Obedience and "Lesson Liners"

     Brother Riggins was a fantastic teacher.  He was really good at catering the discussion to the questions that our class had.  Because of this... we often had a lesson that covered three seemingly incongruous topics (as you'll see in today's notes) :)  So don't get confused.

     My mission prep teacher spoke on Obedience at least once every lesson.  His son was sent home from his mission after being out for 23 and 1/2 months... 23.5 MONTHS!! That means he had  only two weeks left until he would be coming home.  His mission had a few elders that were extremely disobedient and several more that knew about it and did nothing to stop it.  13 elders were sent home that day.  He constantly told us to just be obedient!  Obey every single mission rule.  If your companion or even your leaders are breaking rules... call the mission president!  It isn't tattling... it is allowing the work to continue.  You will be BLESSED for obedience!

Helaman 10:4-5
Blessed art thou [Cassidy] for the things which thou hast done.  I have beheld how thou hast with unwearyingness declared the word which I have given unto thee unto this people and thou hast not feared them, and hast not sough thine own life, but hast sought my will, and to keep my commandments.  And now, because thou hast done this with such unwearyingness, behold, I will bless thee FOREVER!

Live your life, serve your mission, in a way that Heavenly Father will say THAT to you.  Blessed art thou.  You didn't fear the peer pressure (because there will be peer pressure!)  Just decide now to follow EVERY rule.  Never break a rule!

"When obedience ceases to be an irritant and becomes our quest, that is the moment God endows us with His power."  This should be our motto.

__________________________________________

D&C 50

v. 17 & 18= what is expected of you
We are ordained/set apart to preach with the spirit of God.  We must teach by the spirit!  It is the ONLY way we can teach.

v. 19 & 20= Receiver of truth
However, just teaching by the spirit is not enough.  They must receive it with the Spirit of Truth.  We cannot force anything

Here are some "Lesson Liners" he gave.. These are things we can say and do to bring the spirit into a lesson and help our investigators learn and receive it by the spirit:

• Start lessons with prayer.  Pray for them by NAME.

• Say "We want you to know how grateful we are for the invitation into your home.  We want you to know that the fact that you invited us into your home is a sign to God that you have a soft heart."  Say you are REPRESENTATIVES OF CHRIST.  Not missionaries.  "We are authorized representatives of Christ and as such the message we have to share is not our message.  We are only messengers.  Therefore, we would like to give His message the way He would have us give it.  Because of that, can we start with a prayer?"  If they get nervous say, "We just want to show you how we pray- how Heavenly Father has asked us to."  Then show how by doing a mini lesson of prayer.  Then say, "Now John (or whoever), what we'd like to do, with you're permission, is to have one of us give the prayer.  And if you could listen very carefully, we'd like to ask you to give the closing prayer and we will help you!"

v. 21,22,23,24

• "I want to show you so you can understand."  "I want to bear my testimony so you can feel my witness."

• "When we were going through our list of names today God showed us yours."

xoxo

Hermana Cook