Post # 64 –
New Beginnings – New Testament
Dear Family and Friends
This past Sunday we began our new program ‘Come Follow Me’ in Sunday School, I really thought it is worthwhile to share it with you. This past (December 31 – January 6) week we were learning about how we are each responsible for our own learning. This is right from the manual:
“As you read and ponder the scripture
passages in this outline, record the spiritual impressions you receive. This
will invite the Spirit into your preparation. Come, Follow Me—For
Individuals and Families and the following ideas can help you inspire the people
in your class to study the New Testament this year.”
We Are Responsible for Our Own Learning
The
purpose of Come, Follow Me—For Individuals
and Families is to help you
come unto Christ and become more deeply converted to His gospel. This resource
can help you understand the scriptures and find in them the spiritual strength
you and your family need. Then, in your Church classes, you will be prepared to
share insights and encourage your fellow Saints in their efforts to follow
Christ.
The new program is home taught -- church supported program. You
can find out more accurate information here: this first one is the announcement
from Desseret News
this next one is where you can find resources for the
program:
Guiding Principles
Home Centered
|
Church Supported
|
The
home is the best place to live, learn, and teach the gospel (see 3 Nephi 17:3; D&C 68:25).
|
Classes
at church support us in living, learning, and teaching the gospel (see Moroni 6:4–5).
|
Our
gospel learning and teaching should be part of our daily lives (see Deuteronomy 6:6–7; Acts 17:11).
|
Teachers
inspire learners to experience the power of God’s word for themselves
(see Alma 32:27–30).
|
Studying
the scriptures will bring power into our lives (see 2 Nephi 32:3; Alma 17:2–3; Helaman 3:29–30).
|
Teachers
help learners discover gospel truths in the scriptures and invite them to
share their insights (see D&C 88:122).
|
For
the month of January we will be studying the following:
Week # 1: December
31 – January 6 :: We Are Responsible for Our Own Learning
Week # 2:
January 7 – 13:: Matthew 1; Luke 1
Week # 3: January
14 – 20::Luke 2; Matthew 2
Week # 4: January
21 –27::John 1
I know we are already a week into
it, but I don’t think it is ever too late to begin scripture study! So, please
come join in with us to study the New Testament throughout this year. The manual
has questions and ideas to help you as a teacher in your home and as a student
either at church if you can go, or at home individually. You can download the individual
and Family manual here: https://www.lds.org/bc/content/ldsorg/PDF/PD60003498/PD60003498_000_CFM_SS_Web.pdf
We studied several scriptures including: Matthew 19:16–22 ;
Matthew 6:14-15; 18:21-35; Like 23:33-34
This talk was referenced in the first lesson which I have
found is a good talk to review frequently, so I wanted to share it with you. It
is about studying by faith and I believe this is one of the first ways that we
can take responsibility for our own leaning is to have faith. I love this talk
about how we seek learning by faith.
Seek Learning by Faith
By Elder David A. Bednar
Of
the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
From a satellite broadcast address to Church Educational
System educators given on February 3, 2006.
We are admonished
repeatedly in the scriptures to preach the truths of the gospel by the power of
the Spirit (see D&C 50:14).
I believe most parents and teachers in the Church are aware of this principle
and generally strive appropriately to apply it. As important as this principle
is, however, it is only one element of a much larger spiritual pattern. We are
also frequently taught to seek learning by faith (see D&C 88:118). Preaching by the
Spirit and learning by faith are companion
principles that we should strive to understand and apply concurrently and
consistently.
