Doctrine and Covenants 106-108, Come Follow Me, (Sep 20-Sep 26)

[Music] hello fellow teachers and welcome back to teaching with power this week we're going to be in doctrine and covenants sections 106 108. i'm so glad you've joined me i look forward to spending this time with you in the scriptures today so grab your scriptures and your marking pencils it's time to dig deep there is a common theme that these three sections share with one particular verse standing out to me as the focal point as the chief principle of these sections and to introduce that theme i like to talk about cars we all know that a vehicle is a complicated piece of machinery with lots of moving parts so for an icebreaker i like to put up a few pictures of various auto parts and see if anyone can name what the part is and what it does so here we go and let's start out with an easy one what's this and that's an engine this is the powerhouse of the vehicle it's the heart that that produces the force that makes the car run what's this this is the transmission and this is where you're going to find all the gears that give the right amount of power to the wheels at any given speed a little bit harder one what's this maybe you've seen one of these before this is an air filter the tiny explosions that cause the engine to turn are produced by a mixture of air and gas well that air has to be clean so the air filter keeps dust and debris from getting into the engine all right next one what's this these are the brakes the brakes and the rotors these are the parts that stop your vehicle when you step on the brake pedal not very important all right next one what's this little part and this is a spark plug this tiny little part is the device that ignites the fuel in the engine which causes the pistons to fire which makes the vehicle move all right let's get let's get a little harder here what is this part and this is the air conditioner or the air compressor which runs the air conditioner and of course that's to help keep your car's interior cool all right a real hard one do you know what this is and that is a head gasket this is the piece that seals two critical pieces of the engine together and prevents oil and coolant from leaking into the pistons all right last one what is this and this is a flux capacitor all right this one's this one's just a joke uh this is the flux capacitor from back to the future the part that makes time travel possible so if you'd like to go forwards or backwards in time you just got to get your hands on one of these well anyway the point of this little exercise is to show you how many different parts it takes to make a vehicle run every part has a significant function to perform if any of those parts are broken or worn out or not working properly it'll have a significant effect on the driving experience or it can keep the vehicle from moving at all a flat tire a clogged air filter a defective spark plug each is going to have a profound effect on the ability of that car to do what it was designed to do well to me a ward or a branch in the church is like a vehicle there's lots of moving parts many different callings and responsibilities to be performed if any of those callings or responsibilities are neglected or missing it will have a significant effect on the ability of that ward to function as it was designed by christ to do so i have a challenge for you i want you to find a verse or the verse on page 221 of the doctrine and covenants that teaches this principle there's a verse on that page that in my mind captures the message of the entire block of scripture for the week i'll give you one more hint this was also one of president thomas s monson's favorite verses of scripture i mean i think i heard him quote this like every other general conference what is that verse the answer is verse 99 wherefore now let every man and we would include women here as well that means mankind learn their duty and to act in the office in which they are appointed in all diligence this week the scriptures are going to teach us about fulfilling our duties our responsibilities and our callings everyone has a part to play in building zion and preparing their wards and families to return to the presence of god we've got duties associated with specific callings in the church we have general duties as members of christ's church we have duties as priesthood bearers duties as wives and husbands and parents this week our aim is to reflect on how we're doing at learning our duties and acting on them in all diligence so let's start with a small section first section 106. section 106 was directed to warren a cowdrey oliver cowdery's older brother and here he's called to preside over a branch of members in the city of freedom ohio and this is an example then of a member learning their duty before god the phrase that i would introduce this section with is in verse 3 the lord informs warren cowdery that he is receiving a high and holy calling section 106 then is going to teach us truths regarding high and holy callings and before we go any further let's take a moment to liken the scriptures to ourselves and see if we can relate have you been given any high and holy callings let's see if we can name some the answers your students might give to that question are going to depend on your audience whether they're youth or adults but here are some possible answers if we've been baptized we've all been called to stand as witnesses of christ at all times in all things and all places that's a high and holy calling we've been called to prepare ourselves and others for the second coming of jesus christ if you have a church calling whatever it may be it's a high and holy calling to serve in christ's church in any