Post # 242 – Come, Follow Me – Week # 28 – July 13–19 -- Alma 32–35 -- “Plant This Word in Your Hearts”

Dear Family and Friends

I hope this post finds each of you healthy and doing well Please remember just how amazing you are!!!! You have many gifts and talents to share with others. You can use your gifts and talents to help uplift others and make their lives better. You can make them smile when they do not feel like smiling. 

You can help them with their burdens to make them lighter. You can help them with their work, even if you have to get a bit creative to help them You so this because you know just how it feels when someone does the same thing for you Besides the feeling that you get when you can make someone smile, even for a minute or two

I am able to see this in the eyes and faces of my preschoolers as they accomplish something for the first time. It is so amazing to help them reach each goal! They like each one of us reach their goals step by step or line upon line, precept upon precept, you remember that verse of scripture don’t you?



Speaking of remembering verses of scripture, it is so important for each one of us to read and study all of God’s words which He has written through His chosen prophets throughout the centuries since the earth began. We have the opportunity ti read and study all of those words each day. Some do not have this opportunity.

We also have the opportunity to listen to, to read, and to study the words of our living prophet and his counselors. The words they speak become scriptures as well as their words come from the Lord through the gift of the Holy Ghost. And through the gift of the Holy Ghost we can understand the words which God sends to us

You know it doesn’t matter how many times you or I have read the scriptures, it is important to read them again and again!!! I personally have found something new each time that I read and ponder the scriptures, especially the Book of Mormon!!! The Book of Mormon has a special power within it’s very covers and pages too!!!

So as you and your family members and friends are reading through this week’s assigned readings in Alma 32–35. Please  make sure that you and your family members and friends are each open to finding new insights and ideas from the Holy Ghost as the Holy Ghost will help you see things through different eyes



It is through the Light of Christ or the Gift of the Holy Ghost that we learn all things Spiritual. Those of us who are baptized members of the Church of Jesus Christ have the Gift of the Holy Ghost given to us after baptism. And those of you who are not yet members of the Church have access to the Light of Christ.

Oh, I guess I have been rambling on again haven’t I ? I will never apologize for my ramblings though, because I believe there is always a reason for the words I speak. I don’t always know the why of what I say, but I do know it is important that I say it when it comes. Let’s get on to our lesson for this week

This upcoming week we will be studying from Alma again. We will be studying chapters 32 through 35. You could begin this lesson in review by having your family and friends share what they have learned in their study. This first section comes to you directly from our Come, Follow Me for Individuals and Families manual:

Record the spiritual impressions you receive as you study Alma 32–35. What do you feel inspired to do because of what you learn?



For the Zoramites, prayer was a self-centered, routine practice that happened only once a week. It consisted of standing where all could see and repeating vain, self-satisfied words. Perhaps worse, the Zoramites lacked faith in Jesus Christ—even denied His existence—and persecuted the poor (see Alma 31:9–25). By contrast, Alma and Amulek boldly taught that prayer has more to do with what happens in our hearts than on a public platform. And if it doesn’t lead to compassion toward those in need, it is “vain, and availeth … nothing” (Alma 34:28). Most important, it is an expression of faith in Jesus Christ, who offers redemption through His “infinite and eternal sacrifice” (Alma 34:10). Such faith, Alma explained, is born of humility and a “desire to believe” (Alma 32:27). It grows gradually, like a tree, and requires constant nourishment. As you read Alma 32–35, you might consider your own faith and prayers; do you ever feel any Zoramite-like attitudes creeping in? How will you nourish your faith in Jesus Christ so it will become “a tree springing up unto everlasting life”? (Alma32:41).

If you begin your lesson with your family and friends sharing what they have learned during their reading for this upcoming week. You could make a chart on your poster board and list those topics and/or themes that you and your family members and friends have shared from your/their reading/ studying.



Alma 32:1–16
We can choose to be humble.
Alma taught us about humility in Alma 32:1–16, you and your family members and friends could have a discussion on humility from what you have found in these passages. You and your family members and friends could tell of some experiences that would humble a person just as the example in Alma 32:2–5 .

You could even share or have a family member and / or friends share a personal experience you or they have had with learning humility. How can being “brought to be humble” as in Alma 32:12, be a blessing? The following Statements about humility could be helpful for a discussion:

What does it mean to be humble?

“To be humble is to recognize gratefully your dependence on the Lord—to understand that you have constant need for His support. … It is not a sign of weakness, timidity, or fear; it is an indication that you know where your true strength lies” (True to the Faith [2004], 86).

Elder Quentin L. Cook explained: “When we really contemplate God the Father and Christ the Son, who They are, and what They have accomplished on our behalf, it fills us with reverence, awe, gratitude, and humility. … Humility also includes being grateful for our numerous blessings and divine assistance. Humility isn’t some grand identifiable achievement or even overcoming some major challenge. It is a sign of spiritual strength. It is having the quiet confidence that day by day and hour by hour we can rely on the Lord, serve Him, and achieve His purposes” (“The Eternal Everyday,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2017, 52, 54).





Another things you and your family members and friends could do would be to read together  Doctrine and Covenants 112:10 to learn more about humility. 

Doctrine and Covenants 112:10 Doctrine and Covenants
10 Be thou humble; and the Lord thy God shall lead thee by the hand, and give thee answer to thy prayers.

As you probably have noticed before that I have encouraged the use of music in your lessons.  So, sing this hymn together: “Be Thou Humble” (Hymns, no. 130), comes to mind that you could sing together with your family members and friends. If you are like me and don’t sing, you can at least read the words to the hymn.

Alma 32:1–16
I can choose to be humble.
Alma perceived that the poor Zoramites were humble and “in a preparation to hear the word” (Alma 32:6). As you read Alma 32:1–16, think about how you prepare to hear the word of God.

