Insights from Jeffrey R Holland "A Prayer for the Children"

The Savior felt a great need to pray for and bless the children. As we too must be praying for the little children as there are destructive influences always swirling around them. We are not alone, and we do not tremble as if, abandoned in doing our part, we can live the gospel and defend its principles, we can declare to others the sure Way, the saving Truth, the joyous Life. "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."( John 14:6) As parents we can hold life together the way its always held together with love and faith. "And whatsoever they shall speak when moved upon by the Holy Ghost shall be scripture, shall be the will of the Lord, shall be the mind of the Lord, shall be the word of the Lord, shall be the voice of the Lord, and the power of God unto salvation."(D&C 68:4)
Parents simply cannot flirt with skepticism or cynicism, then be surprised when their children expand that flirtation into full blown romance. "Thy tacklings are loosed; they could not well strengthen their mast, they could not spread the sail: then is the prey of a great spoil divided; the lame take the prey."(Isaiah 33:23) In matters of religion, a skeptical mind is not a higher manifestation of virtue than is a believing heart. Live the gospel as conspicuously as you can. Keep the commandments your children know you have made, give priesthood blessings and bear your testimony!
"For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do."  "And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins."  "And now behold, my people, ye are a stiffnecked people; wherefore, I have spoken plainly unto you, that ye cannot misunderstand.  And the words which I have spoken shall stand as a testimony against you; for they are sufficient to teach any man the right way; for the right way is to believe in Christ and deny him not; for by denying him ye also deny the prophets and the law." ( 2 Nephi 25: 23, 26, 28) Have our children ever unexpectedly opened a closed door and found us on our knees in prayer? God will send aid to no one more readily than he will send it to a child-and to the parent of the child.

Eternal Families

The earth was created for us, its our eternal home. So families could be formed, sealed and exalted. "BEHOLD, I will reveal unto you the Priesthood, by the hand of Elijah the prophet, before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.And he shall plant in the hearts of the children the promises made to the fathers, and the hearts of the children shall turn to their fathers. If it were not so, the whole earth would be utterly wasted at his coming."(D&C 2) Eternal families is our ultimate goal. In one way or another Satan has attacked the concept of the family unit! Everything in the gospel revolves around the family. There is a lot more love within the church, yet outside it there is much fear. Satan is working hard on trying to divide up families. he did all of this for us. The work of Genealogy is on ALL of us!! There is much work for us to do. We also need to have a desire to do the work for those that are in the Sprit World. The spirit of Elijah influence us to look into our ancestors, such as research and the temple work and to learn about our ancestors. We need to do this work with a great desire. This is a important work for us to do and it can give us the greatest joy. Every single person counts, they are real people and need to receive these real blessings. We need to pray and think about these people, and it will make the experience so much more satisfying. Its so special for them to receive these blessings. He needs us to do this work and He can't do it alone. When we serve others, we can feel spiritually enriched and fulfilled. when we participate in this work, we can become 'Saviors on Mount Zion'. as we do this work we become more like our Savior, Jesus Christ

The First Thanksgiving in Utah

Thursday, 10 August 1848 dawned warm and bright all over the Salt Lake Valley. After a harsh year, the prospect of a good harvest had revived the spirits of the Latter-day Saints, and everyone wanted to set aside a day for Utah’s (then called the State of Deseret) first Thanksgiving.
The festivities didn’t begin in the afternoon or evening, as they do now, but in the morning. Many children were up early. The girls helped their mothers prepare cakes, pies, and other pastries. The boys helped pull beets and carrots and cleaned cucumbers, radishes, and beans—all soon to be part of the wonderful feast.
Large baskets filled with pastries were placed under a large bowery (an open-sided building) on tables decorated for the feast. Fathers and sons proudly pulled carts heaped high with garden vegetables. Even the youngest Saints gathered at the bowery, each bringing so much food they almost couldn’t carry it all.
At nine o’clock sharp, a hush fell over the crowd. The festivities began solemnly, as a white flag was raised on a Liberty Pole decorated with sheaves of wheat, barley, oats, and a single ear of green corn. As the flag crept up the pole, a cannon was fired and the band began playing. When the flag reached the top of the pole, the people cheered loudly and cried out in unison, “Hosanna to God and the Lamb, forever and ever, amen.”
The Saints then stood and sang “Harvest Song,” written by Parley P. Pratt especially for the occasion. The voices of the Saints were strong and unified as they sang the chorus:

“Let us join in the dance, let us join in the song.
To thee, O Jehovah, the praises belong.
All honor, all glory, we render to thee;
Thy cause is triumphant, thy people are free.”

