Thought

“Development of the spirit is of eternal consequence. The attributes by which we shall be judged one day are those of the spirit. These include the virtues of integrity, compassion, love, and more. Your spirit, by being housed in your body, is able to develop and express these attributes in ways that are vital to your eternal progression.

“Spirit and body, when joined together, become a living soul of supernal worth. Indeed, we are children of God—physically and spiritually.”

Russell M. Nelson, “You Are a Child of God,” New Era, July 2008, 4

Lesson: Creation

Oh, Lord, my God, when I in awesome wonder

Consider all the worlds thy hands have made,

I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,

Thy pow’r thruout the universe displayed;

Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to thee,

How great thou art! How great thou art!

When thru the woods and forest glades I wander,
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees,
When I look down from lofty mountain grandeur
And hear the brook and feel the gentle breeze,
Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to thee,
How great thou art! How great thou art!
(“How Great Thou Art,” Hymns, no. 86)

This is one of my favorite hymns! Who of us has not felt to give thanks for the beauties of this earth? I cannot look at a brilliant sunrise or sunset without feeling awe.

We are so blessed to have this earth, created for us, where we could learn and experience and progress, so that we can return to our Heavenly Father and Mother. We will probably never understand, in this lifetime, just how it all was created, and the timing of things and all that. But this much we can know: The earth was created by Jesus Christ, by the power of the Melchizedek Priesthood, under the direction of God, the Father. It was created for us. And God said it was good.

We can have experiences with creation in our own life. We can use our creative talents in writing, art and music and create something new of our own. But every day we also are creating a better (or not) self. Hopefully we are growing, learning, and becoming more. We can also create happiness in others (or not).

One of the greatest experiences I have had with creation was my opportunity to be a mom. What a joy to be able to be a co-creator with Father in Heaven in creating a tabernacle for the spirits entrusted to our family.

"Motherhood is the one thing in all the world which most truly exemplifies the God-given virtues of creating and sacrificing. The mother who, in compliance with eternal law, brings into the world an immortal spirit occupies first rank in the realm of creation."
--Gospel Ideals, "Respect for Mothers and Their Divine Role", Improvement Era, 1953], p.456 & Aaronic Priesthood Manual #1 (the lesson on Mothers).

May we all have greater gratitude for the blessing of the creation in our lives. Let us seek to create joy, enjoy all we have been given, develop our talents, and create loving lasting relationships with our eternal family and so fulfill the measure of our creation!

FHE Scripture Creation

Abraham 3:22-24

22 Now the Lord had shown unto me, Abraham, the ^aintelligences that were organized before the world was; and among all these there were many of the noble and great ones;

23 And God saw these souls that they were good, and he stood in the midst of them, and he said: These I will make my rulers; for he stood among those that were spirits, and he saw that they were good; and he said unto me: Abraham, thou art one of them; thou wast ^achosen before thou wast born.

24 And there stood ^aone among them that was like unto God, and he said unto those who were with him: We will go down, for there is space there, and we will take of these materials, and ^bwe will make an earth whereon these may ^cdwell;

FHE Scripture 01/11/09

D&C 128: 16-17

16 And now, in relation to the baptism for the dead, I will give you another quotation of Paul, 1 Corinthians 15:29: Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? Why are they then baptized for the dead?

17 And again, in connection with this quotation I will give you a quotation from one of the prophets, who had his eye fixed on the restoration of the priesthood, the glories to be revealed in the last days, and in an especial manner this most glorious of all subjects belonging to the everlasting gospel, namely, the baptism for the dead; for Malachi says, last chapter, verses 5th and 6th: Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.

The Redemption of the Dead and the Testimony of Jesus

Once again, I find myself apologising for my lack of time to conduct an appropriate lesson.

However, I have found time to find a great discourse by Elder D. Todd Christofferson which does a great job of exploring the reasons behind our desire to help our fallen ancestors, entitled, "The Redemption of the Dead and the Testimony of Jesus"

Thought from Dave

We ask no relief of the assignment to seek out every living soul, teach them the gospel, and offer them baptism. And we’re not discouraged, for there is a great power in this work and that can be verified by anyone who is sincerely inquiring.
-Boyd K. Packer

A Lesson on Agency

Agency is the ability and privilege God gives us to choose and to act for ourselves. Agency is essential in the plan of salvation. Without it, we would not be able to learn or progress or follow the Savior. With it, we are "free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil"

The greatest gift that God has given us and the foundation for the Plan of Happiness lies in the use of Agency. Using our Agency in a good way does lead to great blessings from God.

~D&C 58:28

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.

~Deuteronomy 11:26–28

Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse;

A blessing, if ye obey the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you this day:

And a curse, if ye will not obey the commandments of the Lord your God, but turn aside out of the way which I command you this day, to go after other gods, which ye have not known.

~Joshua 24:14–15

Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the Lord.

And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

I am glad to have and use my agency. while I dont always make the best use of my agency I know through repentance and the Atonement I can before given

~Boyd K. Packer, “Atonement, Agency, Accountability,” Ensign, May 1988, 69

The Lord had come from Gethsemane; before Him was His crucifixion.

Before the Crucifixion and afterward, many men have willingly given their lives in selfless acts of heroism. But none faced what the Christ endured. Upon Him was the burden of all human transgression, all human guilt.

And hanging in the balance was the Atonement. Through His willing act, mercy and justice could be reconciled, eternal law sustained, and that mediation achieved without which mortal man could not be redeemed.

He, by choice, accepted the penalty for all mankind for the sum total of all wickedness and depravity; for brutality, immorality, perversion, and corruption; for addiction; for the killings and torture and terror—for all of it that ever had been or all that ever would be enacted upon this earth.

In choosing, He faced the awesome power of the evil one who was not confined to flesh nor subject to mortal pain. That was Gethsemane!