capacity is to build zion and move the kingdom of god forward we are called to minister to and serve our fellow man the youth have recently been called by president nelson to join the lord's youth battalion and partake in one of the highest and holiest callings that we all have as latter-day saints the gathering of israel so we're all called to preach the gospel redeem the dead and perfect the saints each of those high and holy callings husbands and wives are called to support and love and help each other parents are called to raise their children in righteousness priesthood bearers are called to honor the oath and covenant of the priesthood we're all called to keep our baptismal and temple covenants these are just a few examples of some of the high and holy callings that we might have we're just like warren cowdery here so everybody should be able to relate to the principles that are taught this isn't just a section that applies to to those callings that we tend to assign status to this isn't just for prophets and apostles and bishops and relief society presidents it's for all of us the way i like to approach this is with a little activity that i call pick and ponder i'm going to provide you with a few phrases that i found insightful from section 106 and put them up on the board for you and i'm going to give you about five to eight minutes to study and ponder the entire section and in particular these phrases which of the following phrases is your favorite and what do they add to your understanding of high and holy callings or to quote section 107 what do they add to your understanding of learning your duty and acting on it in all diligence choose at least two to comment on and please also feel free to add one of your own phrases that i haven't included if you feel inspired by something different there and as the teacher once your students have done this you can either have volunteers share their thoughts with the entire class or you could have them teach each other so let's take a quick look at each of these phrases from verse 3 devote your time to this high and holy calling callings and duties require our time there's no way around that if we wish to act diligently in our duty we've got to be willing to devote the necessary time to those things you'll notice that i dropped the word whole in this phrase because i don't think god requires that we dedicate our whole time to a specific calling or duty but he does require sacrifice it's one thing to sacrifice money but our time is often even more difficult to give we have been incredibly blessed in the last days with many many time-saving devices that our ancestors never had that things that they could never dream of so many things have been automated and streamlined and optimized and yet we still seem to be busier than ever why is that too many distractions too many extraneous activities do we pile more on our plates than is wise for us perhaps we just need to put first things first and seek balance in fulfilling church family and personal duties another one from verse 3 seeking diligently the kingdom of heaven and its righteousness these high and holy callings are going to require our diligence as well as our time diligence is defined as steady earnest and energetic effort as opposed to occasional half-hearted and lethargic effort doctrine in covenants 107 verse 100 the verse that follows the one that i pointed out at the start it says he that is slothful shall not be counted worthy to stand and he that learns not his duty and shows himself not approved shall not be counted worthy to stand even so amen so when it comes to our callings and duties we can frequently ask ourselves am i performing these things diligently or slothfully i serve part of my mission in the small city of teophila otoli brazil and in the middle square or central park of that city there were all these sloths in the trees sometimes i'd pass by the square in the morning and see a sloth in one area of a tree and then later that day i'd be passing by again and some were still in the very same place or or very close by in fact i think i mentioned this back in section 58 but i really like what sloths are called in portuguese they call them ubisho pragisa or the lazy beast when it comes to our callings and our duties if you had to compare yourself to an animal what would it be an ant a bee an ox or a sloth a lazy beast sometimes i like to ask myself if i did my job like i'm doing this duty or calling would i be fired or would i be promoted diligence is key in being counted worthy to stand all right another phrase from verse 3 and all things necessary shall be added there unto sometimes we may feel inadequate to accomplish a duty or a calling as a bishop i frequently encounter members who don't feel qualified or capable of fulfilling a specific calling sometimes we may not feel like we're enough or that surely somebody else more qualified could do it better i know i felt that way when i received my mission call i felt that way when i became a parent i felt that way when i was called as bishop but in each of those circumstances i've always felt the lord adding all things necessary there unto it doesn't mean that we don't struggle that we're not going to make mistakes or that we don't feel overwhelmed at times but god will give us what we need to fulfill what he's called us to do as long as we're willing to be diligent god can make up the rest he will add thereunto along that same vein you have the promise that he makes in verse eight so let's pull that one in right now i will give him grace and assurance wherewith he may stand as we strive to serve we are guaranteed both grace and assurance grace for our shortcomings grace for our mistakes grace