This Week's Lesson: August 16, 2015

Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson, Chapter 17: Keeping the Law of Chastity

taught by Haylee Stewart

Purity is life-giving; impurity is deadly.

Introduce lesson: there is a lot of good, powerful principles in the lesson; review the 

lesson at home in your own time. To start off, have someone read quote #1.

QUOTE #1: The plaguing sin of this generation is sexual immorality. This, the 

Prophet Joseph said, would be the source of more temptations, more 

buffetings, and more difficulties for the elders of Israel than any other. … 

Sexual immorality is a viper that is striking not only in the world, but in the 

Church today. Not to admit it is to be dangerously complacent or is like 

putting one’s head in the sand. … 

No sin is causing the loss of the Spirit of the Lord among our people more 

today than sexual promiscuity. It is causing our people to stumble, damning 

their growth, darkening their spiritual powers, and making them subject to 

other sins.

Some of that quote came from an address Pres. Benson gave in 1986—nearly 30 

years ago. The rest of it came from a conference talk in 1964—over 50 years ago! 

Pres. Benson was truly a seer.

God has established His standard of chastity for His children.

QUOTE #2: The Church has no double standard of morality. The moral code 

of heaven for both men and women is complete chastity before marriage and 

full fidelity after marriage.

In the Book of Mormon, the prophet Jacob tells us that the Lord delights in 

the chastity of His children. Do you hear that, my brothers and sisters? The 

Lord is not just pleased when we are chaste; He delights in chastity. Mormon 

taught the same thing to his son Moroni when he wrote that chastity and 

virtue are “most dear and precious above all things”.

QUESTION: Any thoughts?

The Lord has given us His standard of purity. In order to stay morally clean, we need 

to prepare ourselves to resist temptation.

QUESTION: How do we prepare ourselves to resist temptation? 

Clean thoughts/pornography

QUOTE #3: Control your thoughts. No one steps into immorality in an instant. 

The first seeds of immorality are always sown in the mind. When we allow 

our thoughts to linger on lewd or immoral things, the first step on the road to 

immorality has been taken. I especially warn you against the evils of 

pornography. Again and again we hear from those caught in deep sin that 

often the first step on their road to transgression began with pornographic 

materials. The Savior taught that even when a man looks upon a woman to 

lust after her, or in other words, when he lets his thoughts begin to get out of 

control, he has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

Media

QUOTE #4: Consider carefully the words of the prophet Alma to his errant 

son, Corianton, “Forsake your sins, and go no more after the lusts of your 

eyes.” (Alma 39:9.)

“The lusts of your eyes.” In our day, what does that expression mean?

Movies, television programs, and video recordings that are both suggestive 

and lewd.

Magazines and books that are obscene and pornographic.

We counsel you … not to pollute your minds with such degrading matter, for 

the mind through which this filth passes is never the same afterwards.20

Be clean. Be virtuous in your thoughts and actions. Read good books. Never 

let your minds be subjected to pornography. … In the words of the Lord, “Let 

virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong 

in the presence of God. The Holy Ghost shall be thy constant companion.”

Prayer

QUOTE #5: Always pray for the power to resist temptation. Temptation will 

come to all of us. It will take many forms and appear in many disguises, but 

the Lord has given us the key for resisting it. He said to the Prophet Joseph 

Smith: “Pray always, that you may come off conqueror; yea, that you may 

conquer Satan, and that you may escape the hands of the servants of Satan 

that do uphold his work” (D&C 10:5). It should be part of our daily prayers to 

ask the Lord for constant strength to resist temptation, especially 

temptations that involve the law of chastity.

Avoid improper situations

QUOTE #6: Men and women who are married sometimes flirt and tease with 

members of the opposite sex. So-called harmless meetings are arranged, or 

inordinate amounts of time are spent together. In all of these cases, people 

rationalize by saying that these are natural expressions of friendship. But 

what may appear to be harmless teasing or simply having a little fun with 

someone of the opposite sex can easily lead to more serious involvement and 

eventual infidelity.

A good question to ask ourselves is this: Would my spouse be pleased if he or 

she knew I was doing this?