What experiences have humbled you? What have you done to become more humble? These verses could teach you how to choose humility rather than be compelled to be humble. For example, what is the difference between being “poor as to things of the world” and being “poor in heart”? (verse 3). What does it mean to “humble [yourself] because of the word”? (verse 14).
See also “Humility,” Gospel Topics, topics.ChurchofJesusChrist.org.




Alma 32:17–43
We exercise faith in Jesus Christ by planting and nourishing His word in our hearts.

During this time of COVID 19 you have probably learned a different way to worship. We have most likely always connected worship with going to church, or going to the temple, you know in those formal settings and not really anywhere else.

 In  Alma 32:5, 9, 11 we learn that Alma’s definition of worship is much broader. In these verses people came to Alma asking what they should do because they were thrown out of the synagogues which they had helped build with their own hands, so they could not worship God. 

Alma asks them if they thing they they can only worship one day in a week.  What does this teach us? At this point you could draw a picture of a seed and a tree on your poster board as Alma compares the word unto a seed in verse 28, what does it take for this seed to grow into and become this tree? 

What things need to take place in order for this to happen? Once you plant the seed, what do you need to do for continued growth? In Alma 32:28; 33:22–23 what does the tree represent? How can we plant the seed –  the testimony of Jesus Christ and His Atonement – in our hearts and nourish it as Alma teaches us in Alma 32:36–43; 33 ? 



What experiences can we share in which our efforts to follow the Savior brought forth precious fruit? Alma taught us the importance of developing and exercising faith in Jesus Christ, as being a form of worship, which usually takes place outside of the Church or the temple buildings. 

How do Alma’s teachings influence the way we worship Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ? You can check out the following scriptures on faith:
Scriptures about faith.
• 1 Corinthians 12:9
• Hebrews 11:1–6
• James 2:14–18
• Ether 12:6
• Moroni 7:33; 10:11
• Doctrine and Covenants 63:9–11

In Alma 32:27 we find that Alma uses the “experiment” to help the Zoramites to develop faith in Jesus Christ. This “experiment can also help you and your family members learn if other gospel principles are true. To help your family members and friends better understand Alma’s experiment, you may want to define it.

Define what an experiment is. If any of your family members and/or friends have done an experiment before they could also share insight with this explanation about what an experiment is. So, what is the purpose of an experiment? 



How is an experiment similar to what Alma incited the people to do in Alma 32:26–36? Maybe you might want to consider sharing or having some of your family members and friends share to some of the ways that you or each of them has “experimented” upon the word of God.  

How have they come to know that “the word [of God] is good” as we see in Alma 32:28? Now, we will compare the word unto a seed. Now, if ye give place, that a seed may be planted in your heart, behold, if it be a true seed, or a good seed, if ye do not cast it out by your unbelief, 

that ye will resist the Spirit of the Lord, behold, it will begin to swell within your breasts; and when you feel these swelling motions, ye will begin to say within yourselves—It must needs be that this is a good seed, or that the word is good, for it beginneth to enlarge my soul; yea, it beginneth to enlighten my understanding, yea, it beginneth to be delicious to me.

For this next question: What might Alma say to someone who wants to gain or strengthen a testimony of Jesus Christ?  You could divide your family members and friends into two groups if this is feasible for your particular family study group – if not you could always read it together. 



So, if you have two groups you might have one group read Alma 32:26–36 to determine what Alma might say to someone who is trying to gain a testimony. 
And the other group might read Alma 32:36–43 to determine what he might say to someone whose testimony has weakened. 

After each group has finished searching their passage for the answers. They could share with your family study group by taking turns having one person represent Alma in a role-playing activity. 

They could be role-playing how to help someone gain a testimony or helping someone to strengthen a testimony. If your family study group is small or you have young children you could read together first read the first passage then read together the second passage answering the same questions"

What might Alma say to someone who wants to gain a testimony or to someone who wants to strengthen a testimony.  Now, as you probably know, this next section for ideas on personal scripture study come to you directly from our Come, Follow Me for Individuals and Families manual:



Alma 32:17–43; 33–34

I exercise faith in Jesus Christ by planting and nourishing His word in my heart.
Why do you think Alma spoke about planting a seed in response to the Zoramites’ questions about worship? What is the seed that Alma spoke of? (see Alma 32:28; 33:22–23). As you read Alma 32:17–43, note words and phrases that help you understand how to exercise faith in Jesus Christ and His word. What do you learn about what faith is and what it is not? Then, as you read chapters 33–34, search for answers to the Zoramites’ question “How [do we] plant the seed?” (Alma 33:1).

Here’s another way to study Alma 32–34: Draw pictures representing different phases of a seed’s growth. Then label each picture with words from Alma 32:28–43 that help you understand how to plant and nourish the word in your heart.

See also Matthew 13:3–8, 18–23; Hebrews 11; Neil L. Andersen, “Faith Is Not by Chance, but by Choice,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2015, 65–68; “Faith in Jesus Christ,” Gospel Topics, topics.ChurchofJesusChrist.org.


Alma 33:2–11; 34:17–29
We can worship God in prayer, anytime and anywhere.
I have made it a practice to teach my children and now my grandchildren as well as my preschoolers that they can pray to their Heavenly Father anytime, anywhere, and for anything, no matter how small or how big their problem may be. 




In this section you might consider helping your family members and friends to contrast Alma and Amulek’s teachings about prayer and worship with the Zoramites’ false ideas.  

You and your family member’s and friends could have a review of Alma 31:13–23 and list on a piece of your poster board what the Zoramites believed about prayer and worship. 

The next things for you and your family members and friends to do is you could look for truths in Alma 33:2–11 and 34:17–29 that contrast with these beliefs. What do these verses teach us about how we might improve our prayers and our worship?

if you were to write some words like Who? What? When? Where? Why? and How? on your poster board, you may begin a good discussion about prayer. You and your family members and friends could search through the following passages Alma 33:2–11 and 34:17–29 to find the answers to these questions about prayer. 

