[why temples?]

This will be a part of my youth Sunday School lesson for D&C 94-97. We'll talk about some of the reasons we have temples.

The word answers in clockwise order are:

ministry

theory

principle

doctrine

pure

heart

see God

endow

power

salvation

thanksgiving

presence

come

glory

instruction 

[live together in love]

 

I was rereading Elder Holland's talk "The Ministry of Reconciliation" from October 2018 General Conference to prepare for my upcoming Sunday School lesson on Doctrine & Covenants 64-66. Such a powerful talk about forgiving and healing.

Forgiving others doesn't mean that we continue in an abusive relationship, etc. It just means that we acknowledge that every single person on earth is imperfect, will make mistakes, and needs mercy and forgiveness. Let God be the Judge as He is Omniscience. He knows how to judge righteously, perfectly. He knows our hearts. He is the only one who knows how responsible we are for our actions. We just don't know the whole story. What if Hitler had some sort of brain damage that made him the way he is? A simple hard blow to the head can do that. We don't know what makes a person the way they are. We just don't.

Let God judge.

Over and over again in the scriptures, we are told that God is merciful. That gives me hope as I need mercy. I mess up all the time despite my best intentions. 

If we want mercy, we need to be merciful.

When you can love the sinners yet not condone the sin, you feel a weight lifted off your soul. Love will flood into your heart.

It's not easy to forgive sometimes. We can ask for God's help when forgiveness is beyond our ability.

Elder Holland:

"He (Jesus Christ) did not say, "You are not allowed to feel true pain or real sorrow from the shattering experiences you have had at the hand of another." Nor did He say, "In order to forgive fully, you have to reenter a toxic relationship or return to an abusive, destructive circumstance".

But notwithstanding even the most terrible offenses that might come to us, we can rise above our pain only when we put our feet onto the path of true healing. That path is the forgiving one walked by Jesus of Nazareth, who calls out to each of us, “Come, follow me.” 

"The Healer of every wound, He who rights every wrong, asks us to labor with Him in the daunting task of peacemaking in a world that won’t find it any other way."

"...I ask us to be peacemakers—to love peace, to seek peace, to create peace, to cherish peace. I make that appeal in the name of the Prince of Peace, who knows everything about being “wounded in the house of [His] friends” but who still found the strength to forgive and forget—and to heal—and be happy."

For my youth Sunday School, I made 3" peace dove badges for everyone and "quote collage" scripture bookmarks. 

I basically just printed it all on cardstock and I happen to have a 3" circle cutter so that was perfect. 

I printed instructions on how to fold a paper crane as the white dove is one of the symbols of peace. (I know cranes are not doves but close enough. :) In Japan, paper cranes are peace symbols.) When Jesus was baptized, a dove descended on Him, symbolizing the Holy Spirit. The fruits of the Spirit are love, joy, PEACE...

I will give all this plus some origami paper to my class one week prior to our class with a homework assignment that they need to immediately forgive someone who "sins against them" that week. Each time they choose to forgive instead of getting mad, they can make a paper crane to remind them of how they brought peace to the world. 

In class, we'll have a discussion on forgiveness and peace and hopefully, they'll have a personal experience to share with the class.

[invite the Spirit into your life]

 

[start TODAY to increase your faith]

 

[Sunday School Lesson D&C 49 & 50]

 

24 DOWN 49:2 they desire to know the truth _____________   _____________________, but not all

8 DOWN 49:7 the hour and the day __________   __________________   ________________________

4 DOWN 49:12 the beginning and the ____________________

25 ACROSS, 20 DOWN 49:15 whoso forbiddeth to ___________________ is not ordained of God, for marriage is _________________________   _______________   ___________________ unto man

27 DOWN, 37 ACROSS 49:19 for the use of man for __________ and for ________________, and that he might have in abundance

9 DOWN, 1 ACROSS 49:21 wo be unto man that ________________________   ___________________ or that _________________________   _______________________ and hath no need

