To download past handouts, go to: highlandvalleysundayschoolnotes2012.blogspot.

com

#1 Elder D. Todd Christofferson: The gospel, said President Gordon B. Hinckley, is a plan of freedom that gives discipline to appetite and direction to behavior. This plan puts us on a path of increasing knowledge and capacity, increasing grace and light. It is the freedom to become what you can and ought to be. But for your freedom to be complete, you must be willing to give away all your sins (see Alma 22:18), your willfulness, your cherished but unsound habits, perhaps even some good things that interfere with what God sees is essential for you. (You Are Free, Ensign, March 2013)

voice, and they love him. Now I must confess that there were five sheep in the field, and five heads went up when he called, but only four ran to Father. Farthest away, clear over on the edge of the field, looking straight toward Father, stood [a] large [ewe]. Father called to her, Come on. She made a motion as if to start but didnt come. Then Father started across the field, calling to her, Come on. Youre untied. The other four sheep trailed behind him at his heels. Then Mother explained to us that some few weeks before this, an acquaintance of theirs had brought the [ewe] and had given it to Father with the explanation that he no longer #2 My daughter and wanted it in his own herd. The man had said it was wild and wayward and was always leadI were visiting in my parents home. Along ing his other sheep through the fences and causing so much trouble that he wanted to about sundown my get rid of it. Father gladly accepted the sheep, mother asked if we would like to step out and for the next few days he staked it in the on the back porch and field so it wouldnt go away. Then he patiently taught it to love him and the other sheep. watch Father call his Then, as it felt more secure in its new home, [five] sheep to come Father left a short rope around its neck but into the shelter for didnt stake it down. the night. Father is As Mother explained this to us, Father and a stake patriarch, and the personification of his sheep had almost reached the [straggler] all that is good and gentle and a true man of at the edge of the field, and through the stillGod. ness we heard him call again, Come on. You ...Father walked to the edge of the field aren't tied down any more. You are free. and called, Come on. Immediately, without I felt the tears sting my eyes as I saw [the even stopping to bite off the mouthful of food sheep] give a lurch and reach Fathers side. they were reaching for, all five heads turned Then, with his loving hand on her head, he in his direction, and then [the sheep] broke into a run until they had reached his side and and all the members of his little flock turned and walked back toward us again. (Ibid.) received his pat on each head. My little daughter said, Oh, Grandmother, how did Grandfather get them to do that? My mother answered, The sheep know his

#3 Elder Russell M. Nelson: The doctrine of repentance is much broader than a dictionarys definition. When Jesus said repent, His disciples recorded that command in the Greek language with the verb metanoeo. This powerful word has great significance. In this word, the prefix meta means change. The suffix relates to four important Greek terms: nous, meaning the mind, gnosis, meaning knowledge, pneuma, meaning spirit, and pnoe, meaning breath. Thus, when Jesus said repent, He asked us to changeto change our mind, knowledge, and spiriteven our breath. A prophet explained that such a change in ones breath is to breathe with grateful acknowledgment of Him who grants each breath. (Repentance and
Converson, Ensign, April 2007)

fecting our obedience. In President Boyd K. Packers words, We are not obedient because we are blind, we are obedient because we can see (CR April 1983) (Ibid.) #7 President Hinckley: It isnt as bad as you sometimes think it is. It all works out. Dont worry. I say that to myself every morning. It will all work out. Put your trust in God and move forward with faith and confidence in the future. The Lord will not forsake us. He will not forsake us.
(Put Your Trust in God, Ensign, Feb, 2006)

#4 The Prophet Joseph Smith: Salvation is nothing more nor less than to triumph over all our enemies and put them under our feet. And when we have power to put all enemies under our feet in this world, and a knowledge to triumph over all evil spirits in the world to come, then we are saved, as in the case of Jesus, who was to reign until He had put all enemies under His feet, and the last enemy was death [see 1 Corinthians 15:2526]. (HC 5:387-88)

#8 President Ezra Taft Benson: Repentance means more than simply a reformation of behavior True repentance is based on and flows from faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. There is no other way. True repentance involves a change of heart and not just a change of behavior (see Alma 5:13) (The Teachings of
Ezra Taft Benson, 71).

Elder Neal A. Maxwell: ...repentance requires both turning away from evil and turning to God (CR Oct. 1991).

