Dear Family
and Friends
Just how
have you all been? Are you ready for your summer to end or are you enjoying
yourself too much😊 My summer has been so busy—with field
trips and I also had to do all my tests again? Sometimes I think –‘Wow! Didn’t
I just do these tests’? or ‘Gosh. I thought I just did my chemotherapy last
week! Has it been three weeks already?
If you have similar thoughts raise your hands😊 Oh, yeah, there are a few of you our there aren’t there? I say raise your hands because clapping hurts mine because of the neuropathy – so I raise my hands and shake them for my clapping😊 I know it may sound strange, but that’s okay sometimes strange can be good --- right? 😊
If you have similar thoughts raise your hands😊 Oh, yeah, there are a few of you our there aren’t there? I say raise your hands because clapping hurts mine because of the neuropathy – so I raise my hands and shake them for my clapping😊 I know it may sound strange, but that’s okay sometimes strange can be good --- right? 😊
I hope
that you have never experienced neuropathy – it can be very painful at times. Especially
when you have it in your hands and your feet. I don't know -- can you get it in other places? I wonder??? Sometimes it hurts to put a sheet
on to cover up with. Sometimes it hurts when the fan blows the air in my hands,
I know this is definitely strange, but it is true.
I have
found that it is most important to keep on top of my medications to better keep
the pain in check. I sometimes I think that I have taken my medications, only to find
out when I check my pill case, that it must have been yesterday that I took
that dose😊 I know, sad, but in my case it is
only too true!!! Sometimes I think the neuropathy is magnified depending on how
much I do with my hands and if I walk too far or stand for too long☹
I have
needed to change the way I do things. Sometimes the simplest of tasks become so
time consuming and involved and it definitely does take me a wee bit longer to
dress. The lymphedema, and the neuropathy have definitely changed the way I do
things. Tying my shoes, combing my hair, putting my hair up, doing dishes,
crocheting, folding laundry, writing, using scissors, walking, and sometimes I
struggle even to write on the computer☹
It seems as if even the most, simplest things are some days a bit difficult for me. But you know what? Honestly, just getting dressed is definitely different and it takes me so much more time than it used to do, but it’s my new normal and that is okay with me😊I believe to struggle is a good thing – it keeps us reaching up and kneeling down!!
It seems as if even the most, simplest things are some days a bit difficult for me. But you know what? Honestly, just getting dressed is definitely different and it takes me so much more time than it used to do, but it’s my new normal and that is okay with me😊I believe to struggle is a good thing – it keeps us reaching up and kneeling down!!
I am
grateful for the challenge to find another way to accomplish the same task. I
do not know if any of you have experienced any of these problems but if you do
– you need not ever feel lonely in this as you are not the only one😊
Just remember when things get you down that it can always be worse☹ It is so very important that we each
remember that we are never alone in our struggles!!! The Lord is always with
us! He is there for each one of us, no matter where we are on our journey back
to Him😊
It is a
proven fact that you never need to look very far to find someone worse off than
you are! It does kind of help you to put things in your life into a clearer
perspective – or at least allows you to be grateful for the good that you do
have in your life, for all the things that you can do 😊
right? I have found that when I am in the service of someone else, my struggles
are put on the back burner – so to speak. Because I am focusing on the needs of
the other person then their needs take priority over mine!
Oh, dear,
I have been rambling again, haven’t I? So, tell me what you and your family and
friends have learned this week during your scripture study? Has anything
exciting happened in your lives? This
week we are studying Acts chapters 6—9, these are the chapters where we find
people like. Stephen, Saul, Philip, Ananias, Peter, and Tabitha or Dorcas, tell me what have you
learned about these people? Who’s who in these chapters?
Resisting the Holy Ghost can lead to rejecting the Savior and
His prophets.
What
truths did your family members and friends learn from reading the account of
Stephen this week? To review a bit you could ask family members and/or friends to
study the teachings of Stephen in Acts 7:37–53, they should be looking for how the Jewish
leaders were like the ancient Israelites who had rejected the prophets.
37 This is that Moses, which said
unto the children of Israel, A prophet shall
the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall
ye hear.
38 This is he, that was in the
church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sinia,
and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to
give unto us:
39 To whom our fathers would
not obey,
but thrust him from them, and in their hearts turned back again into
Egypt,
40 Saying unto Aaron, Make us gods to
go before us: for as for this Moses, which brought us out of the land
of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.