After the song, several prominent leaders took turns giving speeches about how the Lord had blessed them in allowing this joyful harvest. After the speeches, Elder John Taylor (who later became the third President of the Church) offered a Thanksgiving prayer of praise and blessing on the food.
At noon, a bugle sounded, and several hundred Saints sat down to a wonderful dinner of bread, beef, cheese, green corn, melons, lettuce, radishes, beets, onions, peas, carrots, cucumbers, parsnips, squash, and beans. After that, those who could find room enjoyed cakes, pies, and pastries.
At two o’clock, the bugle sounded again. The tables were cleared and the benches removed, making room for dancing. As the band played, as many as 50 couples at a time danced the Virginia reel and quadrilles (a kind of square dance).
The day had been such an enormously successful event, surely you would think that a grand tradition had been started. But, strangely, that wasn’t what happened. The quickly-growing population made it impractical to have another citywide feast. Three years after the first celebration, in the fall of 1851, President Brigham Young, then governor of the Territory of Utah, proclaimed 1 January 1852 a “Day of Praise and Thanksgiving.” President Young asked the Saints to spend the day as families, joyfully, thankfully, and prayerfully, “in response to the time-honored custom of our fathers at Plymouth Rock.” It became a day for Saints to share their hearts with one another and with God and share their substance with the poor. Today many people celebrate Thanksgiving in different ways and on different dates, but the spirit of love and gratitude celebrated by the early pioneers remains the same.

Helping Others Recognize the Spirit

There are 3 ways to help others recognize the whispering of the Holy Ghost.
1. Understanding the doctrine for example through the scriptures, there are many different ways on receiving the Spirit.
2. Sharing personal testimony of the influence of the Spirit.
3. Providing an environment where the Spirit can be felt daily in our homes. We also need to have quiet moments in our lives, so that the Spirit can reach us and learn to live the gospel each day.
We must do things in our lives so that so that the Holy Ghost may be present. We must keep ourselves clean to be able to have the Spirit with us. We need to learn to exercise our faith in the Lord, to recognize the voice of the Spirit. Sometimes we hear the voice of the Spirit by answers of prayer. This is spiritual revelation. when we receive spiritual promptings we must act on those promptings. "Draw near unto me and I will draw near unto you; seek me diligently and ye shall find me; ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you"(D&C 88:63)  There are many things that the Holy Ghost can do for us such as bring comfort, peace, knowledge, joy and also warn us for safety. We need to also make sure we are listening to the Spirit. "Neither take ye thought beforehand what ye shall say; but treasure up in your minds continually the words of life, and it shall be given you in the very hour that portion that shall be meted unto every man."(D&C 84:85) Once we have the Spirit with us, we must do the things to keep the Spirit with us. The Spirit helps us to get back on track, no matter how far off track we are. We need to do all we can do to make sure the Spirit is with us. The Lord is in charge. We all face adversity. The Holy Ghost can become our constant companion. let us have a partnership with the Holy Ghost. What an important aspect that is in our lives.

Shall We Not Go Forward In So Great A Cause

Whatever our temporal conditions may be, once we have turned over our hearts to the Lord and decided we want to be like him, the process of following him becomes one of joy rather than white knuckled endurance. What do we want? And what are we willing to do to get it? Are we willing to yield our hearts to the Lord? "And now, because of the covenant which ye have made ye shall be called the children of Christ, his sons, and his daughters; for behold, this day he hath spiritually begotten you; for ye say that your hearts are changed through faith on his name; therefore, ye are born of him and have become his sons and his daughters."(Mosiah 5:7) The choice is ours for what we'll ultimately want. The one sure measure of a person's conversion was how he/she treats others. When we turnh our hearts to the Lord, we instinctively open our hearts to others "Now, it came to pass that when I had heard these words I began to feel a desire for the welfare of my brethren, the Nephites; wherefore, I did pour out my whole soul unto God for them." (Enos 1:9)

