Youth Lesson - How can I become spiritually self-reliant?

How can I become spiritually self-reliant?

What do you think it means to be self reliant? What does it mean to be spiritually self reliant?

Who has the Come Follow Me lessons on their device? Your all can look at these on the church's Web site or on your device if your want to see what we are going to talk about throughout the month or if you want to read more about what we have talked about. Often the lessons have links to videos you can watch and scriptures and talks you can listen to. Did you know the gospel library would read the scriptures and conference talks and new era magazine to you? If you don't have a device the Web site has ways to listen to those things as well.

From the manual:

“Spiritual self-reliance is essential to our eternal well-being. When we are spiritually self-reliant, our testimonies do not depend on the testimonies of others. We seek our own spiritual experiences through praying daily, studying the scriptures, and exercising faith in Jesus Christ. We turn to our Heavenly Father for His help to resolve our own difficult problems. We are also able to strengthen others in their times of spiritual need.”

Being spiritually self reliant means not having a reflex action when we hear things on the news or online, but going to God and finding out for ourselves what his plan is.

Spiritual self reliance means finding out for ourselves how life works by getting an answer from God for ourselves when our friends tell us things.

Spiritual self reliance means obeying your parents, but finding out from God the type of person you should be even when parents aren't around.

Matthew 25:1–13

1 Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.
2 And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.
3 They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:
4 But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.
5 While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.
6 And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.
7 Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.
8 And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.
9 But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.
10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.
11 Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.
12 But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.
13 Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.

Who are the ten virgins? Who are the foolish? Who are the wise? What is the wedding feast?

Elder oaks said,

“The arithmetic of this parable is chilling. The ten virgins obviously represent members of Christ’s Church, for all were invited to the wedding feast and all knew what was required to be admitted when the bridegroom came. But only half were ready when he came.”

When he returns he will need church members who have their own strong testimonies who are ready to help him with the work. I think we are already seeing the beginnings of this with raising the bar for missionaries. The brethren have been teaching that the Lord wants missionaries that already have a strong testimony and not those that go on a mission to get one.

Are we ready for him to return and doing the things that will make us strong of our own choice or are we being drug along by our parents and teachers?  Do you want to be at church to learn how to be like father or are you just at church because that's what happens on Sunday?

Think to yourself about why you are at church today.  Is it to be strong like Heavenly Father? Is it to fill your lamp with oil to prepare to be with the savior or are you just here because of someone else?

Dnc 58

26 For behold, it is not meet that I should command in all things; for he that is compelled in all things, the same is a slothful and not a wise servant; wherefore he receiveth no reward.
27 Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness;
28 For the power is in them, wherein they are agents unto themselves. And inasmuch as men do good they shall in nowise lose their reward

In order for the work to move forward he needs us to dig in on our own and use our agency for good and actively seek the things of God and not just when we go to church or when our parents call us for prayer or family home evening or whatever.

Dnc 130

18 Whatever principle of intelligence we attain unto in this life, it will rise with us in the resurrection.
19 And if a person gains more knowledge and intelligence in this life through his diligence and obedience than another, he will have so much the advantage in the world to come.

If we work hard to seek the things of God on our own he will expand our minds and spirits. This life will make more sense. We will understand this life better. We will understand eternity better.

President Thomas S. Monson: “In order for us to be strong and to withstand all the forces pulling us in the wrong direction or all the voices encouraging us to take the wrong path, we must have our own testimony. Whether you are 12 or 112—or anywhere in between—you can know for yourself that the gospel of Jesus Christ is true”

New era article, it's your call

“The Lord often calls those who are in their teenage years to be engaged in His work of salvation, like Joseph Smith, Mormon, and Samuel. He doesn’t seem to be as concerned with how old a person is as He is with his or her heart (see 1 Samuel 16:7). He sees the potential each person has, no matter his or her age.”

What can youth today do to be more spiritually self reliant?   What can they do to help with the Lord's work? What can they do to be in the group of the wise and not in the group of the foolish?

What questions do you have about how to have a strong testimony?

Youth Lesson - How can I show love for those I teach?

What have you learned this week in your gospel studies?

Do you have any questions that you feel comfortable asking?

