[Genesis 42 - 50]

 

This week's lesson talks about how Joseph forgave his brothers. We are reminded to forgive others. But truly, the story of Joseph is in a similitude of the Lord and how He is merciful and forgives us. Mercy is a beautiful thing!

Exodus 34:6  The Lord, The Lord God, _________________________________ and 

______________________________,

____________________________________________, and abundant in _____________________________________

and __________________________________.

Deuteronomy 4:31  For the Lord thy God is a _______________________________________ God; he will not

_____________________________________ thee, neither _________________________________ thee, nor

____________________________________ the _________________________________ of thy fathers which he sware 

unto them.

1 Chronicles 16:34  O give _____________________________ unto the Lord; for he is __________________________;

for his _____________________________ endureth __________________  ______________________________.

2 Chronicles 30:9  …for the Lord your God is ____________________________________ and

____________________________________, and will not _____________________________ away his face from you, if

ye return unto him.

Nehemiah 9:17  …but thou art a God ___________________________ to _______________________________,

_____________________________________ and ______________________________________,

___________________________ to anger, and of _______________________________

_______________________________________, and _______________________________________ them not.

Nehemiah 9:19  Yet thou in thy _________________________________  _____________________________

___________________________________________ them not in the wilderness…

Nehemiah 9:25  …and ______________________________ themselves in thy great _____________________________.

Nehemiah 9:27  …and in the time of their _____________________________________, when they cried unto 

thee, thou ________________________________________ them from heaven; and according to thy manifold

_____________________________ thou gavest them _____________________________________, who

________________________________ them out of the hand of their enemies.

Nehemiah 9:28  …and __________________________ times didst thou 

__________________________________ them according to thy ___________________________________.

Psalm 52:8  I trust in the _________________________________ of God for ever and ever.

Psalm 86:5  For thou, Lord, art ___________________________, and ready to ___________________________________;

and _____________________________________ in ________________________________ unto all them that call upon 

thee.

Micah 7:18  Who is a God… that _____________________________________ iniquity…

he ____________________________________ in __________________________________.

[He is Love]

[true!]

One of my favorite quotes from President Monson. It's from October 2013 General Conference.
(I took the photo in Montana as we were driving through on our way to Utah.)

Loved Elder Christensen's talk about God's love at October 2016 General Conference. People misunderstand the concept of God's love so often.

"God will always love us, but He cannot save us in our sins."

If we didn't need to keep his commandments, repent and be "born again"/be purified, then we would bring whatever filth we might have in us into God's kingdom. If any sinner is automatically saved "because God loves everyone", then in God's kingdom there would be thiefs, adulterers, liers, etc. We have to have a desire to change and let God's grace work in us. The Holy Ghost has to sanctify us. The Atonement has to pay the price of sin.

"Repentance, then, is His gift to us, purchased at a very dear price."

Elder Christensen quotes Elder Oaks:

Elder Christensen shares the story of Helen Keller and how it relates to us. Love it:

The story of Helen Keller is something of a parable suggesting how divine love can transform a willing soul. Helen was born in the state of Alabama in the United States in 1880. When just 19 months old, she suffered an undiagnosed illness that left her both deaf and blind. She was extremely intelligent and became frustrated as she tried to understand and make sense of her surroundings. When Helen felt the moving lips of family members and realized that they used their mouths to speak, “she flew into a rage [because] she was unable to join in the conversation.”26 By the time Helen was six, her need to communicate and her frustration grew so intense that her “outbursts occurred daily, sometimes hourly.”27

Helen’s parents hired a teacher for their daughter, a woman named Anne Sullivan. Just as we have in Jesus Christ one who understands our infirmities,28 Anne Sullivan had struggled with her own serious hardships and understood Helen’s infirmities. At age five, Anne had contracted a disease that caused painful scarring of the cornea and left her mostly blind. When Anne was eight, her mother died; her father abandoned her and her younger brother, Jimmie; and they were sent to a “poor house,” where conditions were so deplorable that Jimmie died after only three months. Through her own dogged persistence, Anne gained entry to the Perkins School for the Blind and vision impaired, where she succeeded brilliantly. A surgical operation gave her improved vision so that she was able to read print. When Helen Keller’s father contacted the Perkins School seeking someone to become a teacher for his daughter, Anne Sullivan was selected.29

It was not a pleasant experience at the beginning. Helen “hit, pinched and kicked her teacher and knocked out one of her teeth. [Anne] finally gained control by moving with [Helen] into a small cottage on the Kellers’ property. Through patience and firm consistency, she finally won the child’s heart and trust.”30 Similarly, as we come to trust rather than resist our divine Teacher, He can work with us to enlighten and lift us to a new reality.31

To help Helen learn words, Anne would spell the names of familiar objects with her finger on the palm of Helen’s hand. “[Helen] enjoyed this ‘finger play,’ but she didn’t understand until the famous moment when [Anne] spelled ‘w-a-t-e-r’ while pumping water over [Helen’s] hand. [Helen] later wrote:

“‘Suddenly I felt a misty consciousness as of something forgotten … and somehow the mystery of language was revealed to me. I knew then that “w-a-t-e-r” meant the wonderful cool something that was flowing over my hand. That living word awakened my soul, gave it light, hope, joy, set it free! … Everything had a name, and each name gave birth to a new thought. As we returned to the house[,] every object … I touched seemed to quiver with life.’”32

As Helen Keller grew to adulthood, she became known for her love of language, her skill as a writer, and her eloquence as a public speaker.