You could answer questions like the following: Where can we pray? What can we pray for? I have told you before just how important music can be during your lessons. music brings the Spirit into your lesson and into your home.



You and your family members and friends might also find some answers in the words of a hymn about prayer, such as “Did You Think to Pray?” or “Sweet Hour of Prayer” (Hymns, nos. 140, 142). How can we improve our prayers? I love both of these hymn!!! 

Again, if you cannot sing, please at least read the words of the hymn together with your family members and friends Here we are at the point of personal scripture study ideas directly from our Come, Follow Me for Individuals and Families manual:

Alma 33:2–11; 34:17–29
I can worship God in prayer, anytime and anywhere.
Alma and Amulek’s counsel about worship and prayer was meant to correct specific misunderstandings the Zoramites had (see Alma 31:13–23). But the truths they taught can help any us of understand prayer and worship better. Maybe you could make a list of truths about prayer that you find in Alma 33:2–11 and 34:17–29. Next to that list, make a list of possible misconceptions about prayer that these truths correct (see Alma 31:12–23). How will the things you learn from these verses affect the way you pray and worship?



Alma 34:9–17
The Savior’s atoning sacrifice is “infinite and eternal.”

What were the two words that Amulek used to describe the sacrifice Jesus Christ made to atone for our sins? Ask your family members and friends if they remember what those two words were.  

The words Amulek used several times to describe the sacrifice that Jesus Christ made to atone for our sins were “infinite” and “eternal.” You and your family members and friends may want to consider searching through these verses Alma 34:9–14 to find these words. 

Then you and your family study group should look them up in a dictionary. Search through the following passages: Hebrews 10:10; 2 Nephi 9:21; Mosiah 3:13 to answer the following question: 

In what ways is the Savior’s sacrifice infinite and eternal? According to Alma 34:15–17, what must we do to receive the blessings of the Savior’s sacrifice? What does it mean to “exercise your faith unto repentance”as found in Alma 34:17).



Alma 34:17 Book of Mormon
17 Therefore may God grant unto you, my brethren, that ye may begin to exercise your faith unto repentance, that ye begin to call upon his holy name, that he would have mercy upon you;


Alma 33:3–17
Who were Zenos and Zenock?
Zenos and Zenock were prophets who testified of Jesus Christ during Old Testament times, but their teachings are not found in the Old Testament. The Nephites had access to the teachings of these prophets, probably because they were included in the brass plates that Nephi obtained from Laban. They are also mentioned in 1 Nephi 19:10–12; Jacob 5:1; and Helaman 8:19–20.


Alma 34:32–35
“Do not procrastinate the day of your repentance.”

I came across a talk from the 1986 Ensign titled: The Bubble Gum Battle: A Perspective on Repentance. In this talk by Phillip A. Snyder , he uses a stain of bubble gum as an analogy of sin and the dry cleaning  as repentance to remove the stain/ sin. 



You can read the whole talk here: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/new-era/1986/03/the-bubble-gum-battle-a-perspective-on-repentance?lang=eng

Another thing you could do if you feel that it is appropriate for your friends and family is to have them imagine that they are sitting at home and the mail comes.

With the mail comes an invitation to participate in this great musical group. This event will be happening the very next day. You are so excited by the honor of the invitation that you forget that you have not played in years and you really haven’t had enough training to participate in this performance. 

You realize that even if you practiced all night you would still not be good enough to play with your favorite group. If only you had practiced as your mom had encouraged over the years, you might be prepared to join the group in their musical program.

If only!!! How does this example relate to Amulek’s warnings in Alma 34:32–35? Why might it be dangerous to delay our efforts to repent and change? Why is it so important for it to be done right now? You may want to write on a piece of poster board what the warnings are that Amulek teaches us about in this passage.




Now would be a very good time to ask your family members and friends the following question: what they can do to “prepare for eternity” as we see in verse 33, and make plans to do it without delay. You might want to help them create a list of things they can do to make sure that they are prepared for eternity.

What are some things that you and your family members need to do to “prepare for eternity?” what might be the first thing on your list of things you must do? The following ideas for personal scripture study come to you directly from our Come, Follow Me for Individuals and Families manual:

Alma 34:30–41
“This life is the time … to prepare to meet God.”
As you read Alma 34:30–41, consider how you might “improve [your] time while in this life” (verse 33). How can repentance and patience help you prepare to meet God? Are there changes you need to make that you have been procrastinating? Be sure to act on any spiritual impressions you receive.
See also Alma 12:24; Larry R. Lawrence, “What Lack I Yet?” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2015, 33–35.

Right below are the ideas for family scripture study as well as family home evening ideas for you and your family members to study and do together. This comes to you directly from our Come, Follow Me for Individuals and Families manual:





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 ideas.

Alma 32:9–11; 33:2–11; 34:38–39
What would it be like if we were allowed to worship and pray only on Sunday? As you read these verses together, family members could discuss how they can worship every day and why they are thankful that they can.

Alma 32:28–43
A picture of a tree accompanies this outline; you might use it to illustrate Alma’s words in these verses. Or your family could go for a walk to find plants at different stages of growth and read verses from Alma 32 that compare a growing plant to our faith. Maybe each family member could plant a seed and discuss what we need to do to help it grow. Over the coming weeks you could check on your seeds and remind each other of the need to continually nourish our testimonies.

Alma 33:2–11; 34:17–29
What do these verses suggest about how we can improve our individual and family prayers?

Alma 34:31
What experiences have shown us that when we repent, we begin “immediately” to experience the blessings of the plan of redemption?


Alma 34:33–35
Does your family know what it means to procrastinate? Maybe someone can share examples of procrastination and its negative consequences. What does it mean to “procrastinate the day of [our] repentance”?

For more ideas for teaching children, see this week’s outline in Come, Follow Me—For Primary.
You know that Alma was “grieved for the iniquity of his people,” he then got his sons together and took the time to teach them “concerning the things pertaining unto righteousness” as found in Alma 35:15–16. We will b moiving on to the next few chapters in Alma for the upcoming week, are you ready?