We are told that as
teachers either in our homes or in the church we need to seek our learning by
faith and to teach the truths of the gospel by the power of the Holy Ghost. And
as Brother Bednar says we need to use learning by faith and teaching by the
Spirit together and to be consistent in our efforts to do so. Having been in a
teacher role most of my adult life I was sure that I knew how to teach a
subject to any child, but let me tell you from my experience, it has been so
much easier to teach by the Spirit than to try to do it alone by myself. This is
especially true when I have taught adults who I am sure knew the gospel so much
better than I do—even now, but I am still learning more every day😊
I suspect we emphasize and know much more about a teacher
teaching by the Spirit than we do about a learner learning by faith. Clearly,
the principles and processes of both teaching and learning are spiritually
essential. However, as we look to the future and anticipate the ever more
confused and turbulent world in which we will live, I believe it will be
essential for all of us to increase our capacity to seek learning by faith. In
our personal lives, in our families, and in the Church, we can and will receive
the blessings of spiritual strength, direction, and protection as we seek by
faith to obtain and apply spiritual knowledge.
I
try harder every time I teach to have the Holy ghost as my teaching companion. He
may not be seen as my companion, but I know when He is there supporting and
prompting me throughout my lessons and helping me remember the truths that I need
to be teaching. I can feel the strength
from the Holy Ghost as I teach the lessons. Everyone seems to learn more when I
am teaching by the Spirit than when I am not. So as Elder Bednar says: “the
principles and processes of both teaching and learning are spiritually
essential.”
Nephi teaches us, “When a
man speaketh by the power of the Holy Ghost the power of the Holy Ghost
carrieth [the message] unto the hearts of the children of men” (2 Nephi 33:1).
Please
notice how the power of the Spirit carries the message unto but not necessarily into the heart. A teacher can explain, demonstrate,
persuade, and testify, and do so with great spiritual power and effectiveness. Ultimately,
however, the content of a message and the witness of the Holy Ghost penetrate
into the heart only if a receiver allows them to enter. Learning by faith opens
the pathway into the heart.
What Elder Bednar said
above deserves repeating: I believe it will be essential for all of
us to increase our capacity to seek learning by faith. In our personal lives, in
our families, and in the Church, we can and will receive the blessings of
spiritual strength, direction, and protection as we seek by faith to obtain and
apply spiritual knowledge.”
I know from personal
experience that you get out of a class or lesson, or lecture, or workshop, what
you bring to it. If you come and just sit there, what do you think you will take
away from being there? The possible handouts or gift bags? But, if you come prepared
to learn, I know for a fact that you will take away something more priceless
than just a handout! You will have the divine knowledge of true principles directly
from the Lord – prepared for you. As for the lectures, and workshops, the Holy
Ghost is essential for your learning there too you know. So it truly is up to
you how much you want to learn, or take away from a learning situation this is
also true in relation to a teaching situation – you will be a more effective
teacher when you have the Holy Ghost as your teaching companion.
So, as you might be able
to tell I agree with Elder Bednar when he said: Please
notice how the power of the Spirit carries the message unto but not
necessarily into the
heart. A teacher can explain, demonstrate, persuade, and testify, and
do so with great spiritual power and effectiveness. Ultimately, however, the
content of a message and the witness of the Holy Ghost penetrate into the heart
only if a receiver allows them to enter. Learning by faith opens the pathway into the heart.
The Principle of Action: Faith in the Lord
Jesus Christ
The Apostle Paul
defined faith as
“the substance of things hoped for [and] the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1).
Alma declared that faith is not a perfect knowledge; rather, if we have
faith, we “hope for things which are not seen [but] are true” (Alma 32:21).
Additionally, we learn in the Lectures on Faith that faith is
“the first principle in revealed religion, and the foundation of all righteousness”
and that it is also “the principle of action in all intelligent beings.”1
These teachings highlight
three basic elements of faith: (1) faith as the assurance of things hoped for
that are true, (2) faith as the evidence of things not seen,
and (3) faith as the principle of action in all intelligent
beings. I describe these three components of faith in the Savior as
simultaneously facing the future, looking to the past, and initiating action in
the present.
Faith
as the assurance of things hoped for looks to the future. This assurance is
founded upon a correct understanding about, and trust in, God and enables us to
“press forward” (2
Nephi 31:20) into uncertain and
often challenging situations in the service of the Savior.