If you are married, avoid being alone with members of the opposite sex 

wherever possible. Many of the tragedies of immorality begin when a man 

and woman are alone in the office, or at church, or driving in a car. At first 

there may be no intent or even thought of sin. But the circumstances provide 

a fertile seedbed for temptation. One thing leads to another, and very quickly 

tragedy may result. It is so much easier to avoid such circumstances from the 

start so that temptation gets no chance for nourishment.

Modesty

QUOTE #7: Be modest. Modesty in dress and language and deportment is a 

true mark of refinement and a hallmark of a virtuous Latter-day Saint. … 

Shun the low and the vulgar and the suggestive.

Plant positive activities

QUOTE #8: Overcome evil with good. You can overcome many evil 

inclinations through good physical exertion and healthful activities. A healthy 

soul, free of the body-and-spirit-dulling influences of alcohol and tobacco, is 

in better condition to overthrow the devil.

For those who are single and dating, carefully plan positive and constructive 

activities so that you are not left to yourselves with nothing to do but share 

physical affection. … This is the principle of filling one’s life with positive 

activities so that the negative has no chance to thrive.

Fasting/scripture study

QUOTE #9: Fill your lives with positive sources of power. It is not enough 

simply to try to resist evil or empty our lives of sin. We must also fill our lives 

with righteousness. We must engage in activities that bring spiritual power.

I speak of such activities as immersing ourselves in the scriptures. There is a 

power that flows into our lives when we read and study the scriptures on a 

daily basis that cannot be found in any other way. Daily prayer is another 

source of great power. Fasting for specific strength or special blessings can 

strengthen us beyond our normal ability. Christian service, church 

attendance, service in the kingdom—all can add to our storehouse of 

strength and power.

And now, of course, to mention the atonement. There is hope, there is power in the 

atonement. President Benson said:

“There may be some for whom the counsel to prepare and prevent is too late. You 

may already be deeply entangled in serious sin. If this is the case, there is no choice 

now but to repair your lives and repent of your sins. To you I would suggest five 

important things you can do to come back to a state of moral purity. Flee 

immediately from any situation you are in that is either causing you to sin or that 

may cause you to sin. Plead with the Lord for the power to overcome. Let your 

priesthood leaders help you resolve the transgression and come back into full 

fellowship with the Lord. Drink from the divine fountain and fill your lives with 

positive sources of power. Remember that through proper repentance, you can 

become clean again.

“For those who pay the price required by true repentance, the promise is sure. You 

can be clean again. The despair can be lifted. The sweet peace of forgiveness will 

flow into your lives. In this dispensation the Lord spoke with clarity when he said, 

‘Behold, he who has repented of his sins, the same is forgiven, and I, the Lord, 

remember them no more.’”

Because Pres. Benson said sexual sin would plague this generation, it is imperative 

that we teach our children the law of chastity.

Pres. Benson said:

“Parents should give their children specific instructions on chastity at an early age, 

both for their physical and moral protection.

“Our homes must become bulwarks of strength through enthroning righteousness 

and bringing into them the peace, unity, and unselfishness engendered by personal 

purity, unquestioned fidelity, and simple family devotion. Parents must accept 

marriage as a divine institution, and honor parenthood. Children must be inspired 

by precept and example in preparation for marriage, to guard against unchastity as 

against a loathsome disease, and to practice the other fundamental Christian 

virtues.”

QUESTION: How do you teach the law of chastity, or how were you taught?

Ultimately, the law of chastity was given to us in order that we may have joy. Pres. 

Benson promised:

“When we obey the law of chastity and keep ourselves morally clean, we will 

experience the blessings of increased love and peace, greater trust and respect for 

our marital partners, deeper commitment to each other, and therefore a deep and 

significant sense of joy and happiness.”

Additional Reading: Genesis 39:7–21; 1 Corinthians 6:18–20; Galatians 5:16;Alma 38:12; 39:3–5; 3 Nephi 12:27–30; D&C 42:22–25

This Week's Lesson: July 12, 2015

Chapter 14: Marriage and Family—Ordained of God

Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Ezra Taft Benson, (2014), 179–90

taught by Karen Johnson

“The family is one of God’s greatest fortresses against the evils of our day. Help keep your family strong and close and worthy of our Father in Heaven’s blessings.”