For this coming week we will be studying Alma 36–38 , these chapters of Alma give an account of what Alma was inspired to teach his sons. The following is from the bottom of the page in our Come, Follow Me for Individuals and Families manual. It is a small section for improving our teaching, I hope it is helpful for you

Improving Our Teaching
Focus on the scriptures. While there are many supplementary resources that can enrich a discussion, remember that the scriptures are the source of doctrine. Help members find truths in the scriptures. (See Teaching in the Savior’s Way, 21.)





Well my dear family and friends, I do hope that all is well with you and those whom you love. I pray that you and yours are all healthy and well and doing great!!! It is so important that you each keep a positive outlook throughout all of this COVID 19 pandemic stuff. You may be surprised at what a smile can do!

Please remember that the Lord is still in charge. He knows the outcome from the beginning. He will make this for our good, you will see I know just how important it is to do our best to stay positive as well as o help those we love to stay positive too!! Until my next post, keep studying with me, be safe and be happy!!! 

Post # 241 – Counsel From the Twelve Apostles series # 9 – Elder Garrit W. Gong

Dear Family and Friends

During this time of COVID 19 our lives have changed so much for some and very little for others yet in some ways very much for all of us. I do not know just how many of you would be wearing a mask all day long if you were not in some department of the medical field. 

I know that I absolutely would not wear one at all, ever, even on Halloween. Not even a partial covering over my eyes, and especially not over my mouth and my nose.What about using hand sanitizer? How many of you would have been using hand sanitizer as much as you are or should be using it now? 

And what about staying 6 feet apart from those around you? I teach preschool so that definitely was not a part of my norm for every day. i still haven't found a way to implement that into my classroom. And these are just to name a few of the major changes that have come into our lives.

But all along the way we have been receiving counsel from the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Lord as well as ongoing counsel from our living prophet, President Russell M. Nelson, who was a former heart surgeon. knowing all about health issues from his previous occupation still gives us guidance from the Lord.

We have been receiving counsel from the Lord through these wonderful men for our day, for our time. they are relating to each one of us what the our Heavenly Father Himself and His Son Jesus Christ would say to us if They were here on the earth today.I have brought you part eight in this series of such counsel:

LEADERS & MINISTRY

Why we need to stay connected amid COVID-19 social distancing, Elder and Sister Gong say 

By Sarah Jane Weaver

Updated

28 MAY 2020

9:59 AM MDT

Editor’s note: This is part nine in a series of counsel from members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles during the COVID-19 outbreak. Read counsel from President M. Russell Ballard, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Elder David A. Bednar, Elder Quentin L. Cook, Elder D. Todd Christofferson, Elder Neil L. Andersen, and Elder Dale G. Renlund.

In the days after the Church’s 190th Annual General Conference, Elder Gerrit W. Gong was frequently asked what it was like to direct his remarks to an empty auditorium.

Reflecting government pandemic guidelines, the conference sessions included only the leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on the program, all sitting 6 feet apart.

Still, Elder Gong was clear about his experience.

“I wasn’t speaking to an empty auditorium,” he said. “I could see in my mind friends and neighbors, members and leaders, and others across the world.”

For Elder Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, the image of the near-empty auditorium for general conference is a metaphor. “There might be some physical distancing,” he said, “but it doesn’t mean we are spiritually distant.”

Contemplating a world changed by coronavirus distancing, Elder Gong and his wife, Sister Susan Gong, spoke to the Church News via telephone. “One of the things I have felt deeply during this time is that the Lord is close to us and we can be close to each other,” said Elder Gong. 

1 year after historic Rome temple dedication, apostles exemplify ‘whatsoever place ye cannot go ye shall send’

For example, the apostle said he has held frequent video conferencing sessions with priesthood and sister leaders, members in many different circumstances, mission leaders and missionaries, in many places. He said he has felt very close to each one.

“We have been in member homes via technology — it is as if we are visiting homes and families individual by individual. We share deep spiritual feelings and how we are doing. We are not speaking to an empty auditorium. We are speaking to each other, and we are deeply connected, even while we have some physical distancing.”

Unity of purpose

As the world was reacting to the COVID-19 pandemic, Elder Gong said the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles have taken time to counsel together — including with social distancing and via technology — on questions impacting the Church and our members, neighbors and friends, across the world.

“As President [Russell M.] Nelson said, we all want two things,” Elder Gong noted. “We  want to know the will of the Lord, and we want to know how to bless His children.”  

That unity of purpose and the time and ability to reflect together — to counsel in council — has been “very sweet and very important.” There has been harmony and clarity in feeling the direction of the Lord for these times, and knowing the Lord’s watchcare and blessings for His Saints and children everywhere.

“The Lord is aware of [God’s children] and blessing us and helping us in the things that are happening each day,” he said.

In coming days, Elder Gong said Latter-day Saints will reflect with new perspective about the sacrament and temple work and what it means to be good neighbors and to feel closeness within families.

Moving forward, “we can have confidence that as things continue to change the Lord will continue to guide us,” he said.

Ministering

Sister Gong acknowledged that required social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic has been hard for everyone. “We love each other. We belong to each other. We have covenanted to bless and help each other,” she said. “Typically that happens face to face and in groups. Not being able to be together has been a challenge for everyone.”

This is a time, she said, for Latter-day Saints “both to seek personal revelation and to follow the counsel that has been given to us by wise, inspired leaders about how to connect with and to act on inspiration received.”

With easing of COVID-19 restrictions, personal revelation is essential, says Elder Renlund

Elder and Sister Gong said they think about and pray for those who have been impacted by the virus physically, emotionally and economically.

“It behooves us all to reach out to people not just in our immediate circles, but beyond our circles, to see how we can best help them,” she said. “Especially in this circumstance, ministering is a really critical attribute of a follower of Jesus Christ.”