I had a thought this morning, let's see how this goes.  Who had been through a gay good drive through?  Describe that process for me.

What would it be like if you rattled off your order, quickly closed the window and drive on to the next window.  What if you ordered a cheeseburger with lettuce, tomato, and avocado, Spicey fries, and a lemonade and then get to the window and find out that cheese was a dollar more and lettuce and tomato were a dollar more and avocado was a dollar more and you didn't bring that much money. What if they were out of Spicey fries and just have you regular and would've order onion rings if you couldn't get Spicey fries?

The prices for everything were posted on the board at the ordering spot, but you didn't have time to read the board. The person on the microphone tried to tell you they were out of Spicey fries, but you didn't wait to hear if they had anything to tell you because you put in your order and were done.

Think about if you have every dealt with God that way. Have you ever not taken time to read the instructions he has given you and tales to him without giving him a chance to talk?

Any thoughts about this idea that you would like to share?

How can I show love for those I teach?

President Monson said,

"... we are all teachers in some respect, and we have a duty to teach to the best of our ability."

Dnc 88:77-78

77 And I give unto you a commandment that you shall teach one another the doctrine of the kingdom.
78 Teach ye diligently and my grace shall attend you, that you may be instructed more perfectly in theory, in principle, in doctrine, in the law of the gospel, in all things that pertain unto the kingdom of God, that are expedient for you to understand;

Thomas S. Monson, “Examples of Great Teachers,” Ensign, June 2007, 106–12; Liahona, June 2007, 74–80

President Monson shared a story :

"I share another example of the value of learning the Articles of Faith. Forty-five years ago I worked with a man named Sharman Hummel in the printing business in Salt Lake City. I once gave him a ride home from work and asked him how he came to receive his testimony of the gospel.
He responded, 'It’s interesting, Tom, that you asked me that question, for this very week my wife, my children, and I are going to the Manti Temple, there to be sealed for all eternity.'
"He continued his account: 'We lived in the East. I was journeying by bus to San Francisco to establish myself in a new printing company, and then I was going to send for my wife and children. All the way from New York City to Salt Lake City the bus trip was uneventful. But in Salt Lake City a young girl entered the bus—a Primary girl—who sat next to me. She was going to Reno, Nevada, there to have a visit with her aunt. As we journeyed westward, I noticed a billboard: ‘Visit the Mormon Sunday School this week.’
“I said to the little girl, ‘I guess there are a lot of Mormons in Utah, aren’t there?’
“She replied, ‘Yes, sir.’
“Then I said to her, ‘Are you a Mormon?’
“Again her reply: ‘Yes, sir.’”
Sharman Hummell then asked, “What do Mormons believe?” And that little girl recited the first article of faith; then she talked about it. Continuing, she gave him the second article of faith and talked about it. Then she gave him the third and the fourth and the fifth and the sixth and all of the Articles of Faith and talked about all of them. She knew them consecutively.
"Sharman Hummel said, 'When we got to Reno, and we let that little girl off into the arms of her aunt, I was profoundly impressed.'
He said, 'All the way to San Francisco I thought, ‘What is it that prompts that little girl to know her doctrine so well?’ When I arrived in San Francisco, the very first thing I did,' said Sharman, 'was to look through the yellow pages for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I called the mission president, and he sent two missionaries to where I was staying. I became a member of the Church, my wife became a member, all of our children became members, in part because a Primary girl knew her Articles of Faith.'"

What do you think about this story?

President Monson quoted Francis of Assisi,

"Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words."

Have any of you ever had anyone who it was hard to want share things about the gospel? Someone who perhaps behaves badly and you are just fed up with trying to get through to them that there is something better?

How do you deal with someone like that? How do you love them? How do you continue to teach them?

Mosiah 28:1-3

1 Now it came to pass that after the sons of Mosiah had done all these things, they took a small number with them and returned to their father, the king, and desired of him that he would grant unto them that they might, with these whom they had selected, go up to the land of Nephi that they might preach the things which they had heard, and that they might impart the word of God to their brethren, the Lamanites
2 That perhaps they might bring them to the knowledge of the Lord their God, and convince them of the iniquity of their fathers; and that perhaps they might cure them of their hatred towards the Nephites, that they might also be brought to rejoice in the Lord their God, that they might become friendly to one another, and that there should be no more contentions in all the land which the Lord their God had given them.
3 Now they were desirous that salvation should be declared to every creature, for they could not bear that any human soul should perish; yea, even the very thoughts that any soul should endure endless torment did cause them to quake and tremble.

