Sunday, July 27, 2014

Receive the Holy Ghost

(Prior to beginning the lesson, follow through with last week’s goal/experience and encourage discussion about what they learned-this week should be about going to the temple)

Receiving the Holy Ghost

Let’s start by reviewing the basic, yet profound, characteristics of the Holy Ghost.  What do we know about him?
-He’s a third member of the God Head (D&C 130:22)
-He is a “personage of the spirit”
-He works in perfect unity with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ
-He helps us live righteously and receive the blessings of the Gospel
-He witnesses of the Father and the Son (2 Nephi 31:18)
-He reveals and teaches the truth of all things (Moroni 10:5)
-He is the only way you can receive a sure testimony of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ
-He will show unto you all things that you should do 2 Nephi 32:1–5
-He will guide you in your decisions
-He will protect you from spiritual and physical harm
-Through him, you can receive gifts of the spirit D&C 46:9–11
-He is the comforter John 14:26
-He can fill you with hope and perfect love Moroni 8:26; D&C 36:2
-Through His power, you are sanctified as you repent, receive the ordinances of baptism and confirmation, and remain true to your covenants (see Mosiah 5:1–6; 3 Nephi 27:20; Moses 6:64–68).
-He is the Holy Spirit of Promise (see Ephesians 1:13; D&C 132:7, 18–19, 26). In this capacity, He confirms that the priesthood ordinances you have received and the covenants you have made are acceptable to God. This approval depends on your continued faithfulness.
-Everyone can feel the Holy Ghost, but to have him as a constant companion and to receive the full blessings of the Holy Ghost one must be baptized and then confirmed members of the Church by the laying on of hands, by someone with proper authority. (The difference between the influence of the Holy Ghost/light of Christ and the GIFT of the Holy Ghost)
-“The Prophet Joseph Smith taught: “You might as well baptize a bag of sand as a man, if not done in view of the remission of sins and getting of the Holy Ghost. Baptism by water is but half a baptism, and is good for nothing without the other half—that is, the baptism of the Holy Ghost” (History of the Church, 5:499). We were baptized by immersion in water for the remission of sins. We must also be baptized by and immersed in the Spirit of the Lord, “and then cometh a remission of your sins by fire and by the Holy Ghost” (2 Ne. 31:17).” (Bednar, That We)

My Favorite Analogy


The stop light! (Show a picture of a stop light)
Red: Stop! Don’t do that! Physical/spiritual danger, repent
Yellow: Be careful! Warnings of all kinds
Green: Go, do!  Testify, teach. Act!

No matter what analogies we use, no matter what blessings we focus on, the Holy Ghost is simply one GIANT blessing.  If we take advantage of this priceless gift our lives will only be better than they would have otherwise been.  And chances are, the lives of those around you will also be affected in a positive way.

 “The Holy Ghost does not become operative in our lives merely because hands are placed upon our heads and those four important words are spoken. As we receive this ordinance, each of us accepts a sacred and ongoing responsibility to desire, to seek, to work, and to so live that we indeed “receive the Holy Ghost” and its attendant spiritual gifts. “For what doth it profit a man if a gift is bestowed upon him, and he receive not the gift? Behold, he rejoices not in that which is given unto him, neither rejoices in him who is the giver of the gift” (D&C 88:33).” (Bednar, Receive)

But the question remains: Once you are conferred a member of the Church and are given the Holy Ghost how exactly to you RECEIVE it?

That phrase at the end of the blessing demands, “RECEIVE the Holy Ghost”.  It doesn’t simply say, “The Holy Ghost is now yours” or “Enjoy the Holy Ghost”.  It doesn’t even say, “Utilize the Holy Ghost”.  Why does it say RECEIVE?
-It is a call to ACT
-It is recognition of the need for us to do our part
-It is a declaration that while we are entitled to the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost, that he will always be near, but that he CAN NOT help us if we do not CHOOSE to accept him; if we do not INVITE him.