41 And they made a calf in
those days, and offered sacrifice unto the idol, and rejoiced in the works of
their own hands.
42 Then God turned, and gave them
up to worship the host of heaven; as it is written in the book of the prophets,
O ye house of Israel, have ye offered to me slain beasts and sacrifices by
the space of forty years in the wilderness?
43 Yea, ye took up the tabernacle of
Moloch, and the star of your god Remphan, figures which ye made to worship
them: and I will carry you away beyond Babylon.
44 Our fathers had the tabernacle of
witness in the wilderness, as he had appointed, speaking unto Moses, that he
should make it according to the fashion that
he had seen.
45 Which also our fathers that came
after brought in with Jesus into
the possession of the Gentiles, whom God drove out before the face of our
fathers, unto the days of David;
46 Who found favour before God, and
desired to find a tabernacle for the God of Jacob.
47 But Solomon built him an house.
49 Heaven is my throne,
and earth is my footstool: what house will ye build me? saith the
Lord: or what is the place of my rest?
51 Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in
heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost:
as your fathers did, so do ye.
52 Which of the prophets have not
your fathers persecuted?
and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of
whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers:
In Acts 7:51 Steven makes his statement about the leaders of their day. This verse is a good place to put our focus
and point out to your family and friends. It tells us how the leaders of the
time were☹
51 Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.
51 Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.
How
do you think 2 Nephi 28:3–6; 33:1–2; Mosiah 2:36–37; Alma 10:5–6; and Alma 34:37–38 help your family
members and friends to understand the following statement: Why might we “resist
the Holy Ghost”? What can we each do to better recognize and to follow the
promptings of the Holy Ghost?
3 For it shall come to pass in that
day that the churches which
are built up, and not unto the Lord, when the one shall say unto the other:
Behold, I, I am the Lord’s; and the others shall say: I, I am the Lord’s; and
thus shall every one say that hath built up churches,
and not unto the Lord—
4 And they shall contend one with
another; and their priests shall contend one with another, and they shall teach
with their learning,
and deny the Holy Ghost,
which giveth utterance.
5 And they deny the power of
God, the Holy One of Israel; and they say unto the people: Hearken unto us, and
hear ye our precept; for behold there is no God
today, for the Lord and the Redeemer hath done his work, and he hath given his
power unto men;
6 Behold, hearken ye unto my
precept; if they shall say there is a miracle wrought by the hand of the Lord,
believe it not; for this day he is not a God of miracles;
he hath done his work.
1 And now I, Nephi, cannot write all
the things which were taught among my people; neither am I mighty in
writing, like unto speaking; for when a man speaketh by the power of the Holy Ghost the power of the
Holy Ghost carrieth it unto the hearts of the children of men.
2 But behold, there are many
that harden their hearts against
the Holy Spirit,
that it hath no place in them; wherefore, they cast many things away which are
written and esteem them as things of naught.
36 And now, I say unto you, my
brethren, that after ye have known and have been taught all these things, if ye
should transgress and go contrary to
that which has been spoken, that ye do withdraw yourselves
from the Spirit of the Lord, that it may have no place in you to guide you in
wisdom’s paths that ye may be blessed, prospered, and preserved—
37 I say unto you, that the man that
doeth this, the same cometh out in open rebellion against
God; therefore he listeth to obey the evil spirit, and becometh an enemy
to all righteousness; therefore, the Lord has no place in him, for he
dwelleth not in unholy temples.
5 Nevertheless, after all this, I
never have known much of the ways of the Lord, and his mysteries and
marvelous power. I said I never had known much of these things; but behold, I
mistake, for I have seen much of his mysteries and his marvelous power; yea,
even in the preservation of the lives of this people.
6 Nevertheless, I did harden my
heart, for I was called many
times and I would not hear;
therefore I knew concerning these things, yet I would not know; therefore I
went on rebelling against God,
in the wickedness of my heart, even until the fourth day of this seventh month,
which is in the tenth year of the reign of the judges.
37 And now, my beloved brethren, I
desire that ye should remember these things, and that ye should work out
your salvation with fear before God, and that ye should no more deny the coming
of Christ;
38 That ye contend no
more against the Holy Ghost, but that ye receive it, and take upon you
the name of
Christ; that ye humble yourselves even to the dust, and worship God,
in whatsoever place ye may be in, in spirit and in truth; and that ye live
in thanksgiving daily,
for the many mercies and
blessings which he doth bestow upon you.
