Monday, January 1, 2018

Priorities

In my judgment, we never will have balance in our lives unless our finances are  securely under control.
-M. Russell Ballard.  Keeping Life's Demands in Balance. April 1987
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1987/04/keeping-lifes-demands-in-balance?lang=eng

 From this talk...M. Russell Ballard.  Keeping Life's Demands in Balance. April 1987...these are the things he mentions...

 6)  Rest, exercise, relaxation...schedule time...Good appearance
7) Family Home Evening
8) Pray often individually and as families

A life that gets out of balance is much like a car tire that is out of balance. It will make the operation of the car rough and unsafe. Tires in perfect balance can give a smooth and comfortable ride. So it is with life. The ride through mortality can be smoother for us when we strive to stay in balance. Our main goal should be to seek “immortality and eternal life” (Moses 1:39). With this as our goal, why not eliminate from our lives the things that clamor for and consume our thoughts, feelings, and energies without contributing to our reaching that goal?
-M. Russell Ballard.  Keeping Life's Demands in Balance. April 1987

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1987/04/keeping-lifes-demands-in-balance?lang=eng
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What is my relationship with the savior? Why is it important? How can I deepen it?

Be one with Him.  (an idea from the talk...not a quote)

We need to think of him as a real person. (an idea from the talk...not a quote)

We need to think of him as being close and not far away. (an idea from the talk...not a quote)

Living water (an idea from the talk...not a quote)

1.  Daily Prayer

2.  Daily selfless service to another

3.  Daily striving for an increased obedience in our lives

4.  Daily acknowledgement of his divinity...be his disciples

5.  Daily study of the scriptures

James E. Faust.  A Personal Relationship with the Savior. Oct 1976
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1976/10/a-personal-relationship-with-the-savior?lang=eng





Ezra Taft Benson.  Jesus Christ Our Savior and Redeemer.  Oct 1983. (President of Quorum of 12)
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1983/10/jesus-christ-our-savior-and-redeemer?lang=eng
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Friday, November 10, 2017

Encouraging LDS Members to read their Sunday Lesson ahead of time

A true gospel teacher is not satisfied when learners simply listen to what he or she has to say. Learning the gospel is not meant to be a passive experience. It is an act of faith and diligent effort. When you prepare to teach, instead of thinking, “What will I do to teach?” ask yourself, “What will my class members do to learn? How will I help them discover the gospel for themselves? How will I inspire them to act?” Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles shared the familiar saying, “Giving a man a fish feeds him for one meal. Teaching a man to fish feeds him for a lifetime.” He then taught, “As parents and gospel instructors, you and I are not in the business of distributing fish; rather, our work is to help [those we teach] learn ‘to fish’ and to become spiritually steadfast.”1


Encourage Learning outside of Class

Gospel study once a week is not enough to fortify class members against the temptations and deceptions of the adversary. Gospel learning must be centered in daily efforts at home, including personal and familystudy. The things you say and do as a teacher can reinforce this principle. Give learners specific invitations to study the gospel outside of class, and regularly ask them to share what they are learning.
An encouragement to learn at home should be more than just a reminder about a reading assignment. It should be motivating and inspiring. For example, you might say, “If you would like to improve your ability to recognize the promptings of the Spirit, you will find valuable insights in Doctrine and Covenants 8–9. I invite you to read these sections before our next class.”
While a teacher’s role is important, learners are ultimately responsible for their own learning. Consider how you can help learners accept and fulfill this responsibility.
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Tuesday, October 31, 2017

