Powerful Doctrines and Covenants

The youth in my seminary class read DC 81-83 which is full of powerful doctrines and covenants.

Rather than have me tell them what to learn, they studied it and shared what they learned and why it mattered.

Here is a quick summary of what each shared:

Ryan	DC 83:4-5	neat that children have claim on parents
	DC 82:6	it’s like a warning to be vigilant
Megan	DC 82:7	frightening, don’t like it, so don’t want to be that way
	DC 82:23	I don’t need to feel the burden of judging others
Colleen	DC 81:5	it’s great to help other people out, blessing
John	DC 81:5	feels good to help others
	DC 81:6	I want to do this
Matthew	DC 82:10	we will be blessed for doing what he says
Pablo	DC 81:3	he will bless me
	DC 82:2	repent and stop sinning
Markus	DC 82:14	it’s our job, I’m part of the work
	DC 82:24	you can have everything
Taylor	DC 81:5-6	irrevocable law, if we help the poor we will be blessed
Maryann	DC 81:4	it’s the best thing we can do, we don’t have to cure cancer or do something huge
	DC 82:3	remember where blessings come from
	DC 82:5	there really is a war going on
	DC 82:23	this is comforting
Brittany	DC 82:1	forgiving is a big part of my life
	DC 82:16	do us good, he watches out for us
	DC 82:18	improving our talents I’m trying to do that
Eric	DC 81:7	seen Alpha & Omega before so it must be important
Spencer R.	DC 81:5-6	raising hands, like Hallelujah, is cool and enduring to the end is important
	DC 82:14	we each have our own Zion and should strengthen it so we’ll be protected spiritually and hold strong
Christian	DC 82:3	it’s talking about us, requires more, doesn’t make us better, we know better, thankful to have it
	DC 82:10	covenant between us and God
	DC 82:16	people complain about commandments but they are there for our good and for our happiness
Aisha	DC 82:5	he will help us if we turn to him
	DC 82:9	he lets us know what to do
Leanne	DC 81:6 & 82:10	these are tied together and include the promise of eternal life
	DC 82:4	we need to accept it

The Future is Bright

Your future is not determined by the conditions around you. It is determined by your faith, your choices, and your efforts.

- Elder Paul V. Johnson

 

Your future is bright because you make it so. Even if things seem to be tumbling around us there is a solid reason for looking forward to a bright future.

 

In my lifetime I have seen two world wars. … I have worked my way through the Depression and managed to go to law school while starting a young family at the same time. I have seen stock markets and world economics go crazy, and I have seen a few despots and tyrants go crazy, all of which causes quite a bit of trouble around the world in the process.

So I am frank to say tonight that I hope you won’t believe all the world’s difficulties have been wedged into your decade, or that things have never been worse than they are for you personally, or that they will never get better.

- President Howard W. Hunter

 

“People who go to work with faith, knowing the Lord will bless them if they do what’s right, are the ones with a bright future.

- Elder Paul V. Johnson

 

These might be challenging times but it’s not the first time there have been challenges. Good people of faith come through it and are better and stronger. That’s you!

So, go make yours a great life.

 

- “Make Yours a Great Life”, Elder Paul V. Johnson

Why we should forgive everyone

Someone offends you. You’re hurt, angry, and want retribution. Yet the Lord says we should forgive everyone. Why?

We are to forgive others not for the sake of the person that offended us, but for our own sake.

We benefit when we forgive others. A burden is lifted. Anger and hurt are removed. Positive feelings of peace and love fill our heart and the result is happiness and health.

That’s why we should forgive everyone!

- DC 64:8-11

Divine guidance for the rich and poor alike

Rich people:
Give to the poor or your riches will canker your soul.

Poor people:
Labor with your own hands, don’t lay hold on other people’s goods.

Both rich and poor:
Be satisfied, be pure in your desires, avoid greed, and you will have the “fatness of the earth”.

A man here in Houston was the CEO of a large marketing firm. One of his clients was Michael Jordan and he has pictures and a nice chair Michael gave him. He had a limo take him to work each day. He was rolling in money, wealth, and prestige.

Now he is destitute and has very little. What happened? He says that because he set his heart on the money and was prideful he lost it all.

Something to keep in mind.

- DC 56:16-18

Avoid being deceived

If it doesn’t edify then it isn’t of God. Edify means to uplift, to benefit in a moral or spiritual way.

Ask yourself when you listen to music, view entertainment, and in your education: does this edify? If it doesn’t then it’s not of God and is not going to be of benefit to you.

- DC 50:23

Have a happy marriage

A successful marriage relationship is established by following these two principles:

Accept the other person for who they are, including all the good and bad. Don’t try to change them.

Think more of the other person’s needs and desires than your own.

I believe that if both people live these principles they will have a strong and happy marriage.

- DC 49:15

Marriage is not our's to change

Marriage is ordained by God. Ordained means it was instituted by him, enacted by him, it's his law.

My belief is that since God ordained marriage therefore we don't have any right to change it. Making it different in any way than what God established makes it something else. It's not marriage any more.

Given that God ordained marriage it seems to me that governments should have no business with it. Governments don't tell churches how people should be baptized, for example. If a government wants to recognize unions between people then go for it, but don't call it marriage. Leave that to the churches.

- DC 49:15

Improving our seminary tools

After several years of trying to upgrade the ancient audio/visual equipment at our stake center not succeeding, I've decided to buy the new equipment myself and donate it to the 4 seminary classes (and other classes) taught at the Katy Stake Center. It will cost about $600 and will be given to the church.

If you would like to join me and contribute $20 to the purchase please click here:

The power of valuing others

Find value in others just as you value yourself. Esteem others as you esteem yourself.

The effectiveness of a family, team, class, church, friends, and other groups correlates to how much the individual people esteem others.

David Lilienthal was commissioned after World War II to head up the Atomic Energy Commission. He brought together many brilliant people who were stars in their own rights and had many differences in perspective.

There was a tremendous amount of pressure to get going on all their objectives. Instead of diving right in David took several weeks for them to get to know each other, to value others as themselves.

The result was a highly effective group that was extremely creative, productive, and were able to resolve differences quickly.

That is the power of valuing others.

- DC 38:24-25

Might, mind, and strength

Watch this if you want to see what serving and loving God with all your might, mind, and strength looks like:

Part 1 of 2

Part 2 of 2

- DC 33:7