For example, Nephi relied
upon precisely this type of future-facing spiritual assurance as he returned to
Jerusalem to obtain the plates of brass—“not knowing beforehand the things which [he] should do.
Nevertheless [he] went forth” (1 Nephi 4:6–7).
Faith in Christ is
inextricably tied to, and results in, hope in Christ for our redemption and
exaltation. And assurance and
hope make it possible for us to walk to the edge of the light and take a few
steps into the darkness—expecting and trusting the light
to move and illuminate the way.2 The combination of
assurance and hope initiates action in the present.
Faith as the evidence of
things not seen looks to the past and confirms our trust in God and our
confidence in the truthfulness of things not seen. We stepped into the
darkness with assurance and hope, and we received evidence and confirmation as
the light in fact moved and provided the illumination we needed. The
witness we obtained after the trial of our faith (see Ether 12:6) is
evidence that enlarges and strengthens our assurance.
Assurance, action, and
evidence influence each other in an ongoing process. This helix
is like a coil, and as it spirals upward it expands and widens. These three elements of
faith—assurance, action, and
evidence—are not separate and
discrete; rather, they are interrelated and continuous and cycle upward. And the
faith that fuels this ongoing process develops, evolves, and changes. As we again turn and face
forward toward an uncertain future, assurance leads to action and produces
evidence, which further increases assurance. Our confidence waxes stronger,
line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little.
Just look at how I have marked these
paragraphs up! This is some important learning and I could not have put it in
any better words. Faith is the first principle of the gospel – all other things
come after the trial of our faith, but we must do something with our faith – it
is an action word. We must trust the Lord and take a few steps into the
darkness before the light shines forth to guide our way. “Faith
as the assurance of things hoped for looks to the future. This assurance is founded
upon a correct understanding about, and trust in, God and enables us to “press
forward” (2 Nephi 31:20)
into uncertain and often
challenging situations in the service of the Savior.
I remember a story I read or heard
about a boy trapped out on a ledge in the darkness and his father came to find
him. He called his name and the boy answered. The father told the bot to jump
off the ledge (and down into the darkness) and he would catch him. Now I don’t know
about you but to me that would be very scary. But the little boy knew that his
father loved him, and he trusted in what his father told him, so he jumped off
the ledge into the darkness below only to land smack dab into his father’s waiting,
loving arms. The boy had faith in what his father said, even though the boy
could not see his father he had enough faith to make that jump. He trusted his
father enough to believe that if he said he would be there to catch him – he would
be there to catch him.
We find a powerful
example of the interaction among assurance, action, and evidence as the
children of Israel transported the ark of the covenant under the leadership of
Joshua (see Joshua 3:7–17).
Recall how the Israelites came to the river Jordan and were promised the waters
would part, and they would be able to cross over on dry ground. Interestingly,
the waters did not part as the children of Israel stood on the banks of the
river waiting for something to happen; rather, the soles of their feet were wet
before the water parted. The faith of the Israelites was manifested in the fact
that they walked into the water before it parted. They walked into the river Jordan with a
future-facing assurance of things hoped for. As the Israelites moved forward,
the water parted, and as they crossed over on dry land, they looked back and
beheld the evidence of things not seen. In this episode, faith as assurance led
to action and produced the evidence of things not seen that were true.
This is such a good story
to illustrate the principle of faith. The Israelites needed to move forward
with faith before they saw that they were actually going to be able to walk
across on dry ground to cross the river. They needed action – the soles of
their feet were wet before the waters parted leaving the dry ground.
True faith is focused in and on the Lord Jesus
Christ and always leads to action. Faith as the principle
of action is highlighted in many scriptures with which we are all familiar:
“For as the body without
the spirit is dead, so faith
without works is dead also” (James 2:26;
emphasis added).