for our weaknesses assurance of our ability to serve assurance of our success assurance of god's help there's another thing that i remember thomas s monson saying frequently whom the lord calls the lord qualifies can you hear him say that in his voice in verse 6 there was joy in heaven when my servant bowed to my scepter and separated himself from the crafts of men the truth here god rejoices when we accept his high and holy callings when we say yes to speaking in church when we decide to serve a mission when we say yes to to marriage and parenthood when we accept a call in our ward or branch we are humbling ourselves to god's will and separating ourselves from the desires and the concerns and the crafts of men you can just picture heavenly father up there rejoicing and his angels when his children show willingness to heed his requests verse 7 blessed is my servant for i will have mercy on him fulfilling callings brings us forgiveness and mercy it's like the lord told thomas b marsh when he accepted a call to serve a mission therefore thrust in your sickle with all your soul and your sins are forgiven you and you shall be laden with sheaves upon your back for the laborer is worthy of his hire wherefore your family shall live service in christ's church invites god's forgiveness and his grace and then one more from verse seven there seem to be two major pitfalls when it comes to receiving high and holy callings one something we just talked about not feeling worthy or adequate of them the other pitfall lies on the other side of the spectrum feeling overly adequate or deserving of them high and holy callings can sometimes be a temptation to pride this will be said in a future place in the doctrine and covenants we have learned by sad experience that it is the nature and disposition of almost all men as soon as they get a little authority as they suppose they will immediately begin to exercise unrighteous dominion the lord seems to be particularly worried about this with warren cowdrey he says notwithstanding the vanity of his heart i will lift him up inasmuch as he will humble himself before me sometimes callings may inflate our egos a bit i must really be something if i'm being asked to do this well obviously they're picking me because i'm so qualified or on the other side do we ever reject a duty or a calling because we feel that we're beneath it what was the bishop thinking doesn't he know that i'll be better used in this other area why am i being made a primary teacher i should be serving in a presidency or in such and such a place pride can be a dangerous thing when it comes to to calling sometimes some may even be tempted to disengage with their ward if not given what they perceive to be a greater or more important role remember the metaphor of the car all parts are vital every ward needs nursery leaders and sunday school teachers and library workers just as much as they need presidents and counselors the car won't run well without all of its parts do you want to know what my calling was before i became bishop i was the sunbeam teacher and in a year or so i'll be released somebody else will take the role of bishop and who knows what they'll do with me next but but i love that aspect of leadership in our church everybody kind of takes turns one year i may be in a presidency and the next i'm teaching the six-year-olds both of these duties are needed and hopefully we don't allow our pride to get in the way of our effectiveness look back at that phrase in verse 7. the lord says i will lift him up if he humbles himself we got to make sure that the right person is doing the lifting we don't lift ourselves up we leave we leave that to god i think it's his will sad thing about warren cowdrey his pride does eventually get the better of him as he rejects the councils of church leaders and leaves the church in 1838 well the like in the scriptures what truth that we've discussed today do you feel can help you most to learn your duty and act in all diligence well isn't it wonderful that god trusts us enough to engage in his work that he allows 18 to 21 year old boys and girls lead his missionary efforts in the world that he allows volunteer mortal men and women to guide and lead his church rather than paid professionals that he gives us the power to create bodies for his precious spirits and then gives us the chance to parent and raise them god could do all of these things on his own but he gives those duties those responsibilities those callings to us knowing full well that we're going to mess things up now and then god knows that growth can only come through challenge and and opportunities to fulfill our responsibilities some of you may remember president david o mckay's favorite quote that he discovered carved into a stone while serving his mission in scotland it said whatever thou art act well thy part so remember the analogy of the car we all have a part to play in this great work i pray that we can not only learn our duties but act in all diligence in fulfilling those duties as well now for the big section of the week section 107 it's the fourth of the major revelations on priesthood in the doctrine and covenants section 13 being the first then section 20 and then section 84 is the third but section 107 is much more focused on establishing the organizational structure and hierarchy of the various priesthood quorums in the church and outlines their various duties it's at this time in church history that we first have a quorum of the twelve apostles called and a quorum of the seventy if you wish to cut this section up into more digestible pieces this is how i would do it verses 1-20 the two priesthoods 21-39 the first presidency 12 and the 70. verses 40 to 57 