This Week's Lesson: November 23, 2014

Samantha Taylor

She talked about magnifying your calling. She talked about the growth of the church in the Philippines because of people who magnified their callings and how much that influenced her testimony. She said we can influence ourselves and our circle of influence by magnifying our calling. This is an active church and all callings matter.

Chapter 22

Prayer—A Commandment and a Blessing

We are commanded to draw near to Heavenly Father in prayer.

Genevieve Simpson

It is a commandment from the Lord that we seek him constantly in humble prayer. When the Savior was with his disciples he taught them to pray and he set the example before them in frequent prayers to his Father. We may be sure, since it is a commandment from the Lord, that there is virtue in prayer, and when we seek the Lord it should be in the spirit of humility and reverence. …

Why Do We Pray

1) I wonder if we ever stop to think why the Lord has asked us to pray. Did he ask us to pray because he wants us to bow down and worship him? Is that the main reason? I don’t think it is. He is our Heavenly Father, and we have been commanded to worship him and pray to him in the name of his Beloved Son, Jesus Christ. But the Lord can get along without our prayers. His work will go on just the same, whether we pray or whether we do not. … Prayer is something that we need, not that the Lord needs.  He knows just how to conduct his affairs and how to take care of them without any help from us. Our prayers are not for the purpose of telling him how to run his business. If we have any such idea as that, then of course we have the wrong idea. Our prayers are uttered more for our sakes, to build us up and give us strength and courage, and to increase our faith in him.

- I think it is funny how he says that the Lord knows how to conduct his affairs and how to take care of them without any help from us.  And that our prayers aren’t for the purpose of us telling him how to run his business.  

2) Prayer is something that humbles the soul. It broadens our comprehension; it quickens the mind. It draws us nearer to our Father in heaven. We need his help; there is no question about that. We need the guidance of his Holy Spirit. We need to know what principles have been given to us by which we may come back into his presence. We need to have our minds quickened by the inspiration that comes from him; and for these reasons we pray to him, that he may help us to live so that we will know his truth and be able to walk in its light, that we may, through our faithfulness and our obedience, come back again into his presence.

- It quickens the mind

3) Few things in life are as important as communing with Deity in prayer. The Lord has drawn over our minds a curtain of forgetfulness so that we do not remember him and our association with him as members of his family in the premortal life. Prayer is the avenue of communication which he has provided for us to commune with him again. Thus, one of the chief purposes of our mortal probation is to see if we can learn with the spirit of prayer always in our hearts so that when the Lord chooses to speak, we shall hear his voice in our souls.

Question

How do we get to the point where when the Lord speaks we will be able to hear him in our souls?

President Joseph Fielding Smith taught that we should make the spirit of prayer “part of our very being.”  He set an example of this principle by the way he lived and by the way he prayed—alone, with family members, and in public.  He was a good example of praying in many different situations.  

There are four prayers that he offers to the Lord that we are going read and as we do I want you to think of similar situations you might have been in when you offered a prayer like his.

Prayer #1   

After the death of his first wife, Louie, he penned this tender supplication in his journal, providing a glimpse into his personal prayers: “O my Father in heaven, help me, I pray Thee, to so live that I shall be worthy to meet her in eternal glory, to be united again with her, never again to be separated, throughout the countless ages of eternity. Help me to be humble, to trust in Thee. Give me wisdom and knowledge of heavenly things that I may have power to resist all evil and remain steadfast to Thy truth. O Lord, help me, grant unto me eternal life in thy Kingdom. Guide my footsteps in righteousness, give unto me Thy Whole Spirit. Help me to rear my precious babies that they shall remain pure and spotless throughout their lives, and when we have finished our course, take us unto thy Celestial Kingdom, we pray thee. In the name of our Redeemer, let it be, Amen.”

