Post # 135 – Come, Follow Me --Week # 33 -- 1 Corinthians 1 -7 “Be Perfectly Joined Together”

Dear Family and Friends

This past week has been quite a long one for me. It is a struggle when you need more than one car, but can only afford one☹ We actually have three cars between my daughter, my son-in-law and me, but we also have three different schedules. The thing is that mine is the most flexible so I can go in early and stay after hours with our any problem --- except this week I am over tired☹ And my son-in-law had a birthday as well😊

So my daughter an I went shopping together one night after work and  we got home late. Then she took the boys shopping after a full day of work while I kept the baby. The next shopping trip she took my granddaughter again after work while I kept the three little ones, which I love spending time with!!! And then having a summer cold has not helped one little bit☹

But as you all know --- this too shall pass😊 Really, I am truly grateful for all of the time that I can spend with my family, especially my grandchildren. My grandson starts school next week and he is so excited to begin this new year of first grade😊 I can’t even remember when I was in first grade. I must have slept since then😊

The kids (the ones that I live with) and I went down to get my older daughters’ children to come up for the weekend. They were all so excited to see one another!!! Because even though they live within a two-hour radius from us, we do not get together often. I know, that is sad☹We had such fun spending time together, well to be truthful the kids spent the most time together I was just there to plan activities, give hugs --- which I love!!!

There is nothing like a hug from your children, your grandchildren or your great-grandchildren—right? It’s the best!!! I helped the kids figure things out and of course fed them, though I do not do even a quarter of the cooking that I used to do mostly because of my hands. The neuropathy makes it easier for me to hurt myself and not realize it, so I have to be so much more careful. When the kids are here, I usually have the younger ones to be my helpers and the older ones I can talk them through making a meal together.

No matter how we did our meals – we all worked together to accomplish our goal😊 I share this with you because this week we are studying 1 Corinthians 1-7 and in these chapters one of the topics we are going to learn about is unity. We need unity within our families, our churches, our workplaces, our communities, our towns, cities, and when we can accomplish this we can move on to our states and to our world. In developing this unity, we can possibly make a wonderful change in our world😊

1 Corinthians 1–7

This week our instructor asked each of us to write down on a piece of paper how we have each acted on what we are learning from the scriptures thus far in our study of the New Testament. He then asked us to share with one another what we wrote on our papers😊 I would like to pose the same question to you. If you would like to share it with your cyber study buddies send me a note in the comments section. If you do not wish to share it with us please write your thoughts in your scripture study journal and do share your thoughts with your family members and friends😊

This next part comes from the manual: Come, Follow Me for Individuals and Families:

During the months that Paul spent in Corinth, “many of the Corinthians hearing [him] believed, and were baptized” (Acts 18:8). So it must have been heartbreaking for Paul to hear, just a few years later, that there were “divisions” and “contentions” among the Corinthian Saints and that in his absence they began to heed the “wisdom of this world” (1 Corinthians 1:10–11, 20). 

In response, Paul wrote the letter we now call 1 Corinthians. It is full of profound doctrine, and yet at the same time, Paul seemed disappointed that the Saints were not ready to receive all the doctrine he wanted to give them. “I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual,” he lamented, “for ye are yet carnal” (1 Corinthians 3:1–3). As we prepare to read Paul’s words, it might be helpful to examine our own readiness to receive truth—including our willingness to heed the Spirit and strive for unity within our families, with our fellow Saints, and with God.

1 Corinthians 1:10–17; 3

The members of Christ’s church must be unified.

i know that during our class our instructor was focusing on each of us being member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and being unified as church members. he said this also applies to our Ward -- but I would like to focus on unifying our family members and friends. I found this news article to help explain to those of you who are not members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints about  what our wards are:

Congregations of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are organized geographically and members attend worship services near their home. Each member belongs to a ward or branch. The lay leader of a ward is called a bishop. He is a member of the congregation who has been asked to serve as a volunteer in this position.

Each ward has classes and activities for different ages, including children, youth and adults. The substantial time and effort required to administer a ward and meet the needs of the members is carried out by the members themselves. Most members are asked by local leaders to contribute in specific capacities. Duties include local administrative, teaching or service-oriented positions. These responsibilities are changed from time to time, according to the needs of the congregation.