President Hinckley Chapter 23 Missionary Work

In our customary Church vocabulary, we often speak of going to church, going to the temple, and going on a mission. Let me be so bold as to suggest that our rather routine emphasis on going misses the mark.
The issue is not going to church; rather, the issue is worshipping and renewing covenants as we attend church. The issue is not going to or through the temple; rather, the issue is having in our hearts the spirit, the covenants, and the ordinances of the Lord’s house. The issue is not going on a mission; rather, the issue is becoming a missionary and serving throughout our entire life with all of our heart, might, mind, and strength. It is possible for a young man to go on a mission and not become a missionary, and this is not what the Lord requires or what the Church needs.
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Elder Dallin H. Oaks has taught us most effectively about the challenge to become something instead of just doing expected things or performing certain actions:
“The Apostle Paul taught that the Lord’s teachings and teachers were given that we may all attain ‘the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ’ (Eph. 4:13). This process requires far more than acquiring knowledge. It is not even enough for us to be convinced of the gospel; we must act and think so that we are converted by it. In contrast to the institutions of the world, which teach us to know something, the gospel of Jesus Christ challenges us to become something. …
“… It is not enough for anyone just to go through the motions. The commandments, ordinances, and covenants of the gospel are not a list of deposits required to be made in some heavenly account. The gospel of Jesus Christ is a plan that shows us how to become what our Heavenly Father desires us to become” (“The Challenge to Become,” Liahona, Jan. 2001, 40; Ensign, Nov. 2000, 32).
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My beloved brethren, you and I, today and always, are to bless all peoples in all the nations of the earth. You and I, today and always, are to bear witness of Jesus Christ and declare the message of the Restoration. You and I, today and always, are to invite all to receive the ordinances of salvation. Proclaiming the gospel is not a part-time priesthood obligation. It is not simply an activity in which we engage for a limited time or an assignment we must complete as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Rather, missionary work is a manifestation of our spiritual identity and heritage. We were foreordained in the premortal existence and born into mortality to fulfill the covenant and promise God made to Abraham. We are here upon the earth at this time to magnify the priesthood and to preach the gospel. That is who we are, and that is why we are here—today and always.
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What is the difference between sharing gospel and being "preachy"?

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I have never been greatly concerned over the number of baptisms that I had or that other missionaries had. My satisfaction has come from the assurance that I did what the Lord wanted me to do and that I was an instrument in His hands for the accomplishment of His purposes. In the course of that experience, there became riveted into my very being a conviction and knowledge that this is in very deed the true and living work of God, restored through a prophet for the blessing of all who will accept it and live its principles.”3

Gordon B Hinckley Lesson 21
https://www.lds.org/manual/teachings-of-presidents-of-the-church-gordon-b-hinckley/chapter-21-the-latter-day-miracle-of-missionary-work?lang=eng
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Before the Church was organized, there was missionary work. It has continued ever since, notwithstanding the difficulties of many of the seasons through which our people have passed. Let us, every one, resolve within ourselves to arise to a new opportunity, a new sense of responsibility, a new shouldering of obligation to assist our Father in Heaven in His glorious work of bringing to pass the immortality and eternal life of His sons and daughters throughout the earth.


Gordon B Hinckley Lesson 21
https://www.lds.org/manual/teachings-of-presidents-of-the-church-gordon-b-hinckley/chapter-21-the-latter-day-miracle-of-missionary-work?lang=eng
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So many of us look upon missionary work as simply tracting. Everyone who is familiar with this work knows there is a better way. That way is through the members of the Church. Whenever there is a member who introduces an investigator, there is an immediate support system. The member bears testimony of the truth of the work. He is anxious for the happiness of his investigator friend. He becomes excited as that friend makes progress in learning the gospel.
The full-time missionaries may do the actual teaching, but the member, wherever possible, will back up that teaching with the offering of his home to carry on this missionary service. He will bear sincere testimony of the divinity of the work. He will be there to answer questions when the missionaries are not around. He will be a friend to the convert who is making a big and often difficult change.
Gordon B Hinckley Lesson 21
https://www.lds.org/manual/teachings-of-presidents-of-the-church-gordon-b-hinckley/chapter-21-the-latter-day-miracle-of-missionary-work?lang=eng
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The gospel is nothing to be ashamed of. It is something to be proud of. “Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord,” wrote Paul to Timothy (2 Tim. 1:8). Opportunities for sharing the gospel are everywhere. …