Ideas for Personal
Scripture Study
Resisting the Holy
Ghost can lead to rejecting the Savior and His prophets.
The Jewish leaders, though charged with preparing the
people for the coming of the Messiah, rejected Jesus Christ and demanded His
Crucifixion because of their pride and quest for power.
How did this happen? Stephen declared to them, “Ye do always resist the Holy Ghost” (Acts 7:51).
What do you think it means to resist the Holy Ghost? Why does resisting the Holy Ghost lead to rejecting the Savior and His prophets?
How did this happen? Stephen declared to them, “Ye do always resist the Holy Ghost” (Acts 7:51).
What do you think it means to resist the Holy Ghost? Why does resisting the Holy Ghost lead to rejecting the Savior and His prophets?
As you read Acts 6–7, look for
other messages that Stephen taught the Jews.
What attitudes was he warning against? Do you detect any similar attitudes in yourself?
What do Stephen’s words teach you about the consequences of resisting the Holy Ghost?
How can you be more sensitive and responsive to the promptings of the Holy Ghost in your life?
What attitudes was he warning against? Do you detect any similar attitudes in yourself?
What do Stephen’s words teach you about the consequences of resisting the Holy Ghost?
How can you be more sensitive and responsive to the promptings of the Holy Ghost in your life?
See also the video “The Martyrdom of Stephen” (LDS.org).
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/bible-videos/videos/the-martyrdom-of-stephen?lang=eng
I found
the video; you can watch it here:
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/bible-videos/videos/the-martyrdom-of-stephen?lang=eng
Besides Stephen, who else was martyred for their testimony of Jesus
Christ?
Stephen is the first known Christian martyr (someone who is
killed because of their beliefs) after Jesus’s Resurrection. Many other Saints
throughout history were also killed because they would not deny their faith in
Jesus Christ.
Some of these are mentioned in 2 Chronicles 24:20–21; Mark 6:17–29; Acts 12:1–2; Revelation 6:9–11; Mosiah 17:20; Alma 14:8–11; Helaman 13:24–26; Doctrine and Covenants 109:47–49; 135:1–7; and Abraham 1:11. It is likely that after the Savior’s Resurrection, all of the Apostles except John died as martyrs.
Some of these are mentioned in 2 Chronicles 24:20–21; Mark 6:17–29; Acts 12:1–2; Revelation 6:9–11; Mosiah 17:20; Alma 14:8–11; Helaman 13:24–26; Doctrine and Covenants 109:47–49; 135:1–7; and Abraham 1:11. It is likely that after the Savior’s Resurrection, all of the Apostles except John died as martyrs.
Our hearts need to be “right in the sight of God.”
Studying together the account of Simon can help you and
your family members and friends to evaluate the reasons why they live the
gospel. To study this account as a family, you could write down the
questions Who was Simon? What did he want? and How did he try to get it?
You could ask each family member and/or friend to read Acts 8:9–24, and have them be looking for answers to these questions. Who was Simon? What did he want? and How did he try to get it? Or you could read it all together as a family and then answer the questions and then answer the following question as well😊 What do we learn from Simon’s experience?
You could ask each family member and/or friend to read Acts 8:9–24, and have them be looking for answers to these questions. Who was Simon? What did he want? and How did he try to get it? Or you could read it all together as a family and then answer the questions and then answer the following question as well😊 What do we learn from Simon’s experience?
9 But
there was a certain man, called Simon, which before time in the same city
used sorcery, and bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out
that himself was some great one:
10 To
whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is
the great power of God.
11 And
to him they had regard, because that of long time he had bewitched them with
sorceries.
12 But
when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom
of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.
13 Then
Simon himself believed also: and when he was baptized, he continued with
Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which
were done.
14 Now
when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received
the word of God, they sent unto them Peter
and John:
15 Who,
when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy
Ghost:
16 (For
as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of
the Lord Jesus.)
17 Then laid they their hands on them,
and they received the Holy
Ghost.
18 And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money,
18 And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money,
20 But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money.
22 Repent
therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee.
24 Then
answered Simon, and said, Pray ye to the Lord for me, that none of these things
which ye have spoken come upon me.