That might mean “calling people you have not talked to in a long time or making contact with people you have known only casually.”

One of the things the Gongs have tried to do is to make a list of people to reach out to every Sunday. Even if they can’t visit, they have found there are things that can be done to cheer them up and help them. “This is a small thing,” Sister Gong said, “and so many others are doing so much more.”

“You don’t have to be in each other’s homes to be in each other’s hearts,” said Elder Gong.

A corollary to that is that there are some people who could fall between the cracks. “In our gospel, in our Church, it is OK to let people know we need help — that we need a little attention, that we need a little support,” said Sister Gong. “Ask your ministering sisters or ministering brothers for things that you really need. … When we love and trust each other we can do that.”

This time of isolation is a “heart, might, mind and strength opportunity” during which members have to “engage your imagination and your intelligence and your energy” to minister in the Savior’s way, said Sister Gong.

“We are going to come through this, and we are going to be able to be together again and show each other love and appreciation, face to face, again,” said Sister Gong.

When the pandemic is over, she also hopes members will all remember “the need for meaningful interaction we have all felt during this time and continue to cherish our relationships with each of God’s children.”

‘Bloom where you are planted’

Latter-day Saints not only honor, obey, and sustain appropriate governmental guidelines during the pandemic, but also “keep the work of the Church moving forward,” said Elder Gong. “This includes essential ordinances, blessings, ministering and carrying forward other Church functions to bless families and individuals in appropriate and needed ways.”

 Sister Susan Gong looks over at her husband, Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, prior to him speaking at a BYU campus devotional on Tuesday, Oct. 16, 2018. Credit: Scott G Winterton, Deseret News

Elder Gong said that on a personal level, one of the things which has been “most tender for me,” is “I have experienced spring in a different way this year.”

Because he has not been traveling on Church assignment on the weekends, he has been learning to garden with Sister Gong. “Sister Gong loves gardening,” Elder Gong said. “When I am in the garden with her, I grow in love for gardens and for her. I’m learning about plants, mulch, and how you mix the soil. I have gotten to smell the flowers and hear the birds in a different way.”

Sister Gong said time has been a positive outcome of the pandemic. “Time with each other is a gift — time to meditate and to pray and to study things that are important.”

There is much to be grateful for and “so much to learn and experience — even in situations like this,” she said. “I hope we will remember the lessons we had here and will remember to cherish the time we had together and the time not rushing around.”

Elder Gong recalled with a smile how members supported missionaries and seminary graduates among many others.

When a local stake held a drive-by greeting for six missionaries who had come home, the Gongs made a sign for their car that said “bloom where you are planted.”

“You don’t have to be in each other’s homes to be in each other’s hearts.”

Elder Gong said the sign symbolizes missionaries’ faith and flexibility. He spoke of a missionary who was reassigned four times because of COVID-19. The young Sister from outside the United States was called to California, then Cambodia and then the Philippines, and could not go each time. She is now serving in her home country. 

Similarly, a home stake held a seminary graduation where graduates and their families socially spaced in their own cars, but the stake found a way to broadcast a short graduation program, complete with a musical number, to the cars by FM radio.

“The hearts of all of us across the Church go out to all who have been so full of faith and determination to find ways to accomplish the Lord’s purposes and to serve and bloom where they are,” said Elder Gong. “We are not going to go back to something old. We are going forward to something new. We are learning things that will help us keep the best of what we do person to person while learning to use technology and other means in effective and appropriate ways.”

Communication

One of the great lessons of mortality is to experience person-to-person communication, said Elder Gong. “These times remind us of how much we cherish the things we can do person to person, face to face, need to need — in each other’s hearts, homes, and in Church together.”

This has also been a time of learning of the blessings and opportunities of home-centered, Church-supported patterns of gospel living.

For example, the Gongs have used technology to have frequent contact with their children. Sister Gong has helped her granddaughter study Mandarin each afternoon as part of her school.

  

“There are new patterns, new ways to think about what it means to be connected,” said Elder Gong. “I think we’re all going to be grateful to be back in Church again. But we don’t want to lose the feelings and the thoughts and the patterns we have had while we have been at home.”

 President Russell M. Nelson of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and his wife Sister Wendy Nelson and Elder Gerrit W. Gong, of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, wave upon arrival in Papeete, Tahiti on May 23, 2019. Credit: Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News

The Church, he emphasized, will not return to the old pattern; “we are creating  new and better patterns which will bless us now and in the future.”

Elder Gong said that “‘by small and simple things, great things are brought to pass’ (Alma 37:6). As old patterns break, we can create new ways to think and do.”

It is an opportunity to realize the Father and the Son are in the details, said Elder Gong. “Sometimes we may feel alone or lost or isolated or separate, but we are not.”

In reading Luke 15 about lost sheep, lost coins, and the prodigal son, Elder Gong recently noticed the passage: “For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found” (Luke 15:24).

“I realized the Father could be saying, ‘My Son, the living Jesus Christ, was dead and is alive again. And because He lives — because He is the living Jesus Christ — each of us is never lost. Each of us can be found.

“We should always remember our Lord Jesus Christ knows us. He loves us. And we are never lost to Him. He is aware of us in the darkest hours and in the brightest days.

New patterns and new ways of doing things are “a new opportunity to feel the Lord’s love and to have faith that all things will work together for our good.”

I realize that this counsel is given specifically to our church members – members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but the counsel here can be applied to anyone’s life – if they choose to do so. I have reviewed a bit of the counsel given below as examples, you can apply the rest if you will.

Elder Gong said that we need to stay connected during this times of COVID 19 social distancing, we can all do this right? We can each one of us make a phone call to someone to whom we have not spoken to in a while. Just ask them how they are doing. You may be surprised by their response to your concern.

He said that we may need to have some physical distancing during this time but we need not have that same spiritual distancing – this is important to us all, am I right? We can all be close to one another even if we are not in the same place and we must remember that the Lord is close to us. 