Gordon B Hinckley Lesson 21
https://www.lds.org/manual/teachings-of-presidents-of-the-church-gordon-b-hinckley/chapter-21-the-latter-day-miracle-of-missionary-work?lang=eng

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Let there be cultivated an awareness in every member’s heart of his own potential for bringing others to a knowledge of the truth. Let him work at it. Let him pray with great earnestness about it. …
Gordon B Hinckley Lesson 21
https://www.lds.org/manual/teachings-of-presidents-of-the-church-gordon-b-hinckley/chapter-21-the-latter-day-miracle-of-missionary-work?lang=eng

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… My brethren and sisters, we can let the missionaries try to do it alone, or we can help them. If they do it alone, they will knock on doors day after day and the harvest will be meager. Or as members we can assist them in finding and teaching investigators. …
Gordon B Hinckley Lesson 21
https://www.lds.org/manual/teachings-of-presidents-of-the-church-gordon-b-hinckley/chapter-21-the-latter-day-miracle-of-missionary-work?lang=eng

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...as we engage in this service (member missionary work), our lives will improve, for we shall be alert to see that we do not do or say anything which might impede the progress of those we are trying to lead toward the truth. …
Gordon B Hinckley Lesson 21
https://www.lds.org/manual/teachings-of-presidents-of-the-church-gordon-b-hinckley/chapter-21-the-latter-day-miracle-of-missionary-work?lang=eng

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On the shore of the Sea of Galilee, Jesus asked Peter three times, “Lovest thou me?” Each time Peter’s reply was the same: “Thou knowest that I love thee.” And each time the Savior instructed Peter: “Feed my lambs. … Feed my sheep. … Feed my sheep” (John 21:15–17).

The Savior’s impassioned charge to “feed [His] sheep” continues in force today. Like Peter and his brethren of old, the Apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ today have the charge to take the gospel to all the world. This charge is seldom far from our minds...He ... talking to every person who has been blessed to hear the gospel and is a member of His Church.
M. Russell Ballard
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Raising the bar
Hastening the work
Open your mouth
Go the extra mile
Do it
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as we raise the level of expectation for the performance of our missionaries, we must also raise the level of expectation for the performance of all of the members of the Church in fulfilling our missionary duties. We need your help, brothers and sisters, to support and assist our missionaries in finding and baptizing many more of our Heavenly Father’s children. We need you to watch over, protect, and inspire the missionaries, who are servants of the Lord. If the standard is to be raised, it is raised for all of us. We must be more faithful. We must be more spiritually in tune. We must prepare ourselves to assist the missionaries in finding those of our Heavenly Father’s children who will embrace the message of the Restoration.
M. Russell Ballard
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Remember, brothers and sisters, we’re not marketing a product. We’re not selling anything. We’re not trying to impress anyone with our numbers or our growth. We are members of the restored Church of Jesus Christ, empowered and sent forth by the Lord Himself to find, nourish, and bring safely into His Church those who are seeking to know the truth.
M. Russell Ballard
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First, we should exercise our faith and pray individually and as families, asking for help in finding ways to share the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. Ask the Lord to open the way. Prayerfully set a date with your family to have someone in your home for the missionaries to teach. Remember, brothers and sisters, this is the Lord’s Church. Let Him guide you through constant prayer. With a prayer in your heart, talk to everyone you can. Don’t prejudge. Don’t withhold the good news from anyone. Talk to everyone, and trust in the promised power of the Spirit to give you the words you should say. Let them make the decision to accept or reject your invitation. Over time, the Lord will put into your path those who are seeking the truth. He is the Good Shepherd. He knows His sheep, and they will know His voice, spoken through you, and they will follow Him (see John 10).
President Gordon B. Hinckley said, “It will be a great day when our people not only pray for the missionaries throughout the world, but ask the Lord to help them to assist the missionaries who are laboring in their own ward” (“Missionary Service,” First Worldwide Leadership Training Meeting, Jan. 2003, 19).
M. Russell Ballard
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feed the lambs feed the sheep
1984--set a date
The greatest generation of missionaries

When the World Will Be Converted,” Ensign,Oct. 1974, 4).

 hastening the work of salvation

 (“Faith in the Work of Salvation” [address given at a special broadcast, June 23, 2013]; lds.org/broadcasts).