The Spirit cannot dwell in a home, a ward, or a relationship where there is criticism. Contention neutrolizes us spiritually when we fall to champion to one another, we in essence betray each other. The Lord has reserved that right for himself, because only He knows our hearts and understand the varying circumstances of our lives. Principle and covenants are the same for all of us. Charity is demonstrated when we give someone the benefit of the doubt, or readily accept an apology. Lucy Mack Smith said "We must cherish one another, watch over one another, and comfort one another that we may all sit down in Heaven together. The cause of women is to help build up the kingdom of God. The time has come for us to arise as never before and to let our light be a stard for nations. The Lord needs every one of us "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek." (Romans 1:16) HE IS OUR ADVOCATE, OUR DELIVERER, AND OUR REDEEMER

Healing The Wounded Soul

President Packer said. “You won’t survive spiritually unless you know how to receive revelation. The still small voice of the spirit. It’s a noisy world and you’re going to have to learn that revelation comes in the quiet times. It will come when the lord can speak to your feelings. The lord will speak to you; he will never fail to answer your prayers.” The problem is that we need have quiet times so that he can speak to us. As we spend time meditating, and In the midst of our meditation we will suddenly discover what we need to do. We’ll discover how we can heal ourselves, how we can change and how we can bless. (We’re usually just to busy) We have to have quiet times to be able to hear the voice of the spirit and come to know the savior. (Meditation is the key)

Misbehavior: People don’t usually misbehave because they are bad people, they misbehave because they are wounded, they’re hurt, and their lack of desire to please and to serve their master (Jesus Christ) is totally influenced by their pain, suffering and wounds. Generally these people’s misbehaviors are because they are wounded. Often times “We” don’t know the whole story about these people and how often are we so quick to judge. How often do we put them down, get upset at them or talk bad about them because of their misbehavior? When in reality their lack of desire and motivation to do that which is good, isn’t there because of internal pain. Their misbehavior has nothing to do with who and what they REALLY are.

These types of wounds have to heal from the inside out; we must be patient with people. But when they are healed you won’t even be able to tell that there has ever been a wound there. The savior can Heal without a scar.
Again, most misbehavior is not about people being bad, or worthless, or stupid… it’s about wounds, and pain, and insecurity, and hurt.

How often do we ourselves get up set, and when we are hurting inside or in pain, we say things that we don’t really mean. It’s often quoted that “hurting people, hurt people. “ Your whole misbehavior has nothing to do with your lack of love for the other person. It had to do with your own pain, your own insecurity, and your own wounds. And as a result we often bark back, we say something or do something that we normally wouldn’t do.

What about those who suffer from drugs? What about those that have been victims of sexual, physical or verbal abuse? What about someone who absolutely hate themselves because they’ve been told that they are stupid or ugly or they don’t like the way that they look.
We need to stop saying “You stupid idiot, why would you do that? “ And instead ask “What is it that has caused such deep pain, such deep wounds, such deep insecurity that you would behave in such a manner? We need to work to be more understanding and see what’s behind it all and why they might do those things. We might consider the questions…Why would drugs be so attractive, why would pornography be so attractive, what is missing in your life? What pain, what hurt, what insecurity, what need is not being met? Then we might see in what way we might love and help them.

Jacob 2:8 “And it supposeth me that they have come up hither to hear the pleasing word of God, yea, the word which healeth the wounded soul.”

The word of god heals wounded souls. Jacob himself knows about being wounded because he lived it. He was a victim of abuse from his two oldest brothers. We see that the drenching of ourselves in the living waters of the scriptures will begin to heal our wounds. With prayer, scripture study and meditation we will discover how to handle our difficulties. We will have the spirit of revelation come upon us.

President Faust was asked, “ President Faust, What are we going to do to overcome all the addiction that we face in this world, alcohol, drugs, pornography?” President Faust put his elbow on the podium, put his chin into his hand, and said, “Get them to hold faster and tighter to the Iron Rod (The scriptures).“ If you let it get in you the word of god will heal your wounded heart, feelings and emotions.

