the Marriott center- A man in the front row sprayed Cody Judy with pepper spray, and the bodyguards and some audience members overtook him. All it took was a song- and fear was replaced with faith. Sometimes, in my life, it doesn't seem quite so easy, but knowing that doubt and faith cannot exist in the same person at the same time, lets me know that I can overcome my doubts and fears, through exercising my faith.

POST SCRIPT

The big wining costume at the Halloween party I attended the following year was a "Cody Judy" look alike.

I found Cody Judy in Wikipedia, and found out that in 2002 he ran for the House of Representatives and received 8 votes.

In 2004 he ran for Senate and received 16 votes.

In googling his name I saw a yahoo video saying that he was running for president in 2008.