The Do’s and Don’ts

“If something we think, see, hear, or do distances us from the Holy Ghost, then we should stop thinking, seeing, hearing, or doing that thing. If that which is intended to entertain, for example, alienates us from the Holy Spirit, then certainly that type of entertainment is not for us. “ (Bednar, That We)

-As teens we often focus on what we CAN’T (or shouldn’t) do.  The Word of Wisdom.  The Law of Chastity.  The Sabbath Day. It probably seems like there are oodles and oodles of additional, compounding “restrictions”.  Lying, cheating, stealing, etc.  Some of them are not even temptations, while others are true struggles.  Gossiping, being selfish with our time/resources, coveting. Everyone is different when it comes to the focus of their struggles.  But we ALL STRUGGLE.  And, if you’re like me, we all need motivation to keep going, to keep trying!  

That’s when the light bulb went on for me!  While listening to Elder Bednar’s talks (Receive the Holy Ghost, and That we May Always Have His Spirit To Be With US) it finally hit me!  The ever important WHY!  Why do we do/not do all these things?  Is it to make us happy? Yup. Is it to help us stand out? Yeah.  Is it to make us better people? Yeah.  Is it to be obedient? Absolutely.  But the core reason we ACT in accordance to the things we have been taught is to be worthy of, to invite, and to embrace the Holy Ghost! “Fundamentally, all gospel teachings and activities are centered on coming unto Christ by receiving the Holy Ghost in our lives.” (Bednar, Receive) The other reasons we behave as we do are all fine.  They are all good.  But those are mere consequences, positive as they may be, of obedience.  The true, most important purpose behind all these instructions from the Lord is to give us every tool he has to keep us and our homes filled with the Holy Ghost!  We can DO anything, we can BECOME anyone, we can SERVE everyone when we listen to and obey the Holy Ghost. Why do we follow the teachings of the Gospel?  So we can RECEIVE the Holy Ghost! Mind Blown!

Mosiah 3:19 (We will always be an enemy to God as natural men unless we have the Holy Ghost)

Now let’s focus on the DO’s.  These are the most important.  I’m of the opinion that if we submerge ourselves in the DO’s there won’t any time for the DON’Ts, and soon they aren’t even temptations (While I'm fully confident in this theory, don't for a minute think that I've perfected this.  I'm just as human as the next person).  So what shall we DO to RECEIVE the Holy Ghost?

“These four words—“Receive the Holy Ghost”—are not a passive pronouncement; rather, they constitute a priesthood injunction—an authoritative admonition to act and not simply to be acted upon.” (Bednar, Receive)

PRACTICE!
-Seek first for a sincere desire (3 Nephi 19:6, 9), “Do we likewise remember to pray earnestly and consistently for that which we should most desire, even the Holy Ghost? Or do we become distracted by the cares of the world and the routine of daily living and take for granted or even neglect this most valuable of all gifts? Receiving the Holy Ghost starts with our sincere and constant desire for His companionship in our lives.” (Bednar, Receive)
-“We cannot compel, coerce, or command the Holy Ghost. Rather, we should invite Him into our lives with the same gentleness and tenderness by which He entreats us (see D&C 42:14).” (Bednar, Receive)
-Put yourselves in situations where you: serve, hear/play music, watch wholesome church videos etc., enjoy the outdoors, participate in various forms of art, etc.
-Thoughtfully act each day, focusing on how you treat other people and how you spend your time
-Strengthen appropriate relationships with family members and friends
-Seek virtuous thoughts, actions, and language
-Worship in your homes, at church and in the temple
-Follow the commandments
-Meaningful personal and family prayer
-Study/feast upon the words of Christ
-Diligent and exacting obedience
-Faithfulness and honoring of covenants (through virtue, humility, and service)
-Worthily partake of the sacrament each week
-Have a positive attitude
-Act when you think you’re being prompted
*How do we know if it’s a prompting from the Holy Ghost?  Practice.  Only GOOD things come from our Heavenly Father.  If we ever feel like we are prompted to do something but are unsure if we’re just fooling ourselves into thinking it’s a prompting or if it actually is one, act (so long as it’s a positive prompting, what’s it going to hurt)! You’ll find out from what happens next if you were prompted or not.  From those trial and error opportunities you’ll be able to learn what’s a prompting and what’s not.  Never hesitate to do something positive; something the Lord would be pleased you had done.  Whether it was a prompting, or an idea of your own making, you’ll be serving Him and can’t go wrong.  