When people become truly healed, all they care about is pleasing their Heavenly Father, and loving and serving him. They will want to love and serve their master. Our lord, Our Savior and our King, Jesus Christ. But many times those who misbehave don’t get it because their wounds have been so deep that they haven’t been able to see clearly.

3rd Nephi 9: 13 “O all ye that are spared because ye were more righteous than they, will ye not now return unto me, and repent of your sins, and be converted, that I may heal you?” It’s a question, “will you let me heal you”, that’s all he wants to do.
1st Nephi 15: 24 “And I said unto them that it was the word of God; and whoso would hearken unto the word of God, and would hold fast unto it, they would never perish; neither could the temptations and the fiery darts of the adversary overpower them unto blindness, to lead them away to destruction.”

The Healing balm is the word of god which health the wounded soul. We can’t force anyone to read scripture or to feel the way we feel.

Elder Nelson said “ Man is that he might have joy, NOT Guilt Trips.” How often do we put guilt trips on people? One might say for example “Well if you don’t go on a mission then you just don’t love the lord.” Instead we should understand that maybe the reason that they don’t want to go on a mission is because they are wounded and they haven’t been able to see clearly yet. This goes for any other misbehavior problem we might see.

Well, How do we get the word of god into those people suffering from wounds, and particularly into the Book of Mormon? We must Love, Lead, and teach out of our own healed and changed hearts. President Lee said, “We will never help another unless “WE” are standing on higher ground.” So we have to love, we have to be patient, and we have to let them heal from the inside out.

May we remember President Hinckley’s challenge. “Those who read the Book of Mormon will be blessed with an added measure of the Spirit of the Lord, a greater resolve to obey His commandments, and a stronger testimony of the living reality of the Son of God.”

Russell M. Nelson taught “Each individual who prayerfully studies the Book of Mormon can also receive a testimony of its divinity. In addition, this book can help with personal problems in a very real way. Do you want to get rid of a bad habit? Do you want to improve relationships in your family? Do you want to increase your spiritual capacity? Read the Book of Mormon! It will bring you closer to the Lord and His loving power. He who fed a multitude with five loaves and two fishes, He who helped the blind to see and the lame to walk can also bless you! He has promised that those who live by the precepts of this book “shall receive a crown of eternal life.”

If you may be one who is struggling I say to you Come Home! Heavenly Father needs You.! We need you! May we be slow to judge others. Cause if we really knew the whole truth we wouldn’t be so harsh, we wouldn’t be so quick to judge or to miss judge. Because again often people are wounded, they haven’t learned that they are Princes and Princesses to a King, Jesus Christ.

The old nursery rhyme is true: Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall, Humpty Dumpty had a great fall. All the King's horses, And all the King's men Couldn't put Humpty together again! But the King Can!

Let’s heal out of our own healed and changed hearts. I know as we read the Book of Mormon we will come to know the Great Healer, Jesus Christ, and by coming to know him we will be healed of our own wounds. This I know because he personally has healed me many times in many different ways. I am proof that it’s true. May we have trust in the promises of our Heavenly father and faith in both his words, the scriptures, and his son Jesus Christ the Great Healer.

The King's Fields

Before you read this story below think of one thing that you struggle with the most? Whether it’s temper, over-eating, under-eating, inappropriate thoughts, jealousy, bitterness; What ever it is, think about it, and I want you to bring that to the forethought of your mind. What is the one thing that you struggle with the most? -- Whatever came to mind first, you probably struggle with the most. Now let me ask you, “What difference would it make in you life if you gained self control of that one thing that you struggle with the most?” I bare testimony it would make the most difference. Harold B. Lee said, “What’s the most important commandment to keep? It’s the one that you struggle with the most.” I believe it would make a monumental change if you life. Please enjoy the story below and learn how the savior helps us overcome our vices with his virtue.

-The Kings Fields-

If you were to sail westward over the seas, and follow the signs in the heavens as you did so, you would arrive at a field of red sand that spans the horizon.