the patriarchal order in ancient times 58 to 67 presiding officers 68-76 the office of bishop 77-84 the final authority of the first presidency 85-98 quorum size and presidencies and then versus 99 in 100 the big picture now those verses that we've already taken a look at so for an icebreaker we're going to take a priesthood pre-test without looking in the scriptures i give my students the following questions and about five to ten minutes to complete it and then for the rest of the lesson we correct the pretest using the scriptures as the answer key and while you're correcting you can also use that time to ask questions and encourage discussion so here are questions number one how many priesthoods are there in the church a 1 the priesthood b 2 the aaronic and melchizedek priesthoods c 3 the aaronic melchizedek and levitical priesthoods or d for the aaronic melchizedek levitical and nazarite priesthoods check your answer in verse 1 and it says there are in the church two priesthoods namely the melchizedek and aaronic including the levitical priesthood so basically there are two although i wouldn't say that if you marked a that you necessarily got it wrong i understand that this is the way it's worded here but joseph does say at another point that all priesthood is melchizedek that the priesthood is priesthood the power and authority of god given to mortals and that the aaronic or levitical are appendages to that all-encompassing priesthood power so i'd say you got it right if you marked either a or b number two why is the melchizedek priesthood called the melchizedek priesthood a it's a hebrew word that means sanctified and worthy one b it's named after the place where that priesthood was restored the land of melchizedek see it's the name of the tribe of israel that specifically held the right to officiate in priesthood ordinances or d it's named after a man named melchizedek who was a great example of a worthy priesthood holder the answer is in verse 2 why the first is called the melchizedek priesthood is because melchizedek was such a great high priest so the answer is d it's named after a man named melchizedek who was a great example of a worthy priesthood holder now i'd like to spend just a little bit more time on this one because i think it's really important the old testament doesn't give us much information about melchizedek other than letting us know that abraham paid tithes to him but the book of mormon goes into much more depth on this great man you can learn a lot about him from alma chapter 13. i just want to show you two verses from that chapter and as you read them ask yourself why the lord would choose this man to name his priesthood after now this melchizedek was a king over the land of salem and his people had waxed strong in iniquity and abomination yea they had all gone astray they were full of all manner of wickedness but melchizedek having exercised mighty faith and received the office of the high priesthood according to the holy order of god did preach repentance unto his people and behold they did repent and melchizedek did establish peace in the land in his days therefore he was called the prince of peace for he was the king of salem and he did reign under his father so why do you think god chose him because he's a perfect example of what a priesthood holder is and should do what did he do through his faith through his preaching through his example he was able to turn a wicked people into a righteous one he was able to establish peace in people's lives he was able to prepare people to see the face of god that is exercising priesthood authority at its best teaching acting and leading in such a way that it lifts and blesses and brings peace to other people melchizedek come to find out is actually more of a title rather than a given name more than likely melchizedek is shem one of noah's sons but there is some debate on that but melchizedek the title means king of righteousness so it's as if the lord is saying i'm going to change the name of the priesthood not so much to the name of a man but to a man that lived up to a title a man who was a king of righteousness and a prince of peace when we take upon ourselves the oath and covenant of the priesthood we are covenanting with god that we will strive to become a king of righteousness and a prince of peace that's the kind of authority god wants to be exercised in his name the kind that encourages righteousness and peace not dominion and conquest that's why jesus is referred to as the king of kings not because he's the king of earthly kings like the king of henry viii or the king of louis xiv but the king of all the kings of righteousness within his church and there's some wonderful symbolism to be found in the ordinance of formally receiving priesthood authority when the priesthood is conferred on an individual or somebody receives a calling they sit in a chair while another person with authority places their hands on their heads and confers on them that power or authority what's the symbolism when a king becomes a king there's also a ceremony it's called the coronation the future king sits on a chair or throne while somebody with authority usually a member of the clergy places a crown upon their heads and utters words of blessing that's the same thing when priesthood is convert it's the same movement it's the same idea except when you receive priesthood or priesthood office or a calling you're becoming a different kind of prince or king or royalty a prince or princess of peace a king or queen of righteousness as we exercise priesthood authority righteously hopefully we can earn those titles and follow the example of melchizedek the king of righteousness well number three what is the