If the Lord is not close to you, you must think about and do what is necessary to get close to Him!! What will you do this very day to get closer to your Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ? Make a list of things that you can and will do during this upcoming week to learn of your Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.

We can all feel close to one another through video conferencing and texting and phone calls just to mention a few ways to stay connected. It is not the same as being in one another’s homes but it is the next best thing for us to each stay safe during this time of COVID 19. 

If we make the effort, we can find a way to communicate with those we love as well as those we only know casually. It may take some creativity on our parts, but we can make it work can't we? We can each be deeply connected to one another even if we are miles apart.

We can each have a unity of purpose during this time of uncertainty and change. We can be sure that, as Elder Gong has reminded us: “The Lord is aware of [God’s children] and blessing us and helping us in the things that are happening each day,”  

As we each move forward in the days to come we will look back on things as they have been during this challenge and look ahead with a new look at things to come.We will remember how important is is for us to be united when we are at church, at home, as a family, as friends, as a community, as a country, as a world. 

Elder Gong reminds us that we can move forward and “we can have confidence that as things continue to change the Lord will continue to guide us,” So you see, we can all move forward with caution for safety and confidence that the Lord will continue to guide us.

Elder Gong reminds us that we love one another or we should love one another as God has loved us, and still loves each one of us individually. He knows each one of us individually. He knows our gifts and talents, as well as our strengths and weaknesses. He loves us and He is there for us when we need Him!!!

Elder Gong said that during this time when we have not been able to be together due to the COVID 19 has been difficult for most of us because we were used to spending time physically face to face with each other as often as we wanted to and now we are not able to do so in the same manner.

It is very important that we remember to communicate with one another !!! We can all do this can we not? We can all reach out to one another in some way through all of the avenues of media that are readily available to each one of us if we can figure therm out 

I did figure out how to zoom We can also connect with our Father in heaven on a daily basis and follow the guidance we receive for ourselves and our families. This is something that is so important for each one of us, to develop in our lives. the ability to communicate with our Heavenly Father each day!!!

Elder and sister Gong reminded us to think about and to pray for those who have been impacted by the COVID 19 in one way or another: physically, emotionally, and economically. We can all do this can we not? Can we not each one of us say a prayer  for those around us?

He says further that “ministering is a really critical attribute of a follower of Jesus Christ.” Are you a follower of Jesus Christ? If you are not a follower of Christ what changes do you need to make in your lives in order for you to become His followers? make plans to make those changes for as better life.

You can each call someone that you have not talked to in a long time or make contact with those people whom you may only know through casual meetings. I have sent uplifting quotes and pictures to people whom I don’t know very well, just to brighten their day. So far no one has been upset with me for doing so 

To be honest with you, sometimes they don’t answer and sometimes they ask who it is and when they recognize my name, they say thanks.  I like their idea of making a list of people to contact each Sunday. this way you would be sure that you made the contacts that you wanted to make or were inspired to make.

I am kind of random at my contacts and who I contact so making a list might be a good thing for me to do as well. It is something anyone can do, right? And then they gave us the reminder that we do not need to be in one another’s homes to be in one another’s hearts!!! 

I know that in our Church it is okay to ask for help. So if you need something, sometimes all you need to do is to ask. I know that anyone can ask for help but for some of us this is a very hard thing for us to do. I understand this, I really do. I also know, that if I don’t know if something needs fixing, how can i fix it?

You won't know if someone needs something, if you do not ask, right? We should ask for what we need as Sister Gong says, “when we love and trust each other we can do that.” I have helped in this way through texting to see if anyone needs anything. Then I buy it and leave it on their porch for them

This is something that we can all do, cab we not? Sister Gong say that this time of isolation is a “heart, might, mind and strength opportunity.” She says that during this time we as members have to “engage your imagination and your intelligence and your energy” to minister in the Savior’s way. 

We are each one of us capable of being the Lord's hands here on this earth. Can we not all do this to minister as the Savior would? Let us each “bloom where we are planted.” Let us remember who we are and listen to and follow the counsel given to us from the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. 

I pray that you will each feel the love of the Savior and His Father as you are reading through these posts that I share with each of you, my family and my friends I pray that you will each do your best to love one another and reach out to others and help those in need. 

There are ways to do this without any physical contact at all and it can make all the difference in the world to the person you are helping. I know that this is a small thing to send a text with a picture or a quote, or to drop by some groceries or to deliver a meal or two.

Please continue to read and study the Book of Mormon with me and all of our cyber study buddies out there in cyberspace I hope that you are learning as much as I am through this years study. Until my next post, please be safe and keep communication open!!! Between each other and Heavenly Father too!!!

Post # 240 –  Walk With Christ – DAY FIVE -- Journey to Jerusalem


Dear Family and Friends

I pray that you are each having a wonderful week! I know that it is sometimes hard to bounce right back when you have a bit of a holiday. I have been struggling for a while but not because of the holiday. I have had this pain in my right hip for a while now but the pain has worsened. 

It’s not unbearable but it really puts a damper in moving, sitting, standing, and anything else physical. In the past month or so my right shoulder has been giving me painful trouble as well. I have been thinking that the problem with my shoulder is due to having to lift myself in and out of bed each night. 



It is hard work to lift your body’s dead weight without the help of your feet. Also, I am not able to kneel either. I have tried but it is very painful kneeling -- even on my bed:(What can I say, I am just a mess!!!

Today was my day for Chemo therapy and it was the first time that I did not get my Chemo therapy. I went in for my follow-up appointment which has usually been good reports, but today was different. My oncologist told me that my bone scan does not look good. 

Unfortunately, the areas where the cancer had traveled to before I was diagnosed are lighting up bigger that they have in the past. My Doctor is not sure what is up but he will possibly order another type of Chemo therapy to try to continue to keep the cancer at bay and not allow it to grow. 