 Ensign, Oct. 1974, 5). by kimball

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member missionary work does not require the development of strategies or gimmicks. It does require faith—real faith and trust in the Lord. It also requires genuine love. The first great commandment is to “love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. … The second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” (Matt. 22:37, 39).
So let the power of love guide us in sharing the gospel with family members, friends, neighbors, business associates, and any other people we encounter as we go through life. Most everyone wants to enjoy peace and happiness. That is a natural human desire. People want to find answers to the problems they face. This is increasingly true in the world we now live in.
M. Russell Ballard
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Some members say, “I’m afraid to share the gospel because I might offend someone.” Experience has shown that people are not offended when the sharing is motivated by the spirit of love and concern. How could anyone be offended when we say something like this: “I love the way my church helps me” and then add whatever the Spirit directs. It’s when we appear only to be fulfilling an assignment and we fail to express real interest and love that we offend others. Don’t ever forget, brothers and sisters, that you and I have in our possession the very points of doctrine that will bring people to the Lord. The restored gospel of Jesus Christ has within it the power to bring deep and abiding happiness to the human soul—something that will be valued and cherished for the rest of time and for all eternity. We are not just trying to get people to join our Church; we are sharing with them the fulness of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. But as powerful as our message is, it cannot be imposed or forced upon people. It can only be shared—heart to heart, soul to soul, spirit to spirit—by being good neighbors and by caring and showing love. 
M. Russell Ballard
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Let us follow the admonition of the Prophet Joseph Smith, “After all that has been said, [our] greatest and most important duty is to preach the Gospel” (History of the Church, 2:478).
M. Russell Ballard
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In 1974 President Spencer W. Kimball said this: “Perhaps the greatest reason for missionary work is to give the world its chance to hear and accept the gospel. The scriptures are replete with commands and promises and calls and rewards for teaching the gospel. I use the word command deliberately for it seems to be an insistent directive from which we, singly and collectively, cannot escape” (“When the World Will Be Converted,” Ensign,Oct. 1974, 4).

Quoted by M. Russell Ballard

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2013/10/put-your-trust-in-the-lord?lang=eng

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M. Russell Ballard quoting President Kimball...“My brethren, I wonder if we are doing all we can. Are we complacent in our approach to teaching all the world? We have been proselyting now 144 years. Are we prepared to lengthen our stride? To enlarge our vision?” (Ensign, Oct. 1974, 5).

Quoted by M. Russell Ballard

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2013/10/put-your-trust-in-the-lord?lang=eng

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President Thomas S. Monson echoed exactly the same message to members of the Church. The President said: “Now is the time for members and missionaries to come together … [and] labor in the Lord’s vineyard to bring souls unto Him. He has prepared the means for us to share the gospel in a multitude of ways, and He will assist us in our labors if we will act in faith to fulfill His work” (“Faith in the Work of Salvation” [address given at a special broadcast, June 23, 2013]; lds.org/broadcasts).

Quoted by M. Russell Ballard

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2013/10/put-your-trust-in-the-lord?lang=eng

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We know from our research that most active members of the Church want the blessings of the gospel to be part of the lives of others whom they love, even those whom they have never met. But we also know that many members hesitate to do missionary work and share the gospel for two basic reasons.
  • The first one is fear. Many members do not even pray for opportunities to share the gospel, fearing that they might receive divine promptings to do something they think they are not capable of doing.
  • The second reason is misunderstanding of what missionary work is.
M. Russell Ballard