The Lamanites hated the Nephites. Why would they want to go live among those people and try to teach them? Wouldn't that be a pain? Wouldn't that be a depressing struggle?

But the Lord was with them and they had success.

Most of our ways that we can teach and strengthen others are going to be much easier. They are going to be more about paying attention to what is happening around us and acting on what we see and as the spirit guides us on what to do.

Teaching Youth How to Lead in the Savior’s Way, October 2015 Ensign

Sister Carol F. McConkie
First Counselor in the Young Women General Presidency said,

"When I was 14, I met some young women who were excellent leaders. At that time, my family moved across the United States and became members of a new ward. I do not remember who served in the Mia Maid class presidency, but I clearly remember that the young women were particularly kind to me. They sincerely embraced a scared and scrawny new girl as a long-lost friend and made me feel welcome. Coming from Delaware, where I was the only Mormon girl in my junior high school and where the only other Mormon girl I knew lived an hour’s drive from my home, I thought, “This must be what heaven is like!”
For the first time in my life, I had a circle of friends who lived the standards in For the Strength of Youth, invited me to participate in activities, and shared their testimonies of the gospel with me. Their examples of loving-kindness did more to secure me to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at that time than any talk or lesson could have done. In their love and Christlike light, they were the message of the gospel of Christ, and they were the ones to lead and guide me into His fold."

Any thoughts on what sister McConkie shared?

Sometimes the place we will need to pay attention to what is happening and what the spirit tells us about what someone needs may be in our own home.

Maybe a sibling or parent is being grumpy and we might be tempted to be offended or let our feelings get hurt.

Is it hard to hear the spirit when our family members are in our space or being unkind?

How have you had success in not letting yourself react badly to grumpy family members and instead help bring them comfort and give them love?

Times like these are moments when you can teach with the savior's with our being preachy.   How is this a time to teach and how do you do it without lecturing?

Youth Lesson - What blessings does Heavenly Father promise if I obey the commandments?

Have you learned anything in your studies this week that you would like to share?

Any questions on anything we have taught you this year?  Any gospel questions you have had on your mind?

Elder Scott passed away this week.  How do you feel about that?  Do you have any memories of Elder Scott?

What blessings does Heavenly Father promise if I obey the commandments?  Do any of you have thoughts on that?

Doctrine and Covenants 130:20-21

20 There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated
21 And when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated.

Demonstrate to the youth how to identify promised blessings by reading with the class the “Message to the Youth from the First Presidency” in For the Strength of Youth (pages ii–iii). Invite the youth to raise their hands every time they hear a promised blessing.

"Our dear young men and young women, we have great confidence in you. You are beloved sons and daughters of God and He is mindful of you. You have come to earth at a time of great opportunities and also of great challenges. The standards in this booklet will help you with the important choices you are making now and will yet make in the future. We promise that as you keep the covenants you have made and these standards, you will be blessed with the companionship of the Holy Ghost, your faith and testimony will grow stronger, and you will enjoy increasing happiness.
"In all that you do, stay focused on the temple. In the temple you will receive the greatest of all the Lord’s blessings, including marriage for time and all eternity. Keeping the standards in this booklet will help you be worthy to attend the temple, where you can perform sacred ordinances for your ancestors now and make essential covenants for yourself in the future.
Our Father in Heaven has placed great trust in you. He has a work for you to do. Seek His guidance in prayer, and counsel with your parents and leaders. The decisions you make now will set the course for much of what will follow during your mortal life and throughout eternity.
We testify that God lives. It is our fervent prayer that you will remain steadfast and valiant throughout your lives and that you will trust in the Savior and His promises. As you do this, you will be an influence for good in helping to build the kingdom of God and prepare the world for the Second Coming of the Savior."

Those were some of the promised blessings for keeping the commandments. Now how would you teach someone about the commandments and why they are important? We talked before about helping people understand our standards. Let's read from Preach My Gospel to see some ways we can teach others the importance of the commandments and our standards.