I was already scheduled to have an MRI of my lumbar region tomorrow, which I am not looking forward to at all!!! You see I am one of those people who are highly claustrophobic.  Going into one of those tunnels takes a lot of faith for me. It has been extremely hard to wear these masks for any time at all.



I guess I mention these things to all of you because whenever you have a terminal illness, no matter what it may be, there will be changes throughout your illness, some of those changes might be easier to manage than others, but you must never give up. 

You must continue to hold on to Jesus Christ and His Father – our Heavenly Father. You must trust in the will of your Heavenly Father as He knows best!!
If you have not taken the steps to get to know about your Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ, who is our Savior, it is not too late!! 

No matter where you are at on your journey here in mortality, you need to have the strength, the peace, the comfort, the live, that can only come from your Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ give us so much!!!

I do not believe for one minute that I would have been able to manage the last five years with stage four breast cancer without the peace that only Jesus Christ can give to us. This reminds me of the time in the scriptures when Jesus walked on the water. do you remember this story?



When Peter saw Him, he asked Jesus to call him out onto the water. You do remember this story!!! Okay!! For those of you who cant recall this story. So here is Peter, he gets out of the boat and begins walking on the water towards Jesus. Peter is doing great until he takes his eyes off of the Savior. 

Peter turns his eyes down towards the crashing waves beneath his feet. When his eyes leave the Savior, it is then that Peter begins to sink into the crashing waves and cries out for help. As long as his focus was on Christ he did fine! it wasn't until he lost focus that Peter began to sink into the sea.

We must keep our focus on our Savior, Jesus Christ!!!I pray that I have been making some sense to each of you. Sometimes when I write things down, they do not sound as they did in my mine, so please forgive me if my ramblings are somewhat of a muddled mess. 

I am truly very thankful for my Savior and His Atonement and for all of the blessings He gives me. His Atonement enables me to keep going each day without worrying whether i will be here the next day, which is something that I could really focus on if i was not focused on  my Savior!



In today’s post we are learning about our Walk With Christ – Day Five. Our walk takes us to Jerusalem and the story from the scriptures during a part of Jesus Christ's mortal ministry when He comes upon Ten Lepers who are in great need of being healed. How many of therm showed gratitude?


LUKE 17:11-19

The Road to Jerusalem

THE SETTING

Jesus was walking south toward Jerusalem, when He was approached by a group of ten people afflicted with leprosy. Jesus Christ gave them a simple instruction to go show themselves to the local priest, where they were pronounced clean. Yet only one of them came back to thank Jesus.

THE INVITATION

Dedicate a day to expressing gratitude—in person, online, over the phone, and in prayer. Also, like the one leper who returned, don't forget to take time to thank Jesus Christ for His influence in your life.



Luke 17:11–19

11 And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee.
12 And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off:
13 And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.
14 And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed.
15 And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God,
16 And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.
17 And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?
18 There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.
19 And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.

The Road to Jerusalem
Luke 17:11–19
As Jesus headed south toward Jerusalem, through Galilee, he entered an unnamed village. By this time in his ministry, word had spread of His miraculous ability to heal the sick. He was approached by a group of ten individuals who had been afflicted with the painful, disfiguring disease of leprosy. The lepers seemed destitute  but that didn’t mean there was no hope, and they pled, “Master, have mercy on us.” Jesus Christ instructed them, “Go shew yourselves unto the priests.” As the ten made their way to the priests, they discovered that they had been healed. They were overjoyed at their deliverance from the terrible affliction, yet only one of them came back to thank Jesus in person. The one who returned to express gratitude was rewarded when Jesus declared him not only healed but whole.


The Invitation

Give back by giving thanks
Gratitude is powerful. When we express it, the healing we find may not be as visible as that experienced by the ten lepers, but it is just as transformative. Dedicate a day to expressing gratitude—in person, online, or over the phone. Also, like the one leper who returned, don’t forget to take time to pray and offer thanks for the influence of Jesus Christ in your life.

Questions to Ponder
Who's someone you can reach out to and express gratitude?
What has happened in the past few days that has been a blessing for you?
What makes you feel gratitude for Jesus Christ?

Scriptures about gratitude

Rejoice in the Lord
"Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice. Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God."
—PHILIPPIANS 4:4–6



Be grateful for trials
“My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.”
—JAMES 1:2–4

Thank God for your blessings
"Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!"
—PSALM 107:21

The following are videos for you to watch along your journey on Day Five in your Walk With Christ.
https://www.comeuntochrist.org/walk-with-christ-day-5?cid=email_119296&mid=501690&jid=1722366&sid=cbee775f951d5e5d64dbefbcff0475e2933f6aca383044aa7d2c295cb11340c0&MDI_ID=&

 Gratitude   Jon’s upbringing could have made him focus on what his life lacked. However, he chose instead to dwell on all the wonderful things he had. Watch his story and see how he found peace through gratitude. 



 Lola Ogunbote   After scoliosis altered Lola Ogunbote's dreams, she had to learn how to focus on the positive in her life. Now she can say that adversity is the backbone of her success.


 Think to Thank   Remember to give thanks to those around you, even for the simple things. 

 Jesus Raises the Daughter of Jairus    Jesus demonstrates His divine power by raising a young girl from the dead.


Did you enjoy the visit and your Walk With Christ on this Day Five of our journey with you family members and friends. What did you learn from Day Five that you can share with others? Who will you share it with? Did you make plans for a day of gratitude? How will you do this?
I came across a talk that seems to fit in here with our Day Five Walk With Christ. I hope that you enjoy it as I did.

Journey to Jerusalem
by Jeffrey Swinton

I wish you could have been with us as Lee Grisham and I spent last Christmas in the Holy Land. Lee and I had been companions together in the mission field and had received permission to visit the Holy Land en route home. I was a typical Latter-day Saint who had read all my life about the Holy Land, and Lee was a Jewish convert of a few years. So together we shared a desire to visit the land of his forefathers.