“Awake and arouse your
faculties, even to an experiment
upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith” (Alma 32:27;
emphasis added).
And it is faith as the principle of action that is so central to
the process of learning and applying spiritual truth.
These are all good definers don’t you think? ‘Faith without
works are dead’ – you must do
something with your faith. “be ye doers of the word, and not hearers
only”; “experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith”. “Faith
is a principle of action.” So what will you be doing with your faith?
Learning by Faith: To Act and Not to Be Acted
Upon
How is faith as the principle of action in all intelligent
beings related to gospel learning? And what does it mean to seek learning by
faith?
In the grand division of
all of God’s creations, there are things to act and things to be acted upon
(see 2 Nephi 2:13–14).
As sons and daughters of
our Heavenly Father, we have been blessed with the gift of agency—the capacity and power of
independent action. Endowed with agency,
we are agents, and we primarily are to act and not only to be acted upon—especially as we seek to
obtain and apply spiritual knowledge.
Learning by faith
and from experience are two of the central features of the Father’s plan of
happiness. The Savior preserved
moral agency through the Atonement and made it possible for us to act and to
learn by faith. Lucifer’s rebellion against the plan sought to
destroy the agency of man, and his intent was that we as learners would only be acted upon.
Consider the question
posed by Heavenly Father to Adam in the Garden of Eden: “Where art thou?” (Genesis 3:9).
The Father knew where Adam was hiding, but He nonetheless asked the question.
Why? A wise and loving
Father enabled His child to act in the learning process and not merely be acted
upon. There was no one-way lecture to a disobedient child, as perhaps
many of us might be inclined to deliver. Rather, the Father helped Adam as a learner to act as an agent and
appropriately exercise his agency.
Recall how Nephi desired
to know about the things his father, Lehi, had seen in the vision of the tree
of life. Interestingly, the Spirit of the Lord begins the tutorial with Nephi
by asking the following question: “Behold, what desirest thou?” (1 Nephi 11:2).
Clearly the Spirit knew
what Nephi desired. So why ask the question? The Holy Ghost was helping Nephi to act in the learning process
and not simply be acted upon. Notice in 1 Nephi 11–14 how the Spirit both asked
questions and encouraged Nephi to “look” as active elements in the learning
process.
From these examples we
recognize that as learners, you and
I are to act and be doers of the word and not simply hearers
who are only acted upon. Are you and I agents who act and seek learning by faith, or are we
waiting to be taught and acted upon? Are the children, youth,
and adults we serve acting and seeking to learn by faith, or are they waiting
to be taught and acted upon? Are you and I encouraging and helping those we
serve to seek learning by faith? We are all to be anxiously engaged in asking, seeking, and knocking
(see 3 Nephi 14:7).
A learner exercising
agency by acting in accordance with correct principles opens his or her heart
to the Holy Ghost and invites His teaching, testifying power, and confirming
witness. Learning by faith
requires spiritual, mental, and physical exertion and not just passive
reception. It is in the
sincerity and consistency of our faith-inspired action that we indicate to our
Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, our willingness to learn and receive
instruction from the Holy Ghost. Thus, learning
by faith involves the exercise of moral agency to act upon the assurance of
things hoped for and invites the evidence of things not seen from the only true
teacher, the Spirit of the Lord.
Consider how missionaries help investigators to learn by faith. Making and keeping
spiritual commitments, such as studying and
praying about the Book of Mormon, attending Church meetings, and keeping the
commandments, require an investigator to exercise faith and to act. One of
the fundamental roles of a missionary is to help an investigator make and honor
commitments—to act
and learn by faith. Teaching, exhorting, and explaining, as important as they
are, can never convey to an investigator a witness of the truthfulness of the
restored gospel. Only as an
investigator’s faith initiates action and opens the pathway to the heart can
the Holy Ghost deliver a confirming witness. Missionaries obviously
must learn to teach by the power of the Spirit. Of equal importance, however, is the responsibility
missionaries have to help investigators learn by faith.