In a movie depicting the life of Helen Keller, her parents are portrayed as satisfied with Anne Sullivan’s work once she has domesticated their wild daughter to the extent that Helen will sit politely at dinner, eat normally, and fold her napkin at the end of the meal. But Anne knew Helen was capable of much, much more and that she had significant contributions to make.33Even so, we may be quite content with what we have done in our lives and that we simply are what we are, while our Savior comprehends a glorious potential that we perceive only “through a glass, darkly.”34 Each of us can experience the ecstasy of divine potential unfolding within us, much like the joy Helen Keller felt when words came to life, giving light to her soul and setting it free. Each of us can love and serve God and be empowered to bless our fellowman. “As it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.35

[you are loved more than you can imagine!]

Love, love, love this talk by President Uchtdorf! 

God does not look on the outward appearance. ⁸ I believe that He doesn’t care one bit if we live in a castle or a cottage, if we are handsome or homely, if we are famous or forgotten. Though we are incomplete, God loves us completely. Though we are imperfect, He loves us perfectly. Though we may feel lost and without compass, God’s love encompasses us completely.

He loves us because He is filled with an infinite measure of holy, pure, and indescribable love. We are important to God not because of our résumé but because we are His children. He loves every one of us, even those who are flawed, rejected, awkward, sorrowful, or broken. God’s love is so great that He loves even the proud, the selfish, the arrogant, and the wicked.

What this means is that, regardless of our current state, there is hope for us. No matter our distress, no matter our sorrow, no matter our mistakes, our infinitely compassionate Heavenly Father desires that we draw near to Him so that He can draw near to us.

[God IS love!]

I came across this quote as I was browsing Pinterest. 

I couldn't get it out of my mind. Not because it challenged my faith in any little way - it didn't. But because it made me sad that people judge something sacred and good to be a thing of garbage. And because they judge God without knowing who He is.

Yes, you can look at the Bible and draw all sorts of conclusions from it. Especially if you don't study it, but just quickly read through some things and use your limited knowledge to make conclusions about it. 

To me, the Bible is a sacred book. It shows God's dealings with people throughout the ages. The thing that leads to misunderstandings about the Bible is that God has dealt with humans who are VERY imperfect, unknowledgeable, and prone to do wrong, human things. God is omnipotent, omniscient and all loving. But He has had to teach people with small snippets of wisdom as they couldn't deal with the whole truth due to their limited understanding/willingness to accept His wisdom. Line upon line, precept upon precept.

The Old Testament shows this perfectly. Through Moses, God wanted to give much wisdom to the people. But they weren't ready so the preparatory law of Moses and only the Ten Commandments were given to prepare the people to receive more.

Then Jesus Christ came and gave "The New Testament". New laws, new teachings, new ways to see and do things. What He taught was revolutionary! Sadly, people weren't ready for it yet. Eventually, people rejected His teachings and started to change them until you could barely recognize them anymore.

Time of dark ages began until religious reformers paved the way for Jesus Christ's gospel to be restored in fullness in these last days again (more about that on another time). The prophets of old have looked forward to this time we live in. The time when the gospel will be taught in all the world and the many prophecies will come to pass. No, the gospel won't be widely accepted by people in the world today either. But many people will find God's Plan and it will make people into better people as they try to live according to what God teaches them.

God really is Love. He is our Father in Heaven who loves us, His literal spirit children. He knows what is good for us, what is bad for us. He will try to give us as much light and knowledge as we are willing to accept from Him. People in Bible times weren't ready to accept much from Him. Hence some of the things in the Bible. But it wasn't because God isn't perfect and loving. It's because the people weren't ready for the fullness of His teachings. 

We only see this short, earthly life. God sees into all eternity and knows what makes us happy in the long run. 

I want to bear witness that the Bible can help a person get closer to God. But only if it's studied with a prayerful, humble heart. With a sincere desire to get to know God. With a desire to understand Him. 

I promise you that if you sincerely study the teachings of Jesus Christ and try to live according to those teachings, that you will get closer to God. You will see miracles happen in your life. You will become more forgiving, loving and kind. You will start to see things more eternally, not just temporarily. 

Yes, there are many bitter, negative "Christians" out there. Who judge people etc. But they really aren't living the gospel. They aren't following Jesus Christ. The Bible talks about these kinds of disciples. They haven't "got it yet". They don't understand what a disciple of Jesus Christ really should be doing. 

