lupe's notes March 17, 2013

Good afternoon sisters. Spring is around the corner.

THOUGHT: “If I could have one thing happen for parents and leaders of this Church, it would be that they feel the love of the Lord in their lives each day as they care for Heavenly Father's children....I invite you, in all of your dealings, to put on the mantle of charity, to envelop your family in the pure love of Christ.” Bonnie D. Parkin (Daughters in My Kingdom)

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

1. The Circle of Sisters event on Thursday was so uplifting and we appreciate Robby, Sally J. and Gayla for their participation.
2. Pack Meeting has been postponed to Tuesday, March 26 at 7 pm due to the Deerfield Play.
3. The Blog class has also been postponed until further notice.
4. Today will be your last opportunity to write a message of love to Sister Linda Winder.

BIRTHDAYS: March 18^th – Gisele M., March 18^th – Kristi A.; march 18^th – Erika Clayton and March 22^nd – Micheale C. Have a happy, happy birthday sisters and have fun.

Today's lesson is from the Lorenzo Snow manual, lesson # 6 “Becoming Perfect before the Lord: “A Little Better Day by Day” presented by Pat H.

I pray for the Spirit of the Lord that we can derive what can help us today. I usually can keep my emotions in check and hope the Lord will give me the strength that I need.

I would like to add something to the objective of the lesson. I read it over and over and have felt so strongly that I needed to add this.

The objective of the lesson is “Do not expect to become perfect at once. If you do, you will be disappointed. Be better today than you were yesterday, and be better tomorrow than you are today.” This speaks to me because we can become discourage if we have not done better today than yesterday. Some days we take 2 steps backward and sometimes 7 steps forward and 20 backwards. Be very careful if you have not done better today; the adversary can cause us to beat up on ourselves. It is most important that we recognize that we can lift ourselves up and precede on the path. Hold on to the Iron Rod so that when times we get hit with something big and forceful, we can bail ourselves out of the dreary day. We can crawl back onto the path, grab hold of the iron rod and continue on.

In the Lord's mercy, He gives us the principle of time. With the Lord all things are present with him, a concept that we have a hard time understanding, but in his mercy we have the element of time. Time means new beginnings, every second, every minute, every hour, every day, every month, we have all of these new beginnings in our lives. So we can operate on the principle of repentance every day of our lives. We have all these new beginnings. As I get older, I began to understand it better, this principle of time is for repentance. I love that we have this new principle.

We will teach this new principle from both Lorenzo Snow and Elder Russell M. Nelson later on in the lesson.

Karen M: As I read this lesson this week, it was revealed to me that we were born 'to be' redeemed. Not to be struggling, etc., but to be redeemed. There is no other way.

One of my favorite things as an Ordinance Worker in the Temple; 10 years ago I would have expected a new sister to the temple to need help, but not an older sister. But when an older sister goes through and says to me, I need help with this, or it's been over 25 years, can you help me? I love helping them.

One of my friends who was not active, went to the temple for the first time, (he is now an ordinance worker) while in his 60s and the ordinance worked expected him to know it. He would look to the ordinance worker but I guess the ordinance worker was somewhere else in his mind. My friend jokes as he says, there I was at the veil and I just wanted to deck the ordinance worker. We're all here to be redeemed.

President Snow: “And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abram and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me and be thou perfect.”

“In connection with this I will quote part of the words of the Savior in his sermon on the Mount, as contained in the last verse of the 5^th chapter of Matthew.”

“Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect”

It is interesting, that in Matthew 5, the son of God who is a God himself is talking to his disciples and is saying “even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” He didn't use himself as an example of perfection. Later after doing His work, after he had brought to pass the Atonement and resurrection;

In Luke 13:32 the Savior talks about perfection ; “and the third day I shall be perfected.” After his ministry, atonement, resurrection, implying that he would not be perfected until the 3^rd day after he went to his Father.

And in D&C 93, His eternal perfection would follow his resurrection and receipt of “all power...in heaven and in earth.”

It is absolutely important to the understanding of perfection. This principle of being perfect. In the October 1995 General Conference, Elder Russel M. Nelson gave a talk entitled “Perfection Pending”.

We need to gain a better understanding of perfect. “In Matt. 5:48, the term perfect was translated from the Greek teleios, mean means “complete.” Teleios is an adjective derived from the noun telos, which means “end.” The infinitive form of the verb is teleiono, which means “to reach a distant end, to be fully developed, to consummate, or to finish.” Please note that the word does not imply “freedom from error”; it implies “achieving a distant objective.”

To me this throws a different light on the principle of perfect. It was taught by Jesus Christ himself. He had not yet brought to pass the object for his being on the earth. He said that on the 3^rd day, his mission would be completed after his death and then he could use all the power of the keys of the priesthood to resurrect himself, ascend to his Father and report to Him, then his mission would be complete.

In 3^rd Nephi he says: “Therefore I would that ye should be perfect even as I, or your Father who is in heaven is perfect.”

I hope that this is opening up in your minds this principle of perfection, The fact that you are here today is an indication of perfection. We have become perfect in this area of our lives. We have a common goal; the love that we have for each other. Portions of us are perfect because we are striving for the distant role of perfection. It goes over our head of some of us, but we are far most perfect in some areas.