official name of the priesthood a the holy priesthood after the order of the son of god b the sacred power of god c the holy priesthood after the order of melchizedek and aaron or d the power of godliness the answer is in verse 3 before his day it was called the holy priesthood after the order of the son of god so the answer is a that's the official name of the priesthood well question number four why was the official name of the priesthood changed to be called the melchizedek priesthood a to make it shorter and easier to say be to show there are divisions within the priesthood c because joseph smith wished to delineate between the priesthood that we hold today from the priesthood in biblical times or d out of respect and reverence to the name of god and to avoid the too frequent repetition of his name the answer is in verse 4 but out of respect or reverence to the name of the supreme being to avoid the too frequent repetition of his name they the church in ancient days called that priesthood after melchizedek or the melchizedek priesthood so the answer is d which of the following is not a duty of the melchizedek priesthood a the right of presidency b power and authority over all the offices in the church c the ministering of angels or d to administer in spiritual things you'll find the answer to that one in verse 8 the melchizedek priesthood holds the right of presidency and has power and authority over all the offices in the church in all ages of the world to administer in spiritual things the answer to this is see then the ministering of angels falls under the keys of the aaronic priesthood and as far as the duties of the melchizedek priesthood goes i'd like you to take a look at verses 18 and 19 as well here these verses will really give you a sense of what the melchizedek priesthood is all about the power and authority of the hire or melchizedek priesthood is to hold the keys of all the spiritual blessings of the church to have the privilege of receiving the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven to have the heavens opened unto them to commune with the general assembly and church of the firstborn and to enjoy the communion and presence of god the father and jesus the mediator of the new covenant i think that's why it's the melchizedek priesthood that confers the gift of the holy ghost it's the melchizedek priesthood that pronounces blessings of counsel and comfort on others it's the melchizedek priesthood that leads and guides the general membership of the church by revelation it administers in spiritual things number six why is the aaronic priesthood called the aaronic priesthood a it was the priesthood conferred on aaron and his posterity in old testament times b it was the name moses gave it to differentiate it from the priesthood that he held c it means lesser in hebrew or d to honor aaron who was such a great high priest the answer is in verse 13 the second priesthood is called the priesthood of aaron because it was conferred upon aaron and his seed throughout all their generations this happened as moses led the children of israel through the wilderness god's covenant people would operate under this lesser priesthood for many generations so the answer is a number seven which of the following is not a duty of the aaronic priesthood a it holds the keys of the ministering of angels b it administers in outward ordinances see it has the privilege of receiving the mysteries of the kingdom or d it administers the letter of the gospel rather than the spirit of the gospel look in verse 20 the power and authority of the lesser or aaronic priesthood is to hold the keys of the ministering of angels and to administer in outward ordinances the letter of the gospel the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins agreeable to the covenants and commandments the answer then is see is the melchizedek priesthood that receives the mysteries of the kingdom number eight how are we to uphold the leaders of the church mark all that apply a with our confidence be with our faith c with our prayers d with our fast offerings i really love this one the answer is in verse 22 of the melchizedek priesthood three presiding high priests chosen by the body appointed and ordained to that office and upheld by the confidence faith and prayer of the church form a quorum of the presidency of the church those are the three things that we need to have in order to truly support our church leaders we uphold them by our confidence in their ability to lead us and in their decisions and councils we uphold them by our faith in their words by believing them and acting on what they teach and we uphold them with our prayers because we recognize that they're still mortal men and need blessings and help and the grace of god and this reminds me of that great story in the book of exodus where the israelites are in battle with the people of amalek and moses goes to the top of a hill overlooking the battle and raises his arms once he does this the israelites begin to win and push the enemy back but after a while moses arms start to get tired and they start to fall and when this happens amalek begins to push the israelites back they start to lose so two men aaron and her go to moses and hold up each one of his arms because of this the israelites eventually win the battle that's the message when we uphold the prophet we win our battles how do we uphold the prophet with our confidence our faith and our prayers number nine what are the duties of the quorum of the twelve mark all that apply a to be special witnesses of christ in all the world b build up the church and regulate its affairs in all nations c hold the keys of opening the door for the proclamation of the gospel d ordain