Prayer #2

President Smith’s son Joseph Jr. told of a memorable prayer President Smith offered when the two of them were on their way home to Salt Lake City after a trip in eastern Utah. They “became engulfed in a heavy rain storm and took a wrong turn,” ending up in a place called Indian Canyon. “The storm became heavier and the road very muddy and slippery, so much so that it was not only dangerous but impossible to travel farther. The heavy mist shrouded the deep chasm off the one-lane dirt road, and young Joseph Jr. and Dr. David E. Smith who were passengers attempted to push and steady the car for fear of its sliding into the deep canyon below. The wheels began to spin in the mud, and eventually the car came to a standstill. … Joseph recall[ed] that his father said, ‘We have done all we can. We will call upon the Lord.’ He bowed his head in prayer, calling upon the Lord to prepare the way that he might right his mistake and get out of the dangerous canyon and proceed on the journey home. He told the Lord that he had important commitments that needed his attention the next day, and that it was imperative that he be back in Salt Lake City. Miraculously, the storm abated, a wind came up, drying off the road sufficiently that they were able to … eventually get back onto a highway. No sooner had they reached low ground than the storm settled in again, stalling traffic in the immediate area for several hours. As they proceeded down Provo Canyon headed for Salt Lake City, after many hours of extra travel, they were stopped by a highway patrolman who asked where they had come from. When informed that they had come through Indian Canyon the officer said, ‘That’s impossible! It’s reported that all the bridges in that area have been washed out.’ To their surprise, the headlines of the next day’s paper reported 200 cars stranded in the area from which they had escaped.”3

Prayer #3

During President Smith’s 62-year apostolic ministry, many of his sermons included public prayers in which he sought the blessings of heaven for members of the Church and people throughout the world. For example, in his first general conference as President of the Church, he petitioned, “I pray that God our Heavenly Father will open the windows of heaven and pour out upon his children in all the earth those great and eternal blessings which will better their lot temporally and spiritually.”

Prayer #4

President Smith’s prayers revealed the depth of his testimony and his love for his Father in Heaven and his Savior.

President Boyd K. Packer, who was called to serve in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles when Joseph Fielding Smith was President of the Church, said: “It was an experience to hear President Joseph Fielding Smith pray. Even when he was past ninety he would pray that he would ‘keep his covenants and obligations and endure to the end.’”5

What is the season of prayer?

The season for prayer is always.

4) 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.

He goes on to talk about Amulek from the Book of Mormon teaching the poor Zoramites.  These Zoramites were cast out of the synagogues because of their poorness and they were upset because they weren’t able to go to the Ramiumptum to do their prayers.  Amulek taught them that we should pray always.  

He said…

“Yea, cry unto him for mercy, for he is mighty to save; yea, humble yourselves and continue in prayer unto him; cry unto him when ye are in your fields, yea, over all your flocks; cry unto him in your houses, yea, over all your household, both morning, mid-day, and evening; yea, cry unto him against the power of your enemies; yea, cry unto him against the devil, who is an enemy to all righteousness. Cry unto him over the crops of your fields, that ye may prosper in them; cry over the flocks of your fields, that they may increase. But this is not all; ye must pour out your souls in your closets and your secret places and in your wilderness; yea, and when you do not cry unto the Lord, let your hearts be full, drawn out in prayer unto him continually for your welfare, and also for the welfare of those who are around you.”

5) I think that is very excellent doctrine, and I read it to impress upon your minds the season of prayer. The season of prayer is in the morning before the family separates. A good time for prayer is when you assemble at the table before you partake of the morning meal, and let the members of the family take turn in the praying. That is the season of prayer. The season of prayer for the merchant is in the morning when he goes to his place of business and before he begins his day’s work, over his merchandise. The time of prayer for the shepherd, is when he is out with his flocks watching over them. The time for the farmer to pray is when he goes with his plow into the field, when he goes to sow his grain, and when he goes to gather his harvest. And if a man will pray as he is commanded to do in this passage of scripture which I have read, then he more than likely will be found in all things righteously keeping the commandments of the Lord.  

Question

When are some good times in our own lives when we could pray?

(my kids- all the time)

Teaching our Children

… 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.6

In our prayers we should pour out our souls in thanksgiving.

Being Thankful in Our Prayers

How careful we should be to cultivate, through the medium of a prayerful life, a thankful attitude. I believe that one of the greatest sins of which the inhabitants of the earth are guilty today is the sin of ingratitude, the want [or lack] of acknowledgment, on their part, of the Lord and his right to govern and control.12

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.

Question

How does our attitude change when we “pour out our souls in thanksgiving” to our Heavenly Father?

We should plead with Heavenly 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.

