Today we’re going to work on some exercises to strengthen our spirits so that we may be ready for the challenges of this world.
Strength (weights)
Our first exercise is weight training or resistance training. To do this exercise we must hold tight to the iron rod. Ever had the weight of the world on your shoulders, ever felt resistance in keeping your covenants? The world can weigh us down. It often creates resistance against our worthy spiritual goals. Take the road less traveled. Walk through the narrow gate. Make and keep your covenants and gain the spiritual strength to lift and overcome the temporal challenges of the world. It will make all the difference.
Why do we make covenants?
We cannot do it alone!!!! If we only got what we deserved there would be no hope for us. Our only hope is to receive what we don’t deserve. Our only hope is to covenant with the Lord and receive the blessings of Christ’s atonement. Righteousness is simply a humble understanding of how unrighteous one is, coupled with a deep desire to do better. (The Peacegiver p98)
Covenants
Elder Ballard said, “A periodic review of the covenants we have made with the Lord will help us with our priorities and with balance in our lives. This review will help us see where we need to repent and change our lives to ensure that we are worthy of the promises that accompany our covenants and sacred ordinances. Working out our own salvation requires good planning and a deliberate, valiant effort” (Ensign, May 1987, 14).
What are the ordinances offered to us?
Baptism, Confirmation/Gift of the Holy Ghost, Sacrament, Temple Endowment & Sealing (Pass out a paper to each person that answers with the specific covenants to read and give each person a skewer.)
What are the covenants we make when we partake in these ordinances?
Baptism -
We covenant to:
• Come into the fold of God.
• Take upon ourselves the name of Jesus Christ.
• Stand as a witness for Jesus Christ.
• Always keep the commandments.
• Bear one another’s burdens.
• Manifest a determination to serve God unto the end.
• Manifest by works that we have repented of our sins.
• Prepare to receive the Holy Ghost for the complete remission of sins.
Gift of the Holy Ghost –
Covenants we make with God:
In order to qualify for the gift of the Holy Ghost we must fulfill the covenants of baptism, continue in humility and faith, and otherwise be worthy of the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost (see Articles of Faith 1:4).
Sacrament -
We Covenant to:
• Renew our baptismal covenants.
• Recommit to take upon ourselves the name of Jesus Christ, always remember Him, and keep His commandments. Partaking of the sacrament is a time for personal introspection, repentance, and rededication.
Temple Endowment
Covenants We Make with God
We covenant to:
“Observe the law of strict virtue and chastity, to be charitable, benevolent, tolerant and pure; to devote both talent and material means to the spread of truth and the uplifting of the race; to maintain devotion to the cause of truth; and to seek in every way to contribute to the great preparation that the earth may be made ready to receive her King,—the Lord Jesus Christ” (James E. Talmage, House of the Lord, 84).
Celestial Marriage
Covenants We Make with God
Couples who promise to abide the law of celestial marriage:
Covenant in pure love to remain faithful to each other and to God through all eternity.
Covenant to confine their intimate affections and sexual relations to each other.
Commit to live in ways that contribute to happy and successful family life.
Covenant “to ‘be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth’ (Gen. 1:28). A primary purpose of temple marriage in this life is to grow and mature in sharing God’s creative work in raising a family in righteousness. Parents enter into a partnership with God by participating in the procreation of mortal bodies, which house the spirit children of God” (in Ludlow, Encyclopedia of Mormonism, 2:859).
Flexibility (Clay)
Blessed are the flexible for they will not get bent out of shape.
Our next exercise increases our flexibility; we bend our will to the Lord’s and stretch for the next rung of the ladder that leads to Him. Not my bwill, but thine, be done. Being flexible and yielding to the Lord’s will provides us with the resources needed to act rather than be acted upon. (1 Nephi 10:18) For he is the asame yesterday, to-day, and forever; and the way is prepared for all men from the foundation of the world, if it so be that they repent and come unto him. 19 For he that diligently aseeketh shall find; and the bmysteries of God shall be unfolded unto them, by the power of the cHoly Ghost, as well in these times as in times of old, and as well in times of old as in times to come; wherefore, the dcourse of the Lord is one eternal round. Isaiah 64:8 But now, O Lord, thou art our afather; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the bwork of thy hand. Like clay in the master’s hands only through his touch may we achieve our full potential.
In Stake conference the infinite possibilities of gratitude were mentioned. If we show gratitude to the Lord we see more things to be grateful for then we show more gratitude then we see more things to be grateful for and so on and so on. Write this circular example on the board show gratitude arrow more blessings we see arrow to show gratitude The Lord’s way is not one of confusion.