Praying, studying, gathering, worshipping, serving, and obeying are not isolated and independent items on a lengthy gospel checklist of things to do. Rather, each of these righteous practices is an important element in an overarching spiritual quest to fulfill the mandate to receive the Holy Ghost. The commandments from God we obey and the inspired counsel from Church leaders we follow principally focus upon obtaining the companionship of the Spirit. Fundamentally, all gospel teachings and activities are centered on coming unto Christ by receiving the Holy Ghost in our lives.” (Bednar, receive)

“In February of 1847 the Prophet Joseph Smith appeared to Brigham Young in a dream or vision. President Young asked the Prophet if he had a message for the Brethren. The Prophet Joseph replied: “Tell the people to be humble and faithful, and be sure to keep the spirit of the Lord and it will lead them right. Be careful and not turn away the small still voice; it will teach them what to do and where to go; it will yield the fruits of the kingdom” (see Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young [1997], 41; emphasis added). Of all the truths the Prophet Joseph might have taught Brigham Young on that sacred occasion, he emphasized the importance of obtaining and keeping the Spirit of the Lord.” (Bednar, That We)

Several years after the Prophet Joseph Smith was martyred, he appeared to President Brigham Young and shared this timeless counsel: “Tell the people to be humble and faithful and [be] sure to keep the Spirit of the Lord and it will lead them right. Be careful and not turn away the small still voice; it will teach [you what] to do and where to go; it will yield the fruits of the kingdom. Tell the brethren to keep their hearts open to conviction so that when the Holy Ghost comes to them, their hearts will be ready to receive it. They can tell the Spirit of the Lord from all other spirits. It will whisper peace and joy to their souls, and it will take malice, hatred, envying, strife, and all evil from their hearts; and their whole desire will be to do good, bring forth righteousness, and build up the kingdom of God. Tell the brethren if they will follow the Spirit of the Lord they will go right” (Teachings: Joseph Smith, 98).

*As a mom I have learned that each person feels the spirit differently.  Some feel it best through music, others through service, silent reflection/prayer, personal study/reading, various art mediums, physical experiences outdoors (hiking and other athletic occassions) or simply by being outside.  Just as we all have a way we learn best scholastically, we all have ways we hear and recognize the spirit better than others. (Ensign Article)

“…the Holy Ghost often teaches our children in the ways they learn best. The Prophet Joseph Smith taught that the Spirit talks to us in our language and in ways we can understand. The Holy Ghost adapts His language to be understood by all, even little children. “Our Heavenly Father is always available to us. He adapts to our level of understanding. ‘If He comes to a little child, He will adapt himself to the language and capacity of a little child’ (Joseph Smith, in History of the Church, 3:392).” (Boyack, Helping Children)

We also learned that people “hear” the Holy Ghost in a variety of ways. I was teaching a Sunday School lesson to relatively new converts, and I asked the question, “How do you feel the Spirit?” Their answers were very enlightening. One said, “I feel clarity in my thoughts.” Another said, “I have a warm feeling inside,” while another shared, “I feel a deep sense of peace.” A woman who had been a member for a few months said, “I feel prickles all over!” And several stated that they occasionally would “hear” a voice speaking to them or that new ideas would come to them.” (Boyack, Helping Children)

As we gain experience with the Holy Ghost, we learn that the intensity with which we feel the Spirit’s influence is not always the same. Strong, dramatic spiritual impressions do not come to us frequently.” (Bednar, That We)

Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles has taught: “In its more familiar forms, revelation or inspiration comes by means of words or thoughts communicated to the mind (see Enos 1:10; D&C 8:2–3), by sudden enlightenment (see D&C 6:14–15), by positive or negative feelings about proposed courses of action, or even by inspiring performances, as in the performing arts. … ‘Inspiration comes more as a feeling than as a sound.’”2





(If we have time to delve into scriptures and talk about analogies etc.)
The Liahona: A Type and Shadow for Our Day
1 Nephi 16:14-29 (How the Liahona worked) Small and simple things
1 Nephi 18:8-22 (Liahona failed until they repent and Nephi is in charge again) pride, wickedness, contention
Alma 37:38-46 (How the Liahona worked, comparison to the Holy Ghost)

Testimony
I am so grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who never leaves us stranded.  I know, without a shadow of a doubt, that the blessings of the Holy Ghost are eternally ours if we but desire them and invite him into our lives.  Our Father in Heaven is waiting to bless us and guide us back to Him.  He has given us our own individual Liahonas.  It's our turn to act; to reach out and embrace it. I know that if we do this, our lives will unfold in ways we could never imagine possible. We can become the kind of people our Heavenly Father knows we can become if we allow the Holy Ghost to show us how.  


Applicable Cop Stories:
-"What did you think was going to happen?"
-Prompting to approach the car from the passenger side

Sunday, July 13, 2014

Active Shooter Training/Parenting (A.K.A Bringing Up Children in Light and Truth)

I've missed my calling as a Relief Society teacher in MBA ward.  I have enjoyed my other callings in subsequent wards but there's nothing quite like an hour long discussion with fabulous women!  Now, I'm not a teacher in our current ward but for some reason the powers that be decided I needed to teach RS this week.  Though nervous as ever, it's been cathartic having a real motivation to dig into a lesson again.

While these are just notes and aren't nearly what I hope the lesson will be this afternoon (I rely heavily on conversation and the knowledge of others.  I really know very little.) I figured I'd add them on this blog for good measure.  Maybe one day my kids will want to read something from their mother.  We all know how horrible I've become on my personal blog (what personal blog!?!)!

Active Shooter Training Parenting

As I learn more about myself I’ve discovered that I learn best, and teach best, when my mind if full of one liners.  I don’t have the best memory, so one line is about all get.  I’m going to share a few of mine with you today.  First, we’ll revisit the classics from my Sacrament Talk:

T.T.T.=Things Take Time
When things don’t go your way, don’t get frustrated, make the best of it!
Life is hard but (with the help of the Lord) we can do hard things!

Okay, so with these things in mind we’re going to talk about raising children.  Something that ironically, I know very little about when compared to the wisdom in this room.  This is why I’ll forego the title of teacher and instead delegate myself as the RS discussion leader today.  I expect you all to teach ME.  I want to know what you DO, what you DID and what you WISH you had done as a parent.

“The first duty pertaining to the training of the children of the Church belongs in the home.”

When I was a kid my parents, unbeknownst to me, had a procedure they went through every Sunday.  They called it “Damage Control”.  Who can guess what this was all about?  It was basically asking each of us kids what we learned.  They’d get our abbreviated lesson, see what our take home message was and make sure that it was in alignment with their understanding of the gospel.  They never wanted to assume that whoever taught us had covered everything.  And they wanted to make sure nothing got lost in translation.  
The lesson I learned from “Damage Control” is that while we are so lucky to have the ward as backup, the primary responsibility of teaching children doesn’t belong to the church, the schools, or the community.  It belongs to parents, period.