Who
was Simon?
|
What
did he want?
|
How
did he try to get it?
|
there was a certain man, called Simon
Simon himself believed also: and when
he was baptized
|
This man is
the great power of God.
|
when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered
them money,
|
How can you help your family members and friends to understand what it means to have their hearts “right in the sight of God” as found in Acts 8:21.
Next,
you may want to have your family members and/or friends to study together
or individually Doctrine and Covenants
121:41–46,
-- searching for words or phrases that describe what our hearts should be like
as we strive to serve God and receive His gifts.
41 No power or
influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the priesthood,
only by persuasion,
by long-suffering,
by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned;
42 By kindness,
and pure knowledge,
which shall greatly enlarge the soul without hypocrisy,
and without guile—
43 Reproving betimes
with sharpness,
when moved upon
by the Holy Ghost; and then showing forth afterwards an increase of love toward
him whom thou hast reproved, lest he esteem thee to be his enemy;
45 Let thy bowels also
be full of charity towards all men, and to the household of faith, and
let virtue garnish
thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax
strong in the presence of
God; and the doctrine of the priesthood shall distil upon thy soul as the dews from
heaven.
46 The Holy Ghost
shall be thy constant companion,
and thy scepter an unchanging scepter of righteousness and
truth; and thy dominion shall
be an everlasting dominion, and without compulsory means it shall flow unto
thee forever and ever.
· These
are the words and phrases that I have found that describe what our hearts
should be like as we strive to serve God and receive His gifts
·
Gentleness
·
Meekness
·
Love unfeigned
·
Kindness
·
Full of charity towards all men
·
Let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly
·
Be without hypocrisy
·
Be without guile
·
Have a household of faith
·
Have the Holy Ghost as your constant companion
·
An unchanging scepter of righteousness
You and your family
members and friends could compare these insights with the account of Simon, as found
in Acts 8:9–24
above.
What truths did Simon not yet understand after his baptism?
*** Simon did not realize that the Gift of the Holy Ghost is only given through the power of the Priesthood and it cannot be bought or sold.
How can we make our hearts “right in the sight of God”?
What truths did Simon not yet understand after his baptism?
*** Simon did not realize that the Gift of the Holy Ghost is only given through the power of the Priesthood and it cannot be bought or sold.
How can we make our hearts “right in the sight of God”?
Did you or your family members and friends happen
to compare Stephen and Philip with Simon during yours’ or their personal study
during this week, as was suggested in this week’s outline in Come Follow Me—For Individuals and Families?
If so, what did you and/or they each learn from their comparison?
If so, what did you and/or they each learn from their comparison?
Ideas for Personal Scripture Study
My heart needs to be “right in the sight of God.”
A growing church meant a growing need for disciples to
serve in the kingdom. According to Acts 6:1–15, what qualities were the Twelve Apostles looking
for in those who would serve with them?
As you read Acts 6–8, note how these qualities, and others, were demonstrated in people like Stephen and Philip. What was lacking in Simon, and what can we learn from him about being willing to change?
As you read Acts 6–8, note how these qualities, and others, were demonstrated in people like Stephen and Philip. What was lacking in Simon, and what can we learn from him about being willing to change?
Is there anything you feel inspired to change to ensure
that your heart is “right in the sight of God”? (Acts 8:21–22). How might making this change bless you as you
serve God?
It might be good to
search for evidence in these chapters to find that the hearts of other people
were right—people such as Philip and the man from Ethiopia (Acts 8:26–40) and Saul (Acts 9:1–22).
The Holy Ghost will help us guide others to Jesus Christ.
There is a
way to help your family members and friends to understand how they can each
help to guide others to Jesus Christ as suggested in Acts 8:31
31 And
he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired
Philip that he would come up and sit with him.
You could
try the following activity with your family members and friends -- You will
need three people for this activity. Have two of your family members and/or
friends sit facing each other and each take the parts of Philip and the man
from Ethiopia that is in Acts 8:26–39. The third person could be like the narrator and read the parts
that are not part of their dialogues.
What do you
and your family members and friends learn from Philip’s example about teaching
the gospel to others?
Then you
might want to take a look at some modern examples of the account that you
shared together in Acts 8:26–39. You could each take a turn and share
your experiences that you might have had with sharing the gospel with someone
or with joining the Church.
Be sure to tell and maybe emphasize how the Holy Ghost helped you or them. Was there someone who acted as yours or their guide? Now it’s time for each of you (and me too!) to ponder with whom you might guide to the gospel of Jesus Christ?