The learning I am
describing reaches far beyond mere cognitive comprehension and the retaining
and recalling of information. The type of learning to
which I am referring causes us to put off the natural man
(see Mosiah 3:19), to change our hearts (see Mosiah 5:2), to be converted unto the
Lord, and to never fall away (see Alma 23:6). Learning by faith requires both
“the heart and a willing mind” (D&C 64:34).
Learning by faith is the
result of the Holy Ghost carrying the power of the word of God both unto and
into the heart. Learning by faith cannot be transferred from an instructor to a
student through a lecture, a demonstration, or an experiential exercise;
rather, a student must
exercise faith and act in order to obtain the knowledge for himself or herself.
The young boy Joseph
Smith instinctively understood what it meant to seek learning by faith. One of
the most well-known episodes in the life of Joseph Smith was his reading of
verses about prayer and faith in the book of James in the New Testament
(see James 1:5–6). This text inspired Joseph
to retire to a grove of trees near his home to pray and to seek for spiritual
knowledge. Note the questions Joseph had formulated in his mind and felt
in his heart—and
which he took into the grove. He clearly had prepared himself to “ask in faith”
(James 1:6) and
to act.
“In the midst of this war of words and tumult of opinions, I
often said to myself: What is to be done? Who of all these parties are right;
or, are they all wrong together? If any one of them be right, which is it, and
how shall I know it? …
“My object in going to
inquire of the Lord was to know which of all the sects was right, that I might
know which to join. No sooner, therefore, did I get possession of myself, so as
to be able to speak, than I asked the Personages who stood above me in the
light, which of all the sects was right … and which I should join” (Joseph Smith—History
1:10, 18).
Notice that Joseph’s
questions focused not just on what he needed to know but also on what he needed
to do. And his very first question centered on action and what was to
be done! His
prayer was not simply which church is right. His question was which church
should he join. Joseph went to the grove to learn by faith. He was determined to act.
Ultimately, the
responsibility to learn by faith and apply spiritual truth rests upon each of
us individually. This is an increasingly serious and important responsibility
in the world in which we do now and will yet live. What, how, and when we learn
is supported by—but is
not dependent upon—an
instructor, a method of presentation, or a specific topic or lesson format.
Truly, one of the great
challenges of mortality is to seek learning by faith. The
Prophet Joseph Smith best summarizes the learning process and outcomes I am
attempting to describe. In response to a request by the Twelve Apostles for
instruction, Joseph taught, “The
best way to obtain truth and wisdom is not to ask it from books, but to go to
God in prayer, and obtain divine teaching.”3
And on another occasion,
the Prophet Joseph explained that “reading the experience of others, or the
revelation given to them, can
never give us a
comprehensive view of our condition and true relation to God.”4
Implications for Teachers
The truths about learning
by faith have profound implications for parents and teachers. Let us consider
three of these implications.
Implication 1. The Holy Ghost is a teacher
from the Father.
The Holy Ghost is the
third member of the Godhead, and He is the teacher and witness of all truth. Elder
James E. Talmage (1862–1933) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles explained: “The
office of the Holy Ghost in His ministrations among men is described in
scripture. He is a teacher sent from the Father; and unto those who are
entitled to His tuition He will reveal all things necessary for the soul’s
advancement.”5
We should always remember that the Holy Ghost is the
teacher who, through proper invitation, can enter into a learner’s heart. Indeed,
you and I have the
responsibility to preach the gospel by the Spirit, even the Comforter, as a
prerequisite for the learning by faith that can be achieved only by and through
the Holy Ghost (see D&C 50:14).
In this regard, you and I are much like the long, thin strands of glass used to
create the fiber-optic cables through which light signals are transmitted over
long distances. Just as the glass in these cables must be pure to conduct the
light efficiently and effectively, so we should become and remain worthy conduits through whom the Spirit
of the Lord can operate.