leaders by revelation and you'll find the answers to this one in verses 23 33 35 and 39 the answer is all of them the 12 are to do all of these things the document that we know as the living christ is a great example of the apostles acting on their duty to be special witnesses of christ in all the world number 10 how are decisions made in the quorum of the 12 apostles a majority rule b the president of the church makes all the decisions but counsels with the 12. c a two-thirds majority or d all decisions must be unanimous the answer is in verse 27 and every decision made by either of these quorums must be by the unanimous voice of the same that is every member in each quorum must be agreed to its decisions in order to make their decisions of the same power or validity one with the other don't you love that they are perfectly united in their decisions it's not like the government where you have all this infighting and jockeying for position and control the brethren must agree 100 unanimously before decisions are made and you'd think that in a system like that nothing would ever get done that there'd always be at least one person dissenting but things do get done a testament to the fact that our church is inspired and led by god i love how gordon b hinckley described this he said no decision emanates from the deliberations of the first presidency and the twelve without total unanimity among all concerned at the outset in considering matters there may be differences in opinion these are to be expected these men come from different backgrounds they are men who think for themselves but before a final decision is reached there comes a unanimity of mind and voice i add by way of personal testimony that during the 20 years i served as a member of the council of the 12 and during the nearly 13 years that i have served in the first presidency there has never been a major action taken where this procedure was not observed i have seen differences of opinion presented in these deliberations out of this very process of men speaking their minds has come a sifting and winnowing of ideas and concepts but i have never observed serious discord or personal enmity among my brethren i have rather observed a beautiful and remarkable thing the coming together under the directing influence of the holy spirit and under the power of revelation of divergent views until there is total harmony and full agreement only then is implementation made that i testify represents the spirit of revelation manifested again and again in directing this the lord's work all right number 11 which of the following is not a duty of the bishop a to administer in temporal things b to make the final decision on controversies and spiritual matters c to be a judge in israel and d to do the business of the church in his part of the world take a look at verses 68-77 and you'll see all of those duties mentioned except for b he does not make the final decision on controversies in spiritual matters that's a duty left to either a stake high council or the first presidency of the church bishops do however bless the members of their ward in temporal things that's why the bishop oversees tithing and the welfare program of the church he's to be a judge in israel which is why you have an interview with him before you can receive a temple recommend and he does the business of the church in his ward which i guess is kind of a catch-all phrase to describe the other various duties that he has number 12 which of the following does not represent the proper number of a full quorum of these priesthood offices a 12 deacons b 24 teachers c 56 priests d 96 elders the answer is in verses 85 to 89. the only number that's incorrect there is c it's not 56 priests but 48. and you'll notice that the numbers double as you ascend the different priesthood offices and then number 13 which of the following is not true of the president of the church a he is blessed with every single spiritual gift possible b he is responsible for regulating all the financial matters of the church c he presides over the whole church or d he is a seer revelator translator and prophet well look in verses 91 to 92 the answer is b he's not responsible for regulating all the financial matters of the church that would fall more under the office of the presiding bishopric but he does preside over the whole church he does have all those titles seer revelator translator prophet and this really cool thought here he does have all the spiritual gifts of god you might remember our lesson back in section 46 on the gifts of the spirit to help his prophet in his massive responsibilities god blesses him with the incredible power of all spiritual gifts well i hope this little activity helped you to understand the priesthood just a little bit better and if you wish to help your students liken the scriptures a little bit you could choose a few of the following questions for them to consider how have you been blessed by the power of the aaronic or melchizedek priesthood what could you do to better uphold your leaders with confidence faith and prayer what could you do to better follow the example of melchizedek in using priesthood power and who is a leader in the church that has greatly blessed you and how i'm incredibly grateful for the organization and order of the priesthood that we enjoy in the church i've been blessed in so many ways throughout the years by righteous men and women wielding that god-given power i'm also grateful for the privilege and experiences that god has given me as i've used a measure of that power myself in my callings and responsibilities i know that power is real i felt it and i've seen its influence the section 108 is directed to lyman sherman who'd