#5 Elder Christofferson: License is not liberty. Self-absorption and self-indulgence are not freedom. It is yielding to the discipline of Gods will and His love that brings true freedomthe freedom to excel, to create, to bless.

(this is from the same talk, but a more complete version found online called Allegiance to God, a BYU devotional given 19 October 1999: http://speeches.byu.edu/?act=viewitem&id=344)

#6 Elder Christofferson: It is exciting to realize that we can expand our freedom by per-

#9 Elder Dennis B. Neuenschwander: The ordinances of baptism and the sacrament are bound together inseparably. Through baptism we receive a remission of our sins. Through the sacrament we retain a remission of sins. By participating in baptism and the sacrament, we agree, or covenant, that we are willing to take the name of Christ upon us, to keep His commandments, and to always remember Him. In both instances, based upon our obedience to the ordinances, God extends the promise, or covenant that we would have His Spirit to be with us. (BYU Fireside, 27 October 2000)

#10 Elder Russell M. Nelson: The doctrine of repentance is much broader than a dictionarys definition. When Jesus said repent, His disciples recorded that command in the Greek language with the verb metanoeo. This powerful word has great significance. In this word, the prefix meta means change. The suffix relates to four important Greek terms: nous, meaning the mind, gnosis, meaning

knowledge, pneuma, meaning spirit, and pnoe, meaning breath. Thus, when Jesus said repent, He asked us to changeto change our mind, knowledge, and spiriteven our breath. A prophet explained that such a change in ones breath is to breathe with grateful acknowledgment of Him who grants each breath. (Repentance and
Converson, Ensign, April 2007)

Other thoughts too great not to include:

Sister Belle Spafford, former General Relief Society President: May I relate an experience. Authorization, as many of you know, has been given by the Brethren for Relief Societies, under specified circumstances, to be organized in nursing or residential homes for older sisters. One day I visited such a Relief Society. The members were between seventy-five and ninety years of age. They were ambulatory, bright of mind, and enthusiastic over their society. The lesson was from the Doctrine and Covenants and was followed by testimony bearing. The sisters contributed intelligently to the lesson discussions. Their offerings reflected a knowledge of Church doctrine and familiarity with the gospel, as well as rich life experiences. It was a delightful meeting. Then came the testimony period. Each sister who spoke, one by one, prayed that she would endure to the end. As I contemplated their intelligent understanding of the gospel as demonstrated in the discussion, and as I considered how late in life it was for most of them, I thought, why would they pray that they might endure to the end? Surely they have already proved themselves. Later, however, in private conversation with some of them, I was made aware that they were not entirely above reproach, that they had a tendency to excuse themselves for failures to comply with the laws of the gospel because of age and circumstances. These are a few comments made by these sisters as I talked with them: One sister said, We have sacrament meeting here at the home, as well as Relief Society, but I never go to sacrament meeting. I am too old to be preached to. I inquired, Dont you feel a need to partake of the sacrament? No, the sister indifferently replied. I dont think it matters at my age. Another sister said, I want to move to a little better home. I have enough money to do so. I have no one on whom to spend my money but myself. My family does not need it, and I am no longer interested in doing things for others that cost money. I dont even pay tithing. I dont think the Lord expects it of one my age. Still another sister, who was drinking tea as I called, said, I almost live on tea. When I was a younger woman, you couldnt have hired me to drink a cup of tea, but I dont think it will be held against me now. Yet another said, as we heard footsteps near the door, I hope thats not my daughter. She only comes because she fears criticism if she doesnt. She has very little love for me, and I have very little for her. One more comment: I seem to be growing weaker every day, suffering as I do with pain. I used to have the elders administer to me, but I dont believe in that anymore. Attendance at sacrament meeting, partaking of the sacrament, renewing ones covenants, the payment of tithing, observance of the Word of Wisdom, love of family, priesthood administration all basic laws of the gospelhad been abandoned by one or the other of these sisters with a feeling of justification; yet each had earnestly prayed that she might endure to the end. Sympathetic as we may be toward these sisters and toward their circumstances, and understanding as we may be of their actions, yet we must recognize that with clear minds they were justifying the nonobservance of Gods laws. I am led to ask also, Has the Lord ever set a retirement age for keeping his commandments? (Endure to the End, in Remarkable Stories from the Lives of Latter-day Saint Women, Leon R. Hartshorn, 1:231)