Members of a ward worship together on Sundays and hold activities during the week. A ward is a community where Latter-day Saints can develop friendships and support their fellow Church members in their efforts to worship and follow Jesus Christ. Everyone is welcome to visit ward worship services on Sundays.

To find out more about A Ward you can go here:
 https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/ward





As we are discussing these first few chapters of 1 Corinthians this may be a perfect opportunity to build greater unity among our family members and friends.  Our instructor asked us if we belonged to a club, a team – sports or otherwise, where we felt a great sense of unity. You might ask your family members and friends this question as a way to begin your discussion of these chapters. If we look in 1 Corinthians 1:10–13; 3:1–11 we can search through Paul’s teachings on unity. 

Here is a couple of questions for you to ask yourself, then your family members ad friend: What do these verses, along with our experiences, teach about what helps create unity and what threatens it? What blessings come to those who are united? Then our instructor shared with our class these stories shared by President Henry B. Eyring which may help your discussion as well as it did in our class:

1 Corinthians 1–7

Examples of unity.

President Henry B. Eyring taught:

“I was invited to kneel at bedtime with a family when I was a guest in their home. The smallest child was asked to be voice. He prayed like a patriarch for every person in the family, by name. I opened my eyes for an instant to see the faces of the other children and the parents. I could tell that they were joining their faith and their hearts in that little boy’s prayer.

“Some Relief Society sisters recently prayed together as they prepared to visit for the first time a young widow whose husband died suddenly. They wanted to know what to do and how to work together to help prepare the home for family and friends who would come at the time of the funeral. … An answer to their prayer came. When they arrived at the house, each sister moved to complete a task. The house was ready so quickly that some sisters regretted not being able to do more. Words of comfort were spoken which fit perfectly together. They had given the Lord’s service as one, hearts knit together” (“Our Hearts Knit as One,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2008, 68–69).

You can go here to read or study more of this talk: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2008/10/our-hearts-knit-as-one?lang=eng

If we look in 1 Corinthians 3:9–17 we find that Paul uses the image of a building to encourage unity in How could this analogy help your family members and friends to better understand just what unity is? Here is an example, after reading these verses together, you could give each family member and friend each a block and have them work together to build something with their blocks collectively. ( If you do not have block at your home you can use dominoes, or even create from some paper squares😊) 

Give them a few minutes to work together to create something then ask: Okay are you all finished? 

Now, for another few questions: In what sense are we “God’s building”? (1 Corinthians 3:9). How is God building us individually? What are we building together as fellow Saints?  This question our instructor asked us as class members but if you aren’t a member or members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints this one would not apply to you, but I left it in for those members of the Church who may be studying along with us😊 What can we do as a unified ward that we wouldn’t be able to do as individuals?

This next part comes from the manual: Come, Follow Me for Individuals and Families:

Ideas for Personal Scripture Study

1 Corinthians 1:10–17; 3:1–11

The members of Christ’s Church are united.

We don’t know all the details about the lack of unity among the Corinthian Saints, but we do know about lack of unity in our own relationships. Think of a relationship in your life that could benefit from more unity; then look for what Paul taught in 1 Corinthians 1:10–17; 3:1–11 about lack of unity among the Corinthian Saints. What insights can you gain about how to develop greater unity with others?

See also Mosiah 18:21; 4 Nephi 1:15–17; Doctrine and Covenants 38:23- 27; 105:1–5; “Unity,” Gospel Topics, topics.lds.org.

You can go here for more study: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/gospel-topics/unity?lang=eng

1      Corinthians 1:17–31; 2; 3:18–20

To accomplish God’s work, we need the wisdom of God.

There are many people who feel unqualified to serve in the Church because they lack education or professional training. There are also some who feel very qualified or even overqualified for some callings because they have education or professional training. Our instructor explained to us that both of these views reflect a misunderstanding of what truly qualifies us for God’s work.

