Thursday, February 10, 2011
29 Jan 2011
Los Angeles Institute Fireside
Elder L. Whitney Clayton - in the Presidency of the Seventy
Elder Reynolds - Area General Authority (and Mark's dad! Mark from BYU days, Pirates of Penzance Major General!)
* my thought
Elder Clayton:
a thought - it is SMALL so that we have to listen for it *AND so that WE have to be the ones LEFT to decide on it*. And only rarely loud where we can't ignore it.
The main reason to read the scriptures isn't to know the doctrine. It's to feel the Spirit and to learn to feel the Spirit.
Almost every good idea comes from heaven. Heaven is far more involved in our lives than we recognize.
If you want experience getting answers to your prayers - don't pray for yourself. *In other words, ask who you can bless. Who needs you. How you can serve others. Or how you can help specific people.*
Be very, very careful about the television. There is very little on the television that is uplifting. And that which may seem innocuous (paraphrasing now) sets us apart and makes it hard to hear the spirit. (done)
1. family prayer
2. FHE
3. Tithing
4. generous fast offering
5. magnify calling
6. visit teach / home teach
Not one economic challenge that can't be handled if you as a family are following these 6 steps.
Elder Reynolds
- suggests studying scriptures by topic & thought
* nurture*
* Proclamation book*
Most of the D&C came to us because Joseph Smith asked.
D&C 9:7-9
"therefore, you shall FEEL that it is right" (when asking a question and receiving an answer, how to know it's the right answer)
Same temptations as ages ago, different window dressing.
Elder Clayton
Same sex attraction
NewsRoom on lds.org -- Read interview between LDS press and Elder Oaks & Elder Wickman, also the article "The Divine Institution of Marriage"
The Strait & Narrow
- How wide is it? who knows?!
- stay in the center, fundamentals
Neil L. Anderson -- "I don't know everything, but I know enough."
D&C 121
"but the just shall live by his faith"
Hab. 2:4
On Reactivation:
a stake president:
It is a marathon. It's not a sprint.
Inglewood Stake Pres.:
Growing up on the islands (Samoan), I played rugby. And I believe it takes more than one player to tackle a runner. (paraphrasing) Involve church leaders. (done)
- Never suppress a generous thought.
*I love watching the Spirit in action. This Q&A session. Elder Clayton's first answer to that boy about how to know the difference between promptings of the spirit and proddings of the adversary. The scripture he shared when we thought he was done. And then this -- answering a girl's question about how when we choose to follow the gospel (she's about to be baptized), we exclude other choices. Other options. I kind of could tell what she was asking but had no CLUE how to respond. He said:*
- Every choice we make forecloses other choices. Joining the church, instead of narrowing choices, will expand your range of choices - more choices for empathy, compassion, (he said more)....increased opportunity
- Instead of feeling restricted, you'll feel broadened, encouraged.
- In regards to choosing NOT to sin, choosing NOT to have those pains & sorrows
A guy said when he joined the church he only knew a few things about it and since joining, other points of doctrine have come up that he's unsure how he feels about them.
- Joseph Smith kicked open the door that we understand it all - he proved that we DON'T. The world would have us believe that we must understand everything. (goes back to the Elder Andersen quote)
How can we WANT to do good and not just do good out of obligation?
Obligation to do good vs. Desire to do good
Alma 32: 27-28
Desire to desire will become genuine desire of its own accord if we continue to act
Jesus' address with his disciples (not investigators)
4xs he talks of keeping the commandments
3xs he talks of loving others
Elder Reynolds:
Elder Nelson - talk on being perfect (to address the girl being baptized and the obligation to do good)
Your feelings are incredibly fickle. Your behavior is predictable. Do the good. Do what is right and the feelings will follow.
Elder Clayton
Parley P. Pratt's book - Purify
The Holy Ghost...amplifies our opportunities. It doesn't narrow them.
Patterns:
"will give until you a pattern for all things"
Where do you want to be when you're 70?
The things that matter to you at 24/25 won't matter to you then.
Think of then and work backward to make priorities.
Haggai 1: didn't put God first
Your lives will be everything you want them to be if you do.
Mosiah 2:41 Consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments. (reminded of the Mormon Mommy Blogs Salon article...shiny, happy people...)
Pres. Packer
- shade of tree
-awful the world was, how can we bring children into this world?
Pattern = shade of the tree that you plant for them
Sac Mtg 2/6/11
Preach the gospel all the days of your life, and sometimes use words. (Bro. Flores' testimony?)
- in other words, preach by example
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