Student Gifts

In pondering long and hard about what to give the students for Christmas I came up with this idea.  It came to me after my own son made a remark about the Doctrine and Covenants only being about history and there was no doctrine or covenants in it really.  Are you kidding me?  What on earth have we been talking about every morning?  I'm always feeling bad that we don't have enough time to go over history more because it's more important to get the principles and applications down.  I was stunned.  

I went back over the manual for the semester and pulled out every principle that had an attached promise.  They were easy to find - the manual put them in bold print :0)  This is the application part of living the gospel.  Knowing what we need to do and what blessings are attached.

About principles Boyd K Packer said this;

"The Word of Wisdom was “given for a principle with promise” (D&C 89:3). That word principle in the revelation is a very important one. A principle is an enduring truth, a law, a rule you can adopt to guide you in making decisions. Generally principles are not spelled out in detail. That leaves you free to find your way with an enduring truth, a principle, as your anchor.

Members write in asking if this thing or that is against the Word of Wisdom. It’s well known that tea, coffee, liquor, and tobacco are against it. It has not been spelled out in more detail. Rather, we teach the principle together with the promised blessings. There are many habit-forming, addictive things that one can drink or chew or inhale or inject which injure both body and spirit which are not mentioned in the revelation"

With the new "Come Follow Me" program it's all about the "if/then."  If you do this then you will be blessed.  It's a call to action.  To become an agent who acts instead of one who is acted upon.  Every lesson should have a challenge to live the gospel.  Here's the problem.  You have to actually know if you have received a blessing by doing the if.  You've got to claim that blessing.  

When using the established pattern for going after blessings you've got to make sure of a couple of things.    Just as the Lord has made promises to us, we can in turn make some promises to him.  I'm a simple person.  A two way promise - by definition is a covenant.  However, it's a word that carries reverence and weight so in the church it isn't used except for when talking about ordinances.  Instead, we talk about principles with a promise.  Why?  Dunno.  Other than they don't want people getting confused on who sets the terms and the sacredness of them.  But, feel free to take that journey of discovery.  Here's what I do know.  

Where the topical guide will lead you;
Covenants  See also  Abrahamic Covenant ;  Priesthood, Oath and Covenant ;  Promise.
The bible dictionary;
"It's a promise where "God in His good pleasure fixes the terms, which man accepts."  
What else should you know?  
"Seek not to counsel the Lord"  is a talk by Marion G Romney 

Here's a quote from that talk;

"In my view, seeking to counsel the Lord generally means disregarding the Lord’s counsel, either knowingly or unknowingly, and in place thereof substituting our own counsel or the persuasions of men. Doing this is a very common human weakness. But until we are able to conquer it, real closeness to the Spirit of the Lord eludes us regardless of our other gifts and attainments."

That talk also talks about the 116 pages of manuscript that JS asked to give to MH 3 times.  He was given an answer, didn't like it, and kept asking until the Lord told him yes instead of no.

Ok, now a scripture and then I'll get where I'm going;

 29 Therefore, ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you; for he that asketh, receiveth; and unto him that knocketh, it shall be opened~ 3 Nephi 27

For me.  The Lord has set the terms to receive blessings.  They are all laid out below up to section 75 of the Doctrine and Covenants.  They are His terms, not mine.  The little asterisk disclaimer at the end of everything we ask for should be "if it be thy will" or something like "can I have this___?"   I'm in danger of counseling the Lord when I'm given my answer and I keep going back demanding a different one.  Sometimes the answer is no and we may never understand why.  Are there people who have asked to be cured from cancer that haven't?  Are they people who lost their job or couldn't get a new one?  Yes!  Are there stories where people did get what they asked for?  Yes!  You still have to have the faith to ask.  You have to have the faith to ask in specific detail.  You have to be doing your part to receive the blessing.  The Lord expects us to work out what it is that we want.  Take the brother of Jared for example and the rocks.  I'm sure the Lord was like "rocks, huh.  Alrighty then." But, the Lord told the brother of Jared to figure it out and come back to Him with the plan.  Then he didn't just pick up some pebbles, he went thru the process of making them clear before he took them to the Lord - he did his part.   

How does asking the Lord for what we want reconcile with being willing to accept whatever the will of the Lord is.  Shouldn't I just live my life accepting everything that is  thrown at me?  Throwing my hands up and saying "well, it's the will of the Lord, so...."  The trouble is, that is someone who is acted upon not an agent who acts.  I think of Neil A Maxwell who was willing to accept his fate of cancer and his wife had to remind him that the Lord absolutely expected him to ask to be healed and to go thru with treatments.  His life was spared for several more years after that.  The tricky thing is having the faith necessary to get what you asked for, but being willing to accept the will of the Lord if the answer is no or something different.  I don't think anyone ever claimed this process was an easy one and it's a journey everyone must take alone.  

My kids came home from EFY wanting to be more specific in their prayers.  They were told of a pioneer girl who had worn thru her shoes and desperately wanted a new pair while on the trail.  She was sitting on a log and prayed that the Lord would provide her with boots.  Red ones that laced all the way up but if all he could come up with was brown, she would take that.  What did she find when she leaned back on the log, nestled in a whole?  A pair of red boots that laced all the way up.  