Joseph Fielding Smith Prayed…

“I pray that the blessings of heaven may be and abide with us and all men.  O that the heavens might pour down righteousness and truth upon all the world!  O that all men everywhere might have a listening ear, and that they might heed the words of truth and light which come from the Lord’s servants!  O that the Lord’s purposes among all people in every nation might speedily be fulfilled!  I pray for the members of the Church, who are the saints of the Most High, that they may be strengthened in their faith, and that desires for righteousness may increase in their hearts, and that they may work out their salvation with fear and trembling before the Lord.  

I pray for the good and the upright among all people, that they may be led to seek truth, to sustain every true principle, and to further the cause of freedom and justice.  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, and that they may gain thereby the wisdom to solve the problems which beset mankind.  I beseech a gracious Father to pour out his blessings upon all men, upon the young and old, upon those who have cause to mourn, upon the hungry and needy, upon those who are entrapped in unfortunate circumstances and unwholesome environments, and upon all who need aid, and help, and succor, and wisdom, and all those good and great things that only he can give.  Along with all of you, I have love and concern and compassion for our Father’s children in all the earth, and pray that their conditions may be bettered both temporally and spiritually; I pray that they may come unto Christ, and learn of him, and take his yoke upon them, that they may find rest to their souls, for his yoke is easy and his burden is light.  I pray that the Latter-day Saints and all who will join with them in keeping the commandments of the Father of us all may so live as to gain peace in this life and eternal life in the world to come- all of which I ask in humility and in thanksgiving, and in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.”

In this prayer he is praying for others I feel his love when I read this.  When we pray maybe we could think more about others and thanksgiving for all we have.  

Before we go I want us to silently ponder these questions.

Are we in possession of the spirit of prayer? Have we made it a part of our very being? Are we in touch with our heavenly Father through the Holy Spirit, or are we not?

Additional Videos:

This Week's Lesson: November 30, 2014

Missionary Moment: Amy Perkins

After her mission she wanted to have an opportunity to share her testimony again. She was on her way to Canada for her grandpa's funeral so she got prepared to talk to someone on the plane. She had written her testimony in a Book of Mormon and had brought along pass along cards in the hopes of finding someone to share them with. She ended up sitting next to an older man who had just lost his wife and was on his way home from a trip he went on to get away. She ended up asking him questions like did he think he would ever see her again and had the opportunity to talk to him about the plan of salvation. They had a really great talk. When it was time to land they handed out the customs cards and she felt prompted to memorize his address which she thought was extremely weird, but was able to memorize the first part of his address. They landed and on her way to her uncle's house who she was staying with, her dad asked her about her flight and she told him about the man she had met and then said she had felt prompted to memorize his address. Her dad asked her what the address was and as she was telling him she was reading the address of the house right next door to her uncle! It happened to be her uncle's next door neighbor. She went over to his house with her dad who is a convert and he was able to share his conversion story. As they were leaving, the missionaries happened to be riding by and they were able to come meet this man.

She doesn't know the end of the story. Her uncle moved so she doesn't have any way to get in touch with him, but she felt so grateful to feel the presence of the Lord in her life, and how clearly His hand was involved in that experience.

Sister Tucker

Which Way Do You Face? By Elder Lynn G. Robbins

“The scornful often accuse prophets of not living in the 21st century or of being bigoted.  They attempt to persuade or even pressure the Church into lowering God’s standards to the level of their own inappropriate behavior, which in the words of Elder Neal A. Maxwell will ‘develop self-contentment instead of seeking self-improvement’ and repentance.  Lowering the Lord’s standards to the level of a society’s inappropriate behavior is—apostasy.” 

“Some members don’t realize they are falling into the same snare when they lobby for acceptance of local or ethnic traditions of their fathers that are not in harmony with the gospel culture.  Still others, self-deceived and in self-denial, plead or demand that bishops lower the standard on temple recommends, school endorsements, or missionary applications.  It isn’t easy being a bishop under that kind of pressure."

Do you have a mantra?  A mantra comes from Hinduism or Buddhism and is often used in yoga during meditation or running to keep you from quitting.  Its definition is a statement or slogan repeatedly frequently.  Happyblackwoman.comdescribes a mantra as a phrase or statement to inspire courage to overcome fear. 