Preach My Gospel, chapter 11, section Promise People Blessings

“People need a reason to change their thoughts and actions. Promised blessings often provide powerful motivation to obey God. When the Lord gives a commandment, He often promises blessings for keeping that commandment (see D&C 130:20–21). As you prepare people to obey a specific commandment, teach them that:

• Living the commandments shows love for God and His Son.
• They demonstrate their trust in God as they obey His commandments.
• In return, they will receive blessings that He has promised.

“As you testify of a commandment, talk about the blessings you have received from living that commandment. Promise those whom you teach that they can enjoy similar blessings.
“As people strive to keep a commitment, ask them to talk about the blessings that Heavenly Father has given them. Assure them that even though difficulties will enter their lives, His blessings will continue as they obey His will.”

Let's have someone choose a commandment or standard and try to teach it to someone else using the ideas from Preach My Gospel.  What is a commandment or a standard that you have had to explain to someone or that you would like to have explained to someone in your life?  Who would like to try to explain it.  Have one person do the explaining and the other person ask questions and then switch.

Have you had any experiences you would feel comfortable sharing that have helped you understand the importance of obeying the commandments.

Let’s read some of the blessings the scriptures list for being obedient to specific commandments:

Isaiah 58:6–11 (The blessings promised for obeying the law of the fast)

Jeremiah 7:23–24; D&C 1:14–15; 58:29–33 (Consequences of disobedience)

Malachi 3:10–12 (The blessings promised for paying tithing)

D&C 14:7; 82:10; 130:20–21 (Blessings of obedience)

D&C 20:77, 79 (The sacrament prayers)

D&C 59:9–20 (The blessings promised for keeping the Sabbath day holy)

D&C 89:18–21 (The blessings promised for obeying the Word of Wisdom)

Elder L Tom Perry, Obedience through Our Faithfulness
"If a member of the team [of horses] ever believes that it does not need to obey the will of the driver, the team will never pull and work together to maximize their ability."

Do you know what unity means? When Jesus says that he and the father are one, that means they are unified. When he prayed that we may be one, he wanted us to be unified.
It is very hard to find unity when everyone has their own agenda.  How do we have compassion when someone is being selfish?  How do we not burr up against someone acting that way to avoid being selfish ourselves?  We have things we need to protect like our families, our time, our resources when people are selfish, but how do we keep from taking that to the point of our own selfishness.

If we all burr up defending our territory, we won't be pulling together and nothing gets accomplished.

How do we encourage someone to stop being counter productive?

Elder Perry continues:

“An obedient horse which is part of a well-trained team of horses needs little more than a gentle tug from the driver to do exactly what he wants it to do. This gentle tug is equivalent to the still, small voice with which the Lord speaks to us. Out of respect for our agency, it is never a strong, forceful tug."

"If we heed the gentle promptings of the Holy Ghost, it can unite our spirits and bodies in a purpose that will guide us back to our eternal home to live with our eternal Father in Heaven."

“ I recommend it to you and even challenge you to experiment upon my words, and if you do, I promise that they will lead you to clarity of choice when you are bombarded with choices and that they will lead to simple answers to questions that confuse the learned and those who think they are wise.”

“Those who rely solely on themselves and follow only their own desires and self-inclinations are so limited when compared to those who follow God and tap into His insight, power, and gifts.”

...

"I promise that they will lead you to clarity of choice when you are bombarded with choices and that they will lead to simple answers to questions that confuse the learned and those who think they are wise."

How does it affect the unity of our class of one of us was misbehaving? It would be harder for the rest of us to get something out of the lesson, wouldn't it?  It might make it hard for us to be a strong class.

Elder Robert D Hales, “If Ye Love Me, Keep My Commandments”
“In the premortal Council in Heaven, Lucifer rebelled against Heavenly Father’s plan. Those who followed Lucifer ended their eternal progression—be careful who you follow!”

“When we obey, we accept His sacrifice...”

My Thoughts
{
There are many who teach that all you have to do is accept Jesus to be Saved.  What does it mean to accept Jesus?  Some would say that you accept him through a pray.  Some would say you accept him publicly in front of a congregation.

