In our day, prophets give warnings to help us find safety from sin and sorrow. What did Elder Eyring say is one of the keys to recognizing those warnings?
One of the keys to recognizing those warnings is that they are repeated. For instance, more than once in these general conferences, you have heard our prophet say that he would quote a preceding prophet and would therefore be a second witness and sometimes even a third.
Elder Eyring said that since the beginning of time, men and women have believed that to take counsel from the servants of God is to surrender God-given rights of independence. But, he said that idea is false because it misrepresents reality. How?
When we reject the counsel which comes from God, we do not choose to be independent of outside influence. We choose another influence.
Some in the Church believe the fallacy that the choice to accept or not accept the counsel of prophets is no more than deciding whether to accept good advice and gain its benefits or to stay where we are. Elder Eyring said there are three things that will happen to us if we set aside prophetic counsel? Name two.
the choice not to take prophetic counsel changes the very ground upon which we stand. It becomes more dangerous. ??
each failure to respond would have lessened sensitivity to the Spirit.??
One of the sweetest comforts a person could have in mortality is to know he/she has been an instrument in the hands of God to bring another person to safety. What is required to have that kind of ability?
That blessing generally requires the faith to follow counsel when it is hard to do.
Sometimes we will receive counsel that we cannot understand or that seems not to apply to us, even after careful prayer and thought. What did Elder Eyring counsel us to do on those occasions?
Don’t discard the counsel, but hold it close.
True or False: The prophet can receive revelation on any matter—temporal or spiritual and is the only man who can speak for the Lord in everything.
True
True or False. The living prophet is more important to us than a dead prophet, but not as vital to our salvation as the standard works.
False. The living prophet is more important to us than the standard works.
What did President Benson suggest is the real test of our faithfulness to a prophet?
How we respond to the words of a living prophet when he tells us what we need to know, but would rather not hear, is a test of our faithfulness.
Who did President Benson say have the hardest time following a prophet?
The two groups who have the greatest difficulty in following the prophet are the proud who are learned and the proud who are rich.
How did Elder Scott define a “principle”?
Principles are concentrated truth, packaged for application to a wide variety of circumstances.
Powerful spiritual direction in our lives can be overcome or forced into the background unless we provide a way to retain it. What did Elder Scott suggest we do if we want to be able to have knowledge available to us in time of need?
To acquire spiritual knowledge and to obey it with wisdom, one must:
In humility, seek divine light.
Exercise faith in Jesus Christ.
Hearken to His counsel.
Keep His commandments.
As spiritual knowledge unfolds, it must be understood, valued, obeyed, remembered, and expanded.
All things, Elder Ballard said, must be done in wisdom and order. There are three things he said that can throw us off-balance? Name them.
Remember, too much of anything in life can throw us off-balance. At the same time, too little of the important things can do the same thing. King Benjamin counseled “that all these things are done in wisdom and order” (Mosiah 4:27).
Often the lack of clear direction and goals can waste away our time and energy and contribute to imbalance in our lives.
President Uchtdorf counseled us to never forget five things. Name them.
First, forget not to be patient with yourself.
Second, forget not the difference between a good sacrifice and a foolish sacrifice.
Third, forget not to be happy now.
Fourth, forget not the “why” of the gospel.
Fifth, forget not that the Lord loves you.
What question did President Uchtdorf suggest we ask ourselves to determine the difference between a good sacrifice and a foolish sacrifice?
“Am I committing my time and energies to the things that matter most?”
Understanding the ____ of the gospel will fill us with the fire of testimony and the gospel; it will sanctify our actions; and it will inspire and uplift us.
“what” and the “how”
In the council in heaven, all of Heavenly Father’s spirit children were taught the plan of salvation. But we eventually reached the point where _______ was no longer possible without obtaining a physical body and having a mortal experience.
Progression
To what did President Kimball refer as “an act of extreme selfishness”?
For a married couple to refuse to have children when they are able to do so.
To any son or daughter of God who keeps the commandments, is true to his/her covenants, and desires what is right, what has the Lord promised?
That in the eternities no blessing will be denied.
What did Elder Nelson say is the ultimate purpose of God’s plan?
The purpose of the plan is to provide opportunity for the spirit children of God to progress toward an eternal exaltation.
What are the three main components of the plan?
The plan required the Creation, and that in turn required both the Fall and the Atonement.
Each time we misuse our moral agency, what penalty follows?
The Apostle Paul clearly forewarned us of the price of unwisely using our agency: “The wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23). Each time we misuse our moral agency, there is a penalty attached: By offending the Spirit, we withdraw from his companionship; and when we persist in our deviant course of action, we experience a spiritual death, and with certain sins death may be physical as well as spiritual.
Alma taught his son Corianton that there are basically two things we are to do with our time on this earth. What are they?