I remember my very first calling after I became a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I was called to be the chorister for the Relief Society class. Well, I am here to tell you that I did not feel qualified at all.  For three very good reasons, #1 – I can’t carry a tune in a bucket, and #2 – I did not know the words to any of the songs and #3 -- I do not know anything about reading music!

Someone told me that I should never turn down a calling (for those of you who are not members of our church – a calling is a call to serve. In our church no one is paid for their callings. Everyone – I should say most members volunteers their time and their talents very willingly). I have accepted every calling thus far since the very first one. Heavenly Father knows what we need and when we need it, and this goes for our callings too! He calls each one of us into each position at the time we need to learn and grow – in whatever area He knows we need. Whether it is to develop a particular skill or talent😊

I was also told that the Lord qualifies those whom He calls. I know this to be very true – let me tell you about how He did this for me in my very first calling. The Holy Ghost prompted me to call the pianist to see if she would be willing to help me. I got her phone number and called her right away. She agreed to meet with me on Saturday at two and gave me her address.

I went over to her home on Saturday and we went over the hymns for the following day. So, this is how it worked. She taught me where in the Hymn book to find out just how to read the counts – you know 3/4time, 4/4time, to count the beats of the music for each one of the hymns. She was gracious enough to play a few different hymns so that I could get the hang of the ‘waving’ or leading😊 I was quite nervous when I went to church the next day. i continued to pray.

I had practiced my leading at hoe without music and I was pretty sure that I could manage that part of it. Needless to say, I prayed a lot, and I continued to pray as I stood up in front of the room. I prayed that someone would begin singing because as I said, I did not know the words to the songs or the tune they should be sang in☹ Heavenly Father answered my prayers every Sunday until I was released from my calling😊

You see I had another problem with this calling, I did not know when to start ‘waving’ or leading the music. I did not know anything about how each one of the hymns started or which not to begin singing on☹ I go up and stood in front of the room where I could see the pianist out of the corner of my eye. I was praying continuously. Then when I saw the pianist nod her head, I began ‘waving’ or leading the music. 

One of the ladies in the room would always begin singing the minute my hand went up with the first count!!! I still don’t know anything about music and I still cannot carry a tune in a bucket, but my voice has been good enough for my children, my grandchildren, and all of the preschoolers in between that I have taught throughout the years. 

I will tell you this, I know that my Heavenly Father qualified me for that calling through the Holy Ghost and a very kind pianist, and those ladies who began our songs each week😊 I learned to trust my Heavenly Father and to rely on His help through the Holy Ghost and I know that you can too!

We did this activity in class: our instructor divided us into groups and he asked us to search through the following verses: 1 Corinthians 1:17–31; 2; or 3:18–20 looking for words like wise and foolish. Then when our time for searching was up, he asked us to share with the other groups what these verses were teaching us about us being wise in the Lord’s work.

Then after our sharing with one another he asked us the following questions: What are things about the gospel that might seem foolish to some people? How do these things demonstrate the wisdom of God? Our instructor also asked if we wanted to share our experiences when we trusted in God’s wisdom, rather than trusting in our own, to accomplish His work.

This might well be something that you could do with your family members and friends during your study of this lesson or during a family home evening. You could maybe share your own experiences with your family members and friends, or they could share theirs with you. If your family members and friends are not old enough to share experiences, you may want to make arrangements to have your local missionaries stop by or other members of your ward to share their experiences with your family.

This next part comes from the manual: Come, Follow Me for Individuals and Families:

Ideas for Personal Scripture Study

1 Corinthians 2:9–16

I need the Holy Ghost in order to understand the things of God.

If you wanted to learn more about something like automotive mechanics or medieval architecture, how would you do it? According to 1 Corinthians 2:9–16, how is learning “the things of God” different from learning the “things of a man”? Why must we have the Holy Ghost in order to understand the things of God? After reading these verses, what do you feel you should do to understand spiritual things more fully? How could Paul’s words help someone who is struggling with his or her testimony?

1 Corinthians 6:9–20

Our physical bodies are sacred.

