RS Lesson Summary January 4th

Sister Ericson gave a wonderful lesson covering Elder Richard G Scott's recent General Conference talk
Make the Exercise of your Faith your First Priority.


When Adam and Eve were in the garden, there was no opposition, no death. Everything was provided for them. Because there were no challenges, they didn't understand real joy. Eventually Adam and Eve transgressed and they had to leave the garden. They left a perfect situation and became mortal and subject to disease, death, sorrow and progress and happiness. By partaking of the fruit, knowledge and understanding would enter their minds. Good and evil entered the world. They were also blessed with the ability to choose. This is all part of our Heavenly Father's plan of happiness.
We live in difficult times. Times of trial, heartache, but also great opportunity, enlightenment and joy. We were educated in the pre earth life that we needed to come to earth to be tested, to gain a body, to learn and prove our obedience to the Lord.
The life was too full of other things to accommodate what the Lord has asked us to do that the important things had no place. So, she started over. Empty jar, but this time, filled the jar with the eggs first: Prayer, Scripture Study, etc. Then she added everything back into the jar, and all the other things still fit. Once we make the things the Lord has asked us to do a priority we will be surprised at what we can accomplish. We will be able to do all the things we need and want to do, but first we are growing closer to the Savior.We are expanding our testimonies, and growing in spiritual strength.

"We were taught in the premortal world that our purpose in coming here is to be tested, tried, and stretched.³ We knew we would face the evils of the adversary. Sometimes we may feel more aware of the negative things of mortality than we are of the positive. The prophet Lehi taught, “For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things.”⁴ Despite all of the negative challenges we have in life, we must take time to actively exercise our faith. Such exercise invites the positive, faith-filled power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ into our lives.

Our Father in Heaven has given us tools to help us come unto Christ and exercise faith in His Atonement. When these tools become fundamental habits, they provide the easiest way to find peace in the challenges of mortality. Today I have chosen to discuss four of these tools. As I speak, consider evaluating your personal use of each tool; then seek the guidance of the Lord to determine how you could make better use of each one of them."

Sister Ericson demonstrated how our lives can be filled with lots of good things, but not filled with the things the Lord has asked us to do. There are things we think we HAVE to do, like working, school, housework, exercising, etc. But there are a few things that the Lord has asked us to do that are musts. 

She showed us an empty glass jar which represented our lives. Then she showed several different items that we can fill our jars- rice, pasta, sugar, each representing something we feel we have to do, or things we like to do, like watch tv, go to shows, social media, working, house work, talking on the phone, reading, exercising, etc. Once the jar was completely filled with these things, she showed us four eggs labeled with the words Prayer, FHE, Scripture Study, and Temple Attendance. The jar was so full the eggs had to sit precariously on the top of the jar. 

" These four tools are fundamental habits for securing your life in the power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Remember our Savior is the Prince of Peace. Peace in this mortal life comes from His atoning sacrifice. When we are consistently praying morning and night, studying our scriptures daily, having weekly family home evening, and attending the temple regularly, we are actively responding to His invitation to “come unto Him.” The more we develop these habits, the more anxious is Satan to harm us but the less is his ability to do so. Through the use of these tools, we exercise our agency to accept the full gifts of His atoning sacrifice."

RS Lesson Summary- Oct 26th

Sister Armstrong gave a lovely lesson about the importance of prayer on Sunday. Her lesson came from the teachings of the prophets of the church, lesson #22, Prayer, a Commandment and a Blessing. You can read the talk online at lds.org.
President Joseph Fielding Smith taught us that the 'spirit of prayer part of our very being'. President Smith taught us by example. He quotes several times in his life when prayer was vital and life saving.
Sister Armstrong commented that prayer can open the windows of heaven, and pour out blessings to us.
During President Smith's 62 years of apostolic ministry, he often included prayers in his talks. President Smith's prayers revealed the 'depth of his testimony. '

Prayer is a deeply personal activity. Our relationship with our Heavenly Father grows and is sustained by our prayers. When we make prayer a personal priority, we are strengthened in everything we do.

1- We are commanded to draw near to Heavenly Father in Prayer
"… It is the duty of parents to teach their children to pray as soon as they commence to understand. Let them form the habit of approaching their Father in heaven, and with the understanding of the reason for prayer. If this habit is formed in childhood, it may remain through mature years, and the man or woman who has earnestly sought the Lord and thanked him for blessings, may expect that the Lord will not forsake them in the hour of need."

2-The season of prayer is always
" Some of us may have the idea that the season of prayer is when we arise in the morning, and when we are about to retire at night when our work is done, and that there is no other season for prayer. But I say unto you, and I have good backing for it, that the season for prayer is always. "

3-All we do should be in harmony with the expressions of our prayers
"We should not pray merely with our lips; but in every act, in our conversation, in all that we undertake to do, we should try to carry out the expressions of our prayers, and be in harmony with the thoughts that we declare to the Lord in our daily supplications."

4-In our prayers we should pour out our souls in Thanksgiving
" In our prayers we should pour out our souls in thanksgiving for life and being, for the redeeming sacrifice of the Son of God, for the gospel of salvation, for Joseph Smith and the mighty work of restoration brought to pass through him. We should acknowledge the hand of the Lord in all things and thank him for all things both temporal and spiritual."

5- We should plead to the Father for all our righteous desires
' We should plead with [Heavenly Father] for faith and integrity and for every godly attribute, for the triumph and success of his work, for the guidance of his Holy Spirit, and for salvation in his kingdom. We should pray for our families, for our wives and children, for food and shelter and clothing, for our business concerns, and for all our righteous desires.'

In Closing: 
" In these troublesome and difficult times, I pray that all men may be guided by that light which lighteth every man who cometh into the world [see John 1:9; D&C 93:2], and that they may gain thereby the wisdom to solve the problems which beset mankind."