God is LOVE. I bear witness of that. I have experienced His love in so many ways. He loves all of His children. As a Loving Father, He sometimes says "no, you shouldn't do that" to some things we like to do. Not because He is mean, but because He sees the eternal picture and more perfectly sees what will be for our eternal benefit. Just like our children get mad at us sometimes when we say "no", so do people get mad at God for saying "no". My experience has proven time and time again that they'd be wiser to stop and listen. He does know better!

[our value]

Such a great article about self worth and self esteem by Elder Cook in January 2014 New Era magazine. So important to realize that our self worth doesn't depend on how we look or how popular we are, etc.

Some quotes from his talk:

The Lord taught that His ways are not the same as the world’s ways and that “my ways [are] higher than your ways” (Isaiah 55:8–9). Following the Lord’s ways allows you to receive eternal blessings and to have the Holy Ghost with you, which can help you feel good about yourself more deeply and consistently than anything the world has to offer. 

When someone seems better at something than you, you may feel like you’re not good enough and that you need to be better in order to be accepted. One problem with this lie is that by tying your self-worth to other people, you’re often comparing another person’s strength to one of your weaknesses.

...loving yourself is not about tooting your own horn or conforming to the world’s view of self-esteem. It’s about being who you are—a unique child of God—and knowing that who you are is a good thing. When you understand your eternal worth and you live in a way consistent with your divine heritage, you will gain a lasting self-esteem that is better than anything the world can offer.

[thoughts on happiness]

How to use my freebies.

Some quotes from Mary Ellen Edmunds' BYU Women's Conference talk on April 29, 2004:

"I was told that Picabo Street, the great Olympic skier, wants to become a nurse and work in the ICU so she can answer the phone with “Picabo, ICU.” Isn’t it like a dose of good medicine when we laugh together? It feels unifying!"

"It’s true that “wickedness never was happiness” (Alma 41:10). And so righteousness never was misery. Adversity, deep water, and fiery trials for sure, but not misery. We can choose to cultivate either happiness or misery."

"Joy is a gift of the Spirit (see Galatians 5:22). President Marion G. Romney said, “The key to happiness or joy is to get the Spirit and keep it” (CR, October 1961, 61). Heber C. Kimball said: “I am perfectly satisfied that my Father and my God is a cheerful, pleasant, lively, and good-natured Being. Why? Because I am cheerful, pleasant, lively, and good-natured when I have His Spirit” (JD 4:222). Has that been your experience? As you have felt the Spirit, have you also felt joy? Joy brings the Spirit, and the Spirit brings joy."

Elder Neal A. Maxwell said: “Ultimate hope and daily grumpiness are not reconcilable. It is ungraceful, unjustified, and unbecoming of us as committed Church members to be constantly grumpy or of woeful countenance” (Neal A. Maxwell Quote Book [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1997], 164).

Read the full talk here.

[Father's Day thought]

Thinking about my Heavenly Father on this Father's Day. I read this quote by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland and my heart breaks when I hear people say bad things about God, our Heavenly Father. 

"One of the most important verses I know of in all of scripture is the
supplication Jesus gave in the great intercessory prayer prior to His suffering in
Gethsemane and crucifixion on Golgotha. In that prayer, which President David O.
McKay once called the greatest prayer ever uttered, the Savior said, “And this is life
eternal, that they [that is, we] might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom
thou has sent” (John 17:3; emphasis added). I stress that phrase, “the only true God.”

May I declare to you and all others who will hear me that one of the tragedies of our day
is that the true God is not known. Tragically, contemporary Christianity has inherited the
view of a capricious, imperious, and especially angry God whose primary duty is to
frighten little children and add suffering to the lives of already staggering adults. May I
unequivocally and unilaterally cry out against that sacrilegious and demeaning view of a
loving and compassionate Father in Heaven. I wonder if the Savior may not have known,
even in His mortal years, that this would happen, thus His plea for the world to know the
true God, the fatherly God, the forgiving and redeeming and benevolent God. To bring
that understanding was one of the reasons Christ came to the earth.

So feeding the hungry, healing the sick, rebuking cruelty, pleading for faith—and hope
and charity—this was Christ showing us the way of the Father, He who is “merciful and
gracious, slow to anger, long-suffering and full of goodness”4 In His life and especially in
His death, Christ was declaring, “This is God’s compassion I am showing you, as well as
my own.” It is the perfect Son’s manifestation of the perfect Father’s care."

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland
From a talk given on May 4, 2007, at the BYU Women’s Conference.

[parental training]

How to use my freebies.

[study aids for children]

I have been trying to decide how to teach the Gospel to our daughter so it's fun and she will understand all the basics. I finally decided what to do. I'm going to use the "Preach My Gospel" manual and make fun study pages for her. Here is the first one I made. It goes along pages 31 and 32. 

I'll continue to share these as I make more.

To use the study page, just click on the image and a larger version of it will open up. Right click the picture. Either "copy" and "paste" the picture onto a Microsoft Word document or save the picture as a JPG file in your computer and then import it to Microsoft Word.