Elder Robbins reminds us of the first and second commandments Jesus Christ gave us found in Matthew 22:37-39.  The first is, “Love God with all your heart.”  The second is, “Though shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.”  He reminds us that pleasing others before God is inverting the first and second great commandments.  We often make this mistake because of the fear of mean.  We fear confrontation, we fear offending, we fear embarrassing others, and we fear being accused of judging or being called “self-righteous.” 

Think of some situations where either you or someone you know demonstrated followed the first commandment before the second commandment.  Someone who demonstrated courage by choosing what the Lord would have them do, even in the face of what others may think about them. 

Elder Robbins says, “While it certainly takes courage to face perils, the true badge of courage is overcoming the fear of men.”  The scriptures and this talk are full of examples of great men and women who overcome to the fear of men to do what was pleasing unto God (think Nephi, Esther, Captain Moroni), and others who didn’t (think King Noah, Peter, King Herod, etc.).

Sometimes we show courage by choosing to live our lives the way the Lord would have us do even if friends, family, or coworkers may not understand our choices.  Sometimes we show courage by remaining silent in a charged situation.  But sometimes we may find it necessary to speak up in order to keep God’s first commandment.  How can we tell if we should speak up?  With a prayer in your heart for help in guiding your words, use Christ’s example to know how to speak to others. 

 If you find yourself in a situation where you need to speak up in order to follow the first commandment, develop a mantra to help you have courage and try to speak as Christ would speak.  

 Some mantras we developed in class were:

“Be a first time listener.” 

“It doesn’t matter what others think.”

“It doesn’t matter how fast or slow, only what direction you go.” 

Use one of these mantras, or develop one of your own, when deciding which way you face. Don’t let peer pressure let you invert or confuse the order of the first two commandments.

This Week's Lesson: September 7, 2014

Chapter 19: In the World not of the World 

“While we are in the world, we are not of the world. We are expected to overcome the world and to live as becometh saints.”

Taught by Alexi Bullock

• Video: Dare to Stand Alone
• Mark 8:34-36
• Phillipians 2:14-15

Before we get started, I want to share 2 easy ways to invite the spirit.

Make everyone put them into practice

-Both are not hard,

-don’t ask much

-put our faith into action to show our willingness to participate

Quote #1 Scripture D&C 82:10 I, the Lord, am bound when ye do what I say; but

when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise.

-The best part about these 2 easy ways

-Lord is bound to bless us when we do righteous things

First way is to raise our hand to participate or answer a question.

Ask everyone to do so.

Going to make it easy have everyone turn to a scripture.

If you can’t, better make sure your neighbor is in case I call on you.

James 2: 26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

--can’t just have faith and hope things will work out, but you have to put in action.

--You all just put forth the action of raising your hand

--Put yourself out there, even a willingness to participate, open yourself up to the spirit.

--During the lesson, try to participate at least once, even if you aren’t called on

Second way is to write down inspiration.

--Being willing and prepared to write down inspiration invites the spirit to teach.

Thank you for participating in my introduction, now let’s get into the lesson because it’s an incredible topic.

Quote #2 “While we are in the world, we are not of the world. We are expected to overcome the world and to live as becometh saints.” (becometh be appropriate or suitable to)

As saints expected to overcome the world

Why?

--The Lord expects more of us than he does of the world because we know better

Quote #3 D&C 82:3 “For of him unto whom much is given much is required; and he who sins against the greater light shall receive the greater condemnation.”

Think of a child, they can’t follow the rules unless they know what they are first.

Any thoughts about this?

2-part quote #4 & #5

Quote #4 When we join the Church … , we are expected to forsake many of the ways of the world and live as becometh saints. We are no longer to dress or speak or act or even think as others too often do. Many in the world use tea, coffee, tobacco, and liquor, and are involved in the use of drugs. Many profane and are vulgar and indecent, immoral and unclean in their lives, but all these things should be foreign to us. We are the Saints of the Most High.

Quote #5: Do not get the impression from what I have said that I feel that we should keep aloof from everybody outside of the Church and not associate with them. I have not said that, but I do want us to be consistent Latter-day Saints, and if the people of the world walk in darkness and sin and contrary to the will of the Lord, there is the place for us to draw the line.