I went to TOFW and one of the women talked about their bishop issuing a challenge to read the Book of Mormon in 90 days and they would be blessed.  They came home and got specific.  They claimed the blessing. They wanted to know for sure that they received a blessing.  The husband needed a job so they attached that blessing to the challenge.  At many different points throughout the 90 days they went back and forth between thinking it was something that would be granted and something that wouldn't.  On the 90th day they were at peace with whatever the Lord had decided and went to bed.  The next morning he had a job offer.  

My point.  When you are doing what the Lord asks you to do and tells you he will bless you for it, get specific.  You have to know how to see it.  You have to think of a way you will know that you are being blessed and then ask the Lord if it's something you can ask for.  You have to have the faith to move forward in that.  He is blessing us all the time.  This is a good way to open your eyes to it.   

20 There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated—

 21 And when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated. Doctrine and Covenants 130

So, below is the pattern set forth for blessings.  The law upon which blessings are predicated.  What you need to be doing in order to receive certain blessings.  It is kinda like amped up goal setting.  My husband's mission president had each missionary right down 3 things they wanted to see as blessings from serving their missions.  Basically, what they wanted to get out of the experience.  When he had is exit interview the president handed him back his list and to his surprise he discovered that his mission had been tailored to those specific things he had written down.  It was true of every missionary.  Some wrote things like "baptize 100 people" and they got it.  My husbands wrote skills and attributes he wanted to acquire and that's what he got.  The Lord wants us to ask for what we want and he'll give us what we need.  

At the end of Mormon he is pleading to future people of Christ to see what happens to people when they dwindle in unbelief.  He then leaves us with the list of to dos;

27 O then despise not, and wonder not, but hearken unto the words of the Lord, and ask the Father in the name of Jesus for what things soever ye shall stand in need. Doubt not, but be believing, and begin as in times of old, and come unto the Lord with all your heart, and work out your own salvation with fear and trembling before him.

 28 Be wise in the days of your probation; strip yourselves of all uncleanness; ask not, that ye may consume it on your lusts, but ask with a firmness unshaken, that ye will yield to no temptation, but that ye will serve the true and living God.

Thinking back now on what Boyd K Packer said about principles with their promised blessings.  The complete details aren't spelled out. You have to figure out what the principle looks like in your life (what does me living that look like because it's different for everyone) and what form the promised blessing comes in.    "That leaves you free to find your way with an enduring truth, a principle, as your anchor."

Use the principles with their promised blessings found in the D and C to take an experiment.  The kind of experiment that will change your life.  The most wonderful thing about this particular book of scripture is that it is the voice of the Lord.  You need to know.  Does he know me?  Does he hear me?  Does he love me?  Am I capable of communing with God?  Can he make me into something greater than I could have ever imagined?  There's only one way to find out.....and then what.

10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. Malachi 3

The Principles With 

Their Promised Blessings

 In The 

Doctrine and Covenants

Part One

If we are obedient to the principles and ordinances of the gospel, we can overcome sin through the atonement of Jesus Christ

If we study the revelations in the Doctrine and Covenants, Then we can strengthen our testimonies of Jesus Christ

As we study the Doctrine and Covenants,  we can hear the voice of the Savior

If we pray for help in our times of need, then the Lord will give us guidance

JSH

If we pray in faith, Then God will answer our prayers

If we endure our trials well, Then God will exalt us and help us triumph over our foes

If we call upon God in times of hardship, Then He can give us peace

JSH

If we earnestly seek God’s help when Satan tries to discourage us, God can deliver us

If we diligently study God’s word and act on it in faith, then we can come to know the truths of the gospel for ourselves

JSH

As we take responsibility for and preserve that which the Lord has given us, He will extend His protection and help

D and C 3

If we are faithful to the Lord’s commandments, Then He will support us during times of trouble

If we repent of our sins, then we will receive the Lord’s mercy

D and C 4

If we serve God with all of our heart, might, mind, and strength, we may stand blameless before Him at the last day

As we labor diligently to bring others unto Jesus Christ, we can also receive salvation for ourselves

D and C 5

If we will believe on the Lord’s words, He will confirm their truth through His Spirit

If we sincerely pray in humility and faith, then we can receive answers according to our righteous desires

D and C 8

If we pray with faith and an honest heart, we can receive knowledge from God

If we apply unto the spirit of revelation, we can be delivered from evil and harm

D and C 11

If we desire to do God’s work, we will be the means of doing much good

If you study the Lord’s word, then you will receive His Spirit and the power to convince others of the truth of the gospel

D and C 14

If we keep God’s commandments and endure to the end, we will receive eternal life

If we faithfully assist the Lord in His work, the Lord will bless us spiritually and temporally

D and C 17

If we obey and exercise faith in God, we can receive a witness of the truths of the gospel

D and C18

If we help others to repent and come unto the Lord, we will feel joy with them in the kingdom of God

D and C19

If we learn of Christ, listen to His words, and walk in the meekness of His Spirit, then we will have peace