We flew into Tel Aviv, where the climate was warm. Once there, we quickly learned how Israelis try to make the best of everything—on the bus ride into town we listened to excerpts from a Haydn symphony to help us forget the rough ride.

The next day we went by bus to Jerusalem, where instead of seeing our mental image of a 20,000-year-old town, we were shocked to find a very large and somewhat modern city, although it is divided into what are called the old and new sections. But the old city really doesn’t have too much to do with Jesus’ life, as much of it was built by the Crusaders and others. Rome destroyed the Jerusalem Jesus knew, leaving not “one stone upon another.” (Mark 13:2.)

After we had seen these sights and many more in Jerusalem, we spent several days in other parts of the Holy Land. One special thrill was conducting our own little sacrament meeting, having been previously authorized, on the shores of Lake Galilee, where our bread was broken from the Jewish bagel and the water came from the sea. 

A few days later, after having walked the hills, put our bare feet into the rough soil, tasted the water, felt the cold night air, and heard the bleat of the sheep, we found that the scriptures had become a living reality to us. But that wasn’t all. We had tried to follow in the actual footsteps of Jesus. Now our hearts tell us to follow the Savior in all the other paths of living that he has set for us. With the help of the Spirit, I know we can all do it.



Jerusalem—This is part of the old city of Jerusalem, seen from the top of the Mount of Olives where Jesus often taught his disciples. Cemetery stones dot the mountain in the foreground. The Brook Kidron used to run through the little valley between the mountain and the city. A Crusader wall surrounds part of the old city in which many of the streets are narrow and dark, lined with small shops with open fronts, and mostly populated by Arabs.

A Wedding—One of our nicest experiences was attending a wedding. As we walked along, we heard singing and music and found about thirty women dancing in a courtyard. As we stopped to watch, a young Arab invited us into the house. We found in one room younger men dancing to the music of an unfretted lute, a tamborine, and a drum. In an adjoining room, the older men sat in a huge circle on mats on the floor. They were sipping a hot beverage and talking quietly. We were fed well on lamb that was covered with a goat-cheese sauce.

Wailing Wall—Once in Jerusalem, one of the first things Lee wanted to see was the Wailing Wall. It stands about fifty feet high, and may be the last remaining portion of Herod’s Temple. To the Orthodox Jew, the wall holds great significance. He literally wails while he prays facing it. As we drew near, we put on a little black skull cap called a yarmulke, and we blended in with the crowd, many of whom were facing the wall, reading from the Hebrew Torah, and constantly bowing. The Orthodox group, young and old, who remain there all day are spoken of as “keepers of the wall.”



Dome of the Rock—Atop Mount Moriah, the small elevated southwestern portion of the old city, is the traditional site of Herod’s Temple. Today the area is maintained by Moslems who have built on the mount a mosque called the Dome of the Rock. Nearby is claimed to be the place where Abraham brought Isaac to be sacrificed. The Dome, shaped like a decagon, is covered with beautiful Turkish tile and crowned with a golden dome The interior is exquisite, with carpets and morocco and stained-glass windows.

Garden of Gethsemane—This is part of an old olive tree in the Garden of Gethsemane. Gethsemane, which means “olive oil press,” is several long city blocks distant outside the old city walls. Even though the area isn’t filled with trees as it was in the time of the Savior, it is easy to try to imagine what happened that great night when Jesus took upon himself the sins of the world. You get a lump in your throat as you think about what our Savior did for us here.

Garden Tomb—To the southwest of what is believed to be Golgotha is a site known as General Gordon’s Garden Tomb. According to Gordon’s research, it is the plot of land once owned by Joseph of Arimathea who gave his tomb for the burial of Jesus. Many people believe that this is the actual tomb in which Jesus was placed and from which he resurrected. 

It is preserved in its natural state. I wish everyone could go there and feel the same emotion we felt as we gazed at the site. There are two small rooms within. In front of the door is a trough that runs across the entrance—wide enough to have been the track for a huge wheel-shaped stone used to block the entrance. As one meditates here, the Spirit is really felt.


Typical Village—Outside of Jerusalem we found many villages that are probably typical in style and design to the kind that Jesus knew in his day. Here is one of them.

I felt like this talk gave us a little bit more information on our walk through Jerusalem in this our DAY FIVE  of our Walk With Christ.  I don’t know about you, but I have never been to Jerusalem and I probably will never have the opportunity to go there before my mortal journey on this life is done. 

With this in my mind I guess I wanted to give you the best picture that I could, for your spiritual journey in your Walk With Christ! I pray that all is well with you and your family members and friends. It is a beautifully hot day today again with the three digits. 

I can do with out those really hot days can't you? Do you remember the Challenge for today’s journey? We were asked to dedicate a day to expressing gratitude—in person, online, over the phone, and in prayer. This would be a great practice to do every week and journal it!

Also, like the one leper who returned, don't forget to take time to thank Jesus Christ for His influence in your life. Please remember the questions we were asked to ponder for today’s journey: Who's someone you can reach out to and express gratitude? 



What has happened in the past few days that has been a blessing for you? What makes you feel gratitude for Jesus Christ?  Now that we have reviewed the questions. I hope that today’s post has been uplifting for each of you and your family members and friends. 

As well as motivating you to do more each day to learn of and follow Jesus Christ!!! I don’t know if you have noticed those around you are either – speaking more of Jesus Christ and His Second Coming or they are totally oblivious to it or speaking and acting out against Christ?

Our Heavenly Father is giving us ample time to learn about Jesus Christ and follow His ways. Giving up our own will to that of the Father’s will. Repenting and having the opportunity of applying the Atonement of Jesus Christ in our daily lives. what is one way that you have applied the Atonement today?

Getting baptized into His Church, even The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and coming unto Him and following in His ways each day!!!  if you are not following Jesus Christ, what is one way you can follow Him today? Until my next post, please stay safe everyone!!!