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2013/10/put-your-trust-in-the-lord?lang=eng
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Now, we know that no one likes feeling guilty. Perhaps you feel you may be asked to do unrealistic things in your relationships with friends or neighbors. With the help of the Lord, let me remove any fear you or any of our full-time missionaries may have in sharing the gospel with others.
Make the decision to do what Jesus Christ has asked us to do. The Savior has said:
“Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
“For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
“Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?
“Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?
“If ye … know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?” (Matthew 7:7–11).
Brothers and sisters, fear will be replaced with faith and confidence when members and the full-time missionaries kneel in prayer and ask the Lord to bless them with missionary opportunities. Then, we must demonstrate our faith and watch for opportunities to introduce the gospel of Jesus Christ to our Heavenly Father’s children, and surely those opportunities will come. These opportunities will never require a forced or a contrived response. They will flow as a natural result of our love for our brothers and sisters. Just be positive, and those whom you speak with will feel your love. They will never forget that feeling, though the timing may not be right for them to embrace the gospel. That too may change in the future when their circumstances change.
It is impossible for us to fail when we do our best when we are on the Lord’s errand. While the outcome is a result of the exercise of one’s agency, sharing the gospel is our responsibility.
Trust the Lord. He is the Good Shepherd. He knows His sheep, and His sheep know His voice; and today the voice of the Good Shepherd is your voice and my voice. And if we are not engaged, many who would hear the message of the Restoration will be passed by. Simply stated, it’s a matter of faith and action on our part. The principles are pretty simple—pray, personally and in your family, for missionary opportunities. The Lord has said in the Doctrine and Covenants that many people have been kept from the truth only “because they know not where to find it” (D&C 123:12).

M. Russell Ballard

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You don’t have to be an outgoing person or an eloquent, persuasive teacher. If you have an abiding love and hope within you, the Lord has promised if you “lift up your voices unto this people [and] speak the thoughts that [He] shall put into your hearts, … you shall not be confounded before men;
“[And] it shall be given you … in the very moment, what ye shall say” (D&C 100:5–6).
Preach My Gospel reminds all of us that “nothing happens in missionary work until [we] find someone to teach. Talk with as many people as you can each day. It is natural to be somewhat apprehensive about talking to people, but you can pray for the faith and strength to be more bold in opening your mouth to proclaim the restored gospel” ([2004], 156–57). You full-time missionaries, if you want to teach more, you must talk to more people every day. This has always been what the Lord has sent missionaries forth to do.
The Lord knows us. He knows we have our challenges. I realize that some of you may feel heavy laden, but I pray that none of you would ever feel that reaching out in normal, pleasant ways to share the gospel would ever be a burden. Rather, it is a privilege! There is no greater joy in life than being anxiously engaged in the service of the Lord.
The key is that you be inspired of God, that you ask Him for direction and then go and do as the Spirit prompts you. When members view the work of salvation as their responsibility alone, it can be intimidating. When they view it as an invitation to follow the Lord in bringing souls unto Him to be taught by the full-time elders and sisters, it is inspiring, invigorating, and uplifting.

M. Russell Ballard

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Heed the promptings of the Spirit. Supplicate the Lord in mighty prayer. Become engaged in doing what you can in sharing the great message of the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
I quote from another successful member missionary, Clayton Christensen: “Every time you take someone figuratively by the hand and introduce him or her to Jesus Christ, you will feel how deeply our Savior loves you and loves the person whose hand is in yours” (The Power of Everyday Missionaries: The What and How of Sharing the Gospel [2013], 1).

M. Russell Ballard

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From the beginning of this work, missionary service has been a four-step process:
  1. Finding the investigator.
  2. Teaching the investigator.
  3. Baptizing the worthy convert.
  4. Fellowshipping and strengthening the new member.

Gordon B Hinckley
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1999/04/find-the-lambs-feed-the-sheep?lang=eng
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We pray please bless the missionaries...how does that happen?  Through us.  It is not magic.
We pray please bless the "missionaries in the field".  This is the field...Those missionary Mom's at home are praying for their daughters in our ward.
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We succeed when we invite.  The success or failure of the person you invited depends on them...not you.
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Commit to find someone to say no
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Do not judge if someone wants to accept.  That is up to God.  You are not God.  When you judge you take away their agency.  You need to ask everyone and give them their agency.
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