specifically come to the prophet to request a revelation concerning his duty before god he'd faithfully served in zion's camp and now been called to be one of the seven presidents of the seventies there are two messages that i'd like to briefly cover from this section one comes from verses one and two and the other from verse seven for an icebreaker i like to ask my students to compare the feeling of guilt to something how would they describe what guilt feels like because we've all been there i would say it feels like having a vice on your heart and someone just keeps turning it and clamping down on it with each passing minute or they may compare it to having a giant weight resting on their chest or an enormous internal pressure but then another question what does forgiveness feel like to me forgiveness is like having a vice immediately loosened and removed i have an air compressor in my garage that i use to inflate car and bike tires when i'm finished using it the manufacturer recommends that you release the pressure from the tank so there's a little valve that you unscrew and it's kind of fun you open that valve and all that air and pressure just comes hissing out at tremendous speed and volume and then it just gradually slows and softens until all the air is gone perhaps forgiveness feels a little like that like letting all that guilt and regret and pain just air out of your soul lyman sherman apparently had some concerns about his past and what those concerns exactly were i'm not sure but i imagine that most of us can relate to that feeling have you ever experienced feelings of regret guilt or anxiety over your mistakes sins and weaknesses the lord has a message for those that are repentant but are still anxious and uncertain about their standing before god what's that message in verses one and two verily thus saith the lord unto you my servant lymon your sins are forgiven you because you have obeyed my voice in coming up hither this morning to receive counsel of him whom i have appointed therefore let your soul be at rest concerning your spiritual standing and resist no more my voice sometimes the hardest person we'll ever have to forgive is ourselves satan is going to use every opportunity he has to try and drag us down and make us miserable like unto himself so when we sin yes it's normal and important that we feel guilty guilt is actually a feeling that's inspired by the spirit it helps us to repent to change to to avoid making the same mistakes in the future but satan can often manipulate that guilt into something far worse and not inspired by the spirit satan wants us to be filled with enduring shame shame can and discourage and keep us from moving forward when god has forgiven us or one of his servants has assured us of his mercy then we need to let it go we need to let our souls be at rest concerning our spiritual standing we don't want to be spiritual insomniacs that never put the past to bed we can't let our past sins imprison our future potential what if alma the younger had just spent the rest of his life wallowing in regret over his former sinful ways what if paul had allowed his past to stifle his potential we've got to be careful about putting limits on christ's atonement and we say that we can never forgive ourselves that what we've done is unredeemable we're saying that christ's grace and mercy can only extend so far that's unwise we've got to let jesus have his victory over our sins c.s lewis had something to say about that he said i think that if god forgives us we must forgive ourselves otherwise it's almost like setting up ourselves as a higher tribunal than him so with great love and concern for each of you out there if there is anyone who is feeling that right now if you're feeling guilt over something that was done and repented for long ago if you're still holding on to some shame or regret over a forgiven sin i encourage you to let your soul be at rest concerning your spiritual standing don't let the lies of the adversary hold you back and keep you from fulfilling your divine potential you can still do great things in god's kingdom and your family give christ his victory and move on there's another idea that i truly love from section 108 to introduce it i'd like to give you the following verses to consider what do each of these verses have in common and if you're struggling to see a pattern there compare those verses to doctrine and covenants 108 verse 7. does that help it says therefore strengthen your brethren in all your conversation in all your prayers in all your exhortations and in all your doings do you see the pattern there in each of those above references you have examples of jesus strengthening his brethren he was always looking for ways to build other people up sometimes he gave them nicknames how do you think it made peter feel about peter when jesus said you know what i think i'll call you the rock or how do you think it made nathanael feel about nathanael when jesus said here is an israelite in whom there is no guile or when he called john the beloved or how did it make the centurion feel when jesus said that he'd never seen such great faith amongst all the israelites or zacchaeus the publican despised by the people when jesus chose him to have lunch with of all the people in jericho jesus believed in strengthening his brethren in all his conversations and prayers and exhortations he sought to build people up rather than tear them down now which of those two things do you think is more common in our society what do we see on the news in magazines on social media people talking mostly about what's good and positive in others and and things or what's wrong and negative i think you know the answer to that question