Anciently, this beach was the site of a great battle where a once glorious people were saved from destruction by a meek but mighty king. Their would-be conquerors, skilled in the manner of war, fell upon them in great fury, wielding blades tipped with sinister poisons. These poisons weakened their victims’ hearts before depriving them of life, as the enemy sought to add to their numbers by capturing the hearts of the people. With each inflicted wound, the enemy gained control of the victim’s will.

For days the battle raged, and the defenders of the land were weakening. A good number had been turned to the enemy. Those who struggled to defend the land were beginning to perish. Their bodies sagged and their spirits wilted. Their muscles had withered to the point that they could no longer grasp their swords and could only barely lift their shields in defense. Their weakness had become so great that they almost would have done anything their enemies willed them to do.

At this critical point in the battle, the king – The lone unwounded soul – turned to look at his people. He barely recognized them. The mighty warriors he had fought with for ages now drooped and slumped and stumbled. Their skin sagged, and fear show in their eyes. The king looked back at the host of his foes, who laughed almost in unison. Their victory was close at hand, and they rejoiced in it.

Only one hope remained for the king’s people—a maneuver in warfare that had never before been tried, as no ruler under the heavens had enough love or courage to do it. Even at this moment the king wished there was some other way. But another glance at his ever-weakening people told him there was not.

So the king turned back to the enemies who desired his weakness and death. And he dropped his shield to the ground.

An exultant cry pierced the air, and all the hosts of the enemy turned from their individual battles and rushed upon the defenseless king. They fell upon him in their full strength and fury, in order to end the battle for all time. They were confident that if he weakened, even in the slightest degree, there would be none to protect and heal his people. The battle would end his and their deaths, and he and his people would be lost from under the heavens.

“But what could be gained by the king’s action?” you might ask. “What would cause the king to make such an offering?”

A single hope upon which the fate of his entire people rested. You see, as the king opened himself to the weapons of the enemy, he took within himself the blades that had pierced the flesh and hearts of each of his people. If he could take each of those will-defeating blades within himself and yet remain pure, not yielding to the will of the enemy, he would overcome the poisons that had corrupted his people, and his pure heart would become the antidote to each and every poison.

The enemy rejoiced because no soul under heaven had ever been able to overcome their poison. One blade’s poison perhaps, or maybe two. But dozens or thousands? No. Millions or trillions? An impossibility. They needed only to capture the king’s will and all would be over. So, thirsting for victory, they pierced the king’s flesh and soul with every weapon they had used to weaken each of his people.

How long this torture continued no one can say. When the king lovingly roused his people back to consciousness, however, they witnessed a beach – once bright white – that now lay blood-red as far as the eye could see.

Although the people survived, their strength did not return. As long as the poison remained in their souls, their hearts and bodies remained weak.

“But the king can return their strength to them!” you might say.
Yes, but they had to let him. You see, the poison had a final debilitating effect: It induced those it had weakened to believe they were yet strong. The people’s outward strength would return to them only as they came to recognize how weak they were within and then turned for strength to the only one in their kingdom who had uncorrupted strength to give.

Broken souls can be healed only by one who takes that brokenness upon himself bud doesn’t break. Having overcome the particular strains of brokenness that each of us suffers from, the unbroken one can then give us his victorious, unbroken will. This is precisely what the Savior has done for each of us. He suffered our pains, afflictions, and temptations, and took upon himself our sins and infirmities. His suffering on our behalf was literally seared into his flesh. Taking all of this upon and within himself, we have become ‘members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.’ As Isaiah put it, ‘ he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we {may be} healed.’ ‘I am able to make you holy,’ the Lord declares. But he will not – in fact, cannot – do this for us unless we let him.

~May we stop pushing the Savior away. He suffered so that he could help you. Let him in so that he can take away that “favorite sin” or “poison”, the sin we keep going back to time and time again. Don’t just believe that Jesus can help you, but that he WANTS to help you. I bare testimony that he wants to help you and will help and heal us all if we let him in.