Can you think of an example of the Lord’s eternal round? Ways in which the Lord is steadfast, eternal and patient? (Pass out a skewer to each person that gives an example) write examples on board if folks are slow to give ideas give them the first word and ask them to think of the next
Make/keep covenants = blessings
Acknowledge = bless
Witness = Faith
Live the Gospel = Gospel lives in us
Seek = find
Knock = open
Serve = love
Study = know
Commandments/covenants = protection
Love Him = Trust Him
Trust = faith
Repentance = forgiveness
Weakness = strength
Preparedness = peace
Obey the Holy Spirit = more promptings
Share our testimony = testimony grows
Obedience = Freedom (ex Word of Wisdom)
Lord’s Work = Bless (self, others, church, family)
Sustain the priesthood = priesthood serve/bless
Visit Teach = Sisterhood
GIVE = GET !!!
DO = Strength!!
As sister Thompson said last night at the General Relief Society meeting, we need to mind the gap. In all of these eternal rounds there is a gap. The gap is where we go from knowing something is true to doing what we know is true. When we do what is true we should follow another of Sister Thompson’s counsels, to feel the Lord’s approval. Feel the Lord smiling upon you and his joy in your reaching your divine potential. Elder Christofferson in his April 2009 conference talk the power of covenants put it this way Some see only sacrifice and limitations in obedience to the commandments of the new and everlasting covenant, but those who live the experience – who give themselves freely and unreservedly to the covenant life – find greater liberty and fulfillment. When we truly understand, we seek more commandments, not fewer. Each new law or commandment we learn and live is like on more rung or step on a ladder that enables us to climb higher and higher. Truly the gospel life is the good life.
Cardio (heart) Draw a huge heart on the board
The next exercise is cardio. Cardio in the worldly sense is exercising our hearts.
Mosiah 7:13 states “For how aknoweth a man the master whom he has not served, and who is a stranger unto him, and is far from the thoughts and intents of his heart?”
In our spiritual strength training cardio is building our relationship with the Lord. Knitting our heart to the Lord’s.
If a man comes to his wedding day only is he married?
If a mother comes to a child’s graduation day only is she a mother?
If we show up for ordinances only are we keeping our covenants?
An ordinance is the beginning of our covenant if we do not continue to keep our covenants we deny ourselves blessings and protection. This is another example of Sister Thompson’s counsel to Mind the Gap. If there is a gap between the covenants you make and the covenants you keep it is time to make a change. This is a serious and sobering point I hope you will ponder. Boyd K Packer out it his way, “Keep your covenants and you will be safe. Break them and you will not.”
Last night President Erying spoke of the legacy and heritage of Relief Society and how it is passed from heart to heart. The Lord wishes to pass His legacy on to you from His heart to yours.
What strengthen your heart ties to the Lord? What makes your heart receptive to the legacy He has in store for you?
Prayer, scripture study, keeping covenants, visiting teaching, service, service in the temple, compassionate service
(Pass out a skewer to each person that answers)
Again from Elder Christofferson counsel, “Divine covenants make strong Christians. I urge each one to qualify for and receive all the priesthood ordinances you can and then faithfully keep the promises you have made by covenant. In times of distress, let your covenants be paramount and let your obedience be exact. Then you can ask in faith, nothing wavering, according to your need, and God will answer. He will sustain you as you work and watch. In His own time and way He will stretch forth his hand to you, saying, “Here am I.”
Endurance
For endurance we follow Him. To Peter at Galilee Jesus said, “Follow me.” To Philip came the same instruction, “Follow me.” And to the publican Levi, who was sitting at receipt of custom, came the beckoning call, “Follow me.” Even to one who came running after him, one who had great possessions came the words, “Follow me.” And to you and to me that same voice, this same Jesus, says, “Follow me.” Are we willing to obey? (Thomas S. Monson, “Strength through Obedience,” Ensign, Jul 1996, 2)
Imagine the Lord as your running companion. He helps us lengthen our stride He meets our pace. If we are spiritually struggling he cheers us on and sticks with us. He may guide us around the storms or through them but no matter what He is beside us. Our race is the marathon of life and the finish line is eternal life.
Come what may, we can face life with hope and equanimity, knowing that we will succeed in the end because we have God’s promise to us individually, by name, and we know He cannot lie (see Enos 1:6; Ether 3:12).
Each stick represents a promise, a blessing, a heartstring that ties us to our Father in Heaven. One stick is easily broken but unite them together and they are strong. There is no relationship, no promise, more personal than those we make with Heavenly Father. As Job can testify, we may loose every worldly thing, but only when we loose our relationship with the Lord, have we truly lost everything. He knows you. He loves you. He extends His arm to you to hold you up in times of trial & to cheer you on in triumph. Bury your sins and take them up no more and in there place a lily will grow. The lilies toil not because they trust they are in the master’s hands. This I testify in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen
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