Be sure to tell and maybe emphasize how the Holy Ghost helped you or them. Was there someone who acted as yours or their guide? Now it’s time for each of you (and me too!) to ponder with whom you might guide to the gospel of Jesus Christ?
Ideas for Personal
Scripture Study
The Holy Ghost will help me guide others to Jesus Christ.
What do you learn about sharing the
gospel from the account in Acts 8:26–39? How did the Holy Ghost help Philip? How is sharing the gospel with
others like being a guide? (see Acts 8:31).
When we submit to the Lord’s will, we can become instruments in
His hands.
You know
that we each can learn some very powerful truths about each of our own
conversion by studying Saul’s experience. Including the most important truth
that everyone can repent and change if they are willing to do so😊
Let’s take a few minutes to do a comparison
of Saul’s experience with the experiences of Alma as we find in Mosiah 17:1–4; 18; 26:15–21.
Then we can take a look at Laman and Lemuel, we will find it in 1 Nephi 3:28–31. What do you think are the characteristics of Saul and Alma helped them to repent and to change? What are those characteristics kept Laman and Lemuel from changing? What influence did Saul and Alma have after they were converted? What messages do we find for each of our own lives from these accounts?
Then we can take a look at Laman and Lemuel, we will find it in 1 Nephi 3:28–31. What do you think are the characteristics of Saul and Alma helped them to repent and to change? What are those characteristics kept Laman and Lemuel from changing? What influence did Saul and Alma have after they were converted? What messages do we find for each of our own lives from these accounts?
I love this quote from President Dieter F. Uchtdorf :
“The truth is, those who diligently seek to
learn of Christ eventually will come to know Him. They will personally receive
a divine portrait of the Master, although it most often comes in the form of a
puzzle—one piece at a time.
Each individual piece may not be easily recognizable by itself; it may not be
clear how it relates to the whole. Each piece helps us to see the big picture a
little more clearly. Eventually, after enough pieces have been put together, we
recognize the grand beauty of it all. Then, looking back on our experience, we
see that the Savior had indeed come to be with us—not all at once but quietly, gently, almost unnoticed.”
As we read
through his talk. we will find help as to how we apply Saul’s experience to
ourselves. You could share this talk with your family in a family home evening
separate from this lesson or you can use it as part of the lesson by having one
of your family members and/or friends share with the rest of your group what
they have found in this talk😊
These are
some of the things that I found. I wanted to share them with you😊
In his talk he mentions some things that we need to be aware of and others to
watch out for so that we do not stay on our own Road to Damascus too long. How do we sometimes wait
on our own road to Damascus?
Here are a
few of the ways we might be waiting in our own road to Damascus:
·
Instead of taking small steps of faith on the
path of discipleship, some people want some dramatic event to compel them to
believe.
·
They
hope to receive the priesthood but hesitate to live worthy of that privilege.
·
They
desire to enter the temple but delay the final act of faith to qualify.
·
They
remain waiting for the Christ to be given to them like a magnificent Carl Bloch
painting—to remove once and for all their
doubts and fears.
·
If we ignore or block out the promptings of the Spirit for
whatever reason, they become less noticeable until we cannot hear them at all.
·
Another reason we sometimes do not recognize the voice of the
Lord in our lives is because the revelations of the Spirit may not come
directly to us as the answer to our prayers.
·
Some would rather pull a handcart across the prairie than bring
up the subject of faith and religion to their friends and co-workers.
According
to President Uchtdorf, what can help us better hear God’s voice?
Here are a
few things we can do to better hear the voice of the Lord:
·
diligently
seek to learn of Christ through prayer, fasting, and scripture study, to name a
few.
·
Remember that Belief Comes One Step at a Time -- so go ahead, trust in the Lord, believe in Jesus Christ and
take that first step
·
To better hear His voice, it would be wise to turn down the
volume control of the worldly noise in our lives.
learn to hearken to the promptings of the Spirit and then be eager to heed them.
learn to hearken to the promptings of the Spirit and then be eager to heed them.
·
Selfless
acts of service and consecration refine our spirits, remove the scales from our
spiritual eyes, and open the windows of heaven. By becoming the answer to
someone’s prayer, we often find the answer to our own.
·
Opportunities
to share the gospel are all around us. Do not miss them by waiting too long on
the road to Damascus.
·
the
Lord speaks to His prophets and apostles in our day. He also speaks to all who
come to Him with a sincere heart and real intent.