They Willingly Receive Him

Introduction
Just prior to the third Passover, Jesus had received word that his cousin, John the Baptist had been beheaded by Herod. He crossed the Sea of Galilee from Capernaum to Bathsaida to be alone, but the multitudes followed. As he looked out on the people, he had compassion and healed their sick. As evening fell, the apostles asked Jesus to send them away to the cities so they could eat, but Jesus miraculously fed 5,000 of them. Afterwards he sent his apostles in a boat to Gennesaret. During the crossing, a storm arose on the sea, as the apostles looked out on the water; they saw the Savior walking there. The next day the multitudes caught up with Jesus and wanted to know how he arrived there. The Savior then confronted their true reason for following them. After their confrontation, many of the people no longer followed the Savior. He had raised the bar on discipleship.
Principle
Keeping our eyes on the Savior will allow us to reach our Celestial goal.
Analyze
Keeping Our Eyes On The Savior

• Readiness: Just as a batter has to keep the eye on the ball, so must we keep our eyes on the goal which is Christ and when we keep our attention on the Savior than we will be able to read our ultimate goal which is Exaltation.
• Block 1--Matt 14:1-2=John the Baptist is beheaded by Herod
• Block 2--Matt 14:13-21=Jesus feeds the 5,000
• Block 3--Matt 14:22-33=Jesus walks on the water
  

Howard W Hunter:"It is my firm belief that if as individual people, as families, communites, and nations we could, like Peter, fix our eyes on Jesus, we too might walk triumphantly over the swelling waves of disbelief and remain nterrified amid the rising winds of doubt. But if we turn away our eyes from him then we shall inevitable sink in a sea of conflict, sorrow and despair"

Jesus Will Continue To Raise the Bar on Discipleship

• What is your motivation for doing the things in the Church>(Celestial-Terrestial-Telestial?)
• If there is a goal that we desperately want to reach, which is worth our best efforts we will be able to reach it.
  
• This is what the Savior does with each of us, He is measuring our efforts to reach out to Him
• John 6:22-69=Jesus delivers the 'Bread of Life' sermon. He raises the bar on discipleship.
  
• Some people murmur when the bar is raised. How strong is our commitment to reach Christ?

Harold B Lee "We have some tight place to go before the Lord is through with this church. The power of Satan will increase; we see it in evidence on every hand. We will see those who profess membership but secretly plotting and trying to lead people not to follow leadership that th eLord has set up to preside in this church. Now the only safety we have as members is to do exactly what the Lord said. We must learn to give heed to the words and commandments that the Lord shall give through his prophet. There will be some things that take patience and faith. You may not like what comes from the authority of the Church, it may contradict your political views, it may contradict your social vies, it may interfere with your social life. but if you listen to these things, as if from the mouth of the Lord himself, with patience and faith, the promise is that the 'gates of hell shall not prevail against you; yea and the Lord God will disperse the powers of darkness from before you, and cause the heavens to shake for your good' "

The Tomb and the Spirit World-Matthew 27 & Doctrine and Covenants 138

Introduction
The Lord Jesus Christ had died for all mankind. Pilate had taken the body of Jesus from off the cross. A wealthy follower of Jesus than came to Pilate and begged for the bdy of Jesus. Pilate agreed, and Joseph took Jesus' body and wrapped it in the lined, and laid him in his own sepulcher which was hewn out of a rock, and rolled a stone in front of the door. Joseph of Arimathaea and Nicodemus were both Jewish leaders and members of the ruling body known as the Sanhedrin(BD 717) Both were secretly disciples of Jesus and members of the church. On the following day, the Pharisees and Elders came to Pilate and told him of their fears that the disciples of Jesus were planning to steal the body of Jesus so that they could claim that he had been resurrected. They wanted a Roman Guard to watch over the tomb, Pilate agreed and the watch was established.
Principle

• During the three days of death, Jesus had gone to the spirit world to establish the preaching of the gospel.

Analyze

• Matthew 27:57-61=Joseph of Arimatheaea takes the body of Jesus and lays it in his tomb
• Matthew 27:62-66=Pharisees went to Pilate to ensure that no one stole the body of Jesus
• D&C 138:11-24=On Saturday, while Jesus' body lay in the tomb, His spirit is in the spirit world
• Matthew 28:11-15=The Pharisees paid money to the guards to say that the disciples of Jesus took him.
  

Our Heavenly Father in his infinite wisdom has provided a means whereby all of his children will have an opportunity to hear the gospel plan in its fullness. Some will have this message taught them while dwelling in the mortal tabernacle; others will hear it when they arrive in the post-mortal world. All will have the occasion to hear the gospel and either accept or reject this great plan of happiness.