Let’s briefly talk about the roles of a mother and a father:
Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, and to teach them to love and serve one another, observe the commandments of God, and be law-abiding citizens wherever they live. Husbands and wives—mothers and fathers—will be held accountable before God for the discharge of these obligations.
(Family Proclamation)

On the board we'll come up with a list for both mothers and fathers.
Father:
“By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families.” (FP)
(Some examples might be:)
-Take care of physical needs so spiritual needs can be met
-Counsel and instruct
-Leave lasting impressions
-Always be there to listen and instill love and respect
Mother:
"Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children." (FP)
(Some examples might be:)
-Teach children to be true and faithful
-Teach children to pray
-Give children good things to read/read to them
-Make sure they are cared for in every way
-Make certain they know they are loved and of immeasurable value to our Father in Heaven

Family Unity
“The importance of family unity—love and consideration for one another in the family—cannot be overemphasized. Spiritual solidarity in family relationships is the sure foundation upon which the Church and society itself will flourish. This fact is well known and appreciated by the adversary, and as never before, he is using every clever device, influence, and power within his control to undermine and destroy this eternal institution. Only the gospel of Jesus Christ applied in family relationships will thwart this devilish destructiveness.6
Active Shooter Training:
As a direct response to the Columbine shooting (12 students, 1 teacher died. Police procedure was to surround the building and negotiate because they believed time was on their side-they had never dealt with someone who simply wanted to kill as many people as they could.  They had cops begging to go in when the shooting was happening but ’protocol’ kept them out) there was a nation-wide change to protocol and training.  In the years since, the training going like this:
-First responders could be anyone, from any department-whoever is closest, could be just passing by.
-Depending on the situation, they wait for a second guy, or go in alone, but they will not be responding with their normal team. 
-They realize that they are putting themselves in harm’s way but realize that’s their job and would rather take a hit than see a civilian killed.  Instead of waiting, they run towards the shots
-They all train to be prepared in groups of 2-5 people. They learn to cover each other and kind of leap frog around, one man moving while the other covers them.  They move as fast as possible, working together.
-Even one cop using these techniques is far safer than a cop who doesn’t.  BUT using these techniques in a group exponentially increases their success and safety
-In training they spend all day running scenarios and with this new training they always win.  Even when they went against two trained SWAT guys with great plans of their own and better weapons (the SWAT guys' goal was to kill as many as they could and get away), they came out victorious.  They took a few hits, but nobody died…except the “bad guys”. 
So after telling this story, who can help me draw some parallels?

Key Parallels
Unity: The second you lose unity, things fall apart and people die.  This is no different than with our spiritual health in our families, wards, and communities.
First Responders: Sometimes, the first responders to our own emergencies aren’t part of the normal team we’re used to training with. (Margaret and my miscarriage)  Sometimes, the people who rise to the occasion and watch our back in crisis are older, younger, near, far, etc.
BASIC training: the skills we learn in our own active shooter training (in our homes, with our families) should be simple.  If we learn them and practice them, these skills will give our families the absolute best chance at a high success rate.  Using these basic skills, and unity, you can overwhelm  the enemy and stand victorious at the last day.  It will also enable us to be first responders to those around us.
Proactive: Like the tragedy at Columbine, we might experience tragedy in our lives if we are not proactive.  We don’t want to be waiting outside the building listening to gunfire.  We want to be prepared and willing to do what it takes to keep ourselves and those around us safe from the fiery darts of the adversary. 
No Safety Zone:  Just as the police have realized that they cannot keep themselves out of harm’s way and still have positive outcomes, we parents must do the same. None of us will make it out of this life without walking into a few of Satan’s ambushes.  Life has its challenges.  It’s our job to be prepared.
Success Rate: Since this training has begun it has been PROVEN successful.  Countless lives have been saved.  Similarly, training our families basic principles is a proven equation for success. 

That being said, let’s work together to create our own active shooter training!  I want to hear what you’ve done, what you’re doing, and what you wish you’d done in your families to prepare them for their spiritual ambushes.

-"K.I.S.S. Keep it Simple, Stupid"

"Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities."