I am sure that you will each come away with other things after you read through this talk and that is wonderful😊 Be sure to read and study it with your family member and friends. Each section in this talk has so much to teach us! So be sure to study it carefully😊
You can find President Dieter F. Uchtdorf’s talk “Waiting on the Road to Damascus” (Ensign or Liahona, May 2011, 70–77) here: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2011/04/waiting-on-the-road-to-damascus?lang=eng
You
might also consider watching the video “The Road to Damascus” (LDS.org).
To inspire your family members and friends to follow Saul’s example and ask the Lord, “What wilt thou have me to do?” You may want to consider discussing President Thomas S. Monson’s experience found in the following story:
To inspire your family members and friends to follow Saul’s example and ask the Lord, “What wilt thou have me to do?” You may want to consider discussing President Thomas S. Monson’s experience found in the following story:
“What Wilt Thou Have
Me to Do?”
While President
Thomas S. Monson was attending a stake conference, the stake president
asked him if he would visit a 10-year-old girl named Christal Methvin, who was
dying of cancer. The girl’s family lived 80 miles from the conference
location. President Monson shared the following:
“I examined the schedule of
meetings. … There simply was no available time. An alternative suggestion came
to mind. Could we not remember the little one in our public prayers at
conference? …
“… [During one of the
meetings] I was sorting my notes, preparing to step to the pulpit, when I heard
a voice speak to my spirit. The message was brief, the words familiar: ‘Suffer
the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the
kingdom of God.” (Mark 10:14.) My notes
became a blur. My thoughts turned to a tiny girl in need of a blessing. The
decision was made. The meeting schedule was altered. …
“… [At the Methvin
home,] I gazed down at a child who was too ill to rise—almost too weak to speak. Her illness had now rendered
her sightless. So strong was the spirit that I fell to my knees, took her frail
hand in mine, and said simply, ‘Christal, I am here.’ She
parted her lips and whispered, ‘Brother Monson, I just knew you would come’” (“The Faith of a Child,” Ensign, Nov. 1975, 20–22).
Years later, President
Dieter F. Uchtdorf shared this story, inviting us to “strive to be among
those whom the Lord can rely on to hear His whisperings and respond, as Saul
did on his road to Damascus, ‘Lord, what wilt thou have
me to do?’” (“Waiting on the Road to Damascus,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2011, 75).
Perhaps
you or your family members and / or friends could share their experiences with
you or them, when you or they were seeking God's will and following God’s will.
Ideas for Personal Scripture Study
When I submit to the Lord’s will, I can become an instrument in His
hands.
Saul’s conversion seems very sudden; he went “straightway”
from imprisoning Christians to preaching Christ in the synagogues (Acts 9:20). As you read
his story, ponder why he was so willing to change. (To read Saul’s own
description of his conversion, see Acts 22:1–16 and 26:9–18. Note that by
the time of these accounts, Saul’s name had been changed to Paul.)
While it’s true that Saul’s experience is unusual—for most
people, conversion is a much longer process—is there anything you can learn from Saul about conversion?
What do you learn from the way Ananias and the other disciples reacted to Saul’s conversion? What will you do to apply these lessons in
your life? You might begin by asking in prayer, as Saul did, “What wilt thou
have me to do?” Or you could write this question as a title in your journal and
record impressions that come to you over time.
See also Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “Waiting on the Road to
Damascus,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2011, 70–77;
“The Road to Damascus” (video, LDS.org).
Ideas for Personal
Scripture Study
If anyone seemed like an unlikely candidate for conversion,
it was probably Saul—a Pharisee who
had a reputation for persecuting Christians. So when the Lord told a disciple
named Ananias to seek out Saul and offer him a blessing, Ananias was
understandably hesitant. “Lord,” he said, “I have heard by many of this man,
how much evil he hath done to thy saints” (Acts 9:13).
But the Lord knew Saul’s heart and his potential, and He had a mission in mind for Saul: “He is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel” (Acts 9:15). So Ananias obeyed, and when he found this former persecutor, he called him “Brother Saul” (Acts 9:17). If Saul could change so completely and Ananias could welcome him so freely, then should we ever consider anyone an unlikely candidate for change—including ourselves?