The plan of Salvation Affords Everyone A Chance to Hear the Gospel:

• None shall escape the gospel message. D&C 1:2-4, 90:11

Joseph Fielding Smith: " The Lord has made it known that his mercy extends to the uttermost bounds and that every soul is entitled to hear the gospel plan, either in this life or in the spirit world. All who hear and believe, repenting and receiving the gospel in its fullness, whether living or dead, are heirs of salvation in the celestial kingdom of God."

The Way Has Been Opened For Those Who Die Without The Gospel To Receive It

• Christ preached the gospel to the righteous in spirit paradise 1 Peter 4:6, D&C 138:18-21
• The righteous then took the gospel to those in spirit prison 1 Peter 3:18-20, D&C 138:27-30, 57
• The gospel allows us to all be judged by the same standard 1 Peter 4:6, D&C 138:31-34
• Those who didn't hear the gospel in mortality but accept it later have eternal life D&C 131:7-9
  

Joseph Fielding Smith: "Before the crucifixion for the Lord there was a great gulf fixed separating the righteous dead from those who had not received the Gospel, and across this gulf no man could pass.(Luke 16:26)Christ bridged that gulf and made it possible for the world and the dead prepared for the ordinances of the Gospel which must be performed on earth since they pertain to the mortal probation"

Vicarious Ordinances Provide the Dead The Opportunity for Full Salvation

• Essential ordinances are necessary to enter the celestial kingdom D&C 131:1-4, 138:58
• Ordinances performed by the priesthood on earth are valid in the spirit world Matt 16:19, D&C 128:8-9
• The Lord has commanded us to perform vicarious baptisms 1 Cor 15:29, D&C 128:1,5, 138:32-33

Elder Rudger Clawson: "We have two great churches, one in heaven, the other upon the earth. They are moving along parallel line, and the temple of God, it appear to me, is the connecting link that connects the heavens with the earth, because it is through the temple that we will be able to reach our dead. To pray for the dead may not be any real assistance to the. To actually help them we must do the work for them"

Recognizing the Voice of God- I Samuel 1-15

In theses chapters we learn about the faith of Hannah, and her giving son Samuel to the Lord. We also learn about the sins of Eli and his sons, and Israel's desire to do away with judges and have an earthly king. In effect, Israel was rejecting their true king, Jesus Christ. We also learn about the strengths that made Saul a good king, and weaknesses that led to his downfall and death.
Overview:
Year --------------------------- Event
1105 ---------------------------Birth of Samuel- The Prophet
1080----------------------------Birth of Saul
1050----------------------------Saul Anointed King of Israel
1040----------------------------Birth of David
1025----------------------------David Anointed as Saul's Successor
1010----------------------------Death of Saul
Principle If you read the scriptures, you can hear the voice of God every day!
Readiness
There is a story from the National Geographic special about seals. There were thousands of seals on a beach who had just given birth. The mothers went out hunting for fish, but when they came out of the water, they had lost sight of their babies. So the mother seals began barking, and listened to the barks of the baby seals, and then in a amazing display, they waddled right to their own even though there were thousands of pups all barking at once, they recognized the sound of their own.
In 1 Samuel 3:1-10 What sound did Samuel hear that he did not recognize at first? We see in these verses that at first Samuel thought it was the voice of Eli, but after three times, Eli realizes that it is the voice of the Lord and he informs Samuel of this.
Scripture Search
Reference---Person-Action---------------Result----------God's Voice
1 Sam 1:17--Hannah-Prayed at the temple-Had a son-------Leaders
1 Sam 2:27--Eli-Allowed his sons to sin---Sons killed--Angels
1 Sam 3:15--Samuel-Was living worthy---Became a Prophet--Visions
1 Sam 8:19--Israel--Refused to Hearken--Lost their inheritance--Prophets
1 Sam 15:11-Saul-Disobeys Instructions--Rejected by God------Spirit
* The best way to hear the Lord's voices are:
1)Prophets "And the arm of the Lord shall be revealed; and the day cometh that they who will not hear the voice of the Lord, neither the voice of his servants, neither give heed to the words of the prophets and apostles, shall be cut off from among the people;"-Doctrine and Covenants 1:14
2)Scriptures "These words are not of men nor of man, but of me; wherefore, you shall testify they are of me and not of man; For it is my voice which speaketh them unto you; for they are given by my Spirit unto you, and by my power you can read them one to another; and save it were by my power you could not have them; Wherefore, you can testify that you have heard my voice, and know my words."-D&C 18:34-36