But we must be careful to
remember in our service that we are conduits and channels; we are not the light. “For
it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you” (Matthew 10:20).
It is never about me, and it is never about you. In fact, anything you or I do
as instructors that knowingly and intentionally draws attention to self—in the messages
we present, in the methods we use, or in our personal demeanor—is a form of priestcraft
that inhibits the teaching effectiveness of the Holy Ghost. “Doth he
preach it by the Spirit of truth or some other way? And if it be by some other way it is not of God” (D&C 50:17–18).
Implication 2. We are most effective as
instructors when we encourage and facilitate learning by faith.
We are all familiar with
the adage that giving a man a fish feeds him for one meal. Teaching the man to
fish, on the other hand, feeds him for a lifetime. As parents and gospel
instructors, you and I are not in the business of distributing fish; rather, our work is to help individuals
learn to “fish” and to become spiritually self-reliant. This important
objective is best accomplished as we encourage and facilitate learners acting in accordance with
correct principles—as we help them to learn by
doing. “If any man will do his
will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God” (John 7:17).
Notice this implication in practice in the counsel given to
Junius F. Wells by President Brigham Young (1801–77) as Brother Wells was
called in 1875 to organize the young men of the Church:
“At your meetings you
should begin at the top of the roll and call upon as many members as there is
time for to bear their testimonies and at the next meeting begin where you left
off and call upon others, so that all shall take part and get into the practice
of standing up and saying something. Many may think they haven’t any testimony
to bear, but get them to stand up and they will find the Lord will give them
utterance to many truths they had not thought of before. More people have obtained a
testimony while standing up trying to bear it than down on their knees praying
for it.”6
I am quite sure that this
is true. As for myself, I still struggle with getting up in front of people to
bear or share my testimony. I have always cried like a baby when I do – gosh,
even when I give talks, I cry☹ and it is pretty embarrassing.
I look really terrible when I cry like that and I never seem to have enough
tissues on hand. I do love sharing what I know about the gospel though. I am
just better in doing it in another way.
President Boyd K. Packer, Acting President of the Quorum of the
Twelve Apostles, has given similar counsel in our day:
“Oh, if I could teach you
this one principle. A testimony is to be found in the
bearing of it! Somewhere
in your quest for spiritual knowledge, there is that ‘leap of faith,’ as the
philosophers call it. It is the moment when you have gone to the edge of the
light and stepped into the darkness to discover that the way is lighted ahead
for just a footstep or two. ‘The
spirit of man,’ as the scripture says, indeed ‘is the candle of the Lord’
(Proverbs 20:27).`
“It is one thing to
receive a witness from what you have read or what another has said; and that is
a necessary beginning. It is quite another to have the Spirit confirm to you in
your bosom that what you have testified is true. Can you not see that it will
be supplied as you share it? As you give that which you have, there is a
replacement, with increase!”7
I have observed a common characteristic among the instructors
who have had the greatest influence in my life. They have helped me to seek
learning by faith. They refused to give me easy answers to hard questions. In
fact, they did not give me any answers at all. Rather, they pointed the way and
helped me take the steps to find my own answers. I certainly did not
always appreciate this approach, but experience has enabled me to understand that an answer given by
another person usually is not remembered for very long, if remembered at all. But an
answer we discover or obtain through the exercise of faith, typically, is
retained for a lifetime. The most important learnings of life are caught—not taught.
The spiritual
understanding you and I have been blessed to receive, and which has been confirmed
as true in our hearts, simply cannot be given to another person. The
tuition of diligence and learning by faith must be paid to obtain and personally
“own” such knowledge. Only in this way can what
is known in the mind be transformed into what is felt in the heart. Only in
this way can a person move beyond relying upon the spiritual knowledge and
experience of others and claim those blessings for himself or herself. Only in
this way can we be spiritually prepared for what is coming. We are
to “seek learning, even by study and also by faith” (D&C 88:118).