If we do the will of the Lord, He will give us blessings that are of greater value than the treasures of the earth

D and C 21

If we heed the words of the prophet, we will be protected against the adversary

D and C 23

If we desire to serve the Lord, then we can receive personal guidance from Him

D and C24

If we are patient and endure our afflictions, the Lord will be with us

If we faithfully do what the Lord asks of us, then he will strengthen us

D and C 25

As we worship the Lord through righteous music, He will bless us

If we will keep God’s commandments continually, we will receive a crown of righteousness

D andC 27

If we take upon ourselves the whole armor of God, we will be able to withstand evil

D and C 29

If we do not repent, Jesus Christ’s atoning blood will not cleanse us

D and C 30

If we serve the Lord with all our soul, then He will be with us

D and C 31

If we are faithful to the end, then the Lord will be with us

D and C 33

If we open our mouths to declare the gospel, the Lord will inspire us with what to say

D and C 34

If we are faithful, the Lord will be with us

D and C 35

As we keep the commandments and honor our covenants, the Lord will help us accomplish His work

D and C 37

If we pray in faith, the Lord will answer our prayers -often through others

D and C 38

If we are not one, then we cannot be the Lord’s people

If we are prepared, then we shall not fear

D and C 39

If we receive Jesus Christ, then He will give us power to become His children

D and C 42

If we pray in faith, then we can receive the Spirit to help us teach others

If we have faith in Jesus Christ, then we can be healed according to His will

If we ask, then the Lord will give us knowledge that will bring us peace, joy, and eternal life

If we ask for wisdom, then the Lord will give to us liberally

D and C 43

If we act on the truths we learn, then we become sanctified

D and C 45

If we stand in holy places and watch for the signs, we will be ready for the Lord’s Second Coming

If we receive the truth and take the Holy Spirit to be our guide, we will abide the Savior’s Second Coming

D and C 46

If we earnestly seek the best gifts, God will grant them to us for the benefit of others

D and C 47

If we are faithful in our efforts to keep personal and family histories,  the Holy Ghost will help us

D and C 49

If we know the signs of the Second Coming, we will not be deceived by false claims

D and C 50

When we teach and learn by the spirit, we understand one another and we are edified and rejoice together

D and C 52

As we follow God’s instructions faithfully, He reveals more of His will to us

If you obey the Lord’s ordinances and live according to the revelations He has given, then you can avoid being deceived by Satan

D and C 53

If we keep our covenants and obey the Lord’s commandments, we will obtain mercy

If we seek the Lord early, then we will find rest to our souls

D and C 58

If we remain faithful in tribulation, then our eternal reward will be greater

If we wait for the Lord to tell us everything we should do, we will lose our reward

If we use our agency to do things that bring to pass righteousness, we will be rewarded

If we repent of our sins, the Lord will forgive us and remember our sins no more

D and C 59

If we keep the commandments with an eye single to the glory of God, then we will be blessed both temporally and spiritually

If we keep the Sabbath day holy, it will help us to resist temptation and overcome sin

If we do not express our gratitude to God and keep His commandments, we offend Him

D and C 60

If we do not share our testimonies, we can lose them

D and C 63

If we look upon others with lust, we will not have the Spirit and we deny the faith

If we are faithful and endure, then we will overcome the world

If we are prideful in doing the Lord’s work, the spirit is grieved

D and C 64

If we do not forgive others, we stand condemned before the Lord

If we follow the Lord’s will for us, we will not be tempted above that which we can bear

When we obey the Lord and offer sacrifices he asks of us, we are blessed

If we are diligent in doing good things, we can accomplish great things

D and C 65

If we ask, the Lord will show us the things we need to repent of

If we are faithful in doing the Lord’s will, He will be with us and will bless us so we can accomplish what He requires of us

If we continue faithfully to the end, we will receive eternal life

D and C 66

If we are faithful in doing the Lord’s will, He will be with us and will bless us so we can accomplish what He requires of us

If we continue faithfully to the end, we will receive eternal life

D and C 67

If we let fear into our hearts, then we can lose blessings

If we strip ourselves of jealousy and fear, humble ourselves, and continue in patience, we will be able to abide the presence of God

D and C 68

When the Lord’s servants are moved upon by the Holy Ghost, their words will lead people to salvation

D and C 75

If we are faithful in proclaiming the gospel, the Lord will bless us with honor, glory, and eternal life

If we are faithful in proclaiming the gospel, the Lord will be with us

“Just like the Lord instructs His early apostles so he instructs you and me, “follow thou me.”  Are we willing to obey?  The knowledge which we seek, the answers for which we yearn, and the strength for which we desire today to meet the challenges of a complex and changing world can be ours, when we willingly obey the Lords commandments.  I quote once again the words of the Lord, “He that keepeth Gods commandments, receiveth truth and light until he is glorified in truth and knoweth all things.”~Gordon B Hinkley

Love, Sister M

“Humility is not thinking less of ourselves, but to think of ourselves less.”  ~Dieter F Uchtdorf

“Don’t let your trials own you, you own your trials.” ~unkown

Love Sister I