Repent and serve God
Why, did Elder Condie say, do addictions such as endless hours of television, pornography, alcohol, tobacco, and drugs creep into a person’s life?
Many people lead empty lives completely devoid of purpose, meaning, and direction. Empty lives must be filled with something, anything, so some people fill their empty lives with endless hours of television, while others become addicted to pornography, alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs.
If we are in bondage to bad habits or unkind thoughts, what is one of the most powerful and important ways to break the bands of weakness or wickedness?
When we subordinate our physical needs and desires to the dictates of the Spirit, we tap into a spiritual strength beyond our own. If we are in bondage to bad habits or unkind thoughts, we can break the bands of weakness or wickedness through fasting. Our hearts will be filled with love and forgiveness, and we can get on with our lives after having broken “every yoke.”
Elder Christofferson identified three elements of moral agency. What are they?
First, there must be alternatives to choose among.
Second, for us to have agency, we must not only have alternatives but we must also know that they exist and what they are.
Third, after the existence of choices and a knowledge of choices, is the next element of agency: the freedom to make choices.
Elder Christofferson said as our understanding of gospel doctrine and principles grows, our agency expands in two ways. What are they?
First, we have more choices and can achieve more and receive greater blessings because we have more laws that we can obey.
Second, with added understanding we can make more intelligent choices because we see more clearly not only the alternatives but their potential outcomes.
There are times, in all of our lives, when deep sorrow or suffering or fear or loneliness makes us cry out for the peace which only God Himself can bring. Heavenly Father will send help through His Beloved Son, through ministering angels, and through prophets. Additionally, Elder Holland said, there are three things we can do to access that peace. Name them.
Repentance Forgiveness Forget
When problems, sorrows or sadness come and they don’t seem to be our fault, time and perspective will help us recognize that such problems in life do come for a purpose. What, according to Elder Holland, might that purpose be?
With time and perspective we recognize that such problems in life do come for a purpose, if only to allow the one who faces such despair to be convinced that he really does need divine strength beyond himself, that she really does need the offer of heaven’s hand.
What two things did Elder Holland say often follow those who feel no need for mercy?
Those who feel no need for mercy usually never seek it and almost never bestow it.
Not having a rewarding life or fullness of joy..?
Elder Hafen emphasized that the Atonement is not just for sinners and the healing power of the Atonement does not apply just to sin. It applies at least to three other things. Name two.
The Savior’s atonement is thus portrayed as the healing power not only for sin, but also for carelessness, inadequacy, and all mortal bitterness.
True or False: If we refuse to repent in this life, we will be required to suffer, in spirit prison, the full extent of our sins in order to satisfy the demands of justice. But, once we have paid that price and satisfied justice, we will be able to qualify for the celestial kingdom.
False
President Faust related the account of the Amish tragedy. He said they were able to forgive because they applied what teaching from the Sermon on the Mount?
Do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despite-fully use you.
We can all find many reasons for postponing forgiveness. What did President Faust say is one of the most common?
One of these reasons is waiting for the wrongdoers to repent before we forgive them. Yet such a delay causes us to forfeit the peace and happiness that could be ours. The folly of rehashing long-past hurts does not bring happiness.
What benefits, has researched found, come to those who learn to forgive. Name two.
If we can find forgiveness in our hearts for those who have caused us hurt and injury, we will rise to a higher level of self-esteem and well-being. Some recent studies show that people who are taught to forgive become “less angry, more hopeful, less depressed, less anxious and less stressed,” which leads to greater physical well-being. 9 Another of these studies concludes “that forgiveness … is a liberating gift [that] people can give to themselves.” 10
Elder Holland referred to the story of Lot’s wife, who “looked back” when Sodom and Gomorrah were being destroyed. Elder Holland suggested Lot’s wife did more than give a quick glimpse over her shoulder. What did he say she was really doing?
She wanted to go back. She was longing what Sodom and Gomorrah had to offer.
Elder Holland said “the past is to be learned from but not lived in.” What did he say we should always remember?
We remember that faith is always pointed toward the future.
When something is over and done with, when it has been repented of as fully as it can be repented of, when life has moved on as it should and a lot of other wonderfully good things have happened since then, Elder Holland said it is not right for us to do what?
... it is not right to go back and open up some ancient wound that the Son of God Himself died trying to heal.
How did Elder Holland say we become guilty of the “greater sin”?
The proviso, of course, is that repentance has to be sincere, but when it is and when honest effort is being made to progress, we are guilty of the greater sin if we keep remembering and recalling and rebashing someone with their earlier mistakes—and that “someone” might be ourselves. We can be so hard on ourselves, often much more so than with others!
Elder Holland said God cares more about ____ than he does about ____.