35 ACROSS 49:27 I will go before you and be your _______________________; and I will be in your midst

6 DOWN, 30 ACROSS 50:3 Satan hath sought to ________________________ you, that he might ____________________________ you

17 DOWN, 2 DOWN, 11 ACROSS 50:7 there are hypocrites among you, who have ______________________   ___________________, which has given _________   ______________________   __________________; but behold such shall be __________________________

22 DOWN, 14 ACROSS 50:16 nevertheless, I will be merciful unto you; he that is __________________ among you hereafter shall be ________________   _______________________

26 ACROSS, 13 ACROSS, 2 ACROSS 50:22 he that preacheth and he that receiveth, __________________ one another, and both are ___________________ and ____________________ together

34 ACROSS, 7 ACROSS 50:23 that which __________________   ______________   __________________ is not of God, and is ___________________________

16 DOWN 50:24 that which is of God is _______________________

21 ACROSS 50:32 and it shall be given unto you, ____________   __________   ___________   _____________

10 DOWN 50:35 __________________   __________    __________________________ all things which are not ordained of him (God)

18 ACROSS, 28 DOWN 50:40 Behold, ye are little children and ye cannot bear all things now; ye must ______________   __________   __________________ and in the knowledge of the _____________________

29 ACROSS, 33 DOWN, 12 ACROSS 50:41 __________________   _______________, little children, for you are ________________________, and I have _______________________ the world

23 DOWN, 3 ACROSS, 15 ACROSS 50:44 Wherefore, I am _________   ________________   _______________, and I am ___________   ___________   ____________, and ______   ____________   ______   _____________.

32 DOWN 50:44 He that buildeth upon this ____________________ shall never fall.

31 DOWN 50:45 And the day cometh that you shall hear my voice and _______________   ____________, and know that I am.

19 DOWN, 36 ACROSS 50:46 ___________________, therefore, that ye may ________   _________________.

This took a long time to do so I'm hoping someone else can use it too. :)

I gave my youth Sunday School class some homework prior to our lesson.

TO BE PREPARED FOR OUR NEXT LESSON, PLEASE DO THE FOLLOWING “HOMEWORK” 😊

1. Study D&C 49 and 50.

2. Do the crossword puzzle. The numbers that are typed in BOLD show the scripture verse where you will find the answer. Some answers have more than one word.

3. Look up “Grace” in the Bible Dictionary, page 697.

4. Look up “Hypocrite” in the Bible Dictionary, page 705.

5. Go to merriam-webster.com (an online dictionary) and look up these two words and write down their definitions on the crossword puzzle page:

DECEIVE                 RECLAIM

6. Ponder how you are “growing in grace and in the knowledge of the truth”.

7. Optional: color the flower.

See you on May 16^th.  😊

[grow in grace]

 

Grace

A word that occurs frequently in the New Testament, especially in the writings of Paul. The main idea of the word is divine means of help or strength, given through the bounteous mercy and love of Jesus Christ.

It is through the grace of the Lord Jesus, made possible by His atoning sacrifice, that mankind will be raised in immortality, every person receiving his body from the grave in a condition of everlasting life. It is likewise through the grace of the Lord that individuals, through faith in the Atonement of Jesus Christ and repentance of their sins, receive strength and assistance to do good works that they otherwise would not be able to maintain if left to their own means. This grace is an enabling power that allows men and women to lay hold on eternal life and exaltation after they have expended their own best efforts.

Divine grace is needed by every soul in consequence of the Fall of Adam and also because of man’s weaknesses and shortcomings. However, grace cannot suffice without total effort on the part of the recipient. Hence the explanation, “It is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do” (2 Ne. 25:23). It is truly the grace of Jesus Christ that makes salvation possible. This principle is expressed in Jesus’ parable of the vine and the branches (John 15:1–11). See also John 1:12–17; Eph. 2:8–9; Philip. 4:13; D&C 93:11–14.

(Source: ChurchofJesusChrist.org, Bible Dictionary)

[brooding, bored, bothered]