"I can testify to you that none of you will have any adventure greater than findout out how to interpret the spirit. We have to find out the technique by which the spirit whispers inour hearts. We have to learn to hear it and to understand it, and to know when we have it, and that sometimes it takes a long time"-S. Dilworth Young

"The Spirit does not get our attention by shouting or shaking us with a heavy hand. Rather, it whispers, it caresses so gently that if we are preoccupied we may not feel it at all. It will press just firmly enough for us to pay heed. But most of the time, if we do not heed the gentle feeling, the Spirit will withdraw and wait until we come seeking and listening and say in our manner and expression like Samuel of ancient times, "Speak, Lord, for Thy servant heareth"-Boyd K Packer

Wintnesses of redemption from the Old Testament: Ruth the Romance of Redemption

Ruth-------------------------------Judges
Light------------------------------ Spiritual Darkness
Purity------------------------------Disloyalty
Devotion----------------------------Wickedness
Love--------------------------------Sin
Peace
Kindness
Obedience brings blessings
Oasis of Righteousness
Faithfulness of Gentiles
Deciding for the one true God
-The romance of redemption-reconciling Ruth: 3 laws to remember:
1. The Law of Gleaning-Lev 19:9, Deaut 24:19-21(The Lord's welfare system
a)one reaping, anything left for the poor
2. The Law of Redemption- Lev 25:47-50
(Redemption=Pay a debt)
a)land's subject to redemption by a kingsmen Goel(Redeemer) Certain conditions applied:
I) He had to be a blood relative
II)Had to be able to perform
III) Be willing to perform
IV)Assume obligation
3. The Law of Levite Marriage (Deut 25:5-10)
Names in the Book of Ruth:
Emilech: My God is King
Naomi: Pleasant,delight
Mahlon: Sick
Chillon:Pining, Falling, Puny
Orpah:Gazelle(Fleeing, apostasy)
Ruth:Friendship, Beauty, Desirable
Judah: Praise
Ruth wanted a gentile to go to Israel
Boaz: A type of Christ:
1. Boaz: in him is strength- she will find grace in his protection(Boaz is Christ) Its her character that Boaz has given grace for her.
2. mighty in pedigree
3. Mighty in power
4. total authority
5. Rich in Grace
6. Large in provision
7. plateous in Redemption
8. Star of Bethlehem
9. His fields are ripe 'ready to harvest'
Chapter 3 vs 9- she is proposing marriage to Boaz
Boaz is her redeember
symbolizes we must come unto Christ
Boaz redeems Ruth to be his bride
Obed: a Son who is worshipped
A message from the Savior!!

Where Will I Find The Strength?

He will lift us up, and with His help our performance can be not only acceptable but remarkable If we are to accomplish thie work given us to do, it is not enough to just do the best we can. Instead we must do the best we can as our abilities are magnified by the grace and strength of the Lord. That goes far beyond the best we can do by ourselves. "And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them."(Ether 12:27)The first step in gaining access to this strength is as simple as having desire. The stregnth He gives us is exactly what we need for the circumstance. The strength of the Lord is not only in our major battles against the enemy but also in our private battles against weaknesses and infirmities. His grace this divine "Divine means of help or strength, given through the bounteous mercy and love of Jesus Christ"; is an enabling power we can call upon when we have expended our own best efforts. This compensation for our weaknesses does not come at the end of life or even the end of the day, but at the end of our best efforts. When we are in the Lord's service, He will make up for our limitations. When self reliance and self confidence gives way, our struggles open the door to a deeper understanding of Christ's condescension and His commitment to succor us, bless us, comfort and even pray for us. He is our advocate with the Father. Success is an affliction to our soul unless we recongnize the source of strength.