22 April 2018 - Sunday

22 April 2018 - Sunday

This has been a marvelous Sabbath Day in the MTC!  We had our senior district Sacrament meeting and classes.  We had three closing firesides throughout the afternoon, and we are now settling in for the evening.  To be real honest with you, I have been excited to blog some experiences I have had today.  Are you ready?

First, mom and I attended Sacrament meeting this morning and the topic was "enduring to the end".  Our friends, the Bates, spoke about enduring to the end and Sister Bates even emphasized "enduring well".  Then our district President's wife, Sister Giles spoke and made this observation;  Jesus is known and endeared by many names, two of which are "Beginning" and "End".  And then she put the theme of the Sacrament together, "enduring well to the End".  Enduring well until we greet the Savior.  I have never thought about that before!

Then mom and I gave some simple 5 minute training discussion modules for Sunday School.  Mom gave "knowledge" from the Preach My Gospel manual, and I gave some thoughts and discussion on the Priesthood ordinance of blessing the "sick and the afflicted".  Mom did an excellent job on her presentation on knowledge.  It is so much fun to see her in action!

I had to share the definition of afflicted from  the dictionary and used some examples from Job as definitions.  A few minutes later an Elder spoke on the attribute of patience and quoted from Alma 17:10-11;

10 And it came to pass that the Lord did visit them with his Spirit, and said unto them: Be comforted. And they were comforted.

11 And the Lord said unto them also: Go forth among the Lamanites, thy brethren, and establish my word; yet ye shall be patient in long-suffering and afflictions, that ye may show forth good examples unto them in me, and I will make an instrument of thee in my hands unto the salvation of many souls.

Without any knowledge of our assignments, the messages were the same.  It was apparent that the Lord coordinated our assignments through the Spirit.  That has been the rule this entire week.

Now to continue the observations from the murals here at the new facilities at the MTC:

Joseph in Liberty Jail

Points to ponder:

• What could the light represent?
• What could the darkness represent?
• Have you ever felt such hopelessness and despair?

Read together D&C 122:7-9

• Why did Joseph receive these words of comfort?
• How did he yoke himself with Jesus Christ and let Him help bear his burdens?
• How can you teach this kind of reliance on the Lord to those you serve?
• What experiences have you had that have helped you to grow?
• What are other phrases in the Scriptures of the Lord speaking to those who are enduring trials?

Now ask each other; How will I allow my experiences to help me grow?

Martha preparing to receive the Lord in her home

Points to ponder:

• What do you learn about Martha from the mural?
• What general feeling in the room do you get when you look at the mural?

Read together Luke 10:41-42

• How has Martha been preparing for the Savior?
• How has Martha shown that she loves the Lord?
• How are we like Martha?
• How does the Lord help me realign my priorities?

Now ask each other; Are my priorities aligned with the Lord's?

Paul's journey

Points to ponder:

• What was Paul's journey?
• Do I let others influence my decisions?
• Do I fear man more than God?

Now read together Acts 9:6

• How can I be ready to receive instruction from the Lord?
• Am I humble enough to put aside my perceptions and do the Lord's work?
• What was the Lord able to do with Paul after he was "enlightened"?
• What qualities did Paul have that helped him be a disciple?

Now ask each other; Am I ready to do the Lord's work in the Lord's way?

As a final thought tonight, aren't we so grateful to have a living Prophet as a guide to help us through these challenging times?  As we are steering our ships to the rocky coastline, with the goal of returning to our Heavenly Father, we have a Prophet that gives us a second course setting as we navigate the treacherous harbor filled with rocks and shallow waterways and reefs that can destroy us.  President Russell M. Nelson is that Prophet today and I know he is directed by the Lord to help us maneuver these challenging times.  There is no question in my mind that his leadership will help us safely through!  I love this quote from Sunday morning's General Conference on April 1st; 

"Our Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ, will perform some of His mightiest works between now and when He comes again. We will see miraculous indications that God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, preside over this Church in majesty and glory. But in coming days, it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting, and constant influence of the Holy Ghost."