Implication 3. Our faith is strengthened as we
help others seek learning by faith.
The Holy Ghost, who can “teach [us] all things, and bring all
things to [our] remembrance” (John 14:26), is eager to help us learn as we act and exercise
faith in Jesus Christ. Interestingly, this divine learning assistance is perhaps never
more apparent than when we are teaching, either at home or in Church
assignments. As Paul made clear to the Romans, “Thou therefore which teachest
another, teachest thou not thyself?” (Romans 2:21).
Notice in the following verses from the Doctrine and Covenants
how teaching diligently invites heavenly grace and instruction:
“And I give unto you a commandment
that you shall teach one
another the doctrine of the kingdom.
“Teach ye diligently and my grace shall attend you, that youmay be instructed
more perfectly in theory, in principle, in doctrine, in the law of the gospel,
in all things that pertain unto the kingdom of God, that are expedient
for you to understand” (D&C 88:77–78;
emphasis added).
Consider that the blessings described in these scriptures are
intended specifically for the teacher: “Teach … diligently and my
grace shall attend you”—that
you, the teacher, may be instructed!
The same principle is evident in verse 122 from the same
section:
“Appoint among yourselves
a teacher, and let not all be
spokesmen at once; but let
one speak at a time and let all listen unto his sayings, that when all have spoken that all may be edified of all, and that every man may have an
equal privilege” (D&C 88:122;
emphasis added).
As all speak and as
all listen in a dignified and orderly way, all are edified. The individual and
collective exercise of faith in the Savior invites instruction and strength
from the Spirit of the Lord.
Seek Learning by Faith: A Recent Example
All of us were blessed by
the challenge from President Gordon B. Hinckley in August 2005 to read the Book
of Mormon by the end of that year. In extending the challenge, President
Hinckley promised that faithfully observing this
simple reading program would bring into our lives and into our homes “an added measure of the
Spirit of the Lord, a strengthened resolution to walk in obedience to His
commandments, and a stronger testimony of the living reality of the Son of
God.”8
Please note how this inspired challenge is a classic example of
learning by faith. First, you and
I were not commanded, coerced, or required to read. Rather, we were invited to exercise our
agency as agents and act in accordance with correct principles. President
Hinckley, as an inspired teacher, encouraged us to act and not just be acted
upon. Each of us,
ultimately, had to decide if and how we would respond to the challenge—and if we would endure to
the end of the task.
Second, in
proffering the invitation to read and to act, President Hinckley was encouraging each of us to
seek learning by faith. No new study materials were distributed to members of the Church,
and no additional lessons, classes, or programs were created by the Church. Each of us had our copy of
the Book of Mormon, and a pathway into our heart opened wider through the
exercise of our faith in the Savior as we responded to the First Presidency challenge. Thus,
we were prepared to receive instruction from the only true teacher, the Holy
Ghost.
The responsibility to seek learning by faith rests upon
each of us individually, and this obligation will become increasingly important
as the world in which we live grows more confused and troubled. Learning
by faith is essential to our personal spiritual development and for
the growth of the Church in these latter days. May each of us truly hunger and
thirst after righteousness and be filled with the Holy Ghost (see 3 Nephi 12:6)—that we might seek
learning by faith.
So, was I right about the
first step in being responsible for or own learning and the learning of our
families – faith is the first step? So please trust in God and get you faith on.
Once you have finished with the first week go on to the next week and do your best
to catch up. Be sure to pray, read, study, and ponder the scriptures you read.
Well, we have reached the
end of my post again today, I hope and pray that I have reached a heart or two.
Please feel free to send me feed- back – your thought, how things are going,
you know. How are you doing in teaching you families? Were you able to get all
of the questions answered for this week? Well, until my next blog keep putting
one foot in front of the other and keep moving forward and upwards. Don’t you forget
just how amazing you all are!!!
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