Doesn’t mean we can’t hang out with non-members. In fact, we should hang out with non-members, as long as we keep our standards.

--How many of you personally know of non-members in our neighborhood?

--We should try to befriend everyone in neighborhood

--BUT “live life such that others will know your standards”

--Christ’s prayer about the disciples “I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.” (John 17:15–17.)

--Bold statement about not wondering about the world: “If we are living the religion which the Lord has revealed and which we have received, we do not belong to the world. We should have no part in all its foolishness. We should not partake of its sins and its errors—errors of philosophy and errors of doctrine, errors in regard to government, or whatever those errors may be—we have no part in it. The only part we have is the keeping of the commandments of God. That is all, being true to every covenant and every obligation that we have entered into and taken upon ourselves.6

Pitching Tent

Best way to live in not of, analogy of pitch tent:

Pitching tent towards sodom & gomorah:

Overview:

Abraham & Lot’s families returned to Canaan from Egypt, and Lot chose to live with his tent facing the people of Sodom and Gomorah. What made the land near Sodom appealing to Lot? (See Genesis 13:10. It was “well watered” and beautiful.) Later he lived in the city of Sodom itself (Genesis 14:12)

What is today’s modern-day sodom & gomorah? reality TV, gossip magazines, gossiping? time-sucking digital games, bad websites,

--What things might we do that are the spiritual equivalent of pitching our tents toward Sodom?

(We may associate with evil things instead of shunning them, or we may allow ourselves to commit small sins without thinking that they may lead to bigger ones.)

Good moment to write down something in your life you may want to change because it might lead to a bigger problem down the road.

Like Lot, in the BoM, the people of King Benjamin also pitched their tents facing a specific direction.

Quote #6 Mosiah 2:6 And they pitched their tents round about the temple, every man having his tent with the door thereof towards the temple, that thereby they might remain in their tents and hear the words which king Benjamin should speak unto them

--How can we point our homes more toward the temple instead of worldly places?

--How can we change our behavior before little problems or sins become big ones?

How to stay different from the rest of the world

• keep Sabbath day holy
• obey Word of Wisdom
• respect names of Heavenly Father & Jesus Christ
• dress modestly
• keep law of chastity
• forsake evils of the world
• keep the commandments

Sabbath Day Holy

Quote #7 This commandment was given in the beginning, and God commanded the Saints and all peoples of the earth that they should observe the Sabbath day and keep it holy—one day in seven. Upon that day we should rest from our labors, we should go unto the house of the Lord and offer up our sacraments upon His holy day…. On this day we should offer unto Him our thanks and honor Him in prayer, in fasting, in singing, and in edifying and instructing each other.

Obeying the Word of Wisdom

Quote #8 The Word of Wisdom is a basic law. It points the way and gives us ample instruction in regard to both food and drink, good for the body and also detrimental. If we sincerely follow what is written with the aid of the Spirit of the Lord, we need no further counsel.

Respecting the name of Deity

Quote #9 We should hold the name of Deity in the most sacred and solemn respect.…Filthiness in any form is degrading and soul-destroying, and should be avoided as a deadly poison by all members of the Church.…Above all other peoples on the earth, the Latter-day Saints should hold in the utmost sacredness and reverence all things that are holy.

Dressing modestly and keeping the law of chastity

Quote #10 The Latter-day Saints should not follow the fashions and the immodesty of the world. We are the people of the Lord. He expects us to live clean, virtuous lives, to keep our thoughts clean and minds pure and faithful in the observance of all his other commandments. I am making a plea for modesty and chastity and for all the members of the Church, male and female alike, to be chaste, clean in their lives, and obedient to the covenants and commandments the Lord has given us.

Forsake evils of the world

Quote #11 Apparently it is easier for man to sin than to live a life of righteousness; therefore, greater effort needs to be put forth to avoid evil and conform our lives to the elevating principles of the gospel. This is understandable since … “the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of christ, the Lord, and becometh as a child…” Mos 3:19, Spencer W. Kimball

Keep the Commandments

Taught this from childhood in this simple hymn: Quote #12 Look up Hymn 303: Keep the commandments, keep the commandments in this there is safety, in this there is peace. He will send blessings, he will send blessings. Words of a prophet, keep the commandments. In this there is safety and peace.”