politics is full of negativity and tearing down and outrage modern humor is full of negativity and tearing down and put downs social media is chock full of this kind of thing i remember asking a simple question on a hiking forum and a number of people jumped on and made disparaging comments about my question and why it was such a stupid thing to ask and i just thought to myself why what makes people feel the need to put others down over something as silly as this i'd like to share a little poem that i feel captures the essence of this council that we find in section 108 i know it's been shared many times and it's been attributed to a number of different people but it really is effective at communicating the principle here and i think it's beautifully and simply written it's called a builder or a wrecker and it goes like this as i watched them tear a building down a gang of men in a busy town with a ho heave hoe and a lusty yell they swung a beam and the sidewall fell i asked the foreman are these men skilled and the men you'd hire if you wanted to build he gave a laugh and said no indeed just common labor is all i need i can easily wreck in a day or two what builders have taken years to do and i thought to myself as i went on my way which of those roles have i tried to play am i a builder who works with care strengthening lives by rule and square am i shaping my peers to a well-made plan helping them do the best they can or am i a wrecker who walks to town content with the labor of tearing down oh lord let my life and my labors be that which will build for eternity wrecking is easy right i can easily wreck in a day or two what builders have taken years to do it's so easy to criticize and nitpick and point out the faults of others because everybody has them and they're usually quite obvious it's so tempting to call those things out because it makes us feel superior or better than they are there's something seductive and pleasurable about putting somebody else down strokes our ego feeds our pride you know i'm gonna blow out your candle so that mine burns brighter let me suggest something that's even more rewarding praise and compliments have you ever seen the effect a sincere compliment can have on a person it's magical it's almost instantly and visibly transforming try it out see for yourself think of someone you know and ponder something that is truly positive about them then mention it to them watch their eyes light up watch them stand a little taller and breathe a little more freely they'll make their day now they may sheepishly deny it or get embarrassed but that compliment can literally change them and fuel them for years just think of a compliment that somebody's given you how did it make you feel i still remember a compliment that another elder gave me in the mission field he said you know what i've noticed about you elder wilcox you're the kind of guy that blank and he gave me a wonderful compliment that was over 20 years ago i still remember it to this day i'm still getting mileage out of that compliment that elder was a builder building is so much more satisfying and long-lasting it blesses both the builder and the built so the truth this little verse teaches building boosts while wrecking weakens and at this point in the lesson i like to pull out a hammer and i tell them that each of them carries a hammer with them every day and what can you do with a hammer i can build with it or i can destroy things with it well how do you most often use your hammer are you a builder or a wrecker think of the last conversation you had with a member of your family did you build or wreck think of the last conversation you had with a co-worker or a fellow student did you build or wreck the last time you made a comment on social media did you build or wreck and with that i'd like to give you a challenge an experiment i want you to sincerely compliment somebody in the next 24 hours and see what happens and i don't want you to compliment them on their physical appearance or their clothing or something that they can do but something about their character that impresses you an attribute of their personality that is admirable as a teacher you could tell your students that you're going to follow up with them the next time that you meet and have them share what their experience was like and i hope that we can all strive to be like christ in that respect yes there's a time and place for rebuke and constructive criticism but building and strengthening others should always be the ultimate goal it's easy to get wrapped up in our own little worlds and tear down others to make ourselves feel better but we can resist that urge i believe that you'll find that lifting is much more rewarding than demolishing so let's be builders not records well that's all i have for you today my friends thank you for joining me this week it's always a pleasure to spend this time with you if you're interested in any of the teaching resources that i have go to teachingwithpower.com and you'll find the links if you found that the lesson was helpful the best thing you can do is recommend it to somebody else hit the like hit the subscribe make a comment all of those things will help thank you so much for watching now get out there and teach with power [Music]

Channel: Teaching with Power

Views: 7,185

Rating: 4.9508195 out of 5

Keywords: Doctrine and Covenants come follow me, Come follow me D&C 106-108, Doctrine and Covenants 106-108, LDS Come follow me Doctrine and Covenants 106-108, Doctrine and Covenants, Don’t miss this, LDS Come follow me, Book of Mormon Central, Unshaken, teaching, gospel doctrine, lds seminary

Id: twZlISyQOeg

Length: 57min 7sec (3427 seconds)

Published: Sun Sep 12 2021