• In the next part of our lesson our instructor wrote the following on the board: How does the Lord view our bodies? How is this different from the way Satan wants us to think of our bodies? What does it mean that our bodies are temples of the Holy Ghost? Then he asked us to search through the following verses 1 Corinthians 6:9–20 (see also D&C 88:15; Moses 6:8–9).to find some answers to these questions.

During the next part our instructor talked briefly about the law of chastity. He explained that as Latter-day Saints we often have opportunities to explain our beliefs about chastity to those who may not share our beliefs. So he asked us what we learned from Paul—as well as other Church resources – that could help us to explain to others why chastity is important to us. The following are some of the resources we used in class:  

How to stay sexually pure.

• “Chastity: What Are the Limits?” “I Choose to Be Pure” (videos), LDS.org you can view these videos here:
• https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/youth/video/chastity-what-are-the-limits?lang=eng
• https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/youth/video/i-choose-to-be-pure?lang=eng
• “Sexual Purity,” For the Strength of Youth, 35–37

you can study this here: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/for-the-strength-of-youth/sexual-purity?lang=eng

This next part comes from the manual: Come, Follow Me for Individuals and Families:

Ideas for Personal Scripture Study

1 Corinthians 6:13–20

My body is sacred.

Most people in Corinth felt that sexual immorality was acceptable and that their bodies were made primarily for pleasure. In other words, Corinth was not that different from the world today. What did Paul teach in 1 Corinthians 6:13–20 that could help you explain to others why you want to live a chaste life?

It might also be interesting to see how Sister Wendy W. Nelson, like Paul, encouraged Saints to be chaste in her talk “Love and Marriage” (Worldwide Devotional for Young Adults, Jan. 8, 2017, broadcasts.lds.org). How do the truths about love and intimacy described by Sister Nelson differ from the world’s messages?

See also Romans 1:24–27; “Chastity,” Gospel Topics, topics.lds.org.

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/gospel-topics/chastity?lang=eng

The blessings of sexual purity.

At a Worldwide Devotional for Young Adults, Sister Wendy W. Nelson said:

“Personal purity is the key to true love. The more pure your thoughts and feelings, your words and actions, the greater your capacity to give and receive true love. …

“As an important part of the expression of their love, the Lord wants a husband and wife to partake of the wonders and joys of marital intimacy. …

“… Anything that invites the Spirit into your life, and into the life of your spouse and your marriage, will increase your ability to experience marital intimacy. … On the other hand, anything that offends the Spirit will decrease your ability to be one with your spouse. …

“Marital intimacy endorsed by the Spirit is blessed by the Lord and is sanctifying” (“Love and Marriage,” Worldwide Devotional for Young Adults, Jan. 8, 2017, broadcasts.lds.org).

You can go here to read or study more of this talk:

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/broadcasts/article/worldwide-devotionals/2017/01/love-and-marriage?lang=eng

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/broadcasts/archive/worldwide-devotionals/2017/01?lang=eng

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland taught:

“May I stress that human intimacy is reserved for a married couple because it is the ultimate symbol of total union, a totality and a union ordained and defined by God. …

“But such a total union, such an unyielding commitment between a man and a woman, can only come with the proximity and permanence afforded in a marriage covenant, with solemn promises and the pledge of all they possess—their very hearts and minds, all their days and all their dreams” (“Personal Purity,” Ensign, Nov. 1998, 76).

You can go here to read or study more of this talk:

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/1998/11/personal-purity?lang=eng

Elder David A. Bednar explained: “[Sexual] relations are not merely a curiosity to be explored, an appetite to be satisfied, or a type of recreation or entertainment to be pursued selfishly. They are not a conquest to be achieved or simply an act to be performed. Rather, they are in mortality one of the ultimate expressions of our divine nature and potential and a way of strengthening emotional and spiritual bonds between husband and wife. We are agents blessed with moral agency and are defined by our divine heritage as children of God—and not by sexual behaviors, contemporary attitudes, or secular philosophies” (“We Believe in Being Chaste,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2013, 42).

You can go here to read or study more of this talk:

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/1998/11/personal-purity?lang=eng

These next two sections come directly from the manual: Come, Follow Me for Individuals and Families:

Ideas for Personal Scripture Study

1 Corinthians 7:29–33

Did Paul teach that it is better to be unmarried than married?