1.       Example: The first tool in this tool box is unspoken, but among the most affective.  Our trainees need to know that their trainers are not only motivational speakers.  They need to know that they have been through the training and are actually using it effectively every day.  They need to see an example of what they are expected to do.  Otherwise, the training meeting isn’t even worth attending.
2.       Church: We need to teach our children the benefit of attending their church meetings as well as the importance of learning from one another.
3.       Need for ongoing nurturing of testimonies
4.       Teach them to Pray: Pray with them, let them see you pray
5.       Teach them to read good things: Scriptures, among lots of other things.  Keep scriptures out in the open where they are easily accessible and serve as a good reminder.
6.       FHE: build a solid foundation for citizenship and active church participation. Express love, bear testimony, learn gospel principles, have fun and experience wholesome recreation together, creative a sense of unity and solidarity.
7.       Teach virtue, chastity and morality: “We have confidence in the young and rising generation in the Church and plead with them not to follow the fashions and customs of the world, not to partake of a spirit of rebellion, not to forsake the paths of truth and virtue. We believe in their fundamental goodness and expect them to become pillars of righteousness and to carry on the work of the Church with increasing faith and effectiveness.31”(Manual)
8.       Set clear expectations: Our young people are among the most blessed and favored of our Father’s children. They are the nobility of heaven, a choice and chosen generation who have a divine destiny. Their spirits have been reserved to come forth in this day when the gospel is on earth, and when the Lord needs valiant servants to carry on his great latter-day work.32We must prepare [children] to be living witnesses of the truth and divinity of this great latter-day work, and particularly in the case of our sons, see that they are worthy and qualified to go on missions to preach the gospel to our Father’s other children.33 (Manual)
9.       Help children prepare to have eternal families of their own: Are you training [your children] so that when they are married they will want to go to the house of the Lord? Are you teaching them so that they will want to receive the great endowment which the Lord has in store for them? Have you impressed upon them the fact that they can be sealed as husbands and wives and have bestowed upon them every gift and every blessing that pertains to the celestial kingdom?34We must … so guide and lead [children] that they will choose proper companions and marry in the house of the Lord and thus become inheritors of all the great blessings of which we have been talking. (Manua)
10.    Other virtues and qualities we want them to have: integrity, hard work, etc.

-The things Joseph Fielding Smith talked about were seemingly simple
            -Telling stories of pioneers
            -Teaching scripture stories
            -Teaching them to pray

My Own Personal Thoughts:
            -Nothing else matters if our children don’t feel loved. “People may forget what you said or what you did but not how you made them feel”

“Never let a problem to be solved, become more important than a person to be loved.” (President Monson)

            -We need to teach our children to be optimistic (yet cautious), positive people with gratitude in their hearts. “It is what it is but it will become what you make of it” "Blessings brighten when you count them"
            -We need to relearn a skill from our childhood…how to be silly!  We need to let our kids be silly and make we share in humor as a family. “Pardon the mess my children are making memories”
            -Always be ready and willing to take the time to answer “why?”
Our children will have to be taught to discern between good and evil, otherwise in many respects they will not be able to understand why they are not permitted to indulge in practices that are common with their neighbors. Unless they are instructed in the doctrines of the Church, they will not, perhaps, understand why there is any harm in the Sunday concert, a Sunday theatre, picture show, ball game, or something of that kind, when their playmates, without restraint and with encouragement, indulge in these things forbidden of the Lord on his holy day. The parents are responsible for the proper teaching of their children, [and] the Lord will condemn the parents if their children grow up outside of the influence of the principles of the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.8  (manual)

-          Our children must also be taught to have faith.  Sometimes we don’t know WHY.  Sometimes, that just doesn’t matter.  We need to have faith that it’ll all work out for our good.

“Let your faith be bigger than your fears”

Parenthood is scary.  It's a big job.  But our Heavenly Father has loaned us these spirits because he knows we're up to the task.  I know that if we keep our focus on our families, build up our own testimonies as well as those of our children, and live the gospel the best we can, we will find success.  Remember, with the help of the Lord, we can do hard things!