Tell Me The Stories Of Jesus

I am starting a new Book of Mormon reading schedule. I have been reading since January 1st (like everyone else does on January 1st of every year), but now I want some study helps. I want to get more out of reading the Book of Mormon than I ever have and gain a testimony of Christ and His gospel more than I have to this point in my life.

My mom told me about BOM365, an app for Instagram. I started yesterday and will either try to catch up to their schedule or go at my own pace. I will use this blog as a way to journal about my journey.

DAY 1 (01-30-16) How can we teach our children to have faith in Christ?

When my daughter feels overwhelmed with a problem, sad about something that seems hopeless, or worried about something that she can’t get over, I remind her to pray. The Savior can do ANYTHING and He will help us do what we need to do when we ask Him. I remind her that He will help us to be happy, help us find something that is lost, help us feel love for someone when they hurt us and help us to forgive. He will help us, guide us, and love us. We can turn to Him in any moment every day. I sing songs of faith and praise and turn to Christ myself when I feel down. I love the scriptures, I tell her stories to help instill faith in her and I turn to prayer myself. She hears me pray, she knows I believe in Him and His omnipotent power. She follows my lead. She does what I do and believes what I believe. BUT for some reason I feel like most of my efforts are in teaching her. I want to instill these things in her. I want her to make a right choice because it is the right thing to do; not because I say so, but because she wants to.

The suggested article for today is “Tell Me The Stories of Jesus” by Neil A. Anderson. I would highlight the parts that spoke to me, but it would be the whole thing! I take them as instructions for me personally of how to instill a testimony in her. It can't be done in Family Home Evenings or simply taking her to church every Sunday, or even reading the scriptures to her on a regular basis, it has to be done over time in every day situations, allowing her to apply these truths to herself in her own life. It has to come from me, from my study of Christ's life and from the way I speak of and live His gospel. 

Here it is...

"Have our children visualized the pre-mortal council, where Jesus—the greatest of all—declared, “Here am I, send me”?  Do they see their own willingness to serve as following His example? Do they think about His humble birth, the Savior of the world lying in a manger?  Do His circumstances help them better understand the proper place of material possessions? Do they know that Jesus often taught, “Ask, and ye shall receive”?  Do His prayers of thankfulness and His pleadings to His Father flow through our children’s minds as they kneel in prayer with their own concerns? Have we told them of the love Jesus has for children, how He held them in His arms, prayed for them, and wept?  

Do our children know that Jesus stands ready “with open arms to receive [them]”?  Do they take strength in the stories of Jesus fasting — as we teach them the law of the fast? In their own loneliness, do our children know the loneliness the Savior felt as His friends deserted Him and as He asked His Apostles, “Will ye also go away?” Have our children felt the power of the Savior’s miracles? Jesus healed the leper, gave sight to the blind. He fed the 5,000, calmed the sea, and raised Lazarus from the dead. 

Do our children believe that “it is by faith that miracles are wrought,” and do they pray for miracles in their own lives? Have our children taken courage from the Savior’s words to the ruler of the synagogue: “Be not afraid, only believe”? Do our children know about His perfect life, His selfless ministry, His betrayal and cruel Crucifixion? Have we testified to them of the certainty of His Resurrection, of His visit to the Nephites in the Americas, of His appearance to the Prophet Joseph Smith in the Sacred Grove? 

Do they anticipate His majestic return, when all will be made right and every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is the Christ?  Do our children say, “Tell me the stories of Jesus I love to hear”?  As you reverently speak about the Savior—in the car, on the bus, at the dinner table, as you kneel in prayer, during scripture study, or in late-night conversations—the Spirit of the Lord will accompany your words. As you do your best, the testimony of Jesus will gently distill upon your children’s hearts. They will go to their Heavenly Father in humble prayer and feel His influence through the power of the Holy Ghost. A stronger personal faith in Jesus Christ will prepare them for the challenges they will most surely face."

Scripture to memorize: "And now (Sheri) remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall. " Helaman 5:12

Combating Pornography

Our stake has been invited to attend three workshops on Combating Pornography. All stake and ward members are encouraged to attend. There are hundreds of couples in our stake who are struggling with this battle, more than any of us would care to imagine. The adversary uses this tool to destroy many lives and eternal marriages. It can be extremely addictive. Even though it can be overcome with the atoning power of our Savior, avoiding its grip would save a lot of heartache and suffering. 

We need to educate ourselves and our children about its effects and the seriousness and reality of the hold that it can have on any of us. Pornography interferes with respect and intimacy and confuses participants with enticement and lust; calling evil good and good evil. It robs men and women who participate in it of the Spirit, by mocking eternal love and womanhood. Christ tells us in Matt 5:28, "...whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart."

The church provides several means for support to those who struggle with this, but prevention is the easiest way to combat it before the temptation ever starts. Awareness and avoidance prevents the temptation from having any effect. The first of these three workshops will be held on January 21st. A panel discussion with local Priesthood leaders, church members and professionals from LDS Family Services will address us. The next workshop; "Intervention", will be held on February 18th. And at the third workshop they will address "Healing". All of these will take place at the American Fork Tabernacle; 110 East Main Street In American Fork at 7:pm. If you want to learn more on this subject before Thursday, read any or all of the articles posted on LDS.org or watch a video or two.

There are church support groups for those who are struggling to overcome pornography and ones designed for family members. Don’t struggle or suffer alone! For more information on the church’s Addiction Recover Program, go to arp.lds.org