Lesson Notes

"Love is the measure of our faith, the inspiration for our obedience, and the true altitude of our discipleship." President Dieter F Uchtdorf

What defines us as members of Christ's church and true disciples? President Uchdorf tell us that it Love. The love we have for our Heavenly Father and the love we have for His children. The Savior said, "If ye love me, keep my commandments." This is the essence of what it means to be a true disciple; those who receive Christ Jesus walk with Him.

When asked to name the two greatest commandments, the Savior said "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all they soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment and the second is like unto it. Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." God did not give these commandments because He needs us to love Him. His power and glory are not diminished should we disregard, deny or even defile His name. He does not need us to love him. But oh, how we need to love Him.

What we love determines what we seek.

What we seek determines what we think and do.

What we think and do determines who we are - and who we will become.

President Uchdorf says that "love is the great commandment, it ought to be at the center of all we do in our own family, in our Church callings, and in our livelihood.

Love is the way of the disciple. We should each seek to become true disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Especially at this Easter Season, Let us remember Him and all He did for us. We an show that we remember Him and love Him by keeping his commandment to love His children.

NEXT WEEK: GENERAL CONFERENCE

Lesson Notes

In the scriptures we have three major accounts of the Creation. They are found in Genesis, Moses and Abraham. Since Moses was the author of Genesis the accounts in Genesis and Moses are similar with more information given in Genesis. Abraham's account differs slightly. Elder Bruce R. McConkie stated, "The Mosaic accounts set forth the temporal or physical creation, the actual organization of element or matter into tangible form. They are not accounts of the spirit creation. Abraham gives a blueprint as it were of the Creation. He tells the plans of the holy beings who wrought the creative work...Then he says they performed as they had planned, which means we can, by merely changing the verb tenses and without doing violence to the sense and meaning, also consider the Abrahamic account as one of the actual creation. (McConkie, 1982) The scriptures tell us, "I, the Lord God, created all things, of which I have spoken spiritually, before they were naturally upon the face of the earth." (Moses 3:7) Every living thing, both plant and animal, that is found on the earth was created and lived as a spirit prior to its appearance on earth.

When It was time for us to leave that spirit work and enter mortality a place was prepared for us. By the power of the Priesthood, which is the power and authority to act in God's name, Jesus Christ created this earth and everything in it. It was ordered and organized and then the work commenced. There were seven periods of creation, all under the direction of our Heavenly Father. Existent matter was organized and formed into this earth. Atmosphere was formed that would support life. Dry land was separated from water and plants were placed. The Sun, Moon and Stars were put in place and started their rotation and orbit. Sea animals birds, and fish were formed. Land animals were created and put in their place. All with the power to multiply after their own kind. The animals are obedient to the commands and directions that God gave to them. Finally God created Man, his finest creation. Man was created in the image of God and was placed on the earth and given dominion over all the animals on earth. Then God rested from all his labors.

Just as all matter and the elements were obedient to God in the formation of the earth, we should be obedient to all the commands of God. When we consider all the creations, we begin to understand what wise, powerful, and loving beings Jesus Christ and our Heavenly Father are. They have shown great love for us by providing for all of our needs. Plant life and animal life were made to give us joy. "Men are that they might have joy." (2 Nephi 2:25)

NEXT WEEK: "The Love of God" President Uchtdorf October General Conference address. Saturday AM session. Nov. Ensign page 76

Lesson Notes

Agency is an eternal principle given to us by a loving Father in Heaven that enables us to choose between good and evil and to act for ourselves. If we were forced to choose the right, we would not be able to show what we would choose for ourselves. Also, we are happier doing things when we have made our own choices.

Agency makes our life on earth a period of testing. We cannot choose righteousness unless the opposites of good and evil are placed before us. God allows Satan to oppose the good Satan does all he can to destroy God's work. He seeks "the misery of all mankind..He seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself." (2 Nephi 2:18,27) He does not love us. He does not want any good thing for us. He does not want us to be happy. He wants to make us his slaves. He uses many disguises to enslave us. When we follow Satan, we limit our choices. Making wrong choices limits the range of choices we can make as we are burdened with the consequences of those choices.