But the Lord knew Saul’s heart and his potential, and He had a mission in mind for Saul: “He is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel” (Acts 9:15). So Ananias obeyed, and when he found this former persecutor, he called him “Brother Saul” (Acts 9:17). If Saul could change so completely and Ananias could welcome him so freely, then should we ever consider anyone an unlikely candidate for change—including ourselves?
There are
some exciting and dramatic events that are coming up in this next week’s
readings in Acts 10–15. So be sure to read them right
away. Within
our upcoming events there is —a miraculous jailbreak, missionaries
being mistaken for Roman gods, and an Apostle being stoned and left for dead—then
reviving. These are only some of the dramatic events in these chapters😊
Happy reading and studying everyone😊
Ideas
for Family Scripture Study and Family Home Evening
As you read the scriptures with your family, the Spirit can help you know
what principles to emphasize and discuss in order to meet the needs of your family.
Here are some suggestions:
Compare the accounts of Stephen in Acts 6:8 and Acts 7:51–60 to the accounts
of the Savior in Luke 23:1–46. How did Stephen
follow the Savior’s example?
How did the Holy Ghost
bless Stephen when he was being persecuted? When have we received strength from
the Holy Ghost during difficult times?
Does your family know what “kick against the pricks” means?
A prick was a sharp spear used to drive animals. Often the
animals would kick back when pricked, which would cause the spear to sink even
further into the animal’s flesh. In what ways can this analogy apply to us?
Consider inviting your family members to draw pictures of
the stories in Acts 9:32–43. What do they learn
about true discipleship from Aeneas, Tabitha, and the widows of Joppa? How
could someone who is “full of good works” help others believe in the Lord?
(see Acts 9:36, 42; “Chapter 60: Peter Brings Tabitha Back to Life,” New Testament Stories, 156–57, or the corresponding video on LDS.org).
Improving Personal
Study
Liken the scriptures to your
life. As you read, consider how the
stories and teachings in the scriptures apply in your life. For example, when
have you felt “full of the Holy Ghost” in times of trial or persecution? (Acts 7:55).
Guess where
we are right now at this very moment? My dear Family and Friends we are, right
now t this very moment at the end of this week’s lesson. I hope you have
enjoyed studying with me and I hope and pray that I have shared or said
something that has uplifted you in some small way😊
You are amazing you know!! Don’t ever let anybody tell you any different
either!!!
No matter
where you are at in your life at this time, you can always choose to become
better😊 You can make the decision today –
even at this very moment to find our more about Jesus Christ and His gospel.
You will never be sorry that you did so!!! You can learn about Heavenly
Father’s perfect plan and what that means for you. You can learn about your
purpose in this life. You can learn about the Atonement of Jesus Christ and how
to apply it in our life.
You can learn
about all that Jesus Christ has so willingly done for you and why knowing that
is powerful😊 You can find out about His ministry
and His Church. You can learn about how to speak to your Heavenly Father
through sincere prayer. You can learn about faith and how very important it is
that you have faith and you hold onto your faith always. There are so many
things that you can learn – that you must learn in order to return to live with
your Father in heaven and His Son, Jesus Christ😊
Well, I guess
I got a little excited in my sharing😊 I would not tell you these things if
I were not so sure of their importance in each of your lives. I may not have
done a very good job of teaching my children when I had the chance, but I will
not make the same mistake with each of you. I will share what I know and what I
believe. I hope and pray that some of you may have a desire to believe, that
desire need only be as small as a mustard seed. For it to grow, you only need nurture it --- constantly 😊
Remember who
you are—you are each a son or a daughter of your Heavenly Father who loves you
so very much. He sent His Only Begotten Son to pay the price of each of our individual
sins. He – Jesus Christ suffered it all so that each one of us might not have
to suffer as He did.
Remember when He was in the Garden of Gethsemane and He bled from every pore? Can you even imagine how excruciating the pain was that He went through during that time? As always, keep studying the scriptures and keeping the commandments, keep praying😊
Remember when He was in the Garden of Gethsemane and He bled from every pore? Can you even imagine how excruciating the pain was that He went through during that time? As always, keep studying the scriptures and keeping the commandments, keep praying😊
Keep teaching
your children. If you have not started yet – please begin today, do not put it
off until you know more, or understand the gospel better. Time goes by too
quickly for that – this I have found out the hard way☹ I do
not want any of your repeating my mistakes!! The Gospel of Jesus Christ will
change your life, He will change your life – if you will allow Him to do so!!!
Until next week, please everyone – make it a great week!!!
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