D&C LESSON 7 OUTLINE ~Would anyone be willing to recite the 4th Article of Faith for the rest of us? While theyre reciting it, fairly slowly, lets all concentrate of the whyon what the purpose is of these principles and ordinances in our lives. On Board as its recited: HOLY GHOST BAPTISM FAITH REPENTANCE

~What do these steps help us to become? (obedient) ~And what does obedience, ironically, produce? (freedom. There are two parts to this freedom: both the freedom to act and the freedom from something. Well talk about this more in a bit.) Quotation #1 Dont you love how President Hinckley described the gospel? ...a plan of freedom! That must mean that somehow these principles and ordinances, when lived, make us free. Its so counterintuitive, but we know its true, dont we? ~Would you say that the first principles and ordinances are more similar to this slinky or this game board? (both get you from point a to point b, but the slinky repeats the circle over and over while gradually taking us higher.) In this months Ensign, Elder Christofferson repeats a story his Aunt told him about his Grandfather. She said: Quotation #2 ~What is the rope symbolic of? What binds us down in our lives? (sin) ~What frees us from having to have that rope around our necks? (Christs Atonement) ~And what are the steps Heavenly Father has instructed us are necessary for us to allow the Atonement to sanctify us? (the 1st principles & ordinances of the gospel) If you think about it, the first principles and ordinances of the gospel are the process of repentancethe only means whereby we can become like Christ. Heres what Elder Russell M. Nelson said about the word repentance: Quotation #3 Remember in D&C 11:9 it says: Say nothing but repentance unto this generation.? I always wondered what that meant. Now I know the whole gospel is a gospel of re-

pentance. Of changing us so we can live with the Father forever, which is salvation! 2 Now...Joseph Smith taught an interesting definition of salvation: Quotation #4 ~Is it possible for us to be independent? A free agent? Obedient to none? To do whatever we want? To reject Heavenly Fathers instructions and say, Thats fine for others, but Ill just be over here doing my own thing not bothering anyone, just existing peacefully? 2 Nephi 2:27 Self-indulgence is not true freedom, anyway. Were all self-indulgent to one degree or anotherdoes it bring us happiness? Quotation #5 Elder Christofferson also talks about presiding in a Church disciplinary council saying: The man whose sins were the subject of the council sat before us and related something of his history. His sins were indeed serious, but he had also been terribly sinned against. As we considered the matter, my soul was troubled, and I asked to be excused to think and pray about it alone before rejoining the council. Then Elder Christofferson received a revelationa vision. He said: I was standing in front of a chair in my office pleading with the Lord to help me understand how such evil could have been perpetrated. I did not see but rather sensed an immense pit with a covering over it. One corner of the covering was lifted slightly for just an instant, and I perceived within it the depth and vastness of the evil that exists in this world. It was greater than I could really comprehend. I was overcome. I collapsed into the chair behind me. It seemed to take my breath away. I cried silently, How can we ever hope to overcome such evil? How can we survive something so dark and overwhelming? ~How can we overcome such evil? In that moment there came to my mind this phrase: Be of good cheer; I have overcome the world (John 16:33) Quotation #6 ~What is it that we can see? (the alternative, the vastness of evil that would overcome us, and that caused our Savior to bleed at every pore in Gethsemane) Since we have some time, lets delve into these principles and ordinances a bit: FAITH: ~Does worrying indicate that our faith is weak? Quotation #7 REPENTANCE: ~Is repentance simply changing our behavior?

Quotation #8 BAPTISM: ~What is the equivalent of baptism for us each week? (sacrament) Quotation #9

As we follow the upward spiral, we are doing something else Elder Holland called another first principle beyond the four usually listed, [and] taught by the Father himself. (Christ and the New Covenant: The Messianic Message of the Book of Mormon, 398) ~Any ideas what this principle is? (D&C 14:7: enduring to the end) ~Do we ever take a break from this path? ~How about when we reach age 90? ~How about if our calling & election is made sure? ~How about if were comatose? (apparently not, after hearing Elder Gays story last week about the mother whos boy was comatose and on life support for years. What was she told as he passed on to the spirit world? Some thing about Well done, thy son has repented and is going home. I wish now Id taken better notes!!) That we may do likewise is my prayer...