The whole world has the light of Christ, but this is for Latter Day Saints members. President Snow: “We learn that the Lord appeared to Abraham and made him very great promises, and the before he was prepared to receive them a certain requirement was made of him, that he [Abraham] should become perfect before the Lord. And the same requirement was made by the Savior of his Disciples, that they should become perfect, even as He and His Father in Heaven were perfect. This I conceive to be a subject that concerns the Latter-day Saints; and I wish to offer a few remarks by way of suggestion, for the reflection of those whom it concerns.”

What do you think Lorenzo Snow means by this?

Robby: That we have the fulness of the gospel.

What are some of the ingredients in our track to perfection?

Holly M: Ordinances.

We have a prophet of God. As I watched for the new Pope, as I watched the process, it appears that he is a good man, I noticed such a contrast between how we get a prophet, who has the keys and authority to be voice for the Lord.

Robby: In the Catholic Church, they believe that the pope has the power of Christ. That they would be led by the Spirit to know who they would choose. If that is the case, why do they have to do it over and over until they all agree. It is comforting to be, to already know who will take the place of the prophet when he dies.

We have form and order. What else?

Cheryl: In the Book of Mormon, in Ether 12, we are told that we are given weakness so that we can be humble. That is why we have challenges. I found myself apologizing as I prayed and told the Lord, I'm weak. I felt his answer saying ' That is a gift; don't apologize for the gift that I've given you. For the conquering of it.

True, the Lord established so many things for us, some of our greatest blessing come as we overcome.

Melissa B: Looking back to when I was a teenager, a young married person, I can see my progression. We come to earth to progress. The goal for perfection keeps us on track, but it's progression that will get us there.

The Gift of the Holy Ghost. Imagine having that gift, the third member of the Godhead on that road to perfection. We have the Sacrament, as other Churches do, but the sacrament helps us in the repentance process and we remember.

Amy W: Faith is a gift and sometimes not, and it can get really discouraging. Perfection is what I expect, what we expect of ourselves. I think that when it does not work out for me, it's the faith (the gift of the spirit). Faith is necessary to save us. We know the true attributes of God. If we are not exercising faith in God, Jesus Christ and in the Holy Ghost, in their love for us, they who are perfect in justice and mercy; if we do not have that knowledge, then faith is there to help us.

Obedience helps to bring that faith.

If we could be perfect in this life, would it exalt us? Would that be enough? After all we can do, then it's Jesus Christ that takes us over the brink, who will perfect us. Jesus Christ is the center of this.

Both Elder Nelson and Lorenzo Snow talk about the areas where we can become perfect. Perfect in the Word of Wisdom; is that possible? Near perfect in attendance of our meetings. Other people who become active can then become perfect in their attendance. Perfect is how the Lord looks on us. We are far more harder on ourselves.

Karen M read: “So in reference to the Latter-day Saints; they could not possibly come up to such a moral and spiritual standard except through supernatural [heavenly] aid and assistance. Neither do we expect that the Latter-day Saints, at once will or can conform to this law under all circumstances. It requires time; it requires much patience and discipline of the mind and heart in order to obey this commandment. And although we may fail at first in our attempts, yet this should not discourage the Latter-day Saints from endeavoring to exercise a determination to comply with the great requirement. Abraham, although he might have had faith to walk before the Lord according to this divine law, yet there were times when his faith was sorely tried, but still he was not discouraged because he exercised a determination to comply with the will of God.

Sharon H read: “We may think that we cannot live up to the perfect law, that the work of perfecting ourselves is too difficult. This may be true in part, but the fact still remains that it is a command of the Almighty to us and we cannot ignore it. When we experience trying moments, then is the time for us to avail ourselves of that great privilege of calling upon the Lord for strength and understanding, intelligence and grace by which we can overcome the weakness of the flesh against which we have to make a continual warfare.”

Have you noticed that in the past Relief Society manuals, it used to be that we could pick them us, they were easy to read and understand? It's not that way anymore. Now it's about studying the gospel doctrine deeply, When we comply with a requirement from the Lord, we are perfect in that sphere.

Do you feel there is any area of your life that you are doing really well?

Karen M: As I look back as a young mother, I have come a long way. I have reached perfection to a level. Dad taught me a doctrine “It's only when you stop trying, then you're in trouble.”

Keep trying. That is the distant goal. Nephi told us about the rod of iron. It is so important to read our scriptures, to hold on to that rod.

Lorenzo Snow taught us about the principle of repentance. What about repentance?

Visitor: We need to use it everyday. We need to be perfect in Christ. He will take our weakness and give us power to overcome. Moroni 10:25 “...for there shall be none that doeth good among you, no not one. For if there be one among you that doeth good, he shall work by the power and gifts of God. We think we need to deny ourselves of all ungodliness. We need to be grateful to Him. To feel of his love. It is washing our self in the love of God every day when we read the scriptures.

If we exercise faith, come to church, just do it, it brings us to Christ.

Martha: We can feel perfect as we share our testimony. Francesca shared with us in a letter how she felt inadequate because she was so young. But then Elder Ballard spoke to them and told them that the Lord places his trust in young people. Through the power of God they testify and can convey perfect love. As moms, we can share our love with our children and share testimony. We're perfect at this moment.

I think that of all the principles of the gospel, this is the most important. I feel that one of my gifts is the ability to love. Brent's talk in Sacrament meeting about his brother. The key to exaltation is the love that we have. He talked about his parents learning more about the atonement from having their son and helping him. The bottom line of the gospel is love. The greater the love we have for one another, the easier it is to live the principle. We can love ourselves and more.

President Snow reminded us that we should strife to be righteous and to be better.

Next week's lesson is Conference talk “The First Great Commandment”, by Elder Holland.

Have a great week.