Several verses in 1 Corinthians 7 seem to suggest that while marriage is acceptable, remaining single and abstaining completely from sexual relations is preferred. However, Joseph Smith Translation, 1 Corinthians 7:29–33 (see Bible appendix) helps us understand that Paul was referring to those called to be full-time missionaries, observing that they were able to serve God better if they remained single during their missions. The Lord has taught through His servants, including Paul, that marriage is part of His eternal plan and necessary for exaltation (see 1 Corinthians 11:11; D&C 131:1–4).

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:

1 Corinthians 1:10–17; 3:1–11

As your family members read these verses, invite them to find an insight that can help them be more unified.

1 Corinthians 3:1–2

Maybe you could read these verses while eating a snack of milk and meat, and you could compare the way babies grow into adults with the way we grow spiritually.

1 Corinthians 3:4–9

Paul compared his missionary efforts to planting seeds. What does his comparison suggest about how we should approach sharing the gospel with others?

1 Corinthians 6:19–20

Comparing our bodies to temples, as Paul did, can be an effective way to teach about the sacredness of our bodies. Perhaps you could show pictures of temples, such as those that accompany this outline. Why are temples sacred? How are our bodies like temples? What can we do to treat our bodies like temples? (See also “Sexual Purity,” For the Strength of Youth, 35–37.)

If possible, go to the temple together or visit the temple grounds; this could enrich your discussion about the sacredness of the temple and of our bodies.

For more ideas for teaching children, see this week’s outline in Come, Follow Me—For Primary.

During this lesson we have learned about unity, that we need the Holy Ghost in order to understand the things of God, that the members of Christ’s church must be united; there are blessings for sexual purity; our bodies are sacred – as Latter-day Saints we liken our bodies to the temple, we strive to keep it clean and holy. And I think that the unity part can apply to our families as well. We must be unified – especially husbands and wives. United in purpose and goals and where you are headed. Your new beginnings destination after this life?

As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints my goal is eternal life with my Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. I don’t know if I will make it to the Celestial Kingdom, but that is my goal. I have hope that if I do my best to keep the commandments. To keep the covenants (or promises) that I have made with my Heavenly Father.  Then to do my best to honor the ordinances that I have entered into with Him.

I believe He will help me qualify to live in His presence with His Son and my Family and Friends😊 I can’t think of a better goal, a more worthy goal for my family, can you? For us to be together for all eternity and live together as a family So if you would like to find out more ideas on  how to be more united with your spouse, family, or ward, this theme of unity continues into our next lesson with our study of 1 Corinthians 8–11.

Here we are at the ed of our lesson for today. I always hope and pray that I have shared something with you that inspires you to do better and to become better than you are today. Baby steps are perfect. And even if you are like e and are taking three steps forward and two steps back most of the time--- Remember that you are still moving forward that one step each and every time. Remember who you are, and this will help you go far!

Yes, please do remember that you each a child of God, a Son or a daughter of Heavenly parents who are waiting for the day when you each come home to live in their presence for all eternity😊 Remember that no matter where you are on your spiritual journey you Heavenly Father and your Savior, Jesus Christ are there for you! They will meet you where you are and lift you up😊

 If you are on a mortal or physical life journey and you are feeling so overwhelmed with your life, and you have not looked heavenward, then now is the time!!! Say that prayer! Ask for the help that you need. Ask for the peace you seek. You know that only your Savior can give this wonderful peace to you through His eternal Atonement. It is through your repentance that you will find His forgiveness and His peace😊

I guess I have been rambling again today, but this time I am sure it has been important stuff to ramble about! I want to give a huge shout of thanks to all of you who have contributed to my blogs with the beautiful pictures and wonderful quotes and scriptures you have created and shared in our cyberspace😊 

THANKS TO EACH OF YOU CREASTIVE GENIUSES!!!! And a very GIANT thanks to each of my readers and fellow cyber study buddies – I love each of you and your Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ love each one of you as well!!!! 😊 😊 😊Until my next post, please make it a good week!!!