How do we accept someone as our Lord if we do not follow his instructions?
}

“At times members may participate in “selective obedience,” claiming to love God and honor God while picking and choosing which of His commandments and teachings—and the teachings and counsel of His prophets—they will fully follow.
“Some obey selectively because they cannot perceive all the reasons for a commandment, just as children do not always understand the reasons for their parents’ counsel and rules.”

A blessing of obedience is that we are saved because we accept Christ and his teachings and guidance.

I challenge you to think about these questions :

What if Jesus had not been obedient? How world that have impacted others? If we are not obedient to God how does that affect those around us? Our parents, our siblings, or friends, those we try to share the gospel with, those that look to us for strength or a good example?

Youth Lesson - How can I help others understand my standards?

Is there anything from your personal study that you would like to share?

Today we are going to talk about, How can I help others understand my standards?

What questions have others asked you about your standards?

How have you helped them understand why you live according to those standards?

What situations do the people face in which they must explain their standards to others?

Why might this sometimes be difficult for them?

What can you do to help prepare for these situations?

The manual says:

"Others will often ask us about our standards. We can be prepared to answer their questions and testify of the blessings that come from obeying God’s commandments. In this way we can be a light unto the world."

How many of you get the New Era at home?

How many of you read it?

Did you know you can read it on your devices?  Phones, tablets, home computers.  There is some good stuff in the New Era that you might like.

Let’s read an article together from the August 2015 New Era called, "Just Be You".  It is about sharing the gospel, but can also applied to sharing our standards with people.

Let’s read and talk about some scriptures that might help us tell people about our standards?

Be Not Ashamed

Romans 1:16

16 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.

2 Timothy 1:7-8

7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

8 Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God;

2 Nephi 8:7

7 Hearken unto me, ye that know righteousness, the people in whose heart I have written my law, fear ye not the reproach of men, neither be ye afraid of their revilings.

What are these scriptures talking about?

One of the first things we need to do if we are going to be able to explain our standards to others is to not be ashamed of our standards.  We should not be embarrassed by our standards.

Just like being a boy or a girl.  It is who we are.  We do not have to be embarrassed that we are a boy or a girl or things that others might not understand about being a boy or a girl.  We just have to honor Heavenly Father in the way that we behave as a boy or a girl.

The same is true for our standards.  We should be determined that our standards do not change because someone doesn’t understand them or doesn’t agree with them.

We also don’t fight with people about our standards.  If we are to fight with people about being a boy or a girl that does not bring understanding to the other person it just brings bad feelings about boys and girls.

The same is true for our standards.  We don’t argue with people about our standards.  If they want to know who we are and why we are like we are, then we can calmly explain it to them.  If they just want to fight, then we can be pleasant and move on to something else and let our behavior be a witness of our standards.  If we behave well, even when people are mean to us, it is a witness to others about our standards.

Let’s look at some scriptures that talk about these this.

1 Timothy 4:12

12 Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.

Someone break this scripture down for me and explain the things it is trying to teach us.

3 Nephi 11:29

29 For verily, verily I say unto you, he that hath the spirit of contention is not of me, but is of the devil, who is the father of contention, and he stirreth up the hearts of men to contend with anger, one with another.

If we are angry with people and contentious, then the holy ghost leaves and we are left with the devil to teach with.

When we have trouble knowing what to say, here are some scriptures that talk about that.

Doctrine and Covenants 11:21

21 Seek not to declare my word, but first seek to obtain my word, and then shall your tongue be loosed; then, if you desire, you shall have my Spirit and my word, yea, the power of God unto the convincing of men.

Doctrine and Covenants 100:5-8

5 Therefore, verily I say unto you, lift up your voices unto this people; speak the thoughts that I shall put into your hearts, and you shall not be confounded before men;

6 For it shall be given you in the very hour, yea, in the very moment, what ye shall say.

7 But a commandment I give unto you, that ye shall declare whatsoever thing ye declare in my name, in solemnity of heart, in the spirit of meekness, in all things.

8 And I give unto you this promise, that inasmuch as ye do this the Holy Ghost shall be shed forth in bearing record unto all things whatsoever ye shall say.