Even though we are free to choose our course of action, we are not free to choose the consequences of those actions. The consequences, good or bad, follow as a natural result of any choice we make. Because we are able to choose, we are responsible for our actions.

Even if a situation is thrust upon us that is not of our choosing we can choose how we act or react. If a situation seems beyond our control we can always ask God for help. Our Heavenly Father will not allow us to be tempted beyond our power to resist.

Know this that every soul is free

To choose his life and what he'll be;

For this eternal truth is given:

That God will force no man to heaven.

He'll call, persuade, direct aright,

And bless with wisdom, love, and light,

In nameless was be good and kind,

But never force the human mind.

Hymn #240

NEXT WEEK: Gospel Principles Lesson 5: The Creation, page 23

Lesson Notes

In the midst of the Great Depression of the 1930s the Church started its welfare system based on this gospel principle. President Heber J. Grant explained the principles this way, "Our primary purpose was to set up, insofar as it might be possible, a system under which the curse of idleness would be done away with, the evils of a dole abolished, and independence, industry, thrift, and self-respect be once more established amongst our people. the aim of the Church is to help the people to help themselves. Work is to be re-enthroned as the ruling principle of the lives of our Church membership," (Conference Report, Oct. 1936)

President Thomas S. Monson said, "Basic principles do not change. They will not change. They are revealed truths. Direct counsel has been given regarding the application of these revealed truths." He arranged these guiding principles as: work, self-reliance, caring for the extended family, sound financial management, a year's supply and wise use of Church resources.

Let's look at each principle:

WORK: President Monson said "Work is basic to all we do...Today many have forgotten the value of work. Some falsely believe that the highest goal in life is to achieve a condition in which one no longer needs to work. President Marion G. Romney said "No member should voluntarily shift the responsibility for his own maintenance to another. Rather, each member, through work, should seek to find great satisfaction in personal achievement; and thus, he will be entitled to the fruits of his labors - both temporal and spiritual.

SELF-RELIANCE: Self-reliance implies the individual development of skills and abilities and then their application to provide for one's own needs and wants. It further implies that one will achieve those skills through self-disciplineand then, through self-restraint and charity, use those skills to bless himself and others. (President Romney)

CARING FOR EXTENDED FAMILY: President Romney taught, "The immediate family is obligated to help each other; the extended family has the opportunity to help each other. And when our vision of Christlike love matures, we will joyfully take advantage of the opportunities."

SOUND FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT: Elder Robert D. Hales said, "We live in an age of entitlement. Many believe they should have all that other have - right now. Unable to delay gratification, they go into debt to buy what they cannot afford...It takes great faith to utter those simple words, 'We can't afford it.' It takes faith to trust that life will be better as we sacrifice our wants in order to meet our own and other's needs. Provident Living means joyfully living within our means and preparing for the ups and downs of life."

A YEAR'S SUPPLY OF LIFE'S NECESSITIES: Most members plan to do it. Too few have begun. President Ezra Taft Benson said, "From the standpoint of food production, storage, handling, and the Lord's counsel, wheat [or other grain], is essential. Other basics could include honey or sugar, legumes, milk products or substitutes, an salt. the revelation to produce and store food may be as essential to our temporal welfare today as boarding the ark was to the people in the days of Noah." (Ensign, Mov. 1980)

WISE USE OF CHURCH RESOURCES: When we need help beyond what we or our extended family can give then the Bishop has resources available to help us. President Monson stressed that "The assistance given by the bishop is temporary and partial. Remember, Church assistance is designed to help people help themselves."

When we can let us build the resources we need to become self-reliant. Work to strengthen ourselves and our families so that we can help others.

NEXT WEEK: Gospel